Private Tour: Abu Simbel Flight and Tour from Aswan

Aswan, Egypt

Fast track your journey and take the quick route to see the magnificent temples of Abu Simbel on an air tour from Aswan. With a qualified Egyptologist as your guide, this private tour provides the most personalized visit to Abu Simbel, in the shortest time possible.

The flight from Aswan to the small town of Abu Simbel takes only around 30 minutes. Your Egyptologist guide will meet you at the airport and accompany you to the famous temples of Ramses II and his favorite wife Nefertari.

On the short walk to the temple entrances, your guide will explain the history of the site, including details of the UNESCO-led relocation of the entire cliff face to higher ground, and how the temples were discovered by accident in 1813. Due to the large number of visitors to Abu Simbel, guides are not permitted inside either the Great Temple of Ramses II or the smaller Temple of Hathor. However, by using photos and illustrations, your guide will explain to you the structures and their interior artworks. You will then have free time to enter the temples and explore them at your leisure.

As one of the few ancient Egyptian sites which largely escaped damage by past invaders, the interiors of Abu Simbel's temples are astounding. The scale of the buildings and their detailed decoration leaves most visitors in awe. The temples' attraction is further enhanced by their scenic location on the edge of Lake Nasser in the orange sands of the desert.

After visiting the temples there may be time for a short visit to the small visitor's center which documents the UNESCO relocation project.

USD $346.75

Traveler Reviews

Review by: Michael W	April 2012
This is a must see. The only drawback is you spend the extra money to shorten the day by flying instead of travelling by road but spend some 3 hrs at both airports.

Review by: Jennifer S	December 2011
I had an exceptional experience with my tour through Viator, especially being a woman traveling alone to Egypt. A representative (Hedra) picked me up from my ship in Aswan, got my boarding pass for me at the airport, and sent me off. There were 2 more representatives who helped me during my tour at Abu Simbel which was awesome. There were barely any other tourists there so I felt I had the place to myself (good for me, not good for Egypt). Hedra was waiting for me back at the airport in Aswan and took me to my hotel (and waited while all my accommodations were arranged). Everyone was extremely kind and made the trip easy and enjoyable for me.

Review by: Charles B	November 2011
Expensive but worth the trip. Personal pick-up and assistance the entire way made the trip very easy.

Review by: cynthia k	August 2011
The service provided by South Sinai Travel was excellent.

Review by: D Thomas G	January 2011
The site is so awesome and spectacular that any rating is colored positively. Unfortunately our two and one quarter hours were cut to one and half hours at the site. This was because the flight information Viator sent us was totally wrong. We left almost two hours earlier than what we booked on a regularly scheduled Egypt Air flight. It was a little late,, but the real cause of the delay was unforeseen military exercises at the Aswan airport which delayed us a further 45 minutes (beyond anyone's control). The guide was not great, but not bad either--he bravely tried to compress everything he had to say into a shorter time. We were fortunately I think that other than our group there were no other people there. That allowed us some elbow room. Still Abu Simbel was the highlight of our trip to Egypt.

Review by: DIANE L	January 2011
Viator was fabulous! Very professional. Picked us up at airport, dressed in suits with ties, transported in very nice, clean car to Abu Simbel. After our tour with local guide, our Viator guide was there waiting for us to take us back to the airport. Helped check us in at airport. He spoke excellent English and was genuinely concerned about our happiness. Highly recommend Viator.

Review by: Melanie H	October 2010
Great trip to Abu Simbel. The facilitator in Aswan was a great help!

Review by: Ekaterina M, Germany	February 2010
Really great! Very good supported. Extra thanks!

Review by: Carla K, Canada	February 2010
Guides very knowledgeable and professional.

Review by: Anonymous, Germany	December 2009
I really liked the tour even though it was very expensive, but it is worth it! The only thing that I didn't really like was that we only had about an hour at Abu Simbel. We had to rush a little bit but we were able to see everything.

Review by: Flavio M, Brazil	October 2009
It is a remarkable and unforgetable place.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	September 2009
This tour was way overpriced almost double compared to the prices we saw local tour operators selling it for. While the transfers to and from the airport and site were very smooth and the staff friendly and helpful, we found our "Egyptologist guide" to be totally inadequate, lacking enthusiasm, and not as knowledgeable as the guides we had in other parts of Egypt. The visit to Abu Simbel is recommended for any trip to Egypt, and the flight is fast and convenient, but book it elsewhere.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	May 2009
Book without the tour guide if you want to save money. You'll be fine on your own, esp. if you read your guidebook before going.

Review by: Anonymous, United States of America	March 2009
We had trouble booking this flight directly on Egypt Air's website for the day we wanted to go, but Viator had the flights. That said, the plane was only part full, there are free bus transfers to the temples, and a guide is included for each group or even a single person with your entrance ticket 80 Egyptian pounds per person.

Review by: Anonymous, United Kingdom	June 2008
The organisation could not have been better but we were disappointed in Abu Simbel itself. It had lost its majesty and seemed to be part of a film set. Think of moving the Treasury at Petra to the top of the cliff and I think you'll see what we mean.

Review by: David Z, United States of America	November 2007
The flight was a bit over-priced considering we paid for the tour guide as well. Perhaps the bus is more feasible if you have a little more time. The temple itself is a must-see on any Egyptian tour.

Review by: Kerrie O, Australia	November 2007
Another tour in Egypt I would give 5 stars to if I could. The temples are amazing and our guide knew all the tricks to be able to see them with a minimal amount of other people around. Standing at the base of the great statues is one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

Review by: Suzanne H, Netherlands	November 2007
Abu Simbel was worth seeing. The trip by private air tour was very well organised although expensive. I expected to be sitting in the first class for this price. Furthermore it would be wise to ask your guests about their specific interest it might be slightly different than the egyptologist expects.

Review by: Eammon O, Australia	November 2007
Outstanding, everyone who goes to Egypt should see Abu Simbel! With the short amount of time with the guide I was impressed how much info he gave us and he made sure to tell us what to look for. Look out for the groups that descend in mass though! Being in a small group our guide was able to get us into the temples at a different time to the big groups so we had alot of time inside almost completely alone.

Review by: Anonymous	November 2007
Another tour in Egypt I would give 5 stars to if I could. The temples are amazing and our guide knew all the tricks to be able to see them with a minimal amount of other people around. Standing at the base of the great statues is one of the most humbling experiences of my life.

Review by: Anonymous	November 2007
Outstanding, everyone who goes to Egypt should see Abu Simbel! With the short amount of time with the guide I was impressed how much info he gave us and he made sure to tell us what to look for. Look out for the groups that descend in mass though! Being in a small group our guide was able to get us into the temples at a different time to the big groups so we had alot of time inside almost completely alone.

Review by: Luke C, Australia	October 2007
Flying to Abu Simbel saved us so much time and also gives you a feeling for the enormity of the desert which makes up so much of Egypt. The bus would simply be too long if you did it in both directions.

Review by: Anonymous	October 2007
Flying to Abu Simbel saved us so much time and also gives you a feeling for the enormity of the desert which makes up so much of Egypt. The bus would simply be too long if you did it in both directions.