Abu Simbel Tourist Attractions and Sightseeing

(Abu Simbel, Egypt)

Literally thousands of tourists come to Abu Simbel each year to sightsee around its world-famous temples. If you have time, do hang around for the Light and Sound Shows, which take place at Abu Simbel's temples at the end of the day and are always extremely memorable, particularly when the laser beams rise behind the four statues of Ramesses II, creating a truly unique sight.

Tourists will find all other attractions tend to be dotted around the simply vast Lake Nasser, which borders Abu Simbel and is now the biggest man-made lake in the whole world. Lake Nasser stretches for a staggering 310 metres / 500 km and is a truly beautiful spectacle, offering a very impressive backdrop to the temples.

Light and Sound Show

The Light and Sound Show at the temples is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the whole of Abu Simbel and always draws huge crowds of onlookers. Visitors sit facing the temple itself and are given individual sets of headphones, with multi-language commentary as the light show begins. Whilst the commentary is a little flowery to say the least (the English commentary is actually narrated by movie legend Roger Moore), the laser shows projected onto the actual temples is really quite something and tell the story of King Ramses II and his beautiful bride Nefertari, and how the temples were successfully relocated in the sixties, along with graphic details about various historical battles and earthquakes.
Open hours: daily, October to May - 19:00 and 20:00; May to September - 20:00 and 21:00
Admission: charge

Lake Nasser

Lake Nasser was formed by the creation of the High Dam and immediately created many exciting recreational attractions and activities for Egyptian tourists. The deepest part of the lake actually goes down some 180 metres / 590 feet and although many temples were successfully relocated before the flooding began, many others lie beneath the water's surface, lost forever. Located next to Abu Simbel, Lake Nasser is the perfect place to enjoy a leisurely afternoon cruise and a number of different cruise boats operate here. Fishing trips are extremely popular and the lake is home to some enormous record-breaking Nile perch and other huge fish, with very few predators other that Egyptian Nile crocodiles. Most fishing trips also combine their angling with visits to some of the shoreline temples and ancient sites.
Open hours: daily - 24 hours
Admission: free, charge for boat trips / cruises