Nine of the eighteen cruises from Aswan add the two temples of Abu Simbel, in the price or as an option. The price is an early start: pickup around 4 to 4:30 AM and about four hours on the road each way.
Updated Nov 2026 · Prices checked Nov 2026 · per person, two sharing
The trip, the transfer and the guide are arranged and paid with the cruise; only the temple ticket is usually extra.
Nine Nile cruises from Aswan to Luxor include Abu Simbel or let you add it. The cheapest with the trip already in the price costs from $550 per person. Expect a pickup around 4 to 4:30 AM and about eight hours on the road in total.
Four cruises put Abu Simbel in the price, and two let you add it when you book. On most, the trip takes the morning of day two; on the 2-night cruise it takes day one.
All-in, most reviewed1 / 4Both big extras in the price, and the highest guide score.
Lowest price, all-in1 / 4Abu Simbel and the balloon in one option, at the lowest price.
Small group1 / 4Abu Simbel in a small group, plus a carriage ride at Edfu.
2 nights1 / 4Abu Simbel straight away on day 1, before boarding.
Most booked, as an option1 / 4Add Abu Simbel at checkout for $82 in summer or $215 in winter.
Private guide, as an option1 / 4Your own guide and car for the trip; the ship is shared.
Abu Simbel lies about four hours south of Aswan by road, so the trip fills a morning that starts in the dark. You visit two temples, Ramesses II's great temple and the smaller temple of Nefertari, and are back on board in time for lunch and the afternoon sailing.
Breakfast box in hand, often in a convoy.
About four hours south by road.
Ramesses II and Nefertari.
Lunch on board, then sailing.
Most of the day is the drive, through desert with few stops. The temples themselves take about two hours, and the ticket is usually paid on top of the cruise price: sources give 750 to 820 Egyptian pounds, so budget about that.
Booking it with the cruise is simpler and fits it between Aswan and the sailing. A separate trip from Aswan costs less on paper and lets you choose the day, but you need an extra night in Aswan.
On the most booked 3-night cruise, Abu Simbel is an option you pick when booking. On the standard ship it added $82 per person for a summer departure and $215 for a winter one when we checked. The trip then takes the morning of day two, before the ship sails to Kom Ombo.
The all-in cruise costs $580 with Abu Simbel and the balloon both included, so if you want both extras it usually works out cheaper than adding them one by one.
Source: GetYourGuide, a winter and a summer departure · Nov 2026
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On 22 February and 22 October each year, the rising sun reaches the back of the great temple and lights the statues in its inner sanctuary. The dates are fixed, the site is at its busiest, and a separate festival ticket applies.
A cruise that visits Abu Simbel on day two will only coincide with the festival if your sailing date lines up. If the festival is the point of your trip, plan it as a day trip from Aswan on that date.
Guests call the temples a highlight of the trip. The pre-dawn start and the long drive are the price they mention.
“The 4-day, 3-night tour in Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor was amazing. The drivers and guides were all perfect, and everything was very well organized.”
“My fiance and I had an incredible time on this cruise! The day before, we were upgraded to a deluxe ship and were really pleased with our room.”
“Nice Tours kept our tour intimate with just the people we were traveling with only being included in the tour which helped us soak up more info.”
Pick a date to see the live price for your group. Reserve now, pay later, and cancel free up to 24 hours before.
Usually not. Most cruises include the transfer and guide but not the ticket, which costs about 750 to 820 Egyptian pounds. Check the inclusions of your cruise.
About four hours each way by road, so the trip takes most of a day with the visit included.
Yes. GetYourGuide lists an express tour by air from Aswan from $150, though it has only a few reviews so far. Flying replaces the long drive but not the early start.
None of the cruises here avoids the early start; pickups are around 4 to 4:30 AM. For a later start, see Abu Simbel on a separate day trip.
Most guests say yes: the temples are among the most impressive in Egypt. If you are short on sleep or travelling with small children, consider a cruise without it.
The cruises here do not set an age limit for Abu Simbel, but the day is long and starts before dawn. The balloon flight, often bundled with it, is for ages 6 and up.
Yes. Cruises sailing from Luxor to Aswan can end with Abu Simbel; see Nile cruises from Luxor to Aswan.
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