Abu Simbel Sun Festival Feb 2025 - 10 days
Abu Simbel Sun Festival Feb 2025 - 10 days
Abu Simbel Sun Festival Feb 2025 - 10 days
10 Days Starting and ending in Cairo
Visiting: Cairo, Saqqara Necropolis, Pyramids of Giza, Aswan, Abu Simbel, Kom Umbu, Luxor
Tour operator:
Tour code:
2399/KTSF
Recommended For:
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
2 - 24
Age range:
16 + if accompanied by an adult. Where a tour includes an overnight felucca the minimum age to travel by felucca is 18 yrs. An alternative for those aged 16+ would be to take the Nile Cruise upgrade, if offered for this section of the trip.
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Interests:
Activities:
Tour Overview
FESTIVAL TOUR: Discover the ancient wonders of Egypt and experience the incredible Abu Simbel Sun Festival in February 2023, on this exciting 11 day tour. Marvel at the Pyramids of Giza and sail the Nile, explore Luxor's tomb-strewn Valley of the Kings and visit Aswan's beautiful Philae Temple. Topped off with an excursion to the incredible rock cut temple of Abu Simbel at sunrise.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Cairo
Location: Cairo
Friday 17th February 2023. Welcome to Cairo! You will be met upon arrival and transferred to your hotel. Spend the rest of the day at leisure or those arriving early can opt to join our optional Backstreets of Cairo tour which departs the hotel at 10am. Tonight your Welcome Meeting will be held at 7pm.
Day 2 : Pyramids Of Giza
Location: Saqqara Necropolis, Pyramids of Giza
Meals Included: Breakfast
Our Egyptian adventure begins with a tour of the legendary pyramids and the Sphinx at Giza Plateau. Sole survivors from the ancient Greek-listed Seven Wonders of the World, the pyramids are the planet’s oldest tourist attraction. Gaze in awe at Cheops (Khufu) - the largest of the three great pyramids , constructed from over 2.5 million limestone blocks it is thought to have taken more than 20 years to construct. Travelling on to Saqqara we explore the many tombs and temples at this site and see Zhoser’s step pyramid - constructed by Imhotep, the pharaoh’s chief architect in 2700 BC.
Day 3 : Cairo
Location: Cairo
Accommodation: Sleeper Train
Meals Included: Breakfast
Cairo - Aswan. Today we tour the new Grand Egyptian Museum, which houses a giant exhibition containing the treasures of King Tutankhamun. In this incredible 490,000 sq.m complex many of the exhibits are being displayed for the first time and artefacts have been brought together from across Egypt and the world. Then we head over to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to visit the fascinating Royal Mummies' Hall, where the mummies of ancient Egyptian kings and queens are on display. This incredible hall contains 20 mummies in total and some are so well preserved that they still have thick locks of hair, visible finger nails and smooth blackened skin.
Returning to the hotel, there's time to relax by the pool before we board the overnight train to Aswan this evening.
Day 4 : Aswan
Location: Aswan
Accommodation: Hotel
Accommodation Name: Aswan Hotel/Coach Journey to Abu Simbel
Meals Included: Breakfast
Aswan - Abu Simbel. Arriving into Aswan this morning we enjoy a short boat trip to Agilika Island for a guided tour of the beautiful Philae Temple - dedicated to the goddess Isis. After the temple we visit a perfume oil emporium before spending the rest of the day at leisure.
Day 5 is free for you to shop in the colourful souqs, stroll around the town or simply kick back and relax by the hotel pool. At around midnight we depart for our coach journey to the Temples of Abu Simbel.
Day 5: Abu Simbel
Location: Abu Simbel
Accommodation Name: Overnight: Nile Cruiser
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
22 February. Abu Simbel - Aswan - Nile Cruiser. Possibly the most awe-inspiring temple of all ancient Egypt, with its gargantuan rock-cut façade, the great Sun Temple of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel was created to revere the mighty pharaonic ruler King Ramses II. Ramses the Bold, Ramses the Great, Ramses the Narcissist are perhaps all apt titles for one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful rulers. Celebrating a life that spanned nearly a centenary, Ramses had plenty of time for his more than 200 wives and concubines who produced him some 96 sons and 60 daughters.
Built by Ramses II to demonstrate his political clout and divine backing to the ancient Nubians, Abu Simbel is an awesome self-tribute. Guarding the entrance to the temple (built between 1290 and 1224 BC) hewn into the side of a mountain are four famous colossal statues of the pharaoh himself, which sit majestically staring out across the desert. Over the centuries, the desert sands imperceptibly shifted until the temple was all but lost to humanity. It was rediscovered by chance in 1813 by a Swiss explorer called John Lewis Burkhardt. Only one of the heads of the pharaohs was showing and only a small part of the rest of the colossal temple peeked above the desert sands. It wasn’t until the British happened upon Abu Simbel and starting excavating, that the full glory of the temple of Abu Simbel was revealed to the modern world.
The temple was dedicated to the deified Pharaoh, King Ramses II, known also as the great builder and the gods Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ptah. In a fit of precision and architectural egotism, Ramses II had the entire temple precisely positioned in order for the sun’s rays to align just twice a year, on the date of his ascension to the throne (21 February) and on his birthday (21 October) to illuminate the inner sanctum of the temple. This incredible natural phenomenon provides for a most spectacular sight, which has come to be referred to as the Sun Festival of King Ramses II. Crowds pack into the temple before sunrise and watch the shafts of light slowly creeping through the rock hewn inner Hypostyle Hall (replete with further statues of the King) and through to the Sanctuary. As we are lead through the temple there will be time to pause for a moment to watch the sun illuminating the statues of Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ramses the god, whilst the statute of Ptah - the god of darkness - remains in the shadows.
Famously, the temple was re-located in a multi-million dollar operation in 1972, further up from the shoreline of Lake Nasser, which had threatened to erode the foundations of this monolithic temple complex. For this reason, the sun now strikes a day later than Ramses had originally planned, though the event this morning itself is no less stunning. After the event, there is plenty of time to explore the Sun Temple of King Ramses II, the Temple of Hathor and take pictures.
After watching this incredible event unfold we return to Aswan. Our Nile Cruiser departs Aswan this afternoon and we cruise the River Nile to Kom Ombo where we disembark to visit the temple which is dedicated to the crocodile headed god - Sobek before returning to the cruiser.
Day 6 : Abu Simbel
Location: Abu Simbel
Accommodation: Felucca Cruise
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
22 February. Abu Simbel - Aswan - Nile Felucca Cruise. Arriving at Abu Simbel we await the first rays of sunlight to touch the temple gate signifying the start of the Sun Festival of the mighty King Ramses II. With its gargantuan rock-cut façade, the great Sun Temple of King Ramses II at Abu Simbel is simply spectacular. The temple was built to revere the mighty pharaonic ruler King Ramses II and guarding the entrance to the temple (built between 1290 and 1224 BC) hewn into the side of a mountain are four famous colossal statues of the pharaoh himself.
Ramses II had the entire temple precisely positioned in order for the sun’s rays to align just twice a year, on the date of his ascension to the throne (21 February) and on his birthday (21 October) to illuminate the inner sanctum of the temple. This incredible natural phenomenon provides for a most spectacular sight, which has come to be referred to as the Sun Festival of King Ramses II. The temple was re-located further up from the shoreline of Lake Nasser in 1972 in order to avoid erosion and due to the move the sun now strikes a day later than Ramses had originally planned.
We gather in the temple before sunrise watch the shafts of light slowly creeping through the rock hewn inner Hypostyle Hall (replete with further statues of the King) and through to the Sanctuary. As we are lead through the temple there will be time to pause for a moment to watch the sun illuminating the statues of Amun-Re, Re-Herakhte and Ramses the god, whilst the statute of Ptah - the god of darkness - remains in the shadows. After the event, there will be plenty of time to explore the Sun Temple of King Ramses II, the Temple of Hathor and take plenty of pictures.
Returning to Aswan around noon we board a [[traditional Nile felucca|122461]] for our 2 night voyage downstream on the River Nile.
Day 7 : Felucca Cruise
Location: Kom Umbu
Accommodation: Felucca Cruise
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Nile Felucca Sailing. Relax, go for a swim or just chill out in the sun on deck. Let your troubles melt away, as the felucca plies its route and Egyptian life carries on all around you. In the afternoon, we dock near Kom Ombo and take a motorboat to visit the temple before returning to the felucca for the night.
Day 8 : Luxor
Location: Luxor
Meals Included: Breakfast
We disembark this morning and drive a few hours north too Luxor, home of the legendary Valley of the Kings and Temple of Karnak, 4000 year-old Luxor is ancient Egypt at its best. Enjoy some rest and relaxation. Tonight, an optional visit to the Temple of Luxor beautifully illuminated at night, alternatively enjoy the facilities of our hotel.
Day 9 : Luxor
Location: Luxor
Meals Included: Breakfast
Luxor - Cairo. This morning we travel over to the West Bank of the Nile to explore the famous Valley of the Kings. Marvel at Colossi of Memnon, the massive stone remains of the Temple of Amenophis III, and explore the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut and surrounding tombs. After lunch, we visit the Temple of Karnak, a spectacular religious complex built on a gigantic scale, where you get lost wandering around the stone papyrus columns. Tonight, we return by overnight train to Cairo.
Day 10 : Cairo
Location: Cairo
Meals Included: Breakfast
This morning we arrive back into Cairo and transfer to our hotel. Today is free for you to independently explore Cairo, or you could book locally our optional visit to the bustling Khan el Khalili Bazaar where you shop for souvenirs.
What's Included
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Accommodation
4 - 5 star -
Breakfast daily, 2 lunches and 2 dinners
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6 nights 4-5 star hotels and 2 nights aboard felucca (open deck)
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Overnight bus journey from Aswan - Abu Simbel (3.5 hrs)
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2 overnight trains from Cairo to Aswan and Luxor and Cairo (Private 2 berth sleeper cabin)
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Airport arrival and departure transfers on day 1 and day 11
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Touring - Cairo, Giza, Saqqara, Aswan and Luxor
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Guided visit to Abu Simbel at sunrise for the Sun Festival of King Ramses II including Abu Simbel and Sun Festival entrance fee
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Escorted by an Egyptian tour guide degree qualified in Egyptology
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All relevant transfer and transportation in private modern air-conditioned vehicles
What's Not Included
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International flights and visa
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Tip for your tour guide. We recommend you allow USD$5-7 per day, per traveller. Tipping your guide is an entirely personal gesture
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Entrance Fees: USD$100–120pp, paid in local currency
Check out our Q&As
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What Ethical Travel credentials does the tour company have?
Ensuring our footprint is light and that the benefits of travelling reach the local communities you visit is paramount to us. We’re proud to say that when travelling with us, the large majority of your holiday funds remain within the countries you visit, supporting local economies at a grass roots level.
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How long has the tour company been trading?
Since 1998
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Who will be my travelling companions on the tour?
With English-speaking tours, it's not a huge surprise that most on our travellers are from English-speaking countries or have English as their second language. Our group tours cater for everyone from 18 years old to 70+
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Will the accommodation included meet local health and safety regulations?
Yes
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Feb 18, 2025 - Feb 27, 2025Book with Confidence
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
On The Go Tours allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform on the go tours, 60 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
On The Go Tours requires a minimum deposit of 500 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of on the go tours charges.
Up to 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 59 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.