Trip to Abu Simbel | Private Tours from Aswan

A trip to Abu Simbel is not simply a quick stop at another Egyptian monument. The journey takes you south from Aswan to one of the most remarkable archaeological complexes included in our Upper Egypt experiences: the Great Temple of Ramses II and the neighboring Temple of Hathor and Queen Nefertari.

At Egypt Luxury Trips, we currently offer two private ways to make the journey from Aswan: by road or by plane. Both options include guided sightseeing with a professional English-speaking Egyptologist and visits to the two principal temples, but the travel experience and overall duration are quite different.

The private road tour takes approximately nine hours, while the flight option takes approximately six hours, although the exact timing of the air itinerary can change according to domestic flight schedules.

So which Abu Simbel tour should you choose?

That depends mainly on how you prefer to travel, how much time you have in Aswan, and whether you would rather make the desert journey overland or reduce the transport time by flying.

If you are still deciding how Abu Simbel fits into a wider Upper Egypt plan, our guide on the Aswan to Abu Simbel travel options explains what is currently documented, and you can also review the dedicated Abu Simbel Sun Festival 2026 page if you are timing your visit around the solar alignment.

Trip to Abu Simbel at a Glance

Option	Approximate Duration	Transport	Tour Style	Main Visits
Abu Simbel Private Tour by Road	About 9 hours	Private air-conditioned vehicle	Private guided tour	Great Temple of Ramses II + Temple of Hathor and Queen Nefertari
Abu Simbel by Plane from Aswan	About 6 hours*	Return domestic flights + private local transfers	Private guided sightseeing	Great Temple of Ramses II + Temple of Hathor and Queen Nefertari

*Flight-tour timing can change according to domestic flight schedules.

Both experiences begin and finish in Aswan.

Why Visit Abu Simbel?

The star of the complex is the Great Temple of Ramses II, whose monumental façade is dominated by four colossal seated statues.

Yet stopping at the façade would mean seeing only part of the story.

During our Abu Simbel private tours, you continue into the temple with your Egyptologist, where the visit covers its decorated spaces, battle scenes, ritual reliefs and sanctuary. The experience then continues to the neighboring temple dedicated to Hathor and Queen Nefertari.

The smaller temple is particularly interesting because of the prominence given to Nefertari. Its exterior representations place the queen alongside Ramses II at an unusually comparable scale, making it one of the distinctive features highlighted during the visit.

Your guide also places the monuments within the broader story of Ramses II, ancient Nubia and the religious purpose of the complex rather than simply pointing out individual carvings. If you want to dig deeper into the site’s archaeology before you travel, our guide to Abu Simbel temples facts covers the key details about both monuments.

Option 1: Abu Simbel Private Tour by Road from Aswan

If you prefer an entirely overland journey, our Abu Simbel Private Tour by Road from Aswan provides private air-conditioned transportation from Aswan to the temples and back.

The tour is arranged privately rather than around a shared sightseeing group, allowing the experience to remain focused on your journey.

The complete experience takes approximately nine hours.

What to Expect on the Road Tour

Your day begins in Aswan and continues by private vehicle toward Abu Simbel.

Once at the archaeological complex, your Egyptologist guides you through the main monuments rather than leaving you to interpret the site alone.

The Great Temple of Ramses II

You first explore the Great Temple, beginning with its unmistakable façade and four colossal seated statues.

Inside, your guide explains the temple’s battle scenes, ritual imagery and sanctuary spaces, helping connect the architecture and decoration with the historical setting of the monument.

The Temple of Hathor and Queen Nefertari

The visit then continues to the neighboring temple dedicated to Hathor and Queen Nefertari.

Although smaller than Ramses II’s Great Temple, it forms an essential part of the Abu Simbel complex and offers a different perspective on royal and religious representation.

Your Egyptologist explains the temple’s dedication, Nefertari’s role and the symbolism of Hathor while you examine both the exterior façade and interior.

Learn About the Solar Alignment

Another subject covered during the tour is the famous solar alignment of the Great Temple.

The tour information identifies February 22 and October 22 as the traditionally associated dates when sunlight penetrates deep into the temple and illuminates three of the four sanctuary figures.

This means the Abu Simbel temple visit is not only about scale. The orientation and internal design are also part of what makes the monument so interesting to explore with a knowledgeable guide. If you want to plan your visit specifically around this phenomenon, you can read more on our Abu Simbel Sun Festival 2026 page.

Discover How Abu Simbel Was Relocated

There is another extraordinary layer to the site.

The temples you see today are not standing exactly where they were originally carved.

During the 1960s, the monuments were dismantled into large sections and reconstructed on higher ground to protect them from rising waters associated with the creation of Lake Nasser. The reconstruction preserved the orientation of the monuments and recreated their setting within an artificial hill.

Knowing this before you leave changes the way you look at the complex. You are seeing both an ancient engineering achievement and a major modern preservation project.

Private Return to Aswan

After completing the archaeological visit and allowing time for photographs and questions, you return privately to Aswan.

The road tour finishes with drop-off at your Aswan hotel, Nile cruise or confirmed drop-off point.

What Is Included in the Abu Simbel Road Tour?

The current Abu Simbel private tour by road includes:

• Aswan pickup and return
• Private air-conditioned transportation
• Abu Simbel admission
• Professional English-speaking Egyptologist guide
• Bottled water
• Taxes and service charges

The following are currently listed as excluded:

• Meals
• Personal expenses
• Optional activities
• Tipping

This is important when comparing tours. The entrance admission is already listed as part of this particular road experience, so you do not need to treat it as an unidentified extra within the published itinerary.

Option 2: Abu Simbel by Plane from Aswan

If your main priority is reducing travel time, our Abu Simbel by Plane from Aswan tour replaces the long overland journey with domestic flights.

The actual flight between Aswan and Abu Simbel takes approximately 40 minutes each way according to the current tour information.

The complete excursion—including transfers, airport procedures, flights and guided sightseeing—takes approximately six hours, although the final timing depends on the domestic flight schedule.

For travelers working with a busy Egypt itinerary, that difference can be important.

Your Abu Simbel Flight Experience

The experience starts with pickup in Aswan and transfer arrangements connected with your flight.

The tour includes return Aswan–Abu Simbel domestic flights, along with private local transfers and meet-and-assist service.

After arriving in Abu Simbel, the archaeological portion follows the same essential focus as the road tour.

You visit:

• The Great Temple of Ramses II
• The monumental seated statues of the Great Temple façade
• The interior spaces and decoration of the temple
• The Temple of Hathor and Queen Nefertari
• The relocated temple complex

Your Egyptologist also explains the solar alignment and the rescue and relocation of the monuments.

After the visit, a private transfer takes you back to Abu Simbel Airport for the return flight to Aswan.

Your driver then meets you in Aswan for the final transfer to your hotel, Nile cruise or confirmed drop-off point.

What Is Included in the Abu Simbel Flight Tour?

The current air itinerary includes:

• Return Aswan–Abu Simbel flights
• Pickup and return in Aswan
• Private air-conditioned local transfers
• Meet-and-assist service
• Professional English-speaking Egyptologist guide
• Abu Simbel entrance fees
• Bottled water
• Taxes and service charges

The current exclusions are:

• Meals
• Personal expenses
• Optional activities
• Tipping
• Services not specifically listed as included

Because domestic flights are involved, the final operating times should be confirmed for your chosen travel date.

Abu Simbel by Plane or Road: Which Experience Fits Your Trip?

There is no need to make this complicated.

If you want to reduce the hours spent traveling between Aswan and Abu Simbel, flying is the more time-efficient option in the itineraries we currently offer.

The flight excursion takes approximately six hours overall, while the private road tour is listed at approximately nine hours.

The plane tour does, however, depend on domestic flight schedules.

The road option avoids that dependency and keeps your transport private and overland throughout the journey.

Consideration	By Road	By Plane
Overall published duration	Approx. 9 hours	Approx. 6 hours
Main transport	Private vehicle	Scheduled domestic flights
Local/private transfers	Yes	Yes
Egyptologist	Included	Included
Temple admission	Included	Included
Both main temples	Yes	Yes
Meals	Excluded	Excluded
Best practical advantage	Continuous private overland journey	Less time spent in transit

The flight itself is a regular airline service rather than a private aircraft, although the transfers and guided sightseeing are arranged privately.

Can You Add Abu Simbel to a Nile Cruise?

Yes, within the Nile cruise itineraries provided by Egypt Luxury Trips, Abu Simbel can be requested separately as an optional experience.

Adding Abu Simbel After a Luxor-to-Aswan Nile Cruise

Our 4 Night Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan travels south through the major sightseeing stops of Luxor, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan.

The cruise includes four nights aboard the vessel, guided sightseeing and full-board meals during the cruise program. Its scheduled visits include Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo, the Aswan High Dam, Philae Temple and the Unfinished Obelisk.

Abu Simbel is not included in the standard cruise price or itinerary.

It can instead be requested separately from Aswan either:

• By flight
• By private road tour

Availability and the applicable price must be confirmed separately before booking.

That gives you a logical way to combine a Nile cruise with a trip to Abu Simbel without assuming that the excursion is automatically part of the cruise package.

Abu Simbel with an Aswan-to-Luxor Nile Cruise

The 3 Night Nile Cruise from Aswan to Luxor also allows Abu Simbel to be requested as an optional excursion.

This four-day cruise begins in Aswan with visits to the High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple before sailing north through Kom Ombo and Edfu to Luxor.

The itinerary specifically provides a free morning in Aswan on Day 2, during which travelers who have arranged the optional Abu Simbel experience can add it before the ship departs.

Again, Abu Simbel is listed as an optional excursion, rather than an included element of the standard cruise.

If you are building a wider Upper Egypt itinerary that starts in Cairo, you can also review the dedicated Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel tour package.

What Will You See During Your Abu Simbel Temple Visit?

Regardless of whether you travel by air or road, the focus of our current private Abu Simbel tours is the archaeological complex itself.

Great Temple of Ramses II

This is the monument most people immediately associate with Abu Simbel.

Its façade is dominated by four colossal seated statues, and your guided visit continues inside to examine its historical scenes, ritual reliefs and sanctuary spaces.

Temple of Hathor and Queen Nefertari

The neighboring temple adds an important second part to the experience.

Your Egyptologist explains its dedication to Hathor and Queen Nefertari and the unusual prominence of the queen in its exterior representation.

The Relocated Temple Complex

Understanding how the monuments were moved in the 1960s gives the site another layer entirely.

Large sections of the temples were transferred to higher ground and reconstructed when the original setting was threatened by the rising waters associated with the Aswan High Dam and Lake Nasser.

It is one of those rare places where ancient monumental construction and modern preservation engineering occupy the same story.

Frequently Asked Questions About a Trip to Abu Simbel

Plan Your Private Trip to Abu Simbel

A trip to Abu Simbel can fit into your Egypt itinerary in more than one way.

You can make the full private journey by road, choose the shorter flight-based experience, or arrange Abu Simbel alongside one of our Nile cruise itineraries when the timing allows.

Whichever route you are considering, the core experience remains the same: exploring the Great Temple of Ramses II and the Temple of Hathor and Queen Nefertari with an Egyptologist while learning about their architecture, decoration, solar alignment and extraordinary modern relocation.

For the plane option, flight schedules and availability must be confirmed for your travel date. Optional Abu Simbel additions to our Nile cruises also require separate availability and price confirmation.

Fill out the enquiry form to get more information about your trip to Abu Simbel, check the available details for your preferred date, and discuss whether the road or flight experience fits your Egypt itinerary with the Egypt Luxury Trips team.