Despite being a very famous tourist destination, Abu Simbel is relatively inaccessible for many visitors in lack of proper infrastructure and precise information. The nearest city, Aswan is approx 290 kms away from Abu Simbel and what lies in between is a vast Nubian Desert, the Eastern extension of the Great Sahara Desert. A well-paved modern highway through the sand dunes of Nubian desert connects Abu Simbel with Aswan city. Due to the security concerns, it is not so easy to travel on this highway. The tour operators charge exorbitant prices for the guided Abu Simbel tours making it a costly affair. However, after a bit of planning and with the accurate information, visiting Abu Simbel is reasonably easy in a cost-effective manner from the Aswan City.
Contents
- How safe is Road Travel from Aswan To Abu Simbel?
- Public Buses From Aswan to Abu Simbel
- Ticket Prices for Abu Simbel Temple
- Disadvantages of the Shared Tours to Abu Simbel
- How to Enjoy Abu Simbel Without the tourist crowd?
- How to visit Smaller Temples and Sites between Aswan and Abu Simbel?
- How to Reach Abu Simbel from Cairo?
- Sound and Light Show at Abu Simbel
- Sun Festival at Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel
Abu Simbel is a small settlement on the edge of Lake Nasser in the Southern Part of Egypt, just 40 kms before the Sudan Border. It is famous for a massive temple complex of Old Egyptian Era, that was once threatened by the rising waters of the Nile River. The Lake Nasser, an artificial reservoir, was created after the construction of the High Dam on the Nile River near Aswan. In a joint effort led by UNESCO, the temple complex was relocated block by block, piece by piece to a safer distance on the edge of the lake at its present location. The relocation of Abu Simbel temples was considered as one of the most formidable challenges of archaeological engineering in the history. And that is why Abu Simbel looks like a must visit destination for many tourists arriving in Egypt.
There are primarily two temples at Abu Simbel site. First Big Temple was dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the Ramesses II himself . This is considered as one of the most impressive temples in the whole Egypt. The other small temple is the temple of Hathor and Neferati; dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Ramesses II’s chief consort, Nefertari.
Aswan in Southern Egypt: Aswan is a major city in the Nubian Egypt and serves as a base for the cost-effective trip to Abu Simbel. The mighty Nile River flows through the city. It is also a major tourist destination with many tourist attractions like Philae Temple, Nubian Museum, St.Simeon’s Monastery, Noble’s Tombs etc situated on both banks of the river.
Know more about Aswan: Interesting Places to Visit In Aswan
How to Reach Abu Simbel from Aswan?
There are various ways to reach Abu Simbel from Aswan:
By Air
Aswan airport is approx 16 kms away from the city center in Aswan. There are 3-4 daily flights operated by EgyptAir Express and Air Cairo from Aswan to Abu Simbel . The ticket prices for these flights typically vary from 2000 EGP to 2500 EGP depending on the time of booking and seat availability.
How to reach Aswan Airport from the city center? There is no public bus service from the city center to the airport in Aswan. Moreover, the metered taxis don’t ply in Aswan. In any case, a tourist has to rely on the non-metered taxis to travel from the city center to the airport and vice versa.
There are two type of non-metered taxis:
One is big sedan cars like Mitsubishi Lancer, Hyundai Verna, that falls under the category of Limousine services. Their rates may vary in the range of 200-250 EGP from the airport to the El Corniche Nile (City Center ).
Second type of non-metered taxis widely available for cheaper transportation in the city looks like small hatchbacks or vans. Their rates typically vary from 70 EGP to 100 EGP to commute between the city center and the airport.
Few Egypt Air buses also operate from the Egypt Air office in the city center to the airport. Their services can be utilized after paying additional charges.
By Train
There is no train services to Abu Simbel from anywhere in the Egypt. In fact, there is no railway line in the Southern part of Egypt beyond Aswan.
By Nile Cruises
This is the most luxurious way to reach Abu Simbel from Aswan, also the most expensive. The Nile cruises are immensely popular among the honeymooners and luxury travellers. The cruise ships float over the Lake Nasser between Aswan to Abu Simbel. Most of the cruise starts from Aswan on Monday and require four days to reach Abu Simbel. From Abu Simbel, they mostly return on Friday and take three days to return to Aswan. One way booking is also possible, and you can return either by air or road from Abu Simbel. The typical price range of the Nile cruises starts from 4000 EGP onwards per person depending on the class of luxury for one side journey. Please, be aware that in case of insufficient bookings, these cruises may get cancelled at the last moment.
By Road
This is the most economical way to reach Abu Simbel from Aswan. However, one day prior booking is required in that case. There are two options to arrange this trip:
Using services of any reputed travel agency/tour operators: The reputed travel agencies and tour operators arrange your journey easily without any hassle. They merely require a scanned copy of the passport to complete the formalities related to the security. The scanned copy can be sent a day prior to the departure.
The tour prices of these agencies vary from person to person. Some agencies charge up to 2000 EGP for a private car with minimum three individuals and some charge up to 100 USD for a single person travelling in a shared car or van. Similar prices are offered to an independent tourist for an air-conditioned shared bus.
However, I incidentally found a cost-effective method to complete the Abu Simbel tour, back in 2013.
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Using Services of Budget/Mid-Range Hotels: During my trip to Aswan, I was desperately looking for a cost-effective way to reach Abu Simbel. However, every travel agent, I spoke to was quoting an exorbitant price. Without any hope of booking the Abu Simbel tour in less than 600 EGP (back in 2013), I called my hotel in Aswan to check if they had any tour to Abu Simbel. I was willing to book the tour in 500 EGP (excluding temple entry ticket of 100 EGP in 2013). But when I asked the hotel desk about the tour prices, they informed that for Short Tour ( Abu Simbel only) it was 75 EGP and for Big Tour (Abu Simbel including Philae Temple, High Dam and Unfinished Obelisk), it was 85 EGP (excluding temple entry ticket of 100 EGP).
I was amazed with the offered price and told him to reserve it immediately. He informed me that it would be booked after my arrival at the hotel. When I arrived there the next day, I paid 85 EGP and confirmed my booking for the Abu Simbel Tour. But remember, it was way back in 2013, when Egyptian Currency did not crash so much.
After the devaluation of the Egyptian currency, the similar trips to Abu Simbel cost 180-300 EGP now. The tour prices may include a trip to Philae Temple, High Dam and Unfinished Obelisk. A separate excursion to High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple (Without Abu Simbel) may cost up to 180 EGP more now.
Many years later, this is still the most economical way to book a day tour to Abu Simbel. These mid-range or small budget hotels maintain a collaborative arrangement. There is a single nodal point to collect the information of interested people from each hotel. After getting sufficient number of people, the nodal point book them all on a sharing tour to Abu Simbel. This way they reduce the tour cost without any documents and all other hassles. They even do not ask for the passport copy.
In my group, there were people from El Salam Hotel, Memnon Hotel, Nuba Nile Hotel etc. It looks that every budget hotel in Aswan is arranging this trip in the same way. This is a win-win situation for all.
How safe is Road Travel from Aswan To Abu Simbel?
Earlier, there used to be a convoy system escorted by the police vehicles from Aswan to Abu Simbel. The convoy system is still there, but may not be escorted by police vehicles now. The convoy consists of tour buses/vans of different tour agencies and departs two times in a day from Aswan.
First departure is at 0400 AM in the early morning that return to Aswan by 0100 PM. The second departure is at 1100 AM and return by 0730 PM to Aswan. For the return journey of the second convoy, they have to leave Abu Simbel by 0400 PM latest. Both convoy allow two hours to explore the temples at Abu Simbel, enough time in my opinion. You can leave your luggage inside the vehicles while exploring the temples.
Most of the tourists prefer booking an early morning departure at 0400 AM. On the day of departure, everyone is supposed to reach at the hotel reception by 0300 AM. The hotel desk provides packed breakfast for every person. By 0315 AM, a van arrives to pick up everyone from their respective hotels. One by one the van picks up each one and reach at a common assembly point for all vehicles.
The assembly of vehicles including big tourist buses or 14-seater vans is known as a convoy. After getting the security clearance from the police, the convoy left Aswan together. Once the convoy reaches of the desert road to Abu Simbel, every vehicle moves at their own speed without any restrictions. In practice, after the initial assembly, there is no concept of convoy actually.
In the last couple of years, the possible security threat on the desert road from Aswan to Abu Simbel has reduced significantly. Therefore, convoy system is not strictly enforced now. The desert road remains open from 0500 AM in the morning to 0500 PM in the evening, so any vehicle can travel on the road without any escort.
Presently, it is possible to hire a car in Aswan and travel to Abu Simbel without convoy, however, directly hiring a car and driving alone is still not permitted. Every hired car needs a security clearance from the police and need to be accompanied by a guide. Driving solely on a desert road is not a brilliant idea anyway.
It is equally possible to enter Sudan via this road from Aswan. The journey from Aswan to Sudan border includes a road trip to Abu Simbel and then a ferry ride on Lake Nasser upto the border.
Comfort level of the cheaper Vans: Irrespective of the shared tour prices, you typically travel by similar buses/mini vans to travel from Aswan to Abu Simbel. From the safety and comfort point of view, it really doesn’t matter whether you pay 1000 EGP or 200 EGP for your shared tour.
Public Buses From Aswan to Abu Simbel
There are two public buses from Aswan to Abu Simbel everyday. The buses depart from Aswan at 0400 AM and 11 AM respectively and takes up to 3-4 hours to reach Aswan, just like the convoy timings.
Ticket Prices for Abu Simbel Temple
The ticket price for Abu Simbel Temples is 215 EGP (September, 2019). It includes the entrance fee to both temples (200 EGP), Misr Travel General Tourist Guides Fee (10 EGP) and Abu Simbel Council Local Fees (2 EGP). The guides are not permitted inside the temples, and before the beginning of the tour, there is a video presentation about the temple site. Most of the guides speak either in Arabic or in English. The guide fee of 13 EGP is mandatory to pay, whether you have a local guide or not.
Photography is allowed inside the temples, but you have to buy a separate Photography Pass of 300 EGP. Photography is free outside the temples.
Disadvantages of the Shared Tours to Abu Simbel
Although the shared tours are the most economical way to visit Abu Simbel, they have their own disadvantages. The major drawback is the tourist crowd at the temple site in Abu Simbel. Almost all tours timings are the same and they arrive in Abu Simbel at the same time. It turned the place very chaotic with the people moving here and there, posing for the selfies and the picture perfect.
The shared tours allow at least two hours at the site, that is sufficient time in my opinion, but in case, anyone wants to stay longer it is not possible without prior coordination. Generally, it is not possible to arrive with the first convoy and to leave with the second convoy. However, if you coordinate with the tour operator/hotel desk in advance, such arrangements can be made depending on the availability of the seats.
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How to Enjoy Abu Simbel Without the tourist crowd?
There are many possibilities to enjoy the Abu Simbel Temples beyond the chaotic hours of the shared tours:
1. Travel by a privately hired car: Since the convoy system is not enforced strictly now and there is no need to travel with a police escort, you can hire a private vehicle from Aswan to travel beyond the crowded hours. But in any case, you have to start your return journey from Abu Simbel to Aswan by 0400 PM latest and this is strictly enforced.
2. Fly to Abu Simbel in the morning and return by evening: Although the flights to Abu Simbel are costly, you can fly there by a morning flight, enjoy the temple site beyond the chaotic hours and return by an evening flight.
3. Stay one night at Abu Simbel: There are 3-4 basic hotels available at Abu Simbel, where you can plan for the night stay. Neferati Hotel is just 300 meters away from the entrance of the Abu Simbel Temples. A 5-star property, Seti Hotel, is also there, approx one km away from the temple complex. Most of the Nile cruises also offer one night stay at Abu Simbel.
How to visit Smaller Temples and Sites between Aswan and Abu Simbel?
In the vast Nubian desert, there are many small temples and monuments scattered between Aswan and Abu Simbel. Since detour from the main highway is not possible due to the security restrictions, you cannot visit these sites by road. These small temples and monuments are reachable only by Lake Nasser, either with Nile cruises or smaller boats that can be rented from Aswan Port near the High Dam. These minor sites are like smaller ones, namely temples at Wadi Seboua, Temples at Amada (Amada, Derr, and monument of Pennut), Nabta Playa etc. These are worthy only if you are really into antiquities, Egyptology and notice the differences on the time line.
How to Reach Abu Simbel from Cairo?
The visitors, who have lot of money but less time, can reach Abu Simbel by a flight of EgyptAir Expess, a subsidiary of state-owned EgyptAir, from Cairo Airport. These flights depart from Cairo Airport Terminal-3 and take 5-7 hours with 1-3 hours stop-over at Aswan. There is no direct flight between Cairo and Abu Simbel without this stop at Aswan. The ticket prices depend on the time of booking and seat availability and generally vary from 5000 EGP to 7000 EGP while booking 15 to 30 days in advance. Air Cairo also operate on this route via Aswan with similar prices.
Abu Simbel temples are approx 5 kms away from the airport. After arrival at Abu Simbel Airport, Egypt Air/ Air Cairo buses take you to Abu Simbel temple entrance without any extra cost (However, giving tip to the driver and helper is a tradition). They normally wait there for two hours, sufficient time to visit both the temples, and then take you back for your return flight.
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Sound and Light Show at Abu Simbel
Spending one night at Abu Simbel have an added advantage. Every evening, the temple complex of Abu Simbel comes alive with a spectacular vista of Sound and Light Show for 30 minutes each, three times in a day. The show operates in different languages, one at a time, mainly English, Arabic, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Russian, Chinese and Japanese. The Earpieces are provided in the translated version of the commentary. The usual play time is 6 PM, 7 PM and 8 PM, however, minimum of 10 tourists is required, else the show gets cancelled.
The ticket price for the Sound and Light show is 250 EGP (September, 2019). It can be booked on-site or through the tour agencies. A separate Photography Pass is also available after paying 200 EGP to click the illuminated Abu Simbel temples in the evening.
Sun Festival at Abu Simbel
The inner hall of the main Abu Simbel Temple remains in darkness throughout the year, except on two occasions on February 22 and October 22, when it gets lighted up by the natural sunlight. The sunlight streams into the inner hall also reflect on Ramses II statues and illuminate the entire place. Every year, on February 22 and October 22, during the Sun Festival, thousands of visitors travel to Abu Simbel to witness the spectacular solar phenomenon. However, if you want to visit the temple in a peaceful manner, it’s better to skip the week of the Sun Festival.
The road-journey to Abu Simbel is a notable adventure itself. Passing through the eastern extension of The Great Sahara Desert, witnessing one of the most beautiful sunrises in the desert, walking leisurely along the picturesque shore of Lake Nasser, moving around the impressive rock temples of Abu Simbel and experiencing the phenomenon of the mirage in the desert are some of the unforgettable moments of the lifetime.
Note: This post was originally published in 2013. It is re-published in September, 2019 with updated information.
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Hello! I was wondering if you knew of any private car tours. The ones I am seeing on Viator and from other tour operators are costing $80 per person and we’re a family of four. It seems super expensive and we can’t opt for the group tours because we are arriving only at 9AM in the morning! Any suggestions?
I would suggest to go on the next day through a Group Tour. Since you are arriving a bit late, it is difficult to negotiate the rates.
Wow…what detail..great job…I am a retired airline capt…wife and I are headed there in 2022..from USA…great advice..
Thank you. I am an Air Traffic Controller. Nice to connect with you here.
Fantastic info. I was trying to work out all these arrangements and now you have presented it so eloquently and informatively. Thanks for the update !
Thanks Barry. Have a great trip. Enjoy 🙂
Hi Solo Backpacker,
great info on Egypt, thanks a lot. My concern are the tourists though. When taking a tour/traveling in a convoy, how many people got off the vans and buses to visit the temples in Abu Simbel? I guess all the buses and vans arrive at approximately the same time meaning there might be about 200 hundred people at one time, which I do not like. Then you accidentally take pictures of the other tourists and not the temples as people just go forward and backward all the time getting into your photos. Is it possible to visit the temples during the time of a day when there are no other tourists, i.e. before or after the tourist vans and buses from Aswan arrive/leave? I guess there cannot be many tourists when the convoy from Aswan is not there. What about renting a car and driving to Abu Simbel on my own and visit the temples when other tourists are not there? Or any other suggestions? Flying from and back to Aswan seems to be quite expensive,
Hi, the tourist crowd is indeed an issue. To avoid the tourists, you have two options. First, fly directly to Abu Simbel, stay there overnight in a very nice resort and fly out on the next day. Second, talk to your hotel in Aswan, if they can arrange one way transportation on the first day and again a seat in the van on the second day for the return journey. It’s possible to make such arrangements. In both cases, you will get whole afternoon and evening for yourself at Abu Simbel. Although, The convoy system is not enforced now as strictly as it used to be , self driving car is still a distant opportunity. Take care.
Thanks for the detailed information about travel to Abu Simbel. We stayed in El Amin hotel and they arranged the van to Abu Simbel and also to Philae temple ferry landing. The van was quite comfortable and it was a straight road through the desert. Though the convoy system exists, we were the only vehicle and there was no police escort. Enroute, there were several police check points.
Thank you for this update. 🙂
Hi can you let me know the cost of the trip to abu simbel you had. Am planning for April 2019.
Hi. I will plan to travel to Abu Simbel from Aswan. Can you recommend any tour operators for budget travellers?
Hi, contact any hotel desk in Aswan to book a shared tour. If you need a dedicated operator, share your WhatsApp number through e-mail.
hello i’d love to get the number of the dedicated tour operator! have been asking a lot of hotels for offers to abu simbel and they are ridiculously high prices. what e-mail should I use to contact you? 🙂
Your site inspire me so much!!! I was playing to go to Egypt last year but was not sure I can visit the places I want to go with the time and budget I have. But after I read this page, it opens my eyes!!
Now I booked my fright to Egypt for next year February and ready to set my trip!!
But the question. I got the quote from my hotel and they quote me U$ 89 for trip to Abu Simbel! It’s a bit more than I would like to pay, so I want to send email to other budget friendly hotel to get better deal. However, you cannot find any email on line! If you want to contact them you have to book it then you can contact!!
What is the best way to get the quote rather than calling? Do you have email address for the hotel you mention by any chance? I know I have a long time to figure out but I want to book as much as possible before I leave.
Sorry for the long post everyone, and thank you very much for a great trip tips!!!!
I’m a bit confused 🙂 My question is on the Stay & Abu simbel trip as two different [icks.
Do you mean that one can stay at any of the suitable hotel. Should check the tour prices from different hotels and choose whatever suits the best? Meaning, One doesn’t have to really stay in the same hotel that they choose to take the tour package from.
..
Do I understand this right?
Yeah, one doesn’t have to really stay in the same hotel to choose the cheaper travel deals for Abu Simbel. You can bargain around, tell them the name of your hotel and they will arrange the pick up from there. 🙂
El salam just quoted me 235 for the Abu Simbel trip.
Hi Avinash,
Thanks for the detailed information you have provided and your patience in responding to comments. I am planning the exact same trip as yours except for Hurghada. 3 days in Cairo, 2 days in Alexandria and the remaining time in Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel.
From Cairo or Alexandria would it be better to fly to Aswan first, spend 2 days there, go to Abu Simbel and make my way back to Luxor via Edfu, Kom Ombo and Esna, then spend a few days in Luxor with side trips to Abydos and Dendera and then fly back to Cairo from there. Or should I fly to Luxor first from Cairo, spend a few days in Luxor and then make my way to Aswan, Abu Simbel and fly back to Cairo from Aswan.
Either way I will be landing in one city and taking off from another because of limited time but I don’t know if one is one better than the other and if there are any advantages. I am unable to find much information. Any advice would be much appreciated.
P.S. I am more excited to learn that you are an ATC. Any time I find myself on a plane waiting on the tarmac or circling in the air to land I immediately think of the ATC’s and thank them quietly for keeping us safe and on schedule. I have alway wondered how stressful the job must be but as you said everyone handles stress differently 🙂
it is always possible to do things for free, always 🙂 I crossed Africa on a bike..on this stretch was able to put my bike to the police convoy car and it was fun travel with AK-47 armed soldiers, one sitting on my left, another on my right…loud music, lots of conversation which didn’t make any sense to me 🙂 so it costed me zero cents..and from Abu Simble also got a free ferry to Wadi-Halfa…zero money to cross it from Aswan to Egypt! try do make your journeys adventurous way 🙂 peace
That’s really an amazing experience, Josh. You did it in a great manner. Hats off to your spirit. Though the life threatening experience in Sudan was really a sad affair. But I hope you will keep going strong. Best of Luck, Mate ! Thanks for sharing your experiences. 🙂
Thanks for the detailed and very informative post re Abu Simbel. I plan to go there this year. How large is the temple complex? I’m 73 but have no difficulty in walking a few kilometres. But my wife cannot walk for more than 500 metres at a stretch. Given that, would she be able to enjoy visiting the Abu Simbel temple?
Hi, The complex shouldn’t take too long to walk. With proper rest at frequent intervals, you both can enjoy it at a leisure pace. Most of the area of the complex is flat, so it shouldn’t be a problem either. Wish you a great trip.
Hi, I’ll be in Aswan from 17 to 19th April. I wanna go to Abou Simbel by myself (a public bus, or a common transport or anything cheap and simple. I just wanna avoid tourist tour, etc.) and stay there overnight. On both the go/return way, I wanna visit archaeological sites situated between Aswan and Abu Simbel. What would be the best choices for transport and what would not be possible to do? Thank you in advance for your answer.
Hi, There is nothing between the vast distance of Aswan and Abu Simbel, but the great desert. There is no archaeological site before Abu Simbel. No public transportation is available, except the group tours offered by the tour operators with huge price differences. The best thing that you can do independently is to board a flight from Aswan to Abu Simbel. 2-3 hotels are available at Abu Simbel for the night stay. You can roam around the small village. Have a nice trip. Do share your experience with us. 🙂
There are small temples and monuments between Aswan and Abu Simbel (I am keeping Kabalasha Island out since it can be visited from Aswan, without any plans for Abu Simbel). Unfortunately due to current safety restrictions you cannot visit them by land since the route between Aswan and Abu Simbel is subject to escort convoys and no stopping and speeding down whatsoever as we all know. These small temples and monuments are reachable only by Lake Nasser, either with Cruise Boats or smaller boats that can be rented from Aswan Port at the Aswan High Dam. These minor sites are like smaller ones you can see in Kabalasha Island, namely temples at Wadi Seboua, Temples at Amada (Amada, Derr, and monument of Pennut), These are wothy only if you are really into antiquties, Egyptology and notice the differences on the time line, other wise these are small temples you would call “I had seen enough of these” 🙂 Another site is Nabta Playa, west of Abu Simbel but this site again is important for history diggers, older than Egypt itself, maye a start stone, well a couple of small stones in the middle of nowhere most would say. Wheter it is worthy or not unfotunately access to the area is strictly limited to professionals with military permissions from Cairo 🙁 I worked a lot to visit that place but my luck didn’y go well.
Hello,
I am planing my trip to Egypt in May and currently considering of staying overnight at Abu Simbel and found a flight from Cairo to Abu Simbel with a 30min transit in Aswan. Anyone has any idea if a 30min transit time is possible to make it to the connecting flight? Also, do you think it is worth it to stay there overnight to catch the light show? Are you able to catch the sunrise if you travel there by car leaving at 3 a.m?
Thank you!!
Hi, It’s possible to make for the connecting flight in 30 minutes at Aswan Airport. It’s a small airport. But, I think the same flight will go to Abu Simbel also, so no need to step out form the aircraft. I don’t have the experience of light and sound show at Abu Simbel. If you travel by a car leaving at 3 AM, you can catch a beautiful sunrise across the desert on the way.
Hey Ichi, did you see the sound and light show? care to share how did you plan that night till you reach back to Awan?
Hello. I am in Luxor now and also planning to go to Aswan and then get to Abu Simbel. Does anyone have their nr so that I can call and be sure they can prepare the trip ?
Thanks
Hi Marta, do you need private tour or group tour? Let us know the exact date of travel, we will try to connect with the concerned tour operator.
Hi Solo Backpacker,
We just arrived from our Egypt trip. Your website was a great help. We went to Abu Simbel and booked our tour with Philae Hotel for 150LE/pax, like what you mentioned here. It was a great experience. Big thanks to your writtings. I will be posting our Egypt adventures and expereinces soon on my website.
More powers and travels, cheers !
Glad to hear that it helped you. Hope to hear your experiences soon. Happy Travels 🙂
hi mslure,
were you able to book for the trip in advance?
Hello do you have any recommendation for the cruises from Aswan to Abu Simbel ?? thanks in advance
Hi, I don’t have any particular recommendation. But, I suggest you to book one cruise after your arrival in Aswan. You will get much better deal.
Have a nice trip. 🙂
Hi,
Thanks for the valuable information. Planning to travel in October 16.
Great. Have a nice trip. 🙂
Thanks for this post. Im off to Egypt next week!! I still have yet to book Abu Simbel, but want to do this as budget as possible, just as long the bus is not a wreck lol. Im staying in a nice hotel (Movenpick) and they quoted me 1250!!. Can I just go to another cheaper hotel and get the 150 you mentioned in your post??
Thanks again
Movenpick is really a nice hotel and It was visible from my hotel in Aswan. But, they are charging too much. Just roam around on the Nile coast and check if a small hotel can arrange a group tour at lower cost, as I mentioned in the post.
Hi Ben. I was staying in Movenpick as well and yes….their prices are to expensive… I went to Philae hotel (once you’ll get to the shore turn right and it’ll be on the left hand side) you can see it from the pool area I’ve paid 150 EGP for the bus to Abu Simbel. It was in September last year so I don’t think the price was changed 🙂
Have a nice time mate
Did the bus pick you up at Movenpick or did you have to go to Philae hotel at 3am? Will Movenpick still prepare the breakfast box for you if you don’t take their tour bus? Thank you. I will be staying at Movenpick in mid-September.
Hi, The tour organizer will arrange the pick up from the Movenpick and you can ask your group tour organizer to arrange the breakfast. 🙂
Thank you very much Mr Solo I went for 9 days 8 nights yo Egypt and back in one peace your site was my inspiration,
first time out in SA and was nice experience thanks again for you site.
Hello! Myself and my best friend are travelling to Egypt in October and visiting Abu Simbel is on my bucket list. We are staying in Aswan a few days specifically to go to Abu Simbel, but we are budget backpackers. Is there a tour bus that we can book online or do we have to wait until we get there and ask to locals?
Hi, for cheap offers, try to book from Aswan only. Otherwise, you can also book over telephone. Ask to your hotel/hostel in Aswan, if they can provide you a cheap package to Aswan. Many packages are available in 120 EGP per person for Abu Simbel Tour. Online packages may cost you much more. Have a nice trip.
Wow, this post is incredibly helpful! I have one question… You mentioned that the entrance fee to Abu Simbel includes an English speaking tour guide. What is the quality of these guides like?
Hi, They are the official English speaking guides available at Abu Simbel. So, you can pretty much rely on them. They are good with the information. Since, the price is already included in th tickets, there isn’t any choice also. 🙂
Hey…Thanks for the details. If I flew into Abu Simbel, can I get a bus back to Aswan in the same day? If so, how much and what are the times?
I don’t want to get stuck in Abu Simbel because I didn’t book a trip from Aswan.
It seems a bit difficult. Almost all the tourists in Abu Simbel belong to some tour groups. There is no bus service between Abu Simbel and Aswan, except these tour vehicles. Locals also travel by these vehicles, because most of them know each other. You can try your luck with these vehicles, else flying out is the only option. Most of the vehicles leave Abu Simbel between 10-11 AM for Aswan.
Hai.. can I Have el salam hotel contact number or email?. Tq
Hi, the e-mail id is elsalamhotelaswan@yahoo.com .
Solo Backpacker,
I don’t know how to thank you enough. I’m leaving for Egypt in 2 days and you’ve basically put together my entire trip plan for me with tips on how to save money and what to see.
Really excellent work, can’t thank you enough my friend.
Best regards,
Canadian Man
Thank You for your kind words. Have a great trip to Egypt. 🙂
Hi,
Just to confirm that I had recently checked a price for two for Nubian Village, Transportation for Abu Simbel, and Nile Cruise from Aswan – Luxor for 3 nights and 4 days for USD$290 for two. It is excluding entrance fees.
Am guessing that this is a good deal but still wondering should I agree with this or make my deal upon arrival there?
Appreciate your feedback.
Thank you.
Hi, On-the-spot deal is always good, specially in Egypt. But, it seems a good price, because of the Nile Cruise. Normally, they offer Abu Simbel trip without entrance fees. I think, you should go for this deal.
Hi,
Thanks. On the spot deal is upon arrival is that? did u tried the Nile cruise during your visit? I doubt it that Nile Cruise could be that cheap though.. I supposed to clarify on this before I proceed for an arrangement.
Dear Travellers,
If any of you guys would like to visit Aswan, Abu Simbel Temple, Nubian Village and a Nile Cruise from Aswan – Luxor you may want to contact this guy called Mahmoud at +201001339220 as I got a very good deal to visit all the above including tour guide and 3 Nights in Nile Cruise it cost us $140 each.. I went in end of November… The price might be change based on seasonal.. You can just give a try! Hope that helps!
Cheers!
Thank you for this information. It’s really useful.
hi urmila! thank you for this information. do you have the name of the company? and would recommend the trip you did with mahmoud?
hi urmila, i am thinking of booking with this number that you recommended as well, because the prices are super good for a 5 star cruise with guides etc. did you end up booking with this number and was it all done professionally? i’m a bit doubtful, because there is no website and the price just seems too good..
Hi. Thanks for this information – it’s really useful. I will be in Aswan and am arranging the £E150 tour with my hotel to Abu Simbel. However, it seems that the cost does not include an entrance fee? Is this correct? Also, in your experience, was there any danger of the bus not leaving because it did not reach a minimum number of travellers? My hotel is saying a minimum of 8 people is required (we’re travelling in peak season – January so hopefully this won’t be a problem). Any suggestions / info with regards to these two questions gratefully received.
Aaron
Hi, It’s correct that 150 LE tour price doesn’t include the ticket price to Abu Simbel. You have to buy a separate entry ticket at temple premises. I think, they normally get 8 travellers, because when 3-4 hotels run this business in collaboration, they normally match that number. Have a nice trip. 🙂
Hi guys I visiting Cairo 2016 February 27 & 28 I need someone to share the cost of the Taxi which is going to cost 550 egp a day and there after take a train to Aswan 29/02/2016. Thanx
Hi,
I’m planning to visit Abu Simbel from Aswan, do you know if I book shared tour by bus or minibus though a small-mid range hotel they can pick up at Aswan port as well? Thanks a lot!
Hi, you can book the bus through the budget hotels. They can arrange a pick up from the port, and then you can board the buses going to Abu Simbel. Please note, that the buses to Abu Simbel depart only in the early morning around 3 o’clock. Plan your trip accordingly. Have a nice trip 🙂
Hi, nice to hearing from you!
I have tried to book though a budget hotel, but they informed that can’t accept ‘online’ or pre-bookings for Abu Simbel due a new regulations. Anyway, do you have any suggest of a budget hotel? I have also checked with cruise company and I can disembark at 3am. Thank you very much!
Hey, hi.. its the best post on Abu Simbel i have seen.. the big tour package you told “Abu Simbel including Philae Temple, High Dam and Unfinished Oblisk”.. they cover all this in a single day??
Hi, Thanks. Yes, they try to cover it in a single day. Actually, the group return back from Abu Simbel by 1 PM typically and then, they go direct to Aswan Dam. There is nothing interesting in the dam, so it hardly takes 15-20 minutes for everybody to visit that place. The next should be Philae Temple, where you have to go by a boat. Now, in our case, we take more time to visit Philae Temple at our own pace, so by the time, we came back from the temple, Unfinished Oblisk was closed for the day. So our tour ended at Philae Temple that day. You have to arrange separate transport for Unfinished Oblisk on the next day.
Thank you for this excellent guide. One request, however, could you please date your entries? In 10 years I imagine the prices will be different. It is now 2015 and you could have written this in 2005.
Hi, Sorry for the delayed reply. I was on a long trip in the remote Himalayas. I visited Egypt in March 2013. Prices shouldn’t change much by now.
Hi. Could you tell me please in which hotel you were staying in Aswan? I’m going to have a trip there in September but want to be sure the hotel I’ll stay in will have the trip to Abu Simbel. Thank You.
Hi, I stayed at El Salam Hotel in Aswan. Its a very basic budget hotel. Many other hotels (almost all) also organize the trip to Abu Simbel.
Hi Jack will be in Aswan as well on Sept 20-22 & planning to go to Abu Simbel on the 21st… hope to see you there.
Aww. I’ll be there from 25-27 of September 🙁
Hey guys am going Aswan in November 2015. Planning to visit Abu Simbel Temple too. Keep me posted of your experience there.
Thank you.
Hi,
I will be visiting Egypt in November but as i will be travelling with my family i will be spending most of my days in Hurghada to enjoy sea shore activities.
One quick question, I booked my stay in 4 star hotel but can i go and book my travel in 1 * or 2* hotels, will they entertain me?
Regards,
Manoj Jagdale
Yes, you can surely do that without any problem. You can also book them online. I booked my hotel online.
I am following you for last one or two years.
Planning for a trip to Egypt with family members. (me(54) wife(48) son (15).Another 2/3 friends may also join. Can you suggest any budget hotel at Cairo (please give me the name where you stayed along with the price).
Hi Sir, I stayed in the hostels, so no idea of the hotels. Search them online to get the better deals and location.
I was in Aswan a month ago. Was staying in 5* hotel but booked my Abu Simbel trip in Philae hotel for 150 EGP. Entry to Abu Simbel is additional 115 egp. Departure is 3am so you need to book your trip before 18.30 so they can put you on the list as they have to register all tourists to the police as it’s a police escorted trip…
Have a nice time