Abu Simbel from Aswan: day trips, flights and tickets

Abu Simbel is two temples cut into a hillside above Lake Nasser: the Great Temple of Ramses II and a smaller temple beside it, which tour listings call the Nefertari temple. Both were moved in 1968, in the UNESCO campaign to save them from the lake rising behind the Aswan High Dam, and they became a World Heritage Site in 1979. One ticket covers both.

The hard part is getting there. Abu Simbel is far south of everything else on a Nile itinerary, and the nearest city is Aswan, about 280–300 km away by desert road. So a visit to Abu Simbel from Aswan means either a long day in a vehicle, a short flight, or a few days on a Lake Nasser ship. Below are the options, with prices and timings.

Abu Simbel from Aswan: distance and the early start

The road runs about 280–300 km south of Aswan and takes 3.5–4 hours each way. Tour transfers leave before dawn and pass police checkpoints, and the road is reported to be closed to tourist traffic overnight. That is why the classic day trip picks you up between about 03:00 and 04:00: you reach the temples in the cooler morning and drive back in daylight.

With a private car you can start later. That is fine from November to February. From May to September a later start puts you at the temples around midday, when Aswan's average maximum is near 40 °C or above, and we wouldn't do it.

The Nile valley between Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel is outside all the UK government's warning areas for Egypt; check the latest FCDO travel advice before you go.

Abu Simbel day trip from Aswan: how the day runs

The shared trips from Aswan take about 10 hours door to door. Exact times vary by operator and season, but a typical day looks like this:

Two hours is enough to see both temples properly without rushing, but not much more. Take water, a hat and some small notes for toilets (EGP 20–50 is normal). If you are on a cruise, ask whether the pick-up is from the ship. On a 4-night Luxor to Aswan cruise, Abu Simbel is an add-on on the Aswan day or after you disembark, with the same 03:00–04:00 start.

Abu Simbel tour from Aswan: shared bus, private car or plane

Shared tours are the budget option, private cars the comfortable one, and flights the fast one. The cheapest listing is not always the cheapest day: the $40 trip leaves the guide optional and doesn't mention the ticket, while the $65 one includes both.

Best Abu Simbel tours from Aswan

1

Best value for most people

Group tour with guide and entrance fees included, from $65, rated 4.6 by 592 travellers. The price you see is close to the price you pay.

◐ Daytime

GetYourGuideFull dayAswan

From Aswan: Abu Simbel Group Tour with Guide & Entrance Fees

4.6 (592)

from $65Check dates

2

The cheapest seat

Shared trip with hotel pick-up from $40, with 3,404 reviews at 4.5. Check whether the ticket and a guide are included before you book.

◐ Daytime

GetYourGuideFull dayAswan

From Aswan: Abu Simbel Temple Day Trip with Hotel Pickup

4.5 (3,404)

from $40Check dates

3

Your own car and guide

Private car and guide from $128, rated 4.5 by 458 travellers. Same 10-hour day, but you set the pace at the temples.

◐ Daytime

GetYourGuideFull dayAswan

From Aswan: Abu Simbel Day Tour with Private Guide and Car

4.5 (458)

from $128Check dates

4

Add the Nubian village

Private day tour from $166 (4.7, 43 reviews) that adds a Nubian village to the temples.

◐ Daytime

GetYourGuideFull dayAswan

Aswan: Abu Simbel Temple & Nubian Village Private Day Tour

4.7 (43)

from $166Check dates

By bus: the shared tours from $40 are the "bus" that most visitors use. We have no reliable public bus timetable to give you, and with the overnight road closure and pre-dawn checkpoints, an organised transfer is far simpler.

By plane: short flights connect Aswan and Abu Simbel in about 45 minutes. Check the airline for the current schedule. Two short flights replace 7–8 hours on the road, which suits a short trip or anyone who can't sleep in a vehicle.

◐ Daytime

GetYourGuideFull dayAswan

From Aswan: Abu Simbel Temple Day Trip with Hotel Pickup

4.5 (3,404)

from $40Check dates

◐ Daytime

GetYourGuideFull dayEdfu

Luxor: Edfu, Kom Ombo, Abu Simbel Private Tour & Entry Fees

4.2 (134)

from $238Check dates

⛵ Cairo

GetYourGuide1 nightFrom Cairo

From Cairo: 2-Day Abu Simbel & Luxor Tour

4.0 (162)

from $815Check dates

⛵ Luxor

GetYourGuide4 nightsFrom Luxor

Luxor: 5 Days Nile Cruise with Guided Tours & Abu Simbel

4.4 (69)

from $840Check dates

◐ Daytime

GetYourGuideFull dayAswan

Aswan: Abu Simbel Temple & Nubian Village Private Day Tour

4.7 (43)

from $166Check dates

⛵ Cairo

GetYourGuide1 nightFrom Cairo

Cairo: 2-Day 1-Night Luxor, Aswan, and Abu Simbel by Flight

4.5 (24)

from $815Check dates

See everything on GetYourGuide →See everything on Headout →See everything on Tiqets →Prices checked on 19 October 2026

Abu Simbel ticket price and opening hours

The official ticket shop sells Abu Simbel at EGP 822 for a foreign adult (student EGP 445.5, with a valid card, aged 24 or under). Children under 6 go in free. On the sun-alignment days, 22 February and 22 October, the price rises to EGP 1,272 (student EGP 670.5). The site opens at 06:00 and the last entry is 16:00. Prices change: check the current one on the Abu Simbel page of the ticket shop.

The table also lists the three Lake Nasser temples (Kalabsha, Wadi es-Sebua and Amada), which you only reach from Aswan or on a Lake Nasser cruise.

Abu Simbel tour from Luxor

From Luxor it is a very long day. The best-reviewed option, a private day trip with guide and lunch, costs from $194 (4.6, 684 reviews) and lasts about 15 hours. It works, but you spend most of it in a car. If you can spare a night, a private 2-day tour that adds Philae and the High Dam from $330 is the saner pace, though it has only 12 reviews so far.

The better answer for most people starting in Luxor is a cruise that includes Abu Simbel. The 4-night Luxor to Aswan cruise reaches Aswan with time for the trip at the end, and the platforms sell versions with Abu Simbel built in:

On this group, Headout is cheaper today ($590 against $840 on GetYourGuide), but it has no reviews yet and its title adds a balloon flight; GetYourGuide's version is rated 4.4 by 69 travellers. Ship, cabin, inclusions and dates may differ, and both are sold as "a 5-star ship or similar": ask for the ship's name after booking. Our 5-day cruise guide covers the full itinerary.

Abu Simbel tour from Cairo, Hurghada or Marsa Alam

From Cairo, a day tour has to fly you to Aswan first (about an hour and a quarter). A day tour with flights and a private guide costs from $691 and takes about 14 hours; it is rated 4.7 but by only 13 travellers. Two-day versions that add Luxor cost from $815. That is a lot of money for two hours at the temples. If you have a week, fly to Aswan, join a cruise and add Abu Simbel from there; see Nile cruises from Cairo.

From Hurghada, Luxor is about four hours by road and Aswan further still, so a day trip makes little sense. The listing that fits is a 5-day Nile cruise from Hurghada with Abu Simbel, from $1,020 (4.2, 24 reviews), which drives you to the Nile and back. Our Hurghada guide explains how these packages work.

From Marsa Alam, there is a private 2-day tour to Aswan and Abu Simbel from $468 (4.7, 12 reviews).

Abu Simbel on a Nile cruise

Many Aswan-start cruises bundle Abu Simbel with a Luxor balloon flight. The most-reviewed is the 3-night Aswan to Luxor cruise with Abu Simbel and balloon, from $580 with 555 reviews (4.5). The same cruise without the extras, the plain 3-night cruise from Aswan, starts at $450. So the bundle charges about $130 for Abu Simbel and the balloon. Bought separately, a $40 shared trip plus the EGP 822 ticket and a Luxor balloon flight from about $70–96 come to a similar sum. Take the bundle for convenience rather than savings.

GetYourGuide is the cheapest and best-reviewed of the three today; the two Headout versions have one review and none. On any cruise package, check which morning Abu Simbel happens and whether it means an even earlier start. Our 4-day cruise guide covers the 3-night trip day by day.

Sun festival at Abu Simbel: 22 February and 22 October

Twice a year, on 22 February and 22 October, sunlight reaches the inner sanctuary of the Great Temple and lights the statues on its back wall, all except Ptah. Thousands come: at least 2,000 people gathered for the alignment on 22 February 2026, Gulf News reported.

On those days the ticket costs EGP 1,272 and the crowds are large, so book your transport from Aswan well ahead. There is no official festival programme to plan around; the event is the light in the sanctuary. If you prefer a quiet visit with room to look, avoid both dates.

Sound and light show: staying overnight

Abu Simbel has a sound and light show at 20:00 and 21:00, in several languages, for USD 20 (children 6–12 USD 11). The first show runs only with at least 50 Egyptian or 10 foreign visitors (show details). Day-trippers never see it, because the road back to Aswan is reported closed to tourist traffic at night.

To see the show you need either a night in Abu Simbel or a Lake Nasser cruise. The cruise is the better way to do it: southbound ships arrive at Abu Simbel by water and stay moored overnight for the show, and they also stop at Kalabsha, Wadi es-Sebua and Amada on the way. It costs several days, so it suits a second visit to Egypt or a longer trip. For the rest of the region, see things to do in Aswan.

Abu Simbel from Aswan FAQ