Overview
Take a trip to Abu Simbel on your Egypt Vacation
Abu Simbel is a village in Egypt that lies south of Aswan and is only 40 km (25 mi) north of the Sudanese border. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Nubean Monuments which runs from Abu Simbel downriver to Philae. It is an excellent add-on to a stay in Aswan on Egypt tours.
The village is most famous for its temples. The Great Temple of Ramses II, constructed between 1274-1244 BC, is considered one of the most beautiful in all of Egypt. The Temple of Hathor and Nefertari, also known as the Small Temple, is only the second time in Egyptian history that a temple was dedicated to a queen. These complexes became covered in sand and were lost to the world until Swiss explorer Jean Louis Burckhardt discovered them in 1813.
While the temples themselves are fascinating on trips to Egypt, they are not native to Abu Simbel but were originally built further down the Nile. In their original location, these relics were threatened by the rising waters of the Nile due to the construction of the Aswan High Dam. Beginning in 1959, an international donor campaign to save the monuments was implemented. As a result of this campaign as well as a UNESCO-funded program, between 1964-1968, each temple was carefully sawed into numbered stone cubes and were remarkably reassembled in Abu Simbel. Due to this immense effort, thousands of tourists embark on the temples daily on Egypt tours.
At a Glance
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Egyptian Pound (EGP)What do the experts say?
Egypt is modern and cosmopolitan, yet still rooted in a culture of hospitality. Whether sipping tea with locals or exploring sacred sites, you will find that human connections are as memorable as the monuments themselves
The ancient monuments carry an extraordinary historical significance and relevance. You feel it the moment you are there!
Be prepared for a modest society. Both men and women generally cover their shoulders and knees, and visitors should do the same out of respect.
November to April is the most pleasant weather-wise, while summer can be sweltering with many days over 45 degrees Celsius (about 113 degrees Fahrenheit).
For Egypt's biggest draw, the people have to be on top, but the culture and history are not far behind. It’s a destination where warm hospitality pairs with awe-inspiring history to create an experience like no other.
The gigantic statues of Abu Simbel are a great ...
Rameses II temple is a must inclusion on all Ab...
Abu simbel temple of Rameses ii
Ramses statue at Abu Simbel
The temple of Abu Simbel
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Abu SimbelMostly Sunny
45°C / 113°F
0mm / 0.0"
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ExcellentBased on 5,224 ReviewsOur Agent Katie Stephenson is what made this trip amazing...!! I mean the trip was great in itself...!!
Katie worked with me planning a getaway to Australia for my wife's 60th b-day... After going through a few dates and activities...I realized Our passports were going to be expired a few days before...!!
Katie helped us get them expedited...She changed dates and activities to fit out 2 weeks I planned...I moved the dates a few times & Katie adjusted...
Katies availability and response time we great. Whether it was via email, phone she was available.... even with time difference she would get back at a good time...
So, my wife and I had an amazing time..Melbourne then on to Cairns and lastly Sydney...!!
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I am grateful to Katie for working with me and making this trip an amazing experience. Katie & GoWay Travel reps. were available even while we were in Australia..
Great time, great experience and Katie was a huge part in making it happen...Thank you for an amazing time Katie/GoWay Travel..RSE- Development CorpI was looking at a month holiday in New Zealand and Australia and Natasa Jaric who is located in the Toronto area helped to make it happened by combining 2 already designed holidays in Oceania. From the beginning to the end, Natasa was "hands on" by explaining and providing everything I needed for our trip. During our trip, there were few bumps on the road that had nothing to do with Goway Travel as it was the airline company that cancelled our scheduled flight and created chaos. And the other problems (they were light) was because of the way hotels described their rooms. It should definitely be better worded! Db to me means double bed ... what does it mean to you? ;-) Anyhow, we ended up having two beds but with some arguments at one hotel only. The others accommodated us at no extra cost. I should also add that NZ and Aus. know how to treat tourists. I was particularly impressed with the transfers services offered by different companies both in NZ and Aus. Wow! No waiting at the airports, hotels or terminals. They were there ready to pick us up and drive us where ever we needed to be! Well done!!! It's the kind of service that I will have a hard time not to use again as it comes with a $ sign but definitely worth spending it! :-). I received a very good response from the "Help office" when the flight was cancelled and other inquiries I had made. Very good service once again. I live quite a few experiences during that month and all thanks need to go to Natasa and her team. So Natasa: Thank you very very much for a very well organized travel! Carole OuelletMy Wife and I finally had an opportunity to go on one of our Bucket list trips Goway Travel, Egypt Odyssey 9 days including the Nile river .The booking process was seamless,the Goway rep Harpreet answered all of questions, in a professional, and timely manner, the trip it self was incredible, the meet and greet at the airport was incredibly quick,the rep Mohammed Koda,had our luggage and visas in no time we were at the Sheraton Cairo, an amazing hotel in the heart of Cairo, a wonderful facility, 3 amazing restaurants ,a large pool, a bank, and a Starbucks .The Pyramids and Museum tour where incredible WOW, we still talk about it, the guide Marco was amazing, professional and personable gentleman an excellent combination. The shuttle to airport for the Nile river Luxor to Aswan was also very smooth, when arriving in Luxor another rep was waiting for us,we were quickly ,taken to the docks, the Sonesta boat was amazing ,the cabin was clean a good size, and the food very good, with excellent deserts and plenty of fresh fruits, pool with plenty of shade .Our daily trips to the tombs and sites were amazing, our guide Mr Honey is an incredible book of knowledge we are both very grateful for his skills and knowledge .The Nile river trip will stay in our minds for years, we returned back to Cairo to finish our Egypt Odyssey trip with a tour of the original Museum ,such incredible history, and an incredible trip ,thank you so much Goway Travel for making this dream trip happen for us
Tony and Rose Ferreira sharkman TonyThis was my first time planning a tour wth Goway Travel. I am truly delighted with the professionalism and personal relationship I had with the Goway Travel consultant Christine. She gave attention to every details I requested to curate my tour to Hong Kong and Bali. She addressed all my needs, answered thoroughly my questions and concerns. She is a touch of class in every respect. I will definitely recommend Goway Travel group. Excellent Hotels. Perfect guides in both countries. LE Asia TourIngrid did a phenomenal job creating a 22 day trip beginning in with 3 days in Turkey, that included a Turkish Bath and a private tour of the mosques, we then took a 10 day cruise through the Mediterranean, Greece, Croatia, plus a couple of other stops. We got off the cruise in Ravenna Italy our transportation was spot on picking us up (I would have to stay all of our transportation was impressive, always there, on time, very helpful) we traveled from Ravenna to Venice where we stayed for two nights. Venice is the only place we had a hiccup, we weren't sure if someone was meeting us at our Hotel to take us to the water taxi to get to the train station, we figured it out, made the train and all was good. Traveled to Florence, had the best time there with one of our most favorite excusions, stayed in Florence for two nights and then completed our trip with three nights in Rome. Rome is BUSY, I was not prepared for that but should of expected it. This is our second big trip planning through Goway Travel, I can not recommend enough, they are so detailed and take care of everything you need and everything you didn't know you needed. Paula Hall-KeefeThe booking processs was really easy. Katie was very communicative and was very responsive. Every change we asked for, she quickly replied. The room arrangements had a small hiccupp but Katie fixed it within minutes! All the excursions were a blast and well planned.
The trip was a bucket list trip and was everything we hoped for. Alison HAllan Birkett at Goway has been an absolute godsend! Over the past year, he has helped me plan numerous vacations—especially honeymoons—and has been an incredible partner every step of the way.
He is always quick to respond, patient with my clients' frequent changes, and goes above and beyond to help whenever an issue comes up. His knowledge, professionalism, and dedication make my job as a travel advisor so much easier.
I truly appreciate everything Allan does and highly recommend him to anyone looking for exceptional service. Thank you, Allan, for always being thereBrooke EcholsOur 2-week trip to Normandy, Switzerland and Italy after we disembarked from the Queen Mary 2 in Southampton in mid-May was superb. Michael Keon did an amazing job of putting together highlights for us to see and visit with the short time we had. All the train reservations, private and small group tours and transportations were very well coordinated, on time, and usually exceeded our expectations. Drivers were courteous and knowledgeable. Mike did a wonderful job getting everything coordinated, in spite of our almost “last minute” booking. I booked a month-long trip through GOWAY back in 1989 for Australia, New Zealand and Fiji, and they were superb then. So I tried them again, and found the entire organization to be even better. Mike was quick to respond to any questions that came up regarding booksings and times, regardless of the 6-hour time difference. Just superb! Although we had a nasty experience in Milan, GOWAY was very responsive and saw to our requests and our needs. Again, Michael Keon is the person who coordinated our travel. I will ask for Mike when I travel again with GOWAY. I recommend GOWAY highly. PJ WheelerA BIG THANK YOU to Goway Travel, Brooke Theron and all of the partners onsite. Our trip to Africa was incredible, memories that will last forever.
Everything planned and more went perfectly. The guides, the excursions, the accommodations, everything, was just spectacular. Fortunately, everything ran on time, no delays, no problems.
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Linda IriasI have been blessed to have an amazing rep, Farooq Qaisar!
He has helped me find the best spots for my clients to experience and when I am looking for something and just can't figure it out, he is able to put together something better than I was thinking. He my go-to and I am thankful for all his help over the years!Sherri
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