Booking choice: The Abu Simbel day trip from Aswan, from $40 per person. Check dates Tour details
Abu Simbel sits on the west shore of Lake Nasser, close to the Sudan border and about 280 to 300 km by road south of Aswan. It never rains there in a normal year, so the weather question is really a heat question. The rest of the timing comes down to the road: most people drive down from Aswan in the dark and reach the temples at roughly the same time.
This guide goes month by month, then hour by hour. It covers the official opening hours, when the site is busiest, how long you actually need, what changes if you sleep in the village, and the sound and light show, the one way to see the temples after dark.
The quick answer
Go between October and April, when the average daytime high at Abu Simbel is about 24 to 36 °C; from May to September it passes 38 °C by midday, with little shade. The temples are open daily from 6am to 5pm, last entry 4pm. Road tours from Aswan arrive mid-morning, so the calmest hours are usually early and late, which is easiest if you spend a night in Abu Simbel. Allow about 2 hours at the temples.
What is the best time of year to visit Abu Simbel?
October to April. Daytime highs run from about 24 °C in January to 36 °C in October and April, against 38 to 41 °C from May to September.
Abu Simbel has a desert climate with no rain to speak of, and the figures below are long-term averages of the daily high. The pleasant middle of the season is November to February: warm days, cool mornings. March and late October are warm but still easy if you start early. From May to September the temperatures are serious, and the forecourt in front of the Great Temple has almost no shade.
Winter has one catch people forget. Tours from Aswan leave in the dark, and desert mornings are cold; Aswan's average January low is about 10 °C. Take a warm layer for the van, even if you end the day in a T-shirt.
| Month | Average high at Abu Simbel | What it means for a visit |
|---|---|---|
| January | 23.6 °C | Mild day, cold start |
| February | 26 °C | Mild; Sun Festival on 22 February |
| March | 30.2 °C | Warm by late morning |
| April | 35.3 °C | Hot at midday; go early |
| May | 39.1 °C | Very hot; early or late only |
| June | 40.6 °C | Very hot; early or late only |
| July | 40.2 °C | Very hot; early or late only |
| August | 40.2 °C | Very hot; early or late only |
| September | 38.7 °C | Very hot; early or late only |
| October | 36 °C | Hot, cooling through the month; Sun Festival on 22 October |
| November | 29.7 °C | Warm and comfortable |
| December | 24.9 °C | Mild day, cold start |
How hot does Abu Simbel get, and how do you cope with the heat?
From May to September the average high is 38 to 41 °C and there is little shade outside the temples. Go early, carry water and cover up.
The temples themselves are not cool either. Inside the Great Temple the air is still and stuffy, and on a busy morning the halls fill up. The open ground between the visitor area and the facades is the hard part: a walk in full sun, then the same walk back.
- Water: more than you think you need. The day on the road starts long before any shop opens.
- Sun: a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Light, covering clothes help in this sun.
- Shoes: comfortable ones. The walking adds up.
- Payment: a bank card for the entry ticket (the gate takes cards, not cash) and small Egyptian pounds for tips and toilets.
- Passport: carry it. Tourist vehicles pass security checkpoints on the way.
In summer, the best answer is timing rather than kit. Be at the temples when they open, or arrive for the last hours of the afternoon, and leave the middle of the day to the lake breeze and a shaded lunch.
What time does Abu Simbel open?
Every day from 6am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm. The official ticket site gives the same hours for summer, winter and Ramadan.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities lists the hours on its official ticket site, egymonuments.com, as "from 06:00 am" with "Last Entry 04:00 pm" all year, and its printed price list gives 6:00am to 5:00pm. Some blogs print other hours; go by the Ministry. The portal also asks visitors to arrive at least one hour before closing time, which is the same 4pm limit in other words.
One ticket covers both temples, the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Hathor and Nefertari. In 2026 it costs EGP 822 for foreign adults and EGP 445.5 for students up to 24 with ID; under-6s go free. You can buy it on the official site or at the gate with a bank card. Our ticket guide covers which tours put it in the price.
| Hours (2026) | |
|---|---|
| Temples, every day | 6am to 5pm |
| Last entry | 4pm |
| Ramadan | Same hours on the official ticket site |
| Sound and light show | Evenings, 7pm and 8pm in the 2026 schedule |
What is the best time of day to visit Abu Simbel?
Early morning or late afternoon. Most road tours from Aswan reach the temples in the middle of the morning, so the hours either side are usually quieter.
The road from Aswan sets the rhythm of the day. Tours leave around 4am to 5am, drive about 3.5 hours south and arrive between roughly 8am and 11am. That is when the forecourt is at its busiest and when the Great Temple's halls are most crowded. Nobody can promise you an empty temple at any hour, but the pattern is steady enough to plan around.
At 6am, the low sun lights the facade, which faces east over the lake. Only people who slept in Abu Simbel are there. In the afternoon, most day groups are usually on the road back to Aswan and the light turns warm again; the last entry is 4pm. Both slots are easiest with a night in the village, since a tour from Aswan cannot reach the gate at opening time.
On a day trip, the trick is the other way round: take the earliest pickup on offer. Bhupendra, who did the classic day trip in October 2026, wrote that "Starting EARLY was very important" and that the "Early visit to the Temples is very comfortable."
Two private days from Aswan with a night in Abu Simbel, the entry ticket included, a guide and a felucca ride at sunset.
Check dates for the 2-day tour with a night in Abu SimbelHow much time do you need at Abu Simbel?
About 2 hours at the temples is the usual on a tour, enough for both. A road day trip from Aswan takes 8 to 10 hours door to door.
Two hours lets you walk the Great Temple slowly, from the hypostyle hall to the sanctuary at the back, then cross to the smaller Temple of Hathor and Nefertari. Guides usually give their explanation outside; inside you explore on your own, which is when the time goes fastest. If you read every relief or wait for clear photos, 2.5 hours is comfortable.
The time on the road is the bigger number. A road trip from Aswan takes about 3.5 hours each way, and most listings call it a 10-hour day. A few tours give more time on site: the private day trip with lunch plans about 3 hours at the temples, with the entry ticket, a local guide and lunch included. Flying from Aswan cuts the day to about 6 hours on the flight tour, which also includes the ticket. For the temples themselves, see our guide to the two temples.
A private car from Aswan with about three hours at the temples, the entry ticket, a local guide and lunch included.
Explore the private day trip with lunch Tour detailsAre there hotels in Abu Simbel, and is it worth staying overnight?
Yes, a small number, mostly on the shore of Lake Nasser. A night there lets you see the temples at opening time or in the late afternoon, and the evening show.
Abu Simbel is a small town, not a resort, and the choice is short. Names that come up again and again:
- Seti Abu Simbel Lake Resort overlooks Lake Nasser, with Nubian-style rooms, two outdoor pools and a buffet restaurant.
- Eskaleh Nubian Ecolodge sits on the lake near the temples, built of Nile mud brick, with 16 rooms and Nubian cooking.
- Kabara Nubian House is another Nubian guesthouse that travellers mention.
Rooms fill fast around the Sun Festival on 22 February and 22 October, so book months ahead for those dates. The rest of the year, a night here turns the trip from a sprint into a visit. Beyond the temples, the town is about Lake Nasser: a felucca on the water at sunset, quiet evenings, the sound and light show.
The easiest way to set it up is the two-day private tour from Aswan: a private car, a guide, the entrance fees, a night in an Abu Simbel hotel, lunch, dinner and a felucca ride. It holds 4.8 out of 5 from 9 reviews. Fleur (Jan 2024) put the case simply: "Especially since Abu Simbel is quite far, it makes sense to spend the night there and have a bit more time to experience the place."
A night by the lake: private car from Aswan, guide, entrance fees, hotel, lunch, dinner and a felucca ride.
Explore the 2-day tour with a night in Abu Simbel Tour detailsCan you visit Abu Simbel at night?
Only for the sound and light show. The temples close at 5pm, but the show runs in the evening at 7pm and 8pm in the 2026 schedule, for USD 20 per adult.
The show is run by the Misr Company for Sound, Light and Tourism Development, the company that stages the shows at the Pyramids, Karnak and Philae. Its Abu Simbel page lists two evening shows, at 7pm and 8pm, with a choice of language, and says that dates are subject to change. It lasts about an hour.
- Price (2026): USD 20 for adults, USD 11 for children from 6 to 12.
- Minimum audience: the first show runs with at least 10 foreign visitors (or 50 Egyptians).
- Booking: on the company's official site, soundandlight.show.
Tourist vehicles drive the desert road in daylight, so the show is really for people sleeping in Abu Simbel. Fleur, on the two-day tour, added: "We also did the Sound & Light show there, highly recommended." Our sound and light show post has this year's details.
Should you plan your visit around the Sun Festival?
Only if you want the event itself. On 22 February and 22 October sunlight reaches the inner sanctuary, the ticket costs more and the site is packed before dawn.
Twice a year, shortly after sunrise, a beam of light travels into the Great Temple and lights the statues in the sanctuary for about 20 minutes. Thousands of people come for it. On those two days the 2026 ticket is EGP 1,272 for foreign adults and EGP 670.5 for students, against EGP 822 and EGP 445.5 on any other day, and hotel rooms in the village go early.
If you are after a calm visit, pick another date and go early. If the festival is the reason for the trip, read our Sun Festival guide; the next date is 22 February 2027.
The most booked way from Aswan: hotel pickup, an early start and both temples, with the entry ticket and an English-speaking guide as options when you book.
Check dates for the Abu Simbel day trip from AswanFrequently asked questions
What is the best month to visit Abu Simbel?
November to February is the most comfortable, with average highs of about 24 to 30 °C. October, March and April are warmer but fine early in the day. From May to September highs pass 38 °C.
What time does Abu Simbel open and close?
Every day from 6am to 5pm, with last entry at 4pm, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' official ticket site. The hours are the same in Ramadan.
How long should I spend at Abu Simbel?
About 2 hours covers both temples; 2.5 to 3 hours is relaxed. A road day trip from Aswan takes 8 to 10 hours in total.
Can you stay overnight in Abu Simbel?
Yes. A few hotels and Nubian lodges sit on Lake Nasser, among them Seti Abu Simbel Lake Resort and Eskaleh Nubian Ecolodge. A night lets you visit at opening time and see the evening sound and light show.
Ready to book
Choose your tour
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on every option. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
Abu Simbel Day Trip from Aswan
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Aswan
- Air-conditioned transport and driver
- Entry ticket if that option is booked
Abu Simbel 2-Day Private Tour with Felucca
A night by the lake and the temples without the rush
Private Abu Simbel Day Trip with Lunch
About 3 hours at the temples, then lunch
