Communication was smooth from start to finish, and everything was well organized. The guide was friendly and knowledgeable, making the visit to Abu Simbel even more enjoyable. The van transfer was comfortable, and the hotel pickup made everything very convenient.
Our cruise and tour was with the excellent guide Hady Ahmed with Imperial Egypt. The company and Hady were great to work with. Communication and expectations were clearly outlined. They provided a hassle free Egypt experience on a beautiful boat. Hady was very knowledgeable and a great storyteller regarding the history of Egypt. And entertaining. Food was good and plentiful. Sites and opportunities fit exactly the budget and travel expectations. The package was the highlight of the trip.
If you want to see how people live in Egypt away from the cities take this trip. It is tiring but worth it. You share the road ( if you call it that) with double trucks, buses, mini vans, cars, tricycle buses, cars, motorbikes, people, horse and cart, donkeys and even hundreds of goats blocking the road. You see the people in their day to day lives and kids jumping off the bridges into the canals for fun and to cool off. Then of cause the temples , especially Edfu, along the way.
As others pointed out, the tour includes only the driver and the guide is waiting for you on site and gives you 15 min explanation. You have 2 hr to explore Abu Simbel which is beautiful and magnificent. As long as you are aware of this, and accept it, it is a good tour. Lunch included is a traditional Egyptian food which was surprisingly good. The driver did not speak English well, but was very nice and accommodating
Overall a very good trip. We were lucky enough to have our own personal guide with driver (unfortunately can’t remember her name). I guess if others have booked the same tour it may not be a one-on-one trip.
We visited the Aswan Dam and Philae Temple (via motor boat) and Unfinshed Obelisk. Great history and our guide was very friendly and knowledgeable. Allowed us to ask lots of questions and not just about the trip, but can also ask general questions about Egypt and the local area.
Only negative was that the trip included a stop off at a Spice store and a Perfume store where both felt like a hard sell and we felt a little pressured into purchases where the prices weren’t really cheap.
With this tour, you can go to Abu Simbel Temple on your own!
At first, I was worried about whether I could go to Abu Simbel without any problems in the early morning. I was also worried if my reservation was handled well because I booked it online.
However, thanks to good communication with Mirna through WhatsApp, I was able to prepare well for the tour and finish it safely. She confirmed my reservation perfectly and kindly noticed me for the tour.
If I go Abu Simbel again, I will choose this tour again! Moreover, this tour is cheaper than $35 offered by my hostel.
If you are in Aswan this tour is a 'must do'... The Aswan High Dam is nice to see, but the real highlight is the Philae Temple on the island, which also houses a Roman temple. A magic place!
Both the driver and the guide (Aida) where five star quality. The guide gives you a lot of information about both the Greek and Roman temples. And she is very funny... 😉
アブシンベル
日本人です。日本人のレビューが少ないのでレビューします。
Egypt travel and tourismによるアブシンベルへのツアーは最高でした。
ガイドのサームはツアーの始まる前からWhatsAppで連絡を取ってくれるので安心です。さらに、ツアーが終了した後も助けられることがあったら言ってね、とフォローをしてくれたのでエジプト滞在中ずっと心強かったです。実際、タクシーやUberのぼったくりが多いこの国で、車の手配も心良く引き受けてくれた点がありがたかったです。また、美味しい食事の店や観光体験の紹介もしてくれましたが、しつこい勧誘ではなく好印象でした。まだ本題に辿り着いていませんが
サームのサポートを受けられるというだけでも、このツアーに申し込んだ甲斐があったと思います。エジプトでお会いした中で1番好印象な方でした。
さて、アブシンベルツアー本題についてです。
ツアーは朝3:45に始まります。
時間通りに、サームがホテルのエントランスに迎えに来てくれました。
その後車でしばらく走り、アブシンベルへ向かうバスの列が並ぶどこかのゲート前に着きました。5時にゲートが開くので、それまでサームが写真を用いてアブシンベル内部の壁画などについて説明をしてくれました。
5時前に、アブシンベルまで向かうバスへ乗り換え出発しました。バスには40人弱が乗っていました。スピードは控えめで乗り心地は良好でした。7時ごろ、トイレ休憩のポイントに着きました。似たようなバスがあるので、ナンバーと車種の写真を撮るようにドライバーさんに言われました。人数も確認されていたので安心です。トイレ前にはチップ集金の係がいて、皆一律に20ポンド請求されます。ちょっと高い…笑
休憩後、再び走り出してアブシンベルに着いたのが9時ごろでした。そして帰りのバスが出発するのが10:30とのことでした、結構短時間です。ちょっと到着が遅かったような感じです。
アブシンベル自体はその大迫力の外観はもちろん、内部の壁画、装飾が大変素晴らしく写真や画面で観るものとは明らかに異なりました。アスワンから片道3.5時間かけて訪れる価値はあります。あっという間の90分を過ごし、バスの待つ駐車場へ戻ります。帰り道は、行き道と異なる一方通行となっておりお土産屋さんがずらっと並ぶ道を歩くことになります笑
10:30にバスへ戻りましたが時間通りに帰ってきてたのはほんの数人でした…汗
まぁ外国人の時間感覚なんてこんなもんかもしれませんが真面目に時間守ってゆっくり見れなかったのは少し残念でした。最後の乗客が戻ってきたのは11時前でした。全く悪びれる様子なしです笑
さぁ帰路に着いたバスの中では睡魔が襲いかかってきます。サームが12:30〜13:00頃蜃気楼が見れるよ、と教えてくれていましたが見逃してしまいました。15時頃アスワン市内に到着し、再びサームが迎えに来てくれました。サームは出発前にしきれなかった説明の残りを説明してくれ、私たちをその日のホテルへ送り届けてくれました。15:30頃でした。翌日車の手配が必要だったら頼ってくれ、とも言ってくれました。翌日、ホテルからアスワン空港までの送迎を良心的な価格で請け負ってくれました。早朝でタクシーも捕まるかわかるかわからない時間だったので前日に約束ができて助かりました。もちろん時間通り、取り決め通りの価格でした。
本当にお勧めできるツアー会社さんとガイドさんでした。
(同行者による付け足し)
・当方は英語が得意ではないので何度も聞き返してしまうことがありましたが、サームは他の表現に言い換えるなど分かりやすく努めてくれたのでありがたかったです。
・アブシンベルに着く前にインターネットサイトでチケットを買った方が並ばずに済むので良いと助言をしてくれました。このチケットはピラミッドや博物館の分も購入可能です。
I'm Japanese. Since there aren't many Japanese reviews, I'm writing this review.
The tour to Abu Simbel with Egypt Travel and Tourism was amazing.
Our guide, Sarm, contacted me via WhatsApp before the tour started, which gave me peace of mind. He also followed up after the tour by asking me to let him know if there was anything he could help me with, which gave me peace of mind throughout my stay in Egypt. In fact, in a country where taxi and Uber rip-offs are common, I appreciated his kind offer to arrange a car for me. He also recommended delicious restaurants and sightseeing experiences, but he wasn't pushy and made a good impression. I haven't gotten to the main point yet, but
I think signing up for this tour was worth it just to have Sarm's support. He was the most impressive person I met in Egypt.
Now, on to the main topic of the Abu Simbel tour.
The tour started at 3:45 AM.
Sarm picked me up at the hotel entrance right on time.
After a short drive, we arrived at a gate where buses to Abu Simbel were lined up. The gates opened at 5:00, so Sarm explained the interior murals and other details to us using photographs.
Just before 5:00, we boarded a bus bound for Abu Simbel and departed. There were just under 40 people on board. The speed was moderate and the ride was comfortable. Around 7:00, we arrived at the toilet stop. There was a similar bus, so the driver asked me to take a photo of the license plate number and model. The number of people in the car was also confirmed, so we felt at ease. There was a tip collector in front of the toilet, and everyone was charged a flat fee of 20 pounds. A bit pricey...lol.
After the break, we got back on the road and arrived at Abu Simbel around 9:00. The return bus was scheduled to depart at 10:30, which was quite a short time. It felt like we arrived a little late.
Abu Simbel itself, not only had a spectacular exterior, but the interior murals and decorations were also incredibly impressive, clearly different from what we'd seen in photos or on screen. It's definitely worth the 3.5-hour drive from Aswan. After a quick 90 minutes, we returned to the parking lot where our bus was waiting. On the way back, we followed a different one-way road than the one we'd taken, and walked along a street lined with souvenir shops. lol
We returned to the bus at 10:30, but only a few people were on time...lol
Well, maybe that's just how foreigners perceive time, but I was a little disappointed that we couldn't keep to the schedule and take our time. The last passengers returned just before 11:00. They didn't seem sorry at all. lol
On the way back, sleepiness began to creep up on us on the bus. Sam had told us we'd be able to see the mirage between 12:30 and 1:00, but we missed it. We arrived in Aswan around 3:00 PM, and Sam came to pick us up again. He explained the rest of the information he hadn't covered before departure and drove us to our hotel for the night. It was around 3:30 PM. He also told us to ask for a car if we needed one the next day. The next day, they arranged a transfer from the hotel to Aswan Airport for a reasonable price. It was early in the morning and I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get a taxi, so it was helpful that I could make an arrangement the day before. Of course, they were on time and for the price we agreed on.
I can highly recommend this tour company and guide.
(Addition by my companion)
- Since I'm not very good at English, I often had to ask questions repeatedly, but Sam made an effort to explain things in a clearer way, which I appreciated.
- He advised me that it would be better to buy tickets online before arriving at Abu Simbel, so I wouldn't have to wait in line. This ticket also included admission to the pyramids and museum.
A wonderful and authentic experience in Aswan. The tour was well organized, very personal, and gave us a great insight into Nubian culture. Our guide was very friendly and welcoming. The boat ride was very special and we got to see the Nile at sunset. Among other sights we visited his brother’s shop and it was a lovely surprise—they were incredibly kind and even gave us a beautiful gift. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a genuine cultural experience.
Amazing place , exquisite view and affable tour guide.
We just had an amazing tour to Abu Simbel from Aswan. We booked a private tour as the group tours start at 4 AM which is too early after a tiring day. The ride was comfortable and driver was polite.
We met our charming tour guide Mr. Hany at Abu simbel. To be quite frank his warm nature and humorous style will put even the most reserved introverts at ease. Another thing to know about Hany is that he is an accomplished photographer. He took numerous photos and videos for us and the results were amazing. He also would provide detailed information before hand and give us free time to explore the temples at our own pace.
Another aspect I love about this tour guide is he didn’t coerce us to make unnecessary purchases ( which is usually a huge issue in Cairo and Luxor ).
So fellow traveler if you are on the fence, please go ahead and book this tour. And enjoy the experience.
PS Just realized I forgot the mention , both temples and amazing and must see.
Wonderful exploration of Aswan major sites. Our guide Zak was the best guide we’ve had on our Egypt trip so far. Extremely knowledgeable, excellent English (he was concerned about this but his language skills were great). He pointed out all the details we would have missed on our own. Transit and other details of the tour were as expected.
We took a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor and the ship was outstanding!! We sailed on the Amwaj, 4 days 3 nights, it was clean and very comfortable. They had Great food, staff was friendly and attentive. They even surprised us at dinner with a birthday cake on my husband’s birthday.
Our private guide thru the 4 days was Ahmed. He was an excellent guide, friendly, and very well versed in Egyptian culture. Ahmed looked after us and made sure we were comfortable and safe. He stayed on schedule and even offered us Egyptian coffee, which was outstanding.
Also included with our booking was a balloon ride over Luxor at sunrise. It was absolutely beautiful and so worth it.
This was a once in a lifetime trip, and we would definitely recommend this cruise. Make sure to ask for the best guide they have; Ahmed 😊
Whether you’re in Aswan for a day as part of a Nile cruise or staying longer, it’s a fantastic base for visiting the heavyweight ancient sites to its north and south. You'll find a bumper choice of out-of-town tours, from private and shared-group road or air excursions to Abu Simbel’s lakeside temples to expeditions to Luxor’s antiquities. For more leisurely outings, consider sightseeing in and around the city on one of many multi-stop Aswan day trips. Popular itineraries cover local highlights like the semi-carved ancient obelisk, the city’s modern dam, and Philae’s picturebook island temple.
