Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Upper Egypt: Luxor, Aswan, Lake Nasser and Abu Simbel
8 days from Luxor to Aswan: three nights in Luxor, Edfu and Kom Ombo by road, Philae and a Nubian village, and a night at Abu Simbel on Lake Nasser.
8 days · Luxor to Aswan · up to 12 guests
Feluccas on the Nile at Aswan Photo: Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Aswan_Nile_R23.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 8 days, 7 nights
- Start and end
- Luxor to Aswan
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 3.5 h on day 4No drive day is longer than 4 hours.
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly easy walking on uneven temple paving and sand, 2 to 4 hours on foot on site days, with steep sloping corridors down into the tombs and the ramps at Hatshepsut's temple. Two early starts (the West Bank and the Abu Simbel sunrise) and two road days of about 3.5 to 3.75 hours. Any visit can be sat out in the van or the shade.
- Meals included
- 7 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 530 (estimated price)
- Season
- October to April
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Valley of the Kings at opening, with Tutankhamun's tomb included, before the cruise-boat coaches arrive
- Karnak in the late afternoon light, then the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor Temple lit after dark
- Edfu and Kom Ombo on the road south, with lunch between them and no day over four hours of driving
- Philae by boat soon after opening, then Lake Nasser from the High Dam
- Tea and dinner with a Nubian family in a village on the west bank at Aswan
- A night at Abu Simbel: the temples in the late afternoon, sunset over Lake Nasser, the sound and light show and the colossi at sunrise
- A felucca sail around Elephantine Island on the last evening
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day, and none is longer than 4 hours.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 530 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 3.5 h, on day 4.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Luxor
Luxor International Airport (LXR) to your hotel in Luxor
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Luxor
- Drive about 30 min
Fly into Luxor International Airport (LXR), about 10 km east of the city centre; from North America most flights connect through Cairo. A driver meets you in the arrivals hall and takes you to a central hotel on the east bank, close to the Corniche, the riverside promenade that runs past Luxor Temple.
Morning
Plan to land by about 4 pm if you can; if you land later, you are still met and the briefing moves to breakfast.
Evening
In the early evening your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the week: why we cross to the West Bank so early, why Karnak waits for the late afternoon, what to wear in the tombs, and how the road days to Aswan and Abu Simbel are paced. Then we walk to a welcome dinner at a local restaurant, where the table fills with mezze, grilled meats, rice, bread and cold hibiscus tea. If you land early, walk the Corniche at sunset, when the feluccas come in and the hills of the West Bank turn pink across the water.
Included
- Pick-up at Luxor International Airport (LXR)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome dinner
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
The West Bank at opening
Luxor across the Nile to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon, then back to Luxor
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Luxor
- Drive about 1.5 h
The West Bank is where Luxor gets crowded, so we are there first. We leave the hotel at about 6:15, cross the Nile by the bridge south of town and reach the Valley of the Kings as the gates open, ahead of the cruise-boat coaches. Your ticket covers three tombs, chosen on the day from those open, and we add Tutankhamun's tomb, found by Howard Carter in 1922, where the young king still lies in his burial chamber. The painted corridors are cool and quiet at this hour. Next comes Hatshepsut's terraced temple at Deir el-Bahari, set against the cliffs, built for the queen who ruled as pharaoh in the 15th century BC. On the way back we stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two seated statues of Amenhotep III about 18 m high.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down meal at a West Bank restaurant, and we are back across the river by about 2 pm. The afternoon is free: sleep, swim, or walk the souk.
Included
- Valley of the Kings at opening with your guide: three tombs on the standard ticket
- Tutankhamun's tomb
- Hatshepsut's temple at Deir el-Bahari
- The Colossi of Memnon
- Sit-down lunch on the West Bank
Optional experiences
- Tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens or the tomb of Seti I, on separate premium tickets (price shown when you book)
Easier option: Visit two tombs instead of three and wait in the shade of the visitor centre; at Hatshepsut's temple, take the electric shuttle from the car park and view the terraces from the lower court.
More active option: Where the path is open on the day, walk with your guide over the ridge from the Valley of the Kings down to Hatshepsut's temple, about 45 minutes with a steep descent, while the van drives round.
Free time: Afternoon free in Luxor
Activity: An early start for the empty tombs: about 3 hours on foot, with sloping corridors and steps down into each tomb.
Karnak late, Luxor Temple after dark
Luxor Museum, then Karnak and the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor Temple
- Breakfast
- Stay in Luxor
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
If you want to see the West Bank from the air, today starts with the optional hot air balloon: pickup is before dawn, flights launch around sunrise when the wind allows, and you are back for breakfast. Everyone else sleeps in. Late in the morning we visit the Luxor Museum, small and well lit, with statues found buried under Luxor Temple and objects from Tutankhamun's tomb.
Afternoon
Lunch is yours and the early afternoon is free. Most groups see Karnak in the morning; we go in at about 3 pm, when the coaches have gone and the low sun rakes across the 134 columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall. The complex grew over roughly 2,000 years, pylon by pylon, and your guide makes sense of it: the obelisks of Hatshepsut and Thutmose I, the sacred lake, the granite scarab. From Karnak the Avenue of Sphinxes runs about 2.7 km south to Luxor Temple. We walk as much of it as is open and as the group wants, and the van takes us the rest of the way, reaching Luxor Temple after dark, when it is lit and at its best.
Included
- Luxor Museum with your guide
- Karnak in the late afternoon with your guide
- The Avenue of Sphinxes
- Luxor Temple after dark
Optional experiences
- Sunrise hot air balloon over the West Bank, weather permitting (price shown when you book)
Easier option: Ride in the van from Karnak to Luxor Temple instead of walking any of the Avenue of Sphinxes.
More active option: Walk the whole Avenue of Sphinxes from Karnak to Luxor Temple, about 2.7 km, if it is open to walk at dusk on the day; otherwise walk the open stretch near Luxor Temple.
Free time: Late morning to mid-afternoon free, lunch on your own
Activity: About 3 to 4 hours on foot in the afternoon and evening, on flat paving.
Edfu and Kom Ombo on the road to Aswan
Luxor to Edfu, then Kom Ombo and Aswan by road
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Aswan
- Drive about 3.5 h
Afternoon
We leave Luxor at 8 am and drive south along the Nile, about 225 km and three and a half hours of driving in all, split into three short legs by two temples and lunch. Your guide talks the road as we go: sugar cane fields, irrigation canals, donkey carts and mud-brick villages between the river and the desert. Edfu comes first, after about an hour and a half. Its Temple of Horus, built between 237 and 57 BC, is one of the most complete temples in Egypt, roof and all, and the dark inner sanctuary still holds its granite shrine. About an hour further south we stop for a sit-down lunch at a restaurant near Kom Ombo, then visit the temple on a bend of the river: a double temple, one side for Sobek, the crocodile god, and one for Haroeris, a form of Horus, with two of everything, gates, halls and sanctuaries. Next door, the Crocodile Museum shows mummified crocodiles found nearby. The last 45 minutes bring us into Aswan by late afternoon, in time for a walk on the Corniche.
Included
- Temple of Horus at Edfu with your guide
- Sit-down lunch near Kom Ombo
- Kom Ombo temple and the Crocodile Museum
- Drive from Luxor to Aswan with your guide
Easier option: Stay in the shade of the Edfu or Kom Ombo forecourt with a drink while the group walks the inner halls; the van is parked close to both temples.
More active option: On arrival in Aswan, walk the Corniche with your guide to the old souk, about 2 km, before dinner.
Free time: Evening free in Aswan
Activity: The longest road day, broken into legs of about 1.5 hours, 1 hour and 45 minutes. About 2.5 hours on foot at the two temples.
Philae, the High Dam and a Nubian village
Aswan to Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk, then by boat to a Nubian village
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Aswan
- Drive about 1 h
We leave at about 7:30 for the boat landing south of Aswan, so we reach Philae soon after it opens and before the day-trippers. A small motorboat crosses to Agilkia Island and the Temple of Isis, moved here stone by stone in a UNESCO rescue completed in 1980, after the old Aswan dam left its first island flooded for much of the year. Next is the High Dam, finished in 1970: from the top you see Lake Nasser stretching south towards Sudan on one side and the Nile on the other.
Morning
Last stop of the morning is the Unfinished Obelisk, still lying in its granite quarry where it cracked; finished, it would have stood about 42 m tall. The middle of the day is free in Aswan.
Evening
In the late afternoon a motorboat takes us downstream past Elephantine Island to a Nubian village on the west bank, its houses painted in bright blues and yellows, for tea, a walk through the lanes and dinner with a Nubian family.
Included
- Boat to Philae and the Temple of Isis with your guide
- The High Dam and the view over Lake Nasser
- The Unfinished Obelisk
- Boat to a Nubian village on the west bank
- Dinner with a Nubian family
Easier option: At Philae, stay in the forecourt and the shade of the colonnade instead of walking the whole island; skip the Unfinished Obelisk quarry, which has steps and loose ground.
More active option: In the free midday, take the public ferry to Elephantine Island and walk through its Nubian villages to the ruins of ancient Abu.
Free time: Late morning to late afternoon free, lunch on your own
Across the desert to Abu Simbel
Aswan to Abu Simbel by road, beside Lake Nasser
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Abu Simbel
- Drive about 3.5 h
Most visitors see Abu Simbel on a day trip that leaves Aswan around 4 am.
Evening
We leave after breakfast at about 8 and stay the night. The road runs about 280 km south across the Western Desert, three and a half hours with a short stop on the way, and the flat sand and black hills go on until Lake Nasser appears. We check in near the temples in time for lunch, then rest through the heat of the day. In the late afternoon, well before the last entry, we walk to the temples. Ramesses II had them cut into the sandstone cliff in the 13th century BC: the Great Temple has four seated colossi of the king, each about 20 m high, and the smaller temple honours his queen Nefertari and the goddess Hathor. In the 1960s both were cut into blocks and rebuilt about 65 m higher to save them from the rising lake. The temples close around sunset, so we watch the sun go down over Lake Nasser from the lake shore or the hotel, then have dinner and come back for the sound and light show on the facades after dark.
Included
- Drive from Aswan to Abu Simbel with your guide
- Lunch and dinner in Abu Simbel
- The Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Temple of Nefertari in the late afternoon
- Abu Simbel sound and light show
Easier option: Spend the afternoon at the hotel and visit only the Great Temple, the closer of the two, then watch the sound and light show from a seat.
More active option: Before dinner, walk with your guide along the lake shore path near the temples to watch the sunset over Lake Nasser.
Free time: Midday free to rest at the hotel
Activity: Nobody else's schedule sets the wake-up: no 4 am convoy start.
Abu Simbel at sunrise, a felucca in Aswan
Abu Simbel to Aswan by road, then a felucca sail around Elephantine Island
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Aswan
- Drive about 3.5 h
Morning
The temple gates open early and our hotel is a few minutes away, so we walk over before sunrise. The Great Temple faces east across Lake Nasser, and the first sun turns the four colossi from grey to orange while the day-trip coaches from Aswan are still on the road. Inside, the halls are quiet enough to hear your guide without raising a voice.
Afternoon
We are back at the hotel for breakfast, then drive the 280 km north to Aswan, about three and a half hours, arriving for a sit-down lunch by the river. In the late afternoon we board a felucca, the Nile's traditional sailboat, and sail with a Nubian crew among the granite boulders around Elephantine Island and Kitchener's Island, with its botanical garden, as the light goes gold behind the Tombs of the Nobles on the west bank.
Evening
The trip ends with a farewell dinner together in Aswan.
Included
- Abu Simbel at sunrise with your guide
- Drive from Abu Simbel to Aswan
- Sit-down lunch in Aswan
- Felucca sail around Elephantine Island and Kitchener's Island
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Skip the sunrise visit and sleep in; you saw the temples the afternoon before. Stay on board the felucca if the group stops to climb.
More active option: Leave the felucca on the west bank and climb the sandy path to the Tombs of the Nobles at Qubbet el-Hawa for the view over Aswan.
Activity: A sunrise start, but the temple is a short walk from the hotel and the drive comes after breakfast.
The Nubian Museum and home
Aswan to the Nubian Museum, then Aswan International Airport (ASW)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
A slower morning after a week of early starts. After breakfast we take a short drive to the Nubian Museum, opened in 1997 with help from UNESCO, which tells the story of the Nubian people from prehistory to the villages lost under Lake Nasser, with a garden and a reconstructed Nubian house outside. Then there is time for a last coffee on the Corniche or a wander along Sharia el-Souk, Aswan's market street, where spice sellers pile up hibiscus, cumin and dried limes. Your transfer to Aswan International Airport (ASW), about 25 km and half an hour from the centre, is timed to your flight, and your guide sees you off. Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm to fit in the museum; most international connections go through Cairo. If you want Cairo and the pyramids too, ask us about adding nights there, or look at our Egypt: Pyramids, Abu Simbel and the Nile trip.
Included
- The Nubian Museum with your guide
- Drop-off at Aswan International Airport (ASW)
Easier option: Skip the market walk and wait at the hotel for your airport transfer; if your flight leaves in the morning, we take you straight from the hotel to the airport.
More active option: Walk from the Nubian Museum back along the Corniche to Sharia el-Souk, about 2 km, with your guide.
Free time: Late morning free in Aswan
Activity: Book a flight leaving after about 1 pm to see the museum.
- Luxor3 nights
- Aswan2 nights
- Abu Simbel1 night
- Aswan1 night
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: October and April can still reach the mid 30s Celsius in Aswan and Abu Simbel, so we keep the long visits to the morning and late afternoon. December to February brings warm days and cool nights, and balloon flights are cancelled when the wind is too strong.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who want Luxor and Aswan in depth rather than Egypt in a rush
- First-timers who would rather skip the sleeper train and the 4 am Abu Simbel convoy
- Anyone who has seen Cairo and the pyramids and wants Upper Egypt on its own
- A mix of guided mornings and free afternoons
Not for you if you want
- A first trip that must include Cairo and the pyramids: see our Egypt: Pyramids, Abu Simbel and the Nile trip
- Travellers who want a Nile cruise ship
- Step-free access: the tombs go down sloping corridors and steps
- Summer travel: we do not run it from May to September
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
7 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Luxor3 nights
- Aswan2 nights
- Abu Simbel1 night
- Aswan1 night
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 7 nights in central hotels: 3 in Luxor on the east bank, 3 in Aswan (2 before Abu Simbel and 1 after), 1 at Abu Simbel near the temples
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
Transport
- Pick-up at Luxor International Airport (LXR) and drop-off at Aswan International Airport (ASW)
- A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver for the group, Luxor to Aswan and Aswan to Abu Simbel and back
- Boats to Philae and to the Nubian village
- Felucca sail in Aswan
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide for the whole trip, from the Luxor arrivals hall to the Aswan airport, with licensed local Egyptologists at the sites
Activities
- Luxor: Valley of the Kings (three tombs) and Tutankhamun's tomb
- Luxor: Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon
- Luxor: the Luxor Museum, Karnak, the Avenue of Sphinxes and Luxor Temple after dark
- Edfu: the Temple of Horus
- Kom Ombo: the temple and the Crocodile Museum
- Aswan: Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk
- Aswan: a Nubian village visit
- Abu Simbel: both temples at sunset and sunrise, and the sound and light show
- Aswan: the Nubian Museum
Meals
- Breakfast daily (7)
- Sit-down lunches on days 2, 4, 6 and 7 (4)
- Welcome dinner, dinner with a Nubian family, dinner at Abu Simbel and a farewell dinner (4)
Not included
- International flights to Luxor and from Aswan
- Egyptian visa
- Travel insurance
- Lunches on days 1, 3, 5 and 8, and dinners on days 2, 3, 4 and 8
- Drinks
- Tips for drivers, boat crews and site staff
- The sunrise balloon flight and premium tomb tickets (Nefertari, Seti I)
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 530 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Seven nights in central hotels, breakfast daily, four lunches and four dinners, airport transfers, a vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, and every entry in the plan, including the tomb tickets many tours sell as extras: the Valley of the Kings with Tutankhamun's tomb, Karnak, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, Abu Simbel with its show, two museums and the felucca. Only premium tombs and the balloon are optional.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests. That is small enough to hear your guide in a tomb corridor, move through ticket and security lines quickly and sit around one table at lunch.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide stays with the group from the Luxor arrivals hall to the Aswan airport, including every transfer. At the temples and tombs a licensed local Egyptologist joins us, as Egyptian sites expect, and your guide talks you through the road between them.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate. Expect 2 to 4 hours on foot on site days, on uneven paving and sand, with sloping corridors and steps down into the tombs. There are two early starts and two road days of about three and a half hours. You can sit any visit out in the shade or the van.
I'm travelling solo. Do I pay a single supplement?
Only if you want a room of your own, which costs from CAD 530 more. If you would rather share, say so when you request to book; we will tell you if a roommate match is available when dates are confirmed, and otherwise quote the single room before you commit.
When is the best time to go?
October to April, which is the only time we run this trip. December to February brings warm days and cool nights; October and April can still pass 35 degrees Celsius in Aswan and Abu Simbel, so we keep long visits to mornings and late afternoons. May to September is too hot for this pace.
Are tips included, and are there shopping stops?
Tips are not included: tipping drivers, boat crews, site staff and guides is part of daily life in Egypt, and we send a suggested amount per day with your pre-trip notes. There are no shopping stops on the schedule, so nobody steers you to a papyrus or perfume shop; markets are in your free time.
Why stay a night at Abu Simbel instead of a day trip?
Day trips from Aswan usually leave around 4 am and give you about two hours at the temples with every coach of the morning. We drive down after breakfast, visit the temples in the late afternoon, watch the sunset over Lake Nasser and the sound and light show, and go back at sunrise from a hotel a few minutes away.
Why drive from Luxor to Aswan instead of taking a Nile cruise?
The road gets you there in one day with Edfu and Kom Ombo on the way, and it keeps hotel nights in the centre of Luxor and Aswan with free afternoons. If you want days on the river, our Egypt: Pyramids, Abu Simbel and the Nile and Egypt, the Nile and the Red Sea trips include a boat.
Do I need a visa for Egypt?
Most visitors do. Many passports, including Canadian, US and UK, can get a tourist visa online before travel or on arrival at the airport for a fee. We confirm the current rules for your passport when you book and send the steps with your pre-trip notes.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip comes as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, with your own guide and vehicle. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same route for you.
How does booking work?
Pick a start date and request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, and no payment is taken until we do. The small group starts from CAD 3,120 per person sharing, taxes included, and the private trip from CAD 5,615.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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