Great Temple of Abu Simbel
The larger of the two temples, cut into the cliff for Ramesses II, with four colossal seated statues of the king at its entrance. Twice a year, in February and October, sunrise lights the statues deep inside.
Abu Simbel
Ramesses II's two great rock-cut temples are in this village, which lies on Lake Nasser far to the south of Aswan and is usually reached as an excursion from Aswan.
Attractive locations
Small Temple of Abu Simbel
The smaller temple beside it, dedicated to the goddess Hathor and to Nefertari, chief wife of Ramesses II, with six standing statues on its front. Both temples were moved uphill in the 1960s to escape the rising lake.
Lake Nasser
The huge reservoir formed by the Aswan High Dam, stretching south into Sudan. Abu Simbel stands on its shore, and multi-day lake cruises stop at other temples rescued from the flooding.
Qasr Ibrim
A fortified hilltop site, once high above the Nile and now an island in Lake Nasser, with remains from pharaonic to Ottoman times. Lake cruises pass close by, but visitors usually cannot land.
Airports
Abu Simbel Airport ABS
It is about 5 km in a straight line from Abu Simbel.
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan15.8 °C0 mm
- Feb18.5 °C0 mm
- Mar22.6 °C0 mm
- Apr27.3 °C0 mm
- May31.4 °C0 mm
- Jun33.5 °C0 mm
- Jul34.0 °C0 mm
- Aug34.5 °C0 mm
- Sep32.2 °C0 mm
- Oct28.7 °C0 mm
- Nov22.2 °C0 mm
- Dec17.4 °C0 mm
Almost no rain in any month.
Costs
Prices here are about 15% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
culture
Sun Festival at Abu Simbel (22 February)
Sunlight at dawn reaches the statues deep within the temple. This also happens on 22 October.
culture
Sun Festival at Abu Simbel (22 October)
Deep within the temple, the rising sun lights up the statues.
Who can help
Emergency
Police 122. Ambulance 123. Fire 180. Tourist police 126.
local government
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities visitor hotline 19654
Helps with: Egypt's tourism ministry hotline. It answers tourists' questions during their stay, such as site opening hours, and takes complaints and suggestions. The page says 9:00 am to 5:00 pm daily, in Arabic and English.
Who qualifies: Tourists in Egypt with questions, complaints or suggestions. The page is undated, so check the number is still in service.
Phone: 19654
ngo
Egyptian Red Crescent Society
Helps with: Egypt's national Red Crescent society, the local member of the Red Cross and Red Crescent movement. Contact its head office in Cairo for its humanitarian services.
Who qualifies: People in Egypt who need its humanitarian services; contact the head office.
Phone: +20 2 25985555
Address: Abd El Razak El Sanhouri St., Nasr City, Cairo, 11371, Egypt
un agency
International Organization for Migration (IOM) Egypt
Helps with: The UN migration agency, present in Egypt since 1991. Its work includes migration and border management, crisis response, services for migrants and a migrants assistance hotline.
Who qualifies: Migrants in Egypt, including people fleeing conflict, and government partners. It is not a help service for ordinary tourists.
Phone: +20227365140
Address: 47C Abu El-Feda Street, Zamalek, Cairo, Egypt 11211
local government
Police emergency number 122
Helps with: Reaches the police in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice, which also lists 126 for the tourist police.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 122
local government
Ambulance emergency number 123
Helps with: Reaches the ambulance service in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 123
local government
Fire emergency number 180
Helps with: Reaches the fire service in Egypt. The number comes from UK government travel advice.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors, can call this number.
Phone: 180