The two temples of Abu Simbel rise out of the Nubian desert, far to the south, near the shores of Lake Nasser, guarded by four colossal statues of Ramses II that have faced the sunrise for more than 3,200 years since the height of the New Kingdom.
They are among the most magnificent monuments in Egypt, and also among the most remote. Our article on the two temples of Abu Simbel tells their history; this guide is about the journey. You will learn how long the road from Aswan takes, how far it is, what your options are from Luxor and Cairo, and whether it is safe to travel so close to the Sudanese border.
What To Know About Traveling To and From Abu Simbel
Due to the far distance of Abu Simbel, time is a very crucial element of your trip in Egypt; that's why booking with a travel agency can be the best way to take control of your time. All travelers will be aware of all facts that tour affects their time in Egypt Here are all the things you need to know about traveling to Abu Simbel:
| Starting point | Best way to travel | Travel time (one way) | Can you do it in a day? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aswan | Private car or minibus | About 3 to 3.5 hours | Yes, back by early afternoon |
| Aswan | Flight | About 40 minutes, plus transfers | Yes, if flights run that day |
| Luxor | Car, or train to Aswan then car | About 6.5 to 7 hours | Possible, but two days is better |
| Cairo | Flight to Aswan, then car | About 1.5 hours flying, plus 3.5 hours by road | Possible, but very long |
| Hurghada | Car via Luxor or Qena and Aswan | About 7 to 8 hours | No, choose a two-day tour |
Aswan to Abu Simbel Travel Time by Road Hours
The drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel takes about 3 to 3.5 hours each way in a private car, and a little longer in a large coach. A full day trip, with two hours at the temples, takes about 9 to 10 hours from hotel pickup to drop-off.
Almost every tour leaves very early. Security checkpoints on the desert road open at about 4:00 am, and starting between 4:00 and 5:00 am means you reach the temples around 8:00 am, before the midday heat and ahead of the coaches that arrive later in the morning.
A Typical Day, Hour by Hour
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 4:00 to 4:30 am | Pickup from your hotel or Nile cruise in Aswan, often with a breakfast box |
| 5:00 am | Your car passes the first checkpoint and heads south into the Western Desert |
| About 6:30 am | Short rest stop at a roadside café roughly halfway |
| 7:30 to 8:00 am | Arrival at Abu Simbel and the ticket office |
| 8:00 to 10:00 am | Guided visit of the Great Temple of Ramses II and the Temple of Nefertari |
| 10:00 am | Start of the drive back to Aswan |
| 1:00 to 1:30 pm | Arrival in Aswan, lunch, and time for an afternoon sight |
On our private Day Trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel by Car, you can adjust these times to your own pace. The price includes pickup from your hotel or cruise, a private air-conditioned vehicle, an Egyptologist guide, entry fees and lunch at a Nile-view restaurant in Aswan.
Is the Convoy Still Required?
For many years, every tourist vehicle had to travel in a police convoy at fixed hours, usually around 4:00 am and 11:00 am. The mandatory convoy has since been relaxed, and private vehicles now travel independently through a series of police checkpoints, where drivers show the passenger list and passports may be checked. The early start remains, because the checkpoints open at about 4:00 am and the temples are best before the heat.
What You Will See When You Arrive
After about two hours of driving through open desert, the road reaches the town of Abu Simbel and the temples on the edge of the lake. Your visit covers two monuments:
- The Great Temple of Ramses II, cut into the mountain between about 1264 and 1244 BC, with four seated statues of the king about 20 meters high on its façade. It is one of the greatest ancient Egyptian temples ever built. Inside, the halls show his victory at the Battle of Kadesh.
- The Small Temple of Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor, about 100 meters away, where six standing statues about 10 meters tall show the king and his beloved Queen Nefertari at the same size, a rare honor for a queen.
Both temples were rescued between 1964 and 1968, when a UNESCO campaign cut them into more than 1,000 blocks and rebuilt them about 65 meters higher, away from the rising waters of the Aswan High Dam, in the same years that Philae Temple was relocated to save it from the Nile. Our article on the Abu Simbel temple relocation explains every step of this rescue, and the temples are now part of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Egypt.
Abu Simbel Tickets and Opening Hours 2026
- Ticket price: about EGP 820 for a foreign adult, with about half price for students holding a valid ISIC card.
- Payment: ticket offices are cashless, so pay by Visa or Mastercard, or buy an e-ticket in advance on the official Egypt Monuments website.
- Opening hours: from 5:00 am daily, closing at about 5:00 pm in winter and 6:00 pm in summer.
- Sound and light show: held most evenings for visitors who stay overnight, with a separate ticket.
- Prices change from time to time, so check the official site before you travel. On our tours, the entry fees are already included.
Luxor to Abu Simbel Travel Options
Abu Simbel lies about 500 kilometers south of Luxor by road, so every route from Luxor passes through Aswan. You have four realistic options, depending on how much time you have.
Option 1: A Two-Day Tour With a Night in Aswan
This is the most comfortable choice for most travelers. On our Tour to Aswan and Abu Simbel from Luxor, you take a first-class train to Aswan on the first morning and visit the Aswan High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk and Philae Temple. After a night in a five-star hotel, you drive to Abu Simbel the next morning and return to Luxor by train in the evening. Prices start at $300 per person for larger groups.
Option 2: A Nile Cruise With an Abu Simbel Add-On
Every cruise between Luxor and Aswan ends or begins in Aswan, which makes Abu Simbel an easy optional excursion. If you sail north instead, the 4 Day Nile Cruise from Aswan lets you visit Abu Simbel before boarding. The 5 Days Nile Cruise from Luxor sails south past the temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo, and the Abu Simbel trip is usually booked for the morning of your last full day in Aswan. Compare ships and dates on our Luxor and Aswan Nile cruises page.
Option 3: Road or Train in One Long Day
It is possible to see Abu Simbel and return to Luxor in one day, but it means about 13 to 14 hours of travel. The drive from Luxor to Aswan takes about 3 hours, or you can take the train, which also takes about 3 hours; see our guide to trains in Egypt. We only recommend this if you have no other day free. Traveling the other way, our Private One Day Tour from Aswan to Luxor and the Day Tour from Luxor to Edfu and Kom Ombo cover the temples along the road. A gentler middle ground is our Aswan Day Trip from Luxor, followed by a separate visit to Abu Simbel later in your trip.
Option 4: Fly
Small direct flights between Luxor and Abu Simbel have operated in some seasons, taking about an hour, but they are irregular and often not scheduled at all. Most travelers flying from Luxor go through Cairo or Aswan, which rarely saves time over the road.
Luxor to Abu Simbel Options Compared
| Option | Total time | Best for | Our tour |
|---|---|---|---|
| Two days with a night in Aswan | 2 days | Most travelers | Tour to Aswan and Abu Simbel from Luxor, from $300 |
| Nile cruise plus excursion | 4 to 8 days | Seeing Edfu and Kom Ombo on the way | 5 Days Nile Cruise from Luxor, from $450 |
| One-day road trip | About 14 hours | Travelers with no spare day | Ask us for a private car |
| Abu Simbel and Cairo from Luxor | 2 days | Ending your trip in Cairo | 2 Days Cairo and Abu Simbel Tour from Luxor, from $635 |
If you are staying in Luxor, do not miss the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple and the rest of our Luxor tourist attractions before you head south.
Is It Safe to Travel to Abu Simbel?
Yes. Abu Simbel is one of the most closely protected tourist sites in Egypt, and thousands of visitors make the journey every week without trouble. The town lies about 40 kilometers north of the Sudanese border, which is why the security is so visible.
What Official Travel Advice Says
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and the United States, plus many European countries, confirm that major tourist hubs along the Nile River are safe to visit. They have stated that the Egyptian side of the border is incredibly safe and heavily secured by the Egyptian government, and the Abu Simbel road and temples have stayed open to visitors. Throughout the entire year, Abu Simbel offers the most marvelous trips to countless thousands of travelers from all over the world, especially during the sun festival that happens twice.
Security on the Road
- Police checkpoints sit along the 280-kilometer road at regular intervals, and drivers register every tourist vehicle and its passengers before departure.
- Tourist police are stationed at the temples, at the ticket office and in the town.
- Independent travel off the main road, or into the desert near the border, needs a permit and is not allowed for tourists.
Practical Safety Tips
The real risks on this trip are the heat and the long drive, not crime. Carry at least two liters of water per person, a hat and sunscreen, because shade is limited and summer temperatures often pass 40°C. Keep your passport and Egypt entry visa with you for the checkpoints, and travel with a licensed company whose driver knows the road and the paperwork. For broader advice, read our guide on whether it is safe to travel to Egypt right now and our Egypt travel tips.
Aswan to Abu Simbel Road Travel Time Distance
The road distance from Aswan to Abu Simbel is about 280 kilometers (174 miles). You will sometimes read that Abu Simbel is 230 kilometers from Aswan; that is the straight-line distance, while the road bends west through the desert and is about 50 kilometers longer.
The Route
The highway leaves Aswan past the airport and the Aswan High Dam, then runs south through the Western Desert, roughly parallel to the western shore of Lake Nasser. For most of the way, you see only flat sand, black rock hills and, in the morning, shimmering mirages on the horizon. The lake itself appears only at the very end, as you reach the town of Abu Simbel.
Ways to Cover the Distance
| Way to travel | Travel time | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Private car with driver | About 3 to 3.5 hours | Flexible start time and a private guide |
| Shared minibus tour | About 3.5 to 4 hours | Cheaper, but fixed early departures and larger groups |
| Public bus | About 4 hours | Basic and infrequent; foreigners may be asked for extra checks |
| Flight from Aswan | About 40 minutes in the air | Usually about one flight a day; add airport transfers |
| Lake Nasser cruise | 3 or 4 nights | A slow, luxurious way to arrive by water |
Arriving by Water: Lake Nasser Cruises
Lake Nasser, created behind the High Dam in the 1960s, stretches about 500 kilometers south from Aswan into Sudan. A Lake Nasser cruise sails between Aswan and Abu Simbel in three or four nights, stopping at Nubian temples that were moved to the lake shore, such as Kalabsha, Wadi el-Sebua and Amada. Ships include the MS Nubian Sea Cruise and the SAI Dahabiya Lake Nasser Cruise. Seeing the floodlit temples from the deck of a ship is one of the most unforgettable moments in Egypt.
Make the Most of Aswan
Abu Simbel returns you to Aswan by early afternoon, so you can add a felucca ride, the Nubian Museum, or a visit to a Nubian village the same day. Our Aswan Sightseeing Tour, the Nubian Village Tour from Aswan and the evening Philae Temple Sound and Light Show are all easy to combine. For more ideas, read things to do in Aswan, how many days to spend in Aswan, and our guide to Nubian culture, see the full list of Aswan tourist attractions and the Aswan travel guide, take the Day Tour to Kalabsha Temple and the Nubian Museum, or browse all Aswan day tours.
Cairo to Abu Simbel Travel
Abu Simbel lies more than 1,200 kilometers south of Cairo by road, so flying is the only practical way to make the trip. Almost all routes go through Aswan.
By Plane: The Fastest Way
Flights from Cairo to Aswan take about 1 hour 30 minutes and run several times a day. From Aswan airport, you continue by road (about 3 to 3.5 hours) or, when it operates, take the 40-minute flight to Abu Simbel airport, which sits a few minutes from the temples. Direct flights from Cairo to Abu Simbel have been scheduled only occasionally, so do not plan around them.
A One-Day Tour From Cairo
On our Abu Simbel Day Trip from Cairo, you catch an early flight to Aswan, drive to the temples with your Egyptologist, have lunch in Aswan and fly back to Cairo the same evening. Domestic flights, entry fees, guide, lunch and all transfers are included, starting from $500 per person. It is a long day of about 16 to 18 hours, but it is the only way to see Abu Simbel if you are short on time.
Two Days or More
An overnight stay in Aswan makes the journey far more relaxing:
- Two Days Aswan and Abu Simbel Trips from Cairo adds Philae Temple and the High Dam, from $365.
- 2 Days Tours from Cairo to Luxor and Abu Simbel combines both cities, from $695.
- 4 Days Cairo and Abu Simbel Tour Package pairs the temples with the Great Pyramid of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, from $785.
- 5 Days Cairo, Aswan and Abu Simbel Tour gives you more time in Aswan, from $900.
- 5 Days Cairo, Luxor and Abu Simbel Tour Package covers the three great highlights, from $975.
- 5 Days Cheap Egypt Tour Cairo, Luxor and Abu Simbel is our budget option, from $910.
- 6 Days Egypt Luxury Vacation to Cairo, Luxor and Abu Simbel adds five-star comfort, from $1,165.
- 8 Days Cairo, Luxor, Abu Simbel and Hurghada Tour ends with beach days on the Red Sea, from $1,415.
By Train: The Slow and Scenic Way
The overnight sleeper train from Cairo to Aswan takes about 13 to 14 hours and arrives in the morning, ready for an Abu Simbel trip the following day. It saves a hotel night and shows you the length of the Nile Valley, but it is not a fast option. Prefer the river? A long Cairo to Aswan Nile cruise sails the whole way along the Nile River.
From Hurghada and the Red Sea
Abu Simbel is too far for a day trip from the Red Sea, so our tours include a night in Aswan or Luxor:
| Starting point | Tour | Price from |
|---|---|---|
| Hurghada | Aswan and Abu Simbel Trip from Hurghada | $350 |
| Hurghada | 2 Days Tours from Hurghada to Abu Simbel and Luxor | $365 |
| El Gouna | 2 Days Aswan and Abu Simbel Trip from El Gouna | $365 |
| El Gouna | 2 Days Luxor and Abu Simbel Tour from El Gouna | $380 |
| Marsa Alam | Two Days Trip to Aswan and Abu Simbel from Marsa Alam | $425 |
| Marsa Alam | 2 Day Trips from Marsa Alam to Luxor and Abu Simbel | $435 |
Follow the Sun to Abu Simbel and Book Your Trip
The road to Abu Simbel is long, but there are few sights in the world like the moment the four great faces of Ramses II appear above the desert at sunrise. With the right plan, whether a dawn drive from Aswan, a two-day trip from Luxor, or a flight from Cairo, the journey becomes part of the adventure.
At Trips In Egypt, we arrange every Abu Simbel trip as a private tour, with your own Egyptologist, a comfortable car and all the checkpoint paperwork handled for you. For the complete southern experience, our 6 Days Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel Tour combines the pyramids, the Valley of the Kings and the temples of Ramses II in one trip.
You can also explore all our Egypt tour packages and Nile River cruises, or design your own route with our tailor-made tours. Follow the sun and contact our operation department today.
