Morning Trip to Abu Simbel Temples from Aswan by Minivan

Aswan, Egypt

Over 3,000 years old, the massive rock temples of Abu Simbel stand on the shores of Lake Nasser, about a 3-hour drive south of Aswan. A professional Egyptologist leads this day tour from Aswan, in an air-conditioned minivan, which leaves early in the morning to beat the heat and the crowds. He'll guide you through both the main temple, constructed in honor of Ramses the Great, and the smaller temple, devoted to his wife, Queen Nefertari.

Your air-conditioned minivan will collect you from your hotel or Nile cruise ship in Aswan around 5am, an early start that will help you beat both the crowds and the heat at Abu Simbel, one of Egypt's most iconic sights. The scale of the two vast rock-cut temples, reflected in the tranquil waters of Lake Nasser, is awe-inspiring, from their gargantuan entrances to the huge statues that line them.

You'll reach the site around 8am, and your professional Egyptologist guide will walk you through both the Great Temple, constructed for the greater glory of its builder, Ramses the Great, and the Lesser Temple, dedicated to his wife, Queen Nefertari. You'll learn not only how the temples were built to demonstrate Egyptian control over Nubia but how they were moved, piece by piece, from their original location when the Aswan High Dam flooded the original site. You'll also discover the different gods and rituals depicted in the carvings and reliefs.

After a couple of hours exploring the temples, you'll return to the minivan for the 3-hour journey back to Aswan, arriving at your hotel or cruise ship in time for an early lunch.

Review by:   SHARMILA C,    March 2017
It was 4 am in the morning,and it was still dark outside, when we were picked up from our hotel in a private minivan with two drivers and our guide. We were going to see the famous Abu Simbel temples and the temples were nearly 300km by road from Aswan. So it would take nearly three hours to reach there._br/_ This journey by road through the Sahara is a once in a life time experience. Watching the Sun rise on Sahara and the endless sand dunes turning golden with the first rays of the Sun was heavenly. The two rock carved temples of Ramses ll and his favourite wife Nefertari on the bank of lake Nasser impressed us. The huge columns inside the temples were engraved with colourful images of goddess Hathor, Nefertari and Ramses ll._br/_ As it was early in the morning so the weather was pleasant. We enjoyed this trip to Abu Simbel very much and would recommend everyone to visit Abu Simbel but one must carry some food and water as the journey is long and through desert.