Let's get the awkward bit out of the way first: Abu Simbel is not a day trip from Hurghada. Not a sensible one, anyway. Somebody, somewhere, will try to sell you one, and it will involve a convoy, an hour of sleep and a very strong opinion about the road. Aswan sits roughly 450 km south of Hurghada, and Abu Simbel is another three hours beyond that. The maths simply doesn't work, unless you enjoy spending 16 hours looking at the inside of a minibus.
The good news is that a proper multi-day trip is far easier than it sounds, and the reward is one of the most jaw-dropping sights in Egypt. The real question is whether you go for two days or three. This guide walks you through both private options from Hurghada, El Gouna, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh and Soma Bay, so you can pick the one that fits your holiday, your budget and your tolerance for early alarms.
Why Abu Simbel is worth the effort
Four seated statues of Ramesses II, each taller than a four-storey building, stare out across the desert towards Lake Nasser. Behind them, a temple runs deep into the rock, and next door sits a smaller temple Ramesses built for his queen, Nefertari, and the goddess Hathor. It is dramatic, it is enormous, and it is far enough from everything else that you tend to get it in a calmer state than Luxor.
There is also a wonderful backstory. When the Aswan High Dam threatened to flood the area, an international rescue campaign coordinated by UNESCO between 1960 and 1980 moved temples to higher ground, Abu Simbel among them. You can read about the whole effort on the UNESCO World Heritage page for the Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae. When your Egyptologist tells you the entire temple was cut into blocks and rebuilt on a hill, you will look at the cliff face very differently.
Why you can't just "pop over" from Hurghada
From Hurghada, the road to Aswan is around 450 km, and the stretch from Aswan to Abu Simbel is about 300 km, roughly three hours each way. Add the return and you are looking at serious driving whichever way you slice it. This is why we build the trip around an overnight stay in Aswan instead of one heroic marathon. You arrive fresher, you see more, and you are not negotiating with a sleepy driver at midnight.
And yes, this is exactly where the 50-person coach tours fall down. Squeezing this distance into a packed group schedule means short stops, rushed temples and, very often, a "bonus" shopping stop to make the margins work. We do not do that. Every Orient Discovery trip is private, with an air-conditioned vehicle, a licensed Egyptologist and a strict 100% no shopping stops promise. If you want a deeper look at how the shopping-stop trap works, our guide to tourist traps in Hurghada and how to avoid them has you covered.
Option 1: The private 2-day trip to Aswan and Abu Simbel
This is the efficient one. It focuses on Aswan and Abu Simbel and skips Luxor entirely, which makes it ideal if you have already done Luxor (or plan to do it as a separate outing).
Day 1: Hurghada to Aswan
Your driver collects you from your hotel at around 05:00. Yes, that is five in the morning. Bring a pillow and make peace with it. You arrive in Aswan around midday, and your Egyptologist takes you to three highlights: Philae Temple, the Aswan High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk.
Philae is the star of the day. The temple of Isis now sits on Agilkia Island, so you travel there by boat, which is a lovely way to see it. The High Dam gives you the modern-Egypt context for why all these temples had to be moved, and the Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in the granite quarry with a crack running through it, is a brilliant glimpse of how ancient builders worked (and how they occasionally failed). Lunch is included, and you spend the night in a 4-star hotel in Aswan with breakfast the next morning.
Aswan & Abu Simbel private tour in a small group with a German-speaking Egyptologist, modern vehicles, and no shopping stops. Free consultation.
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Day 2: Abu Simbel and the journey back
Another early start, around 05:00, with breakfast taken care of per your hotel's arrangements. It is about three hours to Abu Simbel, which is exactly why you go early: you arrive before the heat really builds and before the big groups pile in. You visit the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Queen Nefertari with your Egyptologist, then drive back to Aswan for a second lunch and continue on to the Red Sea.
It is a long second day. We will not pretend otherwise. But the reward-to-effort ratio is excellent, and you are back in your resort by evening, with a story that makes everyone at the pool bar slightly jealous.
What it costs
Prices on our tour page are per adult and depend on group size: €450 per person for 1 to 2 guests (comfortable private car), €390 per person for 3 to 5 guests (minibus), and €250 per person for 6 to 8 guests (minibus). Children aged 6 to 11 pay €225, children aged 0 to 5 travel free, and a single room supplement is €40 per night. The price includes the entrance tickets for every site on the programme, the 4-star hotel night, one breakfast and two lunches, plus taxes and service fees. Tips, personal spending and drinks in restaurants are extra. Final prices are confirmed when you enquire, so treat the figures above as a guide.
Option 2: The private 3-day trip with Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel
This is the classic. It adds a full day in Luxor to the front of the trip, which turns it into a small best-of-Upper-Egypt tour. If you only get to do one big trip during your holiday, this is the one that gives you the most for it.
Day 1: Luxor
You are collected around 05:00 and drive about 280 km to Luxor. On the West Bank you visit the Valley of the Kings (three regularly open tombs are included), Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. After lunch, you cross to the East Bank for Karnak, home of the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns. That hall has a way of making even the most laid-back teenager stop and say "wow". You sleep in a 4-star hotel in Luxor.
Worth knowing: special tombs such as Tutankhamun's or Seti I's cost extra, so tell us in advance if they are on your list. If you want to see how a Luxor visit unfolds hour by hour, our Luxor day trip timeline breaks it down.
Day 2: Luxor to Aswan
After breakfast, you drive to Aswan for Philae Temple by motorboat, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, with lunch included. Then comes the bit most people remember: an afternoon felucca ride on the Nile. Hearing nothing but wind in the sail after a morning of temples is quite possibly the best therapy money can buy. In the evening you can wander through the Aswan bazaar with zero obligation to buy anything, and then you sleep in a 4-star hotel.
Day 3: Abu Simbel and home
Same early start, same three-hour drive, same jaw-dropping reveal. You see the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Nefertari, return to Aswan for lunch, and then head back to the Red Sea. It is a long day, so plan nothing for the evening other than a shower and a very large dinner.
3-day private tour to Luxor, Aswan & Abu Simbel. Small group, German-speaking Egyptologist, modern vehicles, and no shopping stops.
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What it costs
Per adult: €680 for 1 to 2 guests, €580 for 3 to 5 guests and €450 for 6 to 8 guests, with children aged 6 to 11 at 50% of the adult price. Two nights in 4-star hotels, two breakfasts, three lunches, all entrance tickets for the standard programme, the felucca ride and soft drinks in the vehicle are included. As with every tour, no hidden fees: the things that cost extra (special tombs, restaurant drinks, tips, the €40 single room supplement) are listed up front. A "from €450" headline on the page only applies to the 6 to 8 person price, so use the group size to see your real figure.
So, 2 days or 3? A quick decision guide
Choose the 2-day trip if you have limited time, you have already seen Luxor or are booking it separately, or you simply want Abu Simbel and Aswan without extra driving. It is also the cheaper option and the kinder one on small children's patience.
Choose the 3-day trip if this is your one big Egypt adventure. You get Luxor's temples, the Valley of the Kings, Aswan and Abu Simbel in one smooth loop, with two hotel nights, a felucca ride and no need to repeat any driving. For couples celebrating something, this is the version that tends to end up in the photo album.
There is also a middle path. If you book the 2-day trip, you can add a third day for €150 per person. That extension brings a second night in Aswan, a felucca ride, a boat trip to a Nubian village, lunch and the drive back to the Red Sea. It is a lovely way to slow down the pace without adding Luxor.
If you are a Cairo person instead, there is also a 3-day route covering Cairo, Aswan and Abu Simbel, and you can read more about stringing multiple stops together in our Egypt round trip guide.
3-day private tour to Cairo, Aswan & Abu Simbel with a German-speaking Egyptologist. Explore the Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), Philae Temple & Abu Simbel – no shopping stops. Free consultation.
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Practical tips so the long drive doesn't feel long
Dress like a temple visitor, not a beach visitor. Shoulders and knees covered, comfortable closed shoes (the Unfinished Obelisk quarry has uneven ground), a hat and sunscreen. In winter, mornings can be properly chilly, so keep a light jacket in the car.
Bring your passport. You will need it for hotel check-in, and it is easier to have it with you than to discover at 05:00 that it is in the room safe.
Pack a small overnight bag. Not a suitcase, just the essentials. Your driver has room, but there is no need to bring half your wardrobe.
Mind the two big dates. According to the Egyptian Antiquities Authority dates we quote on our tour pages, the sun lines up inside the Abu Simbel sanctuary on 22 February and 22 October, and those days are extremely busy. If you are happy with a calmer visit, avoid them. If you love a spectacle, book early and be ready for crowds.
Tell us about mobility needs, children's ages and food preferences. The tour involves a lot of walking on the sites and a lot of sitting in between. Give us the details when you enquire and we will shape the day around them.
Why go private for this one?
Because the logistics are the whole story. On a long trip like this, a private vehicle means you choose when to stop for a coffee, when to stay longer at a temple and when to give the kids a break. You get a licensed Egyptologist who answers your questions instead of reading from a script. You get an exact hotel pickup time, transparent prices and free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure. We collect from Hurghada, El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Makadi Bay, Soma Bay, Safaga, El Quseir and Marsa Alam, so wherever you are staying on the Red Sea, you are covered.
Ready to see the colossi of Ramesses II with your own eyes? Pick the trip that suits you, send us your dates and hotel name, and we will confirm the details.
Aswan & Abu Simbel private tour in a small group with a German-speaking Egyptologist, modern vehicles, and no shopping stops. Free consultation.
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