Everything You Need to Know About Visiting Abu Simbel in Egypt  - The World in My Pocket (2024)

Visiting Abu Simbel was one of the highlights of my 10 days trip to Egypt. Whilst it wasn’t an easy trip to do, it was definitely worth it, and in this article I will tell you how you can too, and all the logistics around it. Abu Simbel is located very close to the border with Sudan, and the road leading to it from Aswan is only open during certain times of the day.

Built by the Egyptian emperor Ramesses II more than 3,000 years ago, the twin temples of Abu Simbel enjoy an idyllic location on the banks of Lake Nasser and are the most striking of all monuments in the country.

What makes the story behind these magnificent structures even more fascinating, is that the entire complex has to be dismantled and moved to higher ground after construction of the Aswan High Dam was taken up. And that is not all – the original structure was built in a specific way so that the sun shines three out of four statues in the back room of the temple, 200 meters away from the entrance, twice a year: October 22 and February 22. The October date represents Ramesses II’s birthday, whilst the February one represents his ascension to the throne. After the temple was moved, the sun illumination has remained the same.

These temples were originally carved out of the rocks on the west bank of the River Nile. However, over the years, due to desert sand winds shifting, the complex got completely buried and lay forgotten till rediscovered in 1813 by a Swiss explorer Lewis Burkhardt who found heads and protruding from the ground.

Booking your Egypt trip with trusted providers such as Far & Wild Travel, can make or break your trip. So choose wisely and enjoy a hassle free adventure to Abu Simbel.

Location

Abu Simbel is located in the Nubia region, some 300 km south of Aswan and 20 km to the north of the border with Sudan. The complex sits on the western bank of Lake Nasser.

The Great Temple is dedicated to the Amon Ra, Ptah and the Ra+Harakhti gods, while the Small Temple was built in honor of Queen Nefertari, the favorite of the eight wives King Ramesses II had. Construction of the temples was completed in 1244 BC after twenty years.

Getting there

There are three ways to get Abu Simbel:

A roundtrip by air from Aswan :

This is the fastest way to get to Abu Simbel with flights taking on an average of 45 minutes each way. It takes roughly 90 minutes to explore both temples and the flights are timed accordingly. There is a free shuttle bus service between the airport and the temples (five minutes).

By road from Aswan:

Driving time one way is about three hours and most land tours do the whole trip in about eight hours. Many hotels in Aswan can help set up the trip as you need a licensed driver to clear the multiple check-points in the way. All tours leave Aswan between 4 and 4:30 in the morning, because of the later road closure.

Flying between Cairo and Aswan

You can fly from Cairo/Aswan/Abu Simbel or conversely Abu Simbel/Aswan/Cairo only by Egypt Air. The airline handles all the checked-in baggage so you don’t have to worry about what to do with it. Expect to pay between $200-$500 per person for the round trip.

If you plan to visit Abu Simbel from different cities of the country by road take into account the following distances:

• Edfu-400 km
• Luxor-500 km
• Asiut-770 km
• Marsa Alam-650 km
• Hurghada-779 km
• El Fayum-1050 km
• Cairo -1130 km
• Alexandria-1350 km

Weather in Abu Simbel

The climate in Abu Simbel is pure desert type with the maximum and minimum temperatures seeing a significant change, as much as 15°C after sundown.

During summer the temperature can easily exceed 40°C while in the winter it rarely dips below 23°C.

The minimum temperature in summer hovers around 25°C and in winter around 15°C. Precipitation throughout the year remains at 0 mm.

To avoid the harsh conditions, carry enough water, safeguard against sunstroke and solar flares. Use high factor sunscreen, keep your head covered and wear sunglasses.

Admission to the complex

The ticket booth is located next to the Visitor Center. Payment is accepted only by credit cards and no cash.

• 600 EGP per person
• 900 EGP during the day of sun alignment on February 22 and October 22
• 300 EGP for students

If you are joining a tour from Aswan, the price of the ticket is usually included and you can skip the line once you get to the entrance.

Inside the Great Temple Complex

As you descend the hill, the first building you will see will be of the Great Temple depicted by four massive statues of Ramesses II looking down at the visitors.

The figures of other family members, including his beloved wife Nefertari, sons, daughters and mother are seen sitting between the legs of Ramesses.

A broken piece of statue can be seen lying on the ground in front of the main figure after being damaged in an earthquake.

Once inside the Great Temple, you will come across eight statues of Osiris, having the same facial features as that of Ramesses II, besides many other smaller chambers and vestibules to explore.

An unmissable attraction here is the sanctuary located at the back of the complex which houses the statues of defied Ramesses II and the gods Ptah, Amon-Ra and Ra- Harakhti.

On February 22 the birthday of Ramesses II and October 22 his coronation day, twice a year the first rays of the sun are aligned in a way to penetrate the chamber during the period and illuminate the figures of Ramesses II, Amun and Horakhty.

Inside the Small Temple complex

The Small Temple, or the temple of Hathor is dedicated to Queen Nefertari, where she is depicted as Hathor, a figure with the horns of a cow, a solar disc and two plumes.

After entering the building, you will notice that this temple is much smaller than the Great Temple dedicated to Ramesses II. The rooms has pillars with the heads of Hathor and hieroglyphics that relate the story of the King and his beloved Queen.

Exiting the complex

You will exit the temple complex from an entirely different route along a paved path going uphill from the Small Temple. The walking takes between five to ten minutes and brings you back to the Visitor Center.

A series of souvenir shops mark the exit to the parking lot where you will find your driver waiting to take you back to the airport.

Photo opportunities

There is a small terrace overlooking the lake, that is located near the Small Temple from where you can capture stunning photos of both temples.

Seeing Abu Simbel without the crowds

Because the road connecting Aswan to Abu Simbel is only open at certain times during the day, if you want to experience the complex without the crowds you will have to spend the night here. You can take a later transport option that uses the road in the afternoon open slot, and stay the night at one of the few modest hotels in the area.

The complex gets illuminated by night and has a light show similar with the one in Cairo, at the Pyramids.

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