How to get to Abu Simbel

by Ray Boone | Jul 23, 2021 | Aswan

Abu Simbel: One of the most unique and exceptional spots in all of Egypt.

Consisting of two temples built into the rock, this site was constructed by Ramesses II way back in the 13th Century BCE. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, these monuments were cut into pieces back in the 1960’s and moved to a higher elevation, saving them from the water when the Aswan High Dam was constructed.

Is it worth seeing? You bet it is. Is figuring out how to get to Abu Simbel a challenge? Well…yes. It can be.

How to get to Abu Simbel by plane

The front of the Great Temple at Abu Simbel is one of the most imposing structures in Egypt.

Flying isn’t the most common method of getting to Abu Simbel, nor is it the cheapest — but it is possible.

Some people do it all in one day. You can leave Aswan or another city on a morning flight, and head back in the afternoon. Alternatively, you could spend the night in a hotel in the nearby town, which would enable you to check out the Sound and Light Show. I’m kind of sorry I missed this, but I was on a time budget and an additional night just to see one thing wasn’t really on the agenda.

Be aware that the town of Abu Simbel is very small, and I don’t think there’s a lot to do in the area aside from visiting these two temples.

And when I say it’s not the cheapest, I mean it. The average cost for a round trip flight from Aswan is about $500. And yes, you can only fly to Abu Simbel from Aswan.

How to get to Abu Simbel by bus or van

If you’re looking to feel small, strolling past these colossal statues inside the Great Temple is a good way to go about it.

Figuring out how to get to Abu Simbel on a bus or in a van is fairly simple, as it’s the most common method. There’s a myriad of companies that would love to have your business.

Now, Abu Simbel is about a three hour drive from Aswan, and you’ll be leaving early. I mean, really early. Piling in a bus at 3:30 or 4:00 in the morning seems to be common.

Why? Well, the road down there is heavily restricted. You’ll pass through numerous military checkpoints, and tourists aren’t supposed to be on this road after dark. In fact, until relatively recently all the tourists would ride together in a convoy.

If that sounds scary, it shouldn’t. As I’ve noted elsewhere, the Egyptian government takes a high level of interest in protecting tourists. The tour companies will take your passport information and pass it along, so the authorities know that you’ve arrived back safely.

Not that the trip down is dangerous in any way — at least in my experience. Yes, you’ll be heading down almost to the border of Sudan, but I think the security is mainly a precaution because we’re talking about a very remote area in the middle of the Sahara.

How to get to Abu Simbel by car

Riding through the Sahara Desert is an experience unto itself.

Ah, you’ve kept scrolling this far down the article? Good for you — that must mean you have at least a passing interest in learning how to get to Abu Simbel by car. For me, this is by far the best way.

You see that picture up there? I took that at sunrise while riding across the Sahara Desert on the way to Abu Simbel. How? Because I was riding in a car, and asked the driver to pull over for a minute. Try doing that in a bus and see if it works out for you.

Of course, that’s far from the main benefit of taking a car. Primarily, doing so allows you to avoid all the other tourists.

Remember how I said all the buses and vans leave at the same time? If you take a car, you can leave a little later…and get to Abu Simbel right when everyone else is leaving.

I hate tourists. Don’t you? Wait…I’m a tourist. We’re pretty much all tourists. What I mean is, I like to visit places free of large crowds, where you don’t have to jockey for position and try to tune out people complaining about the weather or how that sandwich they ate on the bus just wasn’t enough.

The interior of the Small Temple at Abu Simbel features reliefs like this one, where Ramesses II is smiting a Nubian. This imagery was very common in Ancient Egypt, going back to the very beginnings of the Old Kingdom.

When I arrived at Abu Simbel, the hordes were heading out. There were maybe a dozen other people around for most of the two hours I spent at the site, and it was glorious. If you really want to get a sense for a place and feel like you’ve stepped back in time, there’s no better way to do it than to be away from other tourists.

Oh, and you notice anything special about the pictures I posted here? That’s right — there aren’t people in them.

Do you need a guide at Abu Simbel?

The Sanctuary of the Great Temple shows Ramesses II seated with the gods Ptah, Amun, and Ra-Horakhty. On February 22nd and October 22nd, the sun aligns in a way that it shines all the way to the Sanctuary. Some say these dates correspond with the birth and the coronation of Ramesses II.

Since one of the primary reasons I started this site was to help people visit places without tour guides…you already know how I’m going to answer this, right?

Of course you know! But my thoughts on considering ditching the guides goes double here.

Like at the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, guides aren’t allowed in the temples of Abu Simbel. They can show you pictures, they can tell you what to look for, but they can’t go inside with you.

Why? If you’ve ever visited a large museum and had to navigate past a group of twenty people listening to someone holding a pole with a handkerchief on top of it, you’ll know the answer.

Tour groups get in the way of other tourists. While these temples are hardly small, concentrated groups can ruin the experience for everyone else. So, for this, maybe just do your reading before you get to the site, and go it alone!

Note: Everything I say here is my own personal opinion, and may not work best for everyone. I’m far from an expert, so please just do whatever is best for you, and be sure to visit the TripAdvisor Forums to ask questions and do some more research!