The next day early morning around 03.00 am leaving Aswan to Abu Simbel temple. Abu Simbel is about 280 KM to the south of Aswan and the road is long and straight with no traffic. Abu Simbel is one of the most important and incredible places you can visit in Egypt and between many people is a must and it is so worth it. It takes around 03.30 hours in a stunning view on both sides and you will see many little mountains take a pyramidal shape. Upon arrival, you will start your tour to Abu Simbel temples as soon as you reach the place

Few meters far from the great temple is the small temple or Nefertari temple. Small facade decorated with 4 statutes for Ramses and his wife Nefertari each 10 meters high. One of the exceptions in Egyptian history here, Nefertari rendered the same size as Ramses. Normally females are represented on a small scale comparing with the king but it shows how important was Nefertari.

everything looks just as it did before"

In 1960, a new dam was built by the River Nile threatened to submerge the Abu Simbel temples. UNESCO organized fund-raising to rescue and preserve as many of the archaeological monuments and sites as possible. Some temples were saved but also some still underwater till now like the fortress of Buhen.

Listen from your guide how it was hard to save the temples and how hard was the mission of the engineers to achieve their job as they had a deadline by 1966. That was the year when Lake Nasser should reach full capacity. In 1963, after many ideas were created and rejected they came with the right one that Abu Simbel temples should be cut and relocated to a higher spot.

After 5 years of hard work, more than 3000 works, and a cost of about 42 million dollars, they cut the temples into pieces between 2-5 till 20 tons. They rebuilt them precisely as they were but 225 meters to the west of the original one and 60 meters higher. It was an epic achievement.

After you will be back in Aswan, you will stop to take a typical Egyptian lunch (Pizza, Falafel, Shawrma) in A typical restaurant or in a cafe shop while sipping your tea and smoking aromatic shisha). Then you will start your tour to Aswan attractions including the High Dam, unfinished Obelisk, and the Philae temple.

High Dam

Discover the old Dam on your way to the High Dam. The Aswan Dam also, known as the Old Dam started in 1898 and was completed in 1902. Later on, it was raised two times between 1907-1912 and once more between 1929-1933 to alleviate the Nile from flooding.

Due to the truth that Aswan Low Dam was not adequate to control the annual flooding, so it was necessary to construct a higher dam.it ends with what's called High Dam. The High Dam is A rock-fill dam that started in 1960, was completed in 1968, and was inaugurated in 1971.

The High Dam supposed to serve the irrigation needs of both Egypt and Sudan, controls flooding, generates power, and helps in improving navigation across the Nile. At the end of your tour of the Dam, you will proceed to the next stop.

Unfinished Obelisk

Egypt is a famous country with all kinds of stones like limestone, sandstone, marble, alabaster, basalt and granite. The biggest and the finest granite quarries are in Aswan. The quarries gave a rare insight into the working techniques of Ancient Egypt. The unfinished Obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut is estimated to weigh around 1,200 tons and to reach 42 meters high. A huge crack appeared as it was being freed from the bedrock, so they abandoned it.

Philae temple | Isis Temple

One of the saved temples by UNESCO's rescue project during the building of the Aswan High Dam (1972-1980). Philae temple was the center of the cult of Isis, goddess of love, joy, and motherhood. Philae temple served as a place of pilgrimage through the centuries. Philae was converted into a Coptic church.

Listen to the story behind the name and why it's called Anas el-Wogud temple and how it was saved. More stories about the birth house or the Mamisi and Kiosk of Trajan. Enjoy the motorboat ride to the harbor before you will head to Aswan railway.

at the end of your tour to Aswan attractions, you will have time to drink something before we take the first-class train at 19.30 pm back to Qena then transfer to your hotel in Hurghada.