I am looking for a tour of Abu Simbel that starts in Abu Simbel and not from Aswan or Luxor. We wanted to avoid the 7 hour trip on the road in one day so we are staying at a hotel in Abu Simbel but I am finding it very difficult to find a tour that will start in Abu Simbel. I am also very open to hiring an experienced excellent knowledgeable guide for a private tour for my husband and I.
Any suggestions?
I agree the drive to from Aswan or Luxor is onerous, are you open to discussing options? I was on a longer Egypt trip and elected for the add on to Abu Simbel. It was a flight. 1 hour, super easy. It isn't difficult to fly in and out, spend loads of topime at Abu Simbel, all in one day. However, I didn't use or need a guide. I went right after travel opened up after the Arab Spring. I don't recall seeing tour guides at the site entrance, but wouldn't be surprised to see them there now. The town and site are pretty small, but it could be a lovely little reprieve for a night or two. Hotels are extremely helpful. Perhaps your Abu Simbel hotel can find you a guide.
We were there last month, bused in during the night from Aswan sleeping during the ride, arriving at sunrise. I didn't see any guides for hire, and aside from a short talk before we went inside, the guide that accompanied us did not go inside. I don't remember if guides are allowed inside because they aren't allowed at some sites. If you have a guide book, you should be fine. It's not a large site.
Next time, we'll fly there, too. LOL.
Now that I read Elizabeth's experience, I remember that guides were not allowed in the Library of Alexandria, or the tombs of the Valley of the Kings. So maybe any place enclosed (where talking would disrupt others or cause more humidity) wouldn't allow guides.
Maria and Elizabeth are right. You not only don't need a tour or a guide, but guides aren't allowed in the temple anyway. All they can do is get you there from your hotel and maybe give you some context, all of which you can get from a driver (which your hotel should be able to arrange for you) and a guidebook.
There's a laser light show at night if that interests you. I didn't find it especially impressive, but you might enjoy it. Also, I'd recommend getting to the site as early as possible in the morning, since it will be very crowded.
We were there last month, and our experience agrees with the PPs. Our guide was not allowed inside the temple at Abu Simbel, nor at the Valley of the Kings tombs or the Pyramids. Instead he would do a short lecture outside, before we entered. Given the qualifications required to become a guide in Egypt, I highly doubt you would find any hanging out at the site entrances. All the same, we found having one to be very advantageous. I'd try contacting your hotel to see if they can arrange one for you.
And FWIW, we weren't really blown away by the evening light show either, but it was a pleasant way to spend time that evening.
A few years ago we did a wonderful Gate 1 Travel tour of Egypt that included flying to an airport near Abu Simbel, then taking a three day cruise on Lake Nasser, then a three day cruise from Aswan to Luxor, also including four nights in Cairo.
Don't miss Abu Simbel.
Thank you for all your replies. They are super helpful. I did ask the hotel we are staying at to recommend a guide and the replies were very slow in coming. The hotel staff also didn’t answer a number of my questions about the cost and the experience of the guide. Finally, I found out that the guide only has one year of experience so I don’t think I would like to take the recommendation of the hotel.
I think now, we won’t hire a guide and bring a guidebook along. Is anyone aware of any audio guides for Abu Simbel?
We will probably go to evening show, only because there isn’t much else to do at night. However, I read that it only happens if they have more than 20 people attending. Is that right?
It seems that it would be worthwhile going on a tour or hiring a guide for the Valley of the Kings (West Bank) and for the East Bank (Karnak & Luxor Temples). We will be doing each of those areas on separate days. Any thoughts from those who have gone?
I agree that a guide isn't necessary for Abu Simbel. It's a very impressive site, but the basics are pretty simple and easily gleaned from any decent guidebook: A large temple complex built by Pharoah Ramses with large statues of (surprise) Ramses, and wall decorations showing the many heroic deeds, mostly victories over neighboring kingdoms, and offerings to the gods of (surprise again) Ramses. The guidebook will also tell you what you need to know about how the temples were moved in the 1960s to avoid inundation due to the new Aswan Dam, which is a very interesting story. An overnight stay in Abu Simbel is a good idea. It is a small and quiet town. Your hotel is likely where you will want to dine. It is true, or at least was when I visited in 2021, that the sound and light show needs a minimum number of attendees, but I don't recall the exact number. Our group of nine was under that number and we were the only ones, but our guide arranged for it to be shown to us anyway. Not a bad show but not a huge loss if you miss it. That was in Sept. 2021, low season and tourism was still light since Egypt had just reopened after COVID, so I suspect having enough visitors for the light show may be less of a potential concern now than it was then.
I don't think you need a guide once you get to the Valley of the Kings, but having a tour (or private driver/guide) to get there from your hotel in Luxor and to give you some background info would be a good idea.
For the temples in Luxor (Karnak and Luxor), a guide might be beneficial depending on how much you want to understand beyond just experiencing them. I'm not sure what other temples you will be visiting, or how you are getting from place to place, but you will be seeing a lot of symbolic painting and hieroglyphics, and if you want to make sense of it all, a guide will definitely be worthwhile. Assuming Abu Simbel is toward the end of your trip, by the time you get there, you should have gotten a good feel for recognizing certain images.
Of course, you can just admire all the artistry and enjoy everything that way too.
Thank you. Great feedback.
What about visiting the Nubian Village and going on the feluccia ride in Aswan? Anyone did that? Did you go with a tour and if so, which one?
I strongly recommend taking a group tour if doing Egypt.
For your own security, it is important. All group tours get armed Egyptian protection.
