Unfortunately, getting here is not that simple. There is an airport right near Abu Simbel, so in theory you can fly directly here from Aswan, Cairo, Luxor or anywhere else when you visit Egypt.
But when the price of the plane ticket tends to cost around 200-300€, you are looking to find a more affordable option. And yet, how do you get from Aswan to the Temples of Abu Simbel? I chose the slower and more difficult option of course, following the course of the Nile.
I told you here about my night train ride from Cairo to Aswan, which wasn't the best experience, but I did it and I don't regret it at all. Especially since at the end of this road a completely different area would be waiting for me, totally different from everything I had seen until then in all of Egypt.
I arrived in Aswan by train, and here I had the most picturesque and authentic accommodation I have ever had. But I will tell you about the accommodation in the home of an ordinary Nubian family, on Elephantine Island, in the middle of the Nile, in a separate article.
How to get from Aswan to the Temples of Abu Simbel
The distance from Aswan to Abu Simbel is about 290 km and it is a bit difficult to cross.
Along the way you will go almost exclusively through the desert, human settlements are almost non-existent and only from place to place you will see a parking lot or sometimes a modest gas station. Otherwise, nothing. Desert as far as the eye can see.
Ah, here I saw for the first time, that optical phenomenon frequently encountered in warm areas, due to which objects on the horizon, or beyond it, appear as if reflected in water.
To get from Aswan to Abu Simbel, you will need to either rent a car (with or without a driver, as you wish) or go in an organized setting with a travel agency. And you will meet them everywhere, let that be the least of your worries. Or of course, you can fly, there is an airport near Abu Simbel too!
Whatever you choose, it's worth getting there. The effort will be rewarded with fabulous views. The temples at Abu Simbel are incredible. I didn't see them all, but they are probably some of the most beautiful monuments in all of Egypt. And after seeing the Giza Pyramids twice, I'm not sure which one I liked more.
Of course, we are talking about different things, both are worth visiting and admiring in peace, but Abu Simbel holds a special place in my soul. I just absolutely loved the place. The quiet atmosphere, the view, the cleanliness, the lack of traders...
I did not plan the trip to Abu Simbel in advance. I mean, I knew I wanted to go, but I hadn't pre-booked anything. When we checked in, we asked the apartment manager if he knew anyone who could help us with some information.
Of course, our Nubian knew, that this was the only place where he got his commissions. In addition to this work with the "administration" of the accommodations, Osama also solved the reservation. Immediately, over the phone, I sent him copies of the passports and that's it.
Thus, we were advised to leave Aswan around 8, we spent about 3 hours in the shower, we spent about two there, while we visited the temple and drank some coffee, while the boys waited for us, and on the way back, about 3 hours. By 15:00 we were back in Aswan.
I didn't even catch the morning crowd, when it's full of buses with tourists. We were able to visit in peace, without struggling to squeeze through groups of tourists. And it wasn't very hot either. I mean it was…. but bearable.
The entrance fee to the Abu Simbel Temples is 215 EGP/pers. A guide is also included here. There are several guides in the area of the two temples, I didn't see them, maybe they were with other tourists.
We could opt to join an organized group, but that meant we had to leave Aswan around 5am and be back by 12. And in this case, we would have paid 300EGP/person. The difference in money would not have been too big, so of course we chose to go alone and make our own schedule.
My recommendation!
The road is long and tiring. I recommend that you do not leave with the night in your head. If you can, go individually, you will have time and space to visit and enjoy the view! Lake Nasser looks fantastic from here. I try to imagine what the temples on the lake look like.
Try to negotiate!
Almost everything is negotiated when shopping in Egypt!
I thought it was a bit strange when Osama told us to pay him, not the drivers. The minivan belonged to a local travel agency, the logo was visible (Saga Travel). I suspected from the beginning that the price was badly inflated. I got hold of the agency's phone number to find out the correct price and that's how I found out that our honest Nubian charged just under 800 EGP.
So the correct price would have been 1700 EGP ($100). Ehh, that's it! We had also given him about 300 EGP, so attention, because he had helped us with the organization.
But all's well that ends well. We really enjoyed the trip, we endured it well, the departure time was reasonable, we weren't even in a rush. I was already fed up after the nights I had lost before: one on the train on the way and two more in Cairo, when I could hardly sleep at all because of the infernal noise.