Must do when in Aswan
Our trip to Abu Simbel was amazing from start to finish. We left at 8 a.m., and by then a lot of the tourist buses were already on their way back, which actually worked out perfectly for us. We arrived around 11, and between 12–1 p.m. (when most groups seem to be at lunch), the temples were surprisingly quiet. It made the whole visit feel much more relaxed and special.
A big part of why the day went so smoothly was our driver, Hany. He showed up at the meeting point well before the agreed time, and communication the day before via WhatsApp was super easy. He shared stories and interesting info along the way, which made the long drive feel shorter.
He also brought snacks for the road, and we stopped about halfway for a quick coffee break. His driving was safe and comfortable the whole time.
We’d definitely recommend this tour — and especially Hany as a driver!
Bernd F · Dec 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Great!
Very smooth trip. I was contacted early in the morning via whatsapp to confirm arrangements. Driver Saeed was on time and car modern and clean, and he even provided some snacks. Met guide Hany/Hani at Abu Simbel and he was great! Perfect mix of history/facts and free time. Wasn't hassled for tips at all.
KimBCapeTown · Dec 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Comfortable, Safe, Educational trip to Abu Simbel
We booked an excursion from Aswan to Abu Simbel. Our driver was Hany Amir, an excellent professional, friendly and with love for what he is doing. The communication was easy, we had a wonderful talk about Egyptian culture, politics and history during the roadtrip that gave us a whole new perspective. We felt very safe during the whole journey. The car was comfortable and clean. Before coming back we stoped to a traditional restaurant where we had traditional dishes. Personally I lost my sunglasses this day in the car and Hany brought them to me the next day. I have no words for this man and thank him a lot. I recommend this excursion to every visitor of Aswan.
NIKOLAOS_L · Dec 2025 · via Viator
Amazing place to see
Moataz was a great guide. Picked us from our boat with his driver (best car we had all week).
Drove us the 3 hours from Aswan to the temple. We stopped half way for a break and to stretch the legs. Espresso could be purchased for about 100 LE.
Once on site we sat in the shade with him and he talked us through the history of the temples and what to expect inside, usually the guides are not allowed in with us. Then gave us time to look around take picture and visit the gift shop followed by a drink in the cafe.
Would use him again for sure.
Big tip. If you go really early you will arrive with all the coaches and queue for the temples. Arrange a pickup about 8 and you arrive when the coaches are leaving giving you great access with less people around.
Keith K · Dec 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Egypt Wonderful Tours to Abu Simbel is exactly that.
Start to finish, this was a great trip. The sub contractor is a company called Egypt Wonderful Tours and that it was. The owner reached out the night before to confirm all the events surrounding the trip (pick-up, provisions (snacks, water), name of driver and extra information if necessary) to Abu Simbel. I had a wonderful driver, Ezack who was very professional and thanks to Google translate, we were able to communicate and share some laughs. I also met another driver, Saeed who was a friend of Ezack who was also a top notch professional and friendly as well.
The drive to Abu Simbel is long, so if you can communicate with the driver, it makes the trip!
I was met by Huney (honey) who was friendly, very informative, well versed but in a highly educated way, not memorized. Abu Simbel came to life after a briefing from Huney and I was off to take it all in. After the tour, I was offered the chance to eat at a local place in Abu Simbel or head back. I chose the later and I am glad I did. We stopped at Al Modahesh Restaurant for some kofta - worth it, grilled meats are their specialty!
As we headed back through the Sahara, some big rain clouds set in. This was the first time I had ever seen rain clouds in all my previous visits to Egypt - and they delivered! Rain, rainbows, lightening and the show finished with a dust storm. I commend Ezack for keeping calm and focused on the drive home, as he makes the drive day in and day out. But then again, he's a pro like the rest of the Egypt Wonderful Tour's group.
Lisa_C · Nov 2025 · via Viator
Amazing experience at Abu Simbel, thanks Hany
The private tour to Abu Simbel was amazing. It is indeed a long drive, 3.5 hours one way, from Aswan to Abu Simbel. The one thing that made the road trip across the vast empty deserts enjoyable was the car driver cum travel guide Hany. Hany was an amazing driver, polite and patient, and I really enjoyed the 7-hour drive with him. He was sharing a lot of stories about Egypt. I learnt a lot and didn't feel the tiredness of the long drive. Thanks, Hany, for making my trip enjoyable. The day's activity involves spending 7 hours in the car, probably 10 minutes with the guide, and 1-1.5 hours touring the temple (the guide explained outside the temple for 10 minutes and let me explore myself inside. I believe guides are not allowed inside the temple). The guide was good as well and explained about Abu Simbel, though I felt it was a little rushed. The temple was breathtaking with its towering Rameses statues. I think this is one of the very few temples where the eyes are complete with pupil on the statues. Most of the statues in other temples don't have the pupil. One other note, if you are taking a flight from Aswan airport, the airport is very small and they won't let anyone inside the airport before 5 pm for the 7 pm+ evening flights. Airport is a small building with a medium-sized hall. I started the tour at 6 AM and was back in Aswan airport by 3:30 pm for my 7:30 pm flight, they didn't let me inside the airport until 5. Hany suggested I wait in a nearby coffee shop for an hour which I did. Overall, an amazing experience.
Sriram_R · Nov 2025 · via Viator
This is a must do from...
This is a must do from Aswan! Our driver was prompt and safe. The guide was personable and really enhanced our visit! We recommend this day trip!
Kathryn_W · Nov 2025 · via Viator
Great trip that lives up to expectations from the good reviews
I was a bit suspicious of the near perfect reviews here, but it was accurate - the tour was great!! A large part of it is due to the driver Hany, who is very friendly and caring, explained a lot on the way and pointing me to interesting things to look out the window for, and also provided me with a bag of snacks and drinks, and even an ice-cream bar after lunch.
The temples themselves were a definite highlight and totally worth the long journey from Aswan, especially in that comfortable car with reclining seats and a/c controlled from behind, and of course Hany’s safe driving.
PhoebeL38 · Nov 2025 · via Tripadvisor
5 stars from us :)
We had a private trip to Abu Simbel temples. Our driver Koko was very professional and very nice. He was on time and always waited for us to take the breaks we wanted.
Our tour guide Waleed, was very knowledgable and explicit. Also super nice.
We had a great experience overall, highly recommended!
E5587XAanastasiap · Nov 2025 · via Tripadvisor
Excellent day trip tour of Abu Simbel
This was a great tour of Abu Simbel. Our guide was very knowledgeable and gave us the opportunity to see many things we were interested in. We also had plenty of time to explore and take pictures. It's also a nice drive through the desert region which our guide also described in some good detail. We loved this experience!
Gordon_A · Nov 2025 · via Viator
