Lake Nasser 4 Nights: Aswan to Abu Simbel

Nights: 4
Destinations: 5

THE JOURNEY AT A GLANCE

The standard four-night Lake Nasser houseboat sail from Aswan to Abu Simbel, calling at Kalabsha, Wadi el-Sebua, Amada, Derr and Qasr Ibrim. Departs every Monday.

South of the Aswan High Dam the Nile becomes Lake Nasser, and this is the standard four-night crossing of it: Aswan to Abu Simbel, on a full-board houseboat, departing every Monday. It is a scheduled sailing with other guests aboard rather than a private charter, which is why the route, the timings and the overnight moorings are the same every week.

What makes the week worth doing is the sequence. The boat leaves Aswan and climbs almost immediately to Kalabsha, a temple complex moved to higher ground when the lake rose. It works south through Wadi el-Sebua to Amada, the oldest surviving building in Nubia, with the rock-cut tomb of Pennut nearby. Then it runs to the lonely promontory of Qasr Ibrim, which is passed from the sun deck rather than climbed, and finally to Abu Simbel, where the boat stays the night before you leave.

Because the boat moors at Abu Simbel, you get a full morning there. The standard visit is a panorama from the deck and then the temples themselves.

Abu Simbel — Ramses II's four colossal seated figures, cut 65 metres into the rock, with the boat moored overnight beside them.
Amada, Derr and the Tomb of Pennut — The oldest surviving building in Nubia, visited together on the same afternoon.
Wadi el-Sebua — A row of lion-headed sphinxes and four temples named for the valley of the lions.
Kalabsha — A temple complex relocated island near the High Dam, 50 kilometres south of Aswan.
Qasr Ibrim from the deck — A three-storey fortress on a rocky spur, passed on the sun deck for photographs.

Ancient Egyptian temple columns — EGYPT REST TOURSA closer connection to Egypt.

THE RIVER, DAY BY DAY

A journey worth taking slowly.

4 Nights / 5 Days - Aswan to Abu Simbel

Aswan → Abu Simbel 4 nights Price on request

4 Nights / 5 Days - Aswan to Abu Simbel

Day01

Aswan

Board in Aswan

The cruise boards in Aswan at 13:00, with lunch served on board at 13:30 and tea at 17:00. Dinner is at 20:00 and the boat spends its first night in Aswan. No sites are visited today; this is the day the cruise begins and the only chance to settle into the rhythm of the boat.

Overnight: Aswan
Meals included: Lunch, tea and dinner on board

Day02

Kalabsha and Wadi el-Sebua

The relocated temple, then south to the valley of the lions

Breakfast at 07:30, then the temples of Kalabsha at 08:00, fifty kilometres south of Aswan on what was once an island. The complex was moved here when Lake Nasser flooded the original site. The boat sails on at 10:30 and reaches Wadi el-Sebua for lunch at 13:00 and tea at 17:00. At 19:15 the crew give a short presentation, and dinner follows at 20:00. The second night is at Wadi el-Sebua.

Overnight: Wadi el-Sebua
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner on board

Day03

Wadi el-Sebua and Amada

The valley temples, then the oldest building in Nubia

Breakfast at 07:30, then the temples of Wadi el-Sebua at 08:00, a row of lion-headed sphinxes leading to four temples built by Amenhotep III and enlarged by Ramses II. The boat sails south at 10:30 and takes lunch at 13:30. At 16:00 you go ashore at Amada, where the rock-cut temple of Thutmose III is joined by the neighbouring temple of Derr and the rock-cut Tomb of Pennut. Dinner at 20:00, then a Nubian show by the crew at 21:30. The third night is at Amada.

Overnight: Amada
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner on board

Day04

Qasr Ibrim and Abu Simbel

A fortress from the deck, then the Great Temples

The boat is under way at 06:30 and breakfast is served at 07:30. At 08:45 you get fifteen minutes of photographs of Qasr Ibrim from the sun deck, a three-storey fortress on a rocky promontory that is not landed at. At 12:15 there is a second panorama as the boat reaches Abu Simbel, and the temples are visited at 12:30. The Great Temple of Ramses II and the small temple of his wife Nefertari, dedicated to Hathor, stand side by side. Dinner at 19:00. The Sound and Light show at Abu Simbel is available at 20:00 if you want it. The boat stays the night at Abu Simbel.

Overnight: Abu Simbel
Meals included: Breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner on board

Day05

Abu Simbel

Breakfast and disembarkation

Breakfast is served at 08:30 and the cruise ends with a 09:00 check-out. The boat disembarks at Abu Simbel and you return to Aswan by road.

Meals included: Breakfast on board

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FOUR WAYS TO SAIL

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Comfortable cruising with essential services.

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Lake Nasser 4 Nights: Aswan to Abu Simbel

ABOUT THE SHIP

Lake Nasser 4 Nights: Aswan to Abu Simbel

The standard four-night Lake Nasser houseboat sail from Aswan to Abu Simbel, calling at Kalabsha, Wadi el-Sebua, Amada, Derr and Qasr Ibrim. Departs every Monday.

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PART OF YOUR JOURNEY

The details, considered.

Included

Assistance from our personnel throughout the cruise and at every excursion
All transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle
Full-board accommodation aboard a Lake Nasser houseboat for the stated number of nights
All cruise excursions set out in the itinerary
Entrance fees to every site named in the itinerary
English-speaking Egyptologist guide for the excursions
Service charges and taxes

What is not included +

Anything not named in the itinerary
Gratuities
The optional Sound and Light show at Abu Simbel
Personal expenses

FIND YOUR DEPARTURE

Dates & prices

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Aswan → Abu Simbel · 4 nights

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BEFORE YOU TRAVEL

A few things worth knowing.

Sailing day

This cruise departs every Monday and finishes the following Friday. It is a scheduled crossing, not a private charter, so the dates are fixed.

The boat

A full-board Lake Nasser houseboat with shaded decks, air-conditioned cabins and en-suite facilities. The point of the vessel here is the view rather than the facilities.

Pickup and drop-off

All transfers are by private air-conditioned vehicle. You are collected from your hotel in Aswan and returned to Aswan from Abu Simbel, roughly 3.5 hours by road.

Qasr Ibrim

On this route the fortress is seen from the sun deck for about fifteen minutes and is not landed at. If you want to walk inside it, that needs a separate arrangement.

How often does this cruise depart? +

Every Monday, finishing on the Friday. The 3-night version runs the opposite way, from Abu Simbel to Aswan, departing on Fridays.

Do we land at Qasr Ibrim? +

No. On the standard route the fortress is photographed from the sun deck. Landing there is possible but needs to be arranged separately.

Is the Sound and Light show included? +

No. It is offered optionally on the evening of day four at Abu Simbel and is not in the price.

Is it hot on the lake? +

Yes, particularly between May and September when it can pass 40 degrees. The schedule is built around the mornings for that reason, and the middle of the day is spent on deck.

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