Donβt Be a "Special Forces Tourist" at Abu Simbel
I believe many people feel conflicted when planning a trip to Egypt β should I go to Abu Simbel or not? π§ Most itineraries recommend starting at 3 or 4 AM, with a 7-hour round trip (excluding sightseeing time). Thatβs way too intense! π« So I chose to stay overnight in Abu Simbel β enjoying the light show π, a night tour, and entering the empty temple at sunrise with the first batch of visitors! π ππ» Itinerary + Driver Recommendation We set off from Aswan in the afternoon. After a 30-minute drive, we visited Philae Temple (1-hour tour). Then continued for about 2.5 hours through desert roads ποΈ. During this stretch in the afternoon, itβs easy to see mirages β the road ahead looks like shimmering water, but you can never reach it. The next day, we returned directly from Abu Simbel to Aswan. We booked a driver for 4000 EGP round trip, and the driver arranged his own accommodation in Abu Simbel for the night. Pretty reasonable! π ππ» Hotel & Restaurant Recommendations We stayed at Seti Abu Simbel Hotel β a small resort with a chill outdoor pool π. However, the hotel dinner was terrible π. The temple is about 1.5 km away β a bit far to walk. Our driver took us there without extra charge. For dinner, we tried a local restaurant β highly recommend the set menu for around 300 EGP! The beef was great π₯©, and the soup was unique too π². ππ» Temple Visit The light show starts at 8:30 PM π. Itβs best to arrive by 8:10 PM. Tickets cost 900 EGP/person β the most expensive ticket on our trip. The official ticket counter is closed at night, so bring cash and buy from staff on-site. From the entrance, itβs still a walk to the temple. Once inside, pick up a multilingual audio guide π§ and ask the staff to set it to Chinese. Surprisingly, the light show narration was in Japanese β so Japanese speakers wonβt need the translator! The content helps a lot in understanding the history of the two temples. Ramses II lived to over 90 in an era when the average lifespan was 40 π². He outlived several of his sons β no wonder he had so much energy to carve his name over many temples in Luxor! π After the show, you can explore the temple freely (though you canβt go inside at night). π At Egyptβs southernmost point, near Sudan, we saw the most brilliant starry sky in years β¨. The temple opens at 6:00 AM βοΈ. Sunrise is around 6:30. When we arrived at 6 AM, there were already a few tourists waiting in line. The ticket office was open β you can pay by card π³. Tickets cost 615 EGP/person. Guides can enter the complex but not the inner temple. Before dawn, standing at the gate, watching the guard use the key (symbolizing longevity) to open the door of Ramses IIβs temple, and feeling the first soft light of morning β it was a truly peaceful moment ποΈ. The rest of the time was spent enjoying an uncrowded temple visit and taking photos with no one blocking the view! πΈβ¨ #AbuSimbel #EgyptTravel #LightShow #NileJourney #TravelSmart #AvoidTheCrowds #HistoricSites #SunriseAtTheTemple πβ€οΈ
