Abu Simbel Temples in Aswan

Fascinating, if your not on a tour, I would go after lunch. Most tours arrive in the morning and its swamped with tourists.

You can get there by car, flying is a better option. Strongly recommend to stay over one night, in the afternoon and early morning there are only handful of tourist there.

Espectacular place, interesting history. Is better to fly there or make a tour bus. No drive, is too far and the road is not really nice. 🥰 it is really hot, use sunscreen and hat. Enjoy it !

Fabulous place worthy of its reputation.Apart from the crowd, the are no negative things to say.As of the time of writing (October 2022the entry fee is 260 EGP but the clerk at the tickets office charges an additional 15 EGP fee for a guide. We didnt see a guide though.There is a cafe close to the temples so you can rest and buy water.

One of the best places to visit in Egypt, absolutely impressive, the wall drawings are in very good condition.

Awe inspiring and beautiful. Two miracles here. One that people were able to build it in the time of Ramses the Great and two that it was moved so beautifully in modern times including tunnels deep into the solid rock mountains.

These temples were once submerged underwater, the way it was moved is mind blowing. Definitely worth the 3 hour drive. Make sure to bring lots of water!

No words can describe this great civilization,this place is incredible you have to visit ,I recommend it

In love of every Egyptian pharaoh legend, take a deep breath as you will be taken to another new dimensions in the past, prepare your self for feeling humble infront of such beauty, Abu simbel Temple it is the beauty within

Words cant explain how amazing this place it. The energy!! The legacy!! You have to visit with a knowledgeable guide, a true historian to understand the complexity of this monument.

Could easily be a wonder of the world. Fantastic to see a piece of history that was moved but kept completely how it was found. Much larger inside than you would think. Worth the long drive from Aswan to see it. Get there early to beat the crowds and the heat.

Updating this review years after our visit to this place. The environment is so beautiful. Well maintained place. Crowd is well managed. Only issue is that some vendors are of cheating tendency. Beware of fraudulent vendors and hawkers. Must visit place in a life time.

Abu Simbel is quite far south of Egypt and a journey from Cairo to the site takes many hours but its worth a visit. The Temple of Ramases II and the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari, a UNESCOs World Heritage site, were cut and reassembled in a high place before the area would be flooded due to the construction of the Aswan Dam. Besides the colossal statues of Ramases II, the wall inscriptions inside the temples are also amazing.

However you get here, its worth it. We woke up for a 3.5 hour drive at 4 am to come see this marvelous site and would have driven a full day longer just to see it. As we travel, we travel with our companies product and take photos. This place is wonderful. Just go

Loved this place!! OMG!! The reliefs on the walls were AWEmazing. Our tour guide gave a wonderful account of who User Maat Ra Setep Ra Rasmussen MeriAmen was. A great King and warrior.. He wrote it in stone for us to know him now.

Approximately 3.5 hours from Aswan, you can see Abu Simbel easily through a tour option. Temples are stunning and lots of rooms to see inside.

Located at the southernmost border of Egypt (even in Ancient timesthese magnificent temples are over 3000 years old. Originally they were located a few 100 meters away from here, but after construction of Suez dam, that area became flooded with water, so the temples needed to be relocated piece by piece. You get incredible sightings inside the temples as well

It’s not one of the seven man-made marvels of the world but it should be. Wondrous site and monuments. Constructed 1300 BCE by Ramesses II and then, another marvel, moved piece by piece by UNESCO funded engineers to save it from the flooded plains caused by the great dam and lake Nasser. Inside is just as riveting for classical /history lovers.Tip: book a private guide and car. You’ll get there faster/earlier and enjoy the site before the buses arrive. Long journey but worth it to go back in time.Fans of Agatha Christie also be sated and fans of the Neverending Story movie as it’s like being below the Great Southern Oracle 😍

Amazing temple. Long drive from Aswan to get here. Not much to read at the temples. Guides could not enter the temples. Wonderful experience overall.

We were on a river Nile cruise and we were based in Assuan to head to Abu Simbel. It took us almost 4 hours to get there by bus but it was absolutely worth the trip! Impressive temples on a 44 degrees Celsius day. Directly situated on an island in the Lake Nasser. The history behind the temples impressed us as well: the big Tempel for RamsesII and the smaller one for Nefertari. They used to sit at the western bank of river Nile but due to the flooding after the building of the reservoir embankment they kept it by dismantling and rebuilding them in the actual place.Absolutely amazing. Not many tourists and shops around. Clearly recommend a visit 😍

A must visit place while in Egypt its quite a travel to get here but its worth it. The history and the art is immense. Beautiful surroundings with lake Nasser.

Abu Simbel is a historic site comprising two massive rock-cut temples in the village of Abu Simbel , Aswan Governorate, Upper Egypt, near the border with Sudan. It is situated on the western bank of Lake Nasser, about 230 km (140 misouthwest of Aswan (about 300 km (190 miby road). The complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the "Nubian Monuments",which run from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae (near Aswan), and include Amada, Wadi es-Sebua, and other Nubian sites. The twin temples were originally carved out of the mountainside in the 13th century BC, during the 19th Dynasty reign of the Pharaoh Ramesses II. They serve as a lasting monument to the king Ramesses II. His wife Nefertari and children can be seen in smaller figures by his feet, considered to be of lesser importance and were not given the same position of scale. This commemorates his victory at the Battle of Kadesh. Their huge external rock relief figures have become iconic.The complex was relocated in its entirety in 1968 under the supervision of a Polish archaeologist, Kazimierz Michałowski, from the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology University of Warsaw,on an artificial hill made from a domed structure, high above the Aswan High Dam reservoir. The relocation of the temples was necessary or they would have been submerged during the creation of Lake Nasser, the massive artificial water reservoir formed after the building of the Aswan High Dam on the River Nile. The project was carried out as part of the UNESCO Nubian Salvage Campaign.During his reign, Ramesses II embarked on an extensive building program throughout Egypt and Nubia, which Egypt controlled. Nubia was very important to the Egyptians because it was a source of gold and many other precious trade goods. He, therefore, built several grand temples there in order to impress upon the Nubians Egypts might and Egyptianize the people of Nubia. The most prominent temples are the rock-cut temples near the modern village of Abu Simbel, at the Second Nile Cataract, the border between Lower Nubia and Upper Nubia. There are two temples, the Great Temple, dedicated to Ramesses II himself, and the Small Temple, dedicated to his chief wife Queen Nefertari.Construction of the temple complex started in approximately 1264 BC and lasted for about 20 years, until 1244 BC. It was known as the "Temple of Ramesses, beloved by Amun".RediscoverWith the passage of time, the temples fell into disuse and eventually became covered by sand. By the 6th century BC, the sand already covered the statues of the main temple up to their knees. The temple was forgotten until 1813, when Swiss researcher Johann Ludwig Burckhardt found the top frieze of the main temple. Burckhardt talked about his discovery with Italian explorer Giovanni Belzoni, who travelled to the site, but was unable to dig out an entry to the temple. Belzoni returned in 1817, this time succeeding in his attempt to enter the complex. A detailed early description of the temples, together with contemporaneous line drawings, can be found in Edward William Lanes Description of Egypt (1825–1828).

Magnificent temple, unique compared to all the rest we visited in Egypt. What is more impressive is the fact that this huge construction was relocated from its original location that was submerged once the great dam was built. Must see definitely!!!

Beautiful temples and very well preserved, after hearing all the effort it took to keep it out of the water, it definitely worth the 6 hours trip from Aswan and back, highly recommended.

The best temple weve visited in Egypt, the statues at the entrance are fantastic!!The drive from Aswan is long and gets a little boring but its worth the effort.

The pictures don’t do this site justice. Even with a large of tourists at the site I still had an awe of the beauty that was in front of me.We were one of the later groups to arrive so had quieter times once the other tourist groups left due to the nature of the road closures from Aswan for security reasons.This is a site not to be missed. I could have spent all day there.

The site itself is gorgeous, since its next to the lake the fresh air circulates and cools down the area. Now its not all roses, it takes about 3hrs or more to get there from Aswan but the actual visit only last about 30 to 40 minutes so you better be a history lover! The guide was not amazing but he was pretty funny. Just like any other Egyptian city, site etc there will be A LOT of people trying to get money with or without a good reason so just keep your eyes open. Bring your own water and food because you wont find any.

Amazing site to see. This temple was moved in the 1960’s after the Dam was built and flooded the area. Seeing it in person you feel so small.

What an amazing temple! Better than expected. Huge statues, wonder hieroglyphics and beautiful location. A but of a drive, but definitely worth it.

One of the biggest and best preserved temples. One can see the majestic figures of Pharaoh at the entrance and all through out the chambers.

Definitely the highlight of our trip to Egypt! Breathtaking! I still can’t believe how they could build such a massive temple and how the archeologists managed to move it to a different site! Simply amazing! It should be on everybody’s bucket list!

In October 2021 I had the pleasure of visiting Abu Simbel for over an hour and a half. Please remember this temple is south and the further south you go the hotter it becomes, The reflection from Lake Nasir can be a bit harsh, please remember the temple is not in its original location, the original location is 300 feet underneath lake Nasser , which is filled with crocodiles, We got there early in the morning if you’d like to avoid the heat, or go at sunset to enjoy the amazing magic at night. Please check out the information center to see how this temple was moved block by block 300 feet up to save it from flooding.

The temples were built by Ramses II 3000+ years ago. One for himself, and one for his wife. We should feel lucky to see this in the current form because it was still buried under sand 100+ years ago, and nearly sink into the water when Aswan dam was build. The town around the temples is quiet and beautiful. People speak fluent English there and are much more friendly than other tourist sites, Cairo, Luxor, etc.

There are options to receive some history on DVD etc. Very educational and what stood out was the explanation of King Ramses never seeing the sun except for twice a year. Definitely worth seeing. Some attractions were transported here because they were damaged elsewhere on the past.

We took a tour bus which left at 4 am from Aswan.We reached at 8 am sharp, with a bathroom break around midway to Abu Simbel.Please remember to carry breakfast so that you can eat it on your way on the tour bus.8-10 am we spent our time walking around the Abu Simbel and Nefertari temples and taking beautiful photos of the area.The Nasser lake was stunningly massive just on the banks of the temples.It was amazing how the temple has been moved due to the construction of the dam.Be prepared with good walking shoes, a cap for the sun, sunscreen and remember to drink ample water to remain hydrated.We got back to Aswan city by around 1 pm.The tour bus was very comfortable and the roads were good so no bumpy rides.

This place is worth 7 h by bus ! This what it is I was impressed and chocked by this place regards the quality of sculptures and paints. Just wonderful and lucky to be there. Inside or outside this is a real pleasure

This is a must see as you are going through Egypt. The temple is amazing and huge. The entire temple was transplanted after the creation of the high dam and there is an exhibit up top that shows the details, so that you can experience ancient history as well as the modern struggle to preserve that history.There are two temples on this site. One for Ramesses II and one for his wife Nefertari. The Great temple contains the usual imagery of the Pharaoh presenting the appropriate gifts to the gods. One of the truly unique aspects of this temple is the light work. On Ramesses birthday, light would shine in upon the statues in the far end of the temple and light up their faces except for the face of Kek (god of darkness). This is also the only temple I know of that was build from the outside in. This was of course a requirement because of building into rock.

Amazing experience!! Thank God they were able to save it from the rising water ater building the Aswan Dam. Amazing engineering feet to move this temple block by block

I remember reading in National Geographic about this as a teenager. What a privilege to be able to stand in front of such a spectacular monument to both ancient and modern engineering. Well worth the effort to get here. The drive is about 3 hours through the desert. It is hard to describe how cool this place really is. Look for the old graffiti that is scattered about both inside and outside the temple.

Absolutely incredible site. Definitely worth the quick trip from Aswan whether you fly or drive. I was a little nervous that we only had a few hours to explore the site, but that was more than enough time as we navigated both in 2 hours with ample time for photos and drive time to/from the airport.

Amazing place, but it was hard to get there. We spent 150$ each person for a day trip during holidays from Luxor ( started at 5am and backed by 3pm). Our tour guide Abdullah from Nile Plaza Cruise was rushing too much … …

A remarkable place that is well worth going to from Aswan. Impressive that these were saved and placed in their new location. Especially nice during Covid with few crowds, we essentially had the temples to ourselves.

This place is WOW! There are no words to describe your first reaction when you round the corner to see these images. My favourite temple in Egypt. The staff were excellent in taking pictures for a tip.

Words dont do it justice. Have been admiring this site since the 60s when the world got together and saved this site and others from the flooding that was caused by building the new High Dam. The artwork is amazing and clean, the pillars inside are awesome as is the statue in the holy of holies. Easy walk thru, a bit of a crush with the vendors, lots of places to sit and enjoy the lake and cool off.

What a wonderful and beautiful placeThats the best temple Ive even seen , all monuments are keep their shape and look brilliant, and the colors inside the temple still clear.I hope to see it soon again.

This is my most favorite place that I have visited in Egypt. I used to just see this before only on tv and history books. Alas! I have finally gotten the chance to see this ancient wonder. Truly amazing experience, although this is quite far from Aswan city. Worth every distance just to come here and experience once of a lifetime event.

Abu Simbel is amazing. The temple was moved to the top of this mountain to prevent it from flooding when the Aswan Dam was completed. The temple was originally carved into the side of the mountain. When they moved the temple, they recreated a mountain to give it the same feel. It is absolutely amazing how huge are the statues.

One of the main highlights of any trip to Egypt and worth all the hassle . The temples are gigantic and beautiful built by king Ramses the second around 3500 years ago and withstood the test of time until the government decided to build the Naser dam and flood the entire valley. In order to save the monument the government undertook an enormous task of moving the entire mountain to above water level. So despite the 3 hours drive from aswan in each the experience is well worth it.

Amazing place. We left our hotel at 10pm the night before because we happened to be visiting on one of the two days that the sun rises and shines straight into the temple and illuminates Ramses face. The trek out to the temple is serious, all the tour buses line up at the same spot and take off together. Its a 4-5 hour bus ride, each way. But, its a magical place to visit, even when you havent slept all night, lol.The place was packed and after about 1.5 hours of waiting, our Globus tour guide spotted someone he knew who walked us straight up to the front of the line. The government officials were there, film crews were there, it was a big deal. The crowds were Soooo big, and the security guards just kept screaming for people to keep moving. I took a pic as fast as I could in the second that he was screaming and a few shots on the way out.It was quite an experience, and the waterfront view that Abu Simbel has is gorgeous because Egypt always seems to have a beautiful breeze constantly.TOTALLY WORTH IT.

Impressive, but it is very hot inside and pretty expensive for the size of their interiors. There are two temples one next to the other (the big and small temple). It is worth visiting in you are in the region, but getting all the way here from Cairo or other northern city would not be my option, now that I have seen it and know what expects me there.