Abu Simbel tickets

How much are tickets to Abu Simbel in 2026?

On the Ministry's official ticket site in 2026, entry costs EGP 822 for foreign adults and EGP 445.5 for foreign students. The two sun alignment days cost EGP 1,272 (students EGP 670.5).

Those are the prices on the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' official ticket site, egymonuments.com, under the "Other Nationality" tab, and they are the ones you pay when you book there or tap your card at the gate. The Ministry's printed price list, a PDF last updated in November 2024, still shows EGP 750 for adults and EGP 375 for students (EGP 1,200 and EGP 600 on the alignment days). Blogs quote both sets, plus older figures. Plan on the portal price.

The foreign rate has climbed: an earlier 2024 Ministry list showed EGP 600, the November 2024 list EGP 750, and the portal now charges EGP 822. Prices are set by the Ministry and can change again, so check the portal shortly before you go. For a sense of scale, the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo charges foreign adults EGP 1,830 from 1 November 2026 (Egypt Independent).

What does one Abu Simbel ticket cover?

Both temples. The single "Abu Simbel Temples" ticket gets you into the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari next door.

There is no separate Nefertari ticket at Abu Simbel. The "Tomb of Nefertari" on the Ministry's price list is a different monument, in Luxor, with its own much higher price. If someone tries to sell you a second ticket for the small temple, that is the mix-up.

A few things sit outside the ticket:

• The sound and light show is run by a separate company, Misr Company for Sound, Light and Tourism Development, and booked on its own site: USD 20 per adult and USD 11 for children aged 6 to 12 in 2026, with shows listed at 7pm and 8pm. Details in our 2026 sound and light post.
• Parking is charged per vehicle on the Ministry's list (Nov 2024): EGP 25 for a car, EGP 75 for a minibus, EGP 100 for a bus. On a tour, the driver handles it.
• Photography with a phone is free, says the portal. No flash. Professional cameras and tripods may need a separate permit, and drones are heavily restricted in Egypt without a Ministry of Defense permit (portal FAQ).

Keep the ticket on you until you leave: "Keep hold of your ticket at all times" is one of the portal's visit rules.

Where can you buy Abu Simbel tickets?

On the Ministry's portal egymonuments.com, in the Experience Egypt app, at the ticket counters and self-service kiosks on site, or inside a tour that includes entry.

The portal's FAQ names itself as the official platform and lists the Experience Egypt app and buying on site as the other channels. Abu Simbel is one of the 112 sites on the Ministry's electronic ticket system (Khaleej Times, August 2026). Online, you pick your date, add the ticket to the cart and pay. You can add other sites, Philae for example, and pay for all of them in one go.

Two things to know before you pay online. The portal's FAQ says tickets are non-refundable, and that they cannot be cancelled or replaced if lost or stolen, so choose the date with care. And the portal asks you to arrive at least an hour before the site's closing time; last entry is 4pm. If a confirmation does not arrive, the support line is +20 2 3531 7344, 9am to 6pm.

Buying at the gate works too, and most independent visitors do just that. Online mainly saves the queue at the counter on busy mornings.

Can you pay cash for Abu Simbel tickets?

No. The ticket office takes bank cards, not cash: Visa and Mastercard, according to the portal's FAQ. Bring small Egyptian pounds for tips and extras anyway.

The Ministry stopped selling tickets for cash at a list of major sites, Abu Simbel included, in June 2023 (Egypt Independent; Daily News Egypt), and 2025 and 2026 travel blogs report the same: card only at the booth. The portal's FAQ says Visa and Mastercard work on every channel, the counters and kiosks included.

Cash still matters for everything around the ticket. Toilet attendants expect a small tip, drivers and guides are tipped in cash, and the buggy from the entrance down to the temples is paid to the driver. A few small notes cover all of it. If you are on a Nile cruise that visits Abu Simbel, this is the one to remember: on the 4-day cruise from Aswan the entry tickets are paid locally, so take a card that works abroad.

The simplest way to skip the card question: a shared day from Aswan with the entry ticket and an English-speaking guide already paid, plus hotel pickup.

★ 4.5 · 10 hours · from $65

Explore the group tour with the entry ticket → Tour details

Is there a student or child discount at Abu Simbel?

Yes. Students up to 24 with a valid ID pay EGP 445.5 instead of EGP 822 (2026), and children under 6 go in free.

The portal is strict on the wording: "Students must present a valid ID and their age must not exceed 24." Carry the card itself on the day, since it may be checked at the gate. On the alignment days the student rate is EGP 670.5.

The foreign tab on the portal shows only two rates, adult and student, plus free entry under 6. For children from 6 upwards, ask your tour operator before you book how they price the ticket.

Some other rules on the portal, for context: Egyptians pay EGP 30.5, and a foreign spouse of an Egyptian pays the Egyptian rate. Arab visitors have paid foreign rates at Supreme Council of Antiquities sites since 1 January 2026 (decision of 30 June 2025, reported by Egypt Independent).

How much are Abu Simbel tickets on the Sun Festival days?

On 22 February and 22 October the ticket costs EGP 1,272 for foreign adults and EGP 670.5 for students (2026 portal prices). The next one is Monday 22 February 2027.

Twice a year, shortly after sunrise, the sun reaches the back of the Great Temple and lights the statues in the sanctuary for about 20 minutes. The Ministry sells those two days as "Sun Alignment" tickets at the higher rate. On 22 October 2026 the light lasted about 20 minutes, the AP reported, with people sleeping outside the temple overnight to be first in.

Expect crowds in the dark from around 4am to 5am, rooms in the village booked months ahead, and a screen outside for those who do not make it into the hall. The days either side show a partial effect with far fewer people, at the standard price. Planning tips are in the Sun Festival guide, and the February date has its own post.

Which Abu Simbel tours include the entry ticket?

Most private and group tours from Aswan include it. On the most booked day trip it is an option you add when you book, and on the Nile cruise it is paid locally.

No GetYourGuide product sells just the ticket: the tours sell the transport and the guide, and the ticket comes inside, as an option or not at all. Here is where each one stands:

Should you buy the ticket yourself or take a tour that includes it?

If you are on a tour, take the ticket with it: one payment, no queue, no card worries. Buy it yourself only if you travel independently or picked the day trip without the ticket option.

Booking the ticket separately makes sense in a few cases: you fly in on your own, you sleep in Abu Simbel, or you hold a student card and want to be sure of the student rate at the gate. Otherwise, the ticket inside a tour is simply less to think about at 4am. On the most booked day trip the ticket and a guide are both options at checkout; tick them and the day is sorted.

The guide question is separate. Guides usually brief you outside, then you go into the temples on your own. Plenty of visitors like it that way:

★★★★★

I liked the way we went in first when there weren't any people, looked around, took pictures, and then came out to listen to the explanation.

Frequently asked questions