TEMPLES & SHRINES · ABU SIMBEL & PHILAE TEMPLE TOURS
Three hours each way through the desert, on convoy times nobody negotiates. These 15 cover the road trips, the flights and the combinations that add Philae on its island, priced and timed honestly.
Leave Aswan early for Abu Simbel by air-conditioned group bus. Choose a self-guided visit or add an English, Arabic, French, German, or Spanish guide. Guides such as Waleed Adnan, Ahmed Abdelwahab, Mido, and Mostafa explain the temples before you explore them.
“Mido Excellent guide, presented detailed description of the temples. Bonus, he did it with lot of humor.”
Travel from Luxor to Abu Simbel in a private car, meet an English-speaking guide at the temple, explore the colossal façade and twin sanctuaries, then enjoy lunch in Aswan before returning. Guides such as Mustafa, Hani, and Ahmed Achraf are praised for clear explanations and generous photo time.
“Mou (aka Mahmoud Haggag) was truly the best Egyptologist we could’ve hope for! Very detailed and precise explanations on all the sites we visited. The visit includes all the main points on interest of Luxor and its whereabouts. Get ready for a long but very satisfying day! Thank you Mou”
Travel from Aswan to Abu Simbel in a private air-conditioned car, with hotel or cruise pickup, bottled water, and flexible timing. Choose transport only or add entrance fees, a local guide, and lunch. Expect about three hours each way and roughly three hours at the temples.
“The temple is incredible and it was so worth the effort to go to Aswan and then take the drive there. It is not to be missed.”
Travel from Aswan to Abu Simbel by air-conditioned minibus, with hotel or cruise pickup, about two hours at the temples, and return transport. Choose independent sightseeing or add a guide such as Ahmed. The $24 price excludes temple admission.
“The tour started with 25 minutes delay by picking us up from our hotel. It was fine as we have told that it might be some minutes delay. Tour leader has a good knowledge and he gave us very good information about the place. It seems they arranged different kind of tours together because some people had no idea that we needed to be picked up and dropped off at our hotel. Because at the end when they wanted to drop us off at our hotel many people complaining why they are going to our hotel to drop us off. When I wanted to explain they stopped the car and…”
Travel from Aswan by private vehicle and motorboat to Philae Temple, where an Egyptologist such as Mary, Eman, or Waleed can explain Isis, Osiris, and Horus. The three-hour outing includes tickets, water, transport, and time for photos, with guides speaking English, Arabic, French, German, or Spanish.
“Aladino was the best tour guide, he gave us a very detailed explanation of the temple history and is very kind. We loved the tour!”
This budget shared shuttle leaves Aswan at 4:00 am, drives about three hours each way, and gives you independent time at Abu Simbel. Hotel pickup, drop-off, and a driver are included. An optional guide may explain the temples outside, with guides such as Ahmed Ashraf, Aida, or Ahmed Abdeen available on some departures.
“An amazing deal for the price. The driver picked us on time and our guide Ahmed Abdeen gived us a pre introduction prior to entering the temple and some highlights inside of it .”
Travel from your Aswan hotel by car and motorboat to Philae Temple, where an English-speaking guide such as Mary, Emad, or Ahmed Abdelwahab explains the carvings, Isis worship, and UNESCO relocation. Expect about two hours at the temple, with time for photos.
“Rasha was an incredible guide. She took care of all the details and makes the experience enjoyable and smooth. I do recommend to anyone.”
Travel from your Aswan hotel by car and boat to Agilkia Island for a two-hour evening show at Philae Temple. English, French, Spanish, and German audio guides explain Isis, Osiris, and the temple’s relocation. Coordinators such as Merna, Liza, and Zeinab are praised for careful arrangements.
“It is a privilege to be in Philae at night time. Worth the whole experience”
See Aswan’s key sights in about four hours with a private Egyptologist-led tour. Visit the High Dam and Unfinished Obelisk, then take a boat to Philae Temple. Pickup is available from hotels, Nile cruises, or Aswan Airport, with guides such as Emad, Maryam, and Nermien noted for flexible, engaging help.
“Not rushing .. One can absorbed all the information and giving you time to explore . Guide is always looking after your comfort.”
Leave Aswan at 4am for Abu Simbel, about 290 km away on Lake Nasser. You will ride in an air-conditioned vehicle, meet a professional guide at the site, and return the same day. Guide support may include Sameh, Sam, Mahmoud, or Hussein, depending on the departure.
“Booked this tour last minute just 12hr prior to actual event. Due to exorbitant personal hotel transport which is around double of this price. The in-charge/boss immediately exchanged message with me to confirm everything. The next morniRead more”
See Aswan’s High Dam, then ride a motorboat to Philae Temple, where an Egyptologist guide explains the Isis sanctuary and its relocation. Your private group gets air-conditioned transport and hotel pickup. Confirm boat and entrance costs before booking, since the inclusions are not fully consistent.
“Great service, prompt and excellent communication. Only hiccup was we were being scammed by a group of gangsters at the waterboat dock leaving for Philae Temple. We had to enlist the help of the tourist police and our tour operator was on the phone guiding us through the ordeal. Some forewarning or guidance for the boat cost would have been welcome. Otherwise a perfect tour!”
Leave Aswan at 4:00 am for Abu Simbel in a shared, air-conditioned vehicle. You get hotel pickup, transport, and time at the Great Temple and Temple of Hathor. A guide is optional, though one may join the group even if you book transport only.
“Prelievo dall'hotel in perfetto orario. Minivan pulito e con aria condizionata funzionante. La guida ci ha evitato la fila per l'acquisto dei biglietti ed è stata molto simpatica e preparata. Lo consiglio”
Visit Philae Temple on Agilika Island and the Aswan High Dam in about 3.5 hours. You get hotel pickup, an air-conditioned vehicle, and an English-speaking Egyptologist. Guides such as Aida, Milad, and Kyrillos have earned praise, but temple tickets and the motorboat cost extra.
“Exceptional service all around. Aida as a guide was very knowledgable and pleasant. Unfortunately the Philae Temple was closed on the day due to high winds that prevent boats from making the journey to the island. But Aida and Mena (organiser) were amazingly helpful and set me up to do the Philae tour the next morning. Rami was our guide the next morning, great English and very well versed with the history of the temple, extremely passionate about Egypt's history making our experience even better. Just great people wanting to do right. Aida and Mena also helped me organise the a day trip to Edfu and Kom Ombo from Aswan,…”
Travel from your Aswan hotel to Philae Temple by private vehicle and motorboat. An English-speaking Egyptologist such as Mary, Miriam, Ahmed Sony, or Heba explains Isis and Osiris reliefs, then you get time to explore and take photos before returning to your hotel.
“Well organized tour. The guide, Mary, gave detailed explanations and there was sufficient time to explore by oneself and take pictures.”
Travel north from Aswan to two superb Nile temples with a private guide and driver. See Kom Ombo’s unusual double sanctuary and Edfu’s great Horus temple. The tour takes about eight hours, includes hotel transport and water, and can finish in Aswan or Luxor.
“It was our second experience withe the driver and we confirm he is a very kind and reliable person. Unfortunately our guide for the temp le was very poor. The feeling was that there was a lack of willing to share information and maybe a lack of preparation”
Sunrise, sunset, on foot or by tuk-tuk.
