Abu Simbel Day Trip from Aswan: Road or Air, Timings and Tips

How does an Abu Simbel day trip from Aswan work?

Most visitors leave Aswan before dawn, drive about 280 km south through the Nubian Desert, spend two to three hours at the two temples, and are back in Aswan by early or mid-afternoon. The site itself, Ramesses II's Great Temple and the Temple of Nefertari, is described in our Abu Simbel guide; this page is about getting there and back.

The early start is not only about crowds. The road runs through open desert with almost no shade, the temples face east so the facades are best lit in the morning, and by late morning in the warmer months the forecourt is fiercely hot. Arriving around opening time gives you the best light and the most comfortable temperatures.

The trip is a fixture of most Egypt itineraries because Abu Simbel is not on the Nile cruise route between Luxor and Aswan. If you are on a cruise, it is usually offered on the last morning or as an extra day in Aswan; our Aswan in two days plan shows where it fits.

A timed plan for the road trip

Expect a nine to ten hour day, of which about seven are in the vehicle. A typical private trip:

• 4am: pick-up from your hotel or cruise ship with a breakfast box from the kitchen. Some hotels open the breakfast room early; ask the night before.
• 4.15am: leave Aswan, past the High Dam and onto the desert road. Sleep if you can.
• Around 5.45–6.45am: sunrise over the desert, depending on the season; a coffee and toilet stop at the halfway rest house.
• 7.30am: arrive at Abu Simbel. Your guide explains the site outside, because guides are generally not permitted to lecture inside the temples.
• 7.45am–9.15am: the Great Temple: the four colossi, the hall of Osiride statues, the Battle of Kadesh reliefs and the sanctuary.
• 9.15am–10am: the Temple of Nefertari, then the view of both from the lake shore.
• 10.15am: walk back through the bazaar to the car park and leave.
• 1.30–2pm: back in Aswan for lunch and a rest.

If you are travelling from a Nile cruise, the ship's crew will usually wake you and hand over the breakfast box at the gangway; check whether your cabin must be vacated before you leave, as some ships disembark guests on the same morning. On the way back, the road passes close to the Aswan High Dam, an easy 20-minute stop if it is not already on your plan.

Leaving an hour later, at 5am, is perfectly workable in winter and puts you at the temples around 8.30am, when the first coaches are thinning out. In summer, keep to the earlier start.

The rest of the day is best kept light: an afternoon felucca around Elephantine Island, the Nubian Museum, or nothing at all. Philae is possible in the late afternoon if you have no other time for it.

What is the road and the convoy situation like?

The road is a good, straight highway through empty desert, managed by police, with checkpoints at each end; how tourist traffic is organised has changed over the years, so your operator confirms the morning's arrangements. For a long time all tourist vehicles had to travel in convoy at fixed departure times. In recent years private vehicles have usually been able to travel independently after registering at the checkpoint, but this is not guaranteed: rules can be reinstated or adjusted at short notice, and departure windows may apply.

• Carry your passport; the driver needs passenger details for the checkpoint.
• There is one main rest stop roughly halfway, with toilets and simple refreshments; there is little else.
• Mobile coverage is patchy in the middle section, so download maps, music and your guide's number before leaving Aswan.
• Choose a private car or minibus with seat belts; shared minibuses are cheaper but can be crowded and less comfortable for seven hours.

Read the current Egypt advice on Smartraveller or SafeTravel before you travel, including any notes on areas near the Sudanese border, which is about 40 km south of Abu Simbel.

Should you fly to Abu Simbel instead?

Flying is far less tiring, about 45 minutes each way, but flights are limited, schedules change by season and seats sell out, so it only works if you book early and the timings suit. When the route operates, flights are usually timed to give you around two hours at the temples, with a short shuttle between the small airport and the site. The whole outing takes around five hours rather than nine or ten.

The pros and cons are weighed in full in Abu Simbel by road or by air, including combined fly-one-way options.

Is it better to stay overnight at Abu Simbel?

For many travellers, yes: one night in the village lets you see the sound and light show, sleep properly, and visit the temples the next morning after the day-trippers have gone. A two-day version looks like this:

• Day 1: leave Aswan at 9 or 10am instead of 4am (where road arrangements allow), stopping on the way only for coffee. Check in, rest through the heat, then walk to the temples in the late afternoon. Stay for the evening sound and light show, which is projected onto the facades.
• Day 2: return to the temples at opening time. The coaches from Aswan usually arrive a little later, so you may have the sanctuary nearly to yourself for a while. Drive back to Aswan for lunch.

Accommodation in the village is limited to a handful of hotels and Nubian-style lodges, so book well ahead. The other relaxed alternative is a Lake Nasser cruise, which ends or begins at Abu Simbel and visits the rescued Nubian temples on the way; the Lake Nasser cruise and Abu Simbel journey is built around one.

Visiting around 22 February or 22 October? The sunrise alignment draws thousands and changes all the timings; see the Abu Simbel Sun Festival guide before you plan.

What to bring and how to enjoy the day

Pack for a cold start and a hot finish, and keep your energy for the sanctuary rather than the bazaar.

• Layers: desert mornings in December and January can be around 10°C; by 10am it is warm in any season, and very hot from May to September.
• Water, hat and sunscreen: there is little shade between the car park and the temples.
• Cash: small notes for the rest stop, toilets and tips.
• Neck pillow and eye mask: the best way to arrive fresh.
• Tickets: the Abu Simbel ticket has covered both temples; camera rules and prices change, so check egymonuments.gov.eg.
• Read ahead: the story of how UNESCO moved the temples in the 1960s makes the visit; see Saving Abu Simbel.

Our Classic Egypt and Nile Cruise includes Abu Simbel with a private car and guide, timed to avoid the worst of the crowds.