Abu Simbel, High Dam and Philae Temple in Aswan, Aswan, Egypt

South of Aswan and next to the Sudanese border hides one of the most impressive temples of ancient Egypt: Abu Simbel, a Nubian monument carved out of the mountainside over 3,200 years ago. Almost destroyed in the 60s after the construction of the High Dam, these temples were moved stone by stone to an artificial hill made above the dam to protect them from the floods.

In the fourth day of my Essential Egypt tour, I visited these fascinating temples along with two of the big highlights of the city of Aswan: the High Dam and Philae Temple, dedicated to the goddess Isis.

I visited Abu Simbel, the High Dam and Philae Temple as part of my Essential Egypt tour with Travel Talk Tours, which lasted for a total of 9 days and covered the main highlights of Egypt from north to south. You can find the entire itinerary in my post Essential Egypt in 9 days: itinerary, arrival and first impressions of Cairo.

The visit to Abu Simbel wasn’t included in my trip, but it could be purchased separately. The cost was €75, which I found extremely expensive considering that we were a big group, but visiting Abu Simbel is a must that cannot be missed.

The temples, located about 3 hours south of Aswan and only about 150km away from the Sudanese border, cannot be easily reached as an independent traveller. Up until recently, it was only possible to visit as part of a guided tour. Police would open the roads very early in the morning (before 5 am) and escort the groups of tourists to the temples and back. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).