Abu Simbel Tours

The temples of Abu Simbel

Some 280 kilometres south of Aswan, close to the Sudanese border, Ramses II carved two temples into the sandstone cliff: the Great Temple, guarded by four seated colossi more than 20 metres high, and the smaller temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. In the 1960s both were cut into blocks and rebuilt 65 metres higher to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.

You can reach Abu Simbel by road from Aswan (around three and a half hours each way, leaving before dawn), by plane, or by spending the night there — which allows you to see the Sound and Light Show and the temples almost empty at sunrise. Twice a year, around 22 February and 22 October, the rising sun lights up the statues in the inner sanctuary.