Breathtaking Abu Simbel: Private VIP Day Tour from Aswan

I was unhappy that I arrived and was met by no one. I messaged back and forth with the tour director on Whatsapp and easily an hour passed before my driver picked me up. I misunderstood that the guide would be me at Abu Simbel. I guess it makes sense but I wish it was clarified. Once my driver finally arrived, he tried to make up for it by being attentive and buying me juice and chocolate. It was a sweet gesture but I did not want any of the drinks/food. If traveling solo, know a little Arabic in upper egypt, Its a bit different than Cairo. Fly into Abu simbel if cost is not an issue. I flew down from cairo and returned to cairo on the same day. It was a long day. It worked for me since I had the next day to rest. The guide at Abu simbel was pleasant and offered to take photos for me. I liked that he didn't rush me and allowed me time by myself at the end.

We booked a day trip to Abu Simbel from Aswan through Emo Tours. We were provided with private car driver, lunch, entry tickets and English speaking tour guide. Carlos- our driver was very polite and comfortably drove us to and fro. The car was well maintained and very neat. Magdy- our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the Egyptian history and explain to us very well about the temples which made it easier for us to relate to the ancient Egyptian history. He was very polite and guided us throughout the journey and arranged excellent lunch at the restaurant. I definitely recommend booking via emo tours!

The trip to abu simbel was fine, except that the guide took on an extra 4 people. He said a friend was Ill or unable to do the other people's tour so he included them on ours. It was not a problem, but is was not technically a private tour. Its a very long way to go, and the temples are awesome, but the trip is terribly long. A guide is really not required at all, and the lunch is a rip off.

Had a great time our guide Zak was very entertaining - obviously it is a long way so be prepared for a long drive. We did not book lunch but ended up having it and it was delicious much better than other tour lunches we have had on the trip.

The drivers were nice! That’s the beginning and end of what was positive. We were supposed to have our own private expert Egyptologist guide as part of our trip, traveling with us, which we paid extra money for and instead we were lumped together with another group. The guide was awful, didn’t wait for us and instead followed the other two people who he came there with from Aswan and you could barely understand his English. And to top it off he was trying to upsell us into buying some silver items at the end of our trip. He ruined our abu simbel trip and the price of $180 for 4 people from Aswan to Abu simbel is not worth it if you can find another way. The drivers also asked us to write a positive Google review 20 minutes before the end of our trip and told us they have to take a screenshot of it…smh. I was so excited for this Abu simbel visit and it was the worst visit of our 10 day Egypt trip.

Apart from some confusion about the actual meeting place, the trip went very well. The guide gave us a full introduction to Abu Simbel before we arrived and very attentive to our needs.

Abu Simbel is definitely worth the drive from Aswan. It is a 3 and a half hour drive, though. There were only the 2 of us in the backseat of a Hyundai Elantra. It was a bit cramped. We did stop about 2 hours into the drive for a stretch and WC break. We were supplied with a bottle of water. Our guide was good and gave a decent overview of the 2 structures at Abu Simbel. Guides aren’t allowed to guide inside. On the way back, we stopped again for a stretch and WC break. We had a choice of lunch in Abu Simbel or in Aswan. We chose Aswan. The Grand Restaurant and Cafe is less than nice. Standard Egyptian fare. You do have to pay for your drinks. I don’t remember being told about that ahead of time.

The private tour of Philae Temple and Abu Simbel was fantastic. Marwan was very educational and helped me add Philae to the itinerary, which cost an extra $85. I learned a great deal and navigated the sites more effectively because of him. The ride from Aswan is long, but the driver and guide showed great hospitality. The tilapia lunch was excellent. Their history and insight were unmatched compared to other tours I have taken. I got great photos. I highly recommend this tour.

A very informative and intersting tour. We learnt about some fantastic history from our guide Zack. He is very knowledgeable, it was like being guided by a Professor. Zack was friendly and patiently answered our questions. It was incredible experience! Our driver Hadi was good and safe. The temples are absolutely amazing! Every aspect of creating the temples, the reason it was built, The various Gods and how the Temple was shifted was well explained by Zack. (Zak sorry I did not get the spelling). Highly recommend this tour.

Zak is an absolutely deserving 5-star guide. If I could, I would give him 10 stars. His explanations of Egyptian history were incredibly detailed, and he can even directly interpret some ancient hieroglyphs. The day before, we asked his agency if we could add Philae Temple to our itinerary, and he arranged it immediately with a very reasonable price! The whole trip was perfectly smooth. Highly, highly recommended.