We are flying to fly from Cairo to Abu Simbel and stay a night there and would like to know is there a way (on land) to get to Aswan? Thanks!

There is a daily caravan (or 2) of tour busses but I am not sure you can buy a ticket to ride on them. Supposedly, there is scheduled bus service but the number of non-Egyptians permitted to ride on them (per bus) is limited to 4 or something like that.

Are you staying at the Seti? It looked wonderful.

Still at planning stage, it seems like all the bus tours are round-trip, you can't buy one way. I think its has to do with security and stuff. I really want to stay in Abu Simbel to see the sunset. I don't know see how is it possible overnight without flying in and out of there. SAD!

It's sunrise you want to see (the temples face east) - the temples are in the shade at sunset (or after noon). Could you take a cruise back to ASW? There are about 6 cruise lines, maybe more. You usually board the ship day 0, sail after dawn on day 1, visit some sites long the way (accessible most easily by boat), moor somewhere on the lake day 2, get to Aswan evening of day 3, and disembark in the morning after a tour of the temples by the high dam.

The trouble with the caravans is that you may not arrive in time for sunrise (you see tour busses arrive one every 10 seconds for several minutes, all discharging lots of tourists who need to go through security).

Do be aware the admission tickets (valid only one time) and EGP 80 each.

Hi YVR Cockroach,

Unfortunatly, our time is very limited, I am debating if I even should spend
time in Aswan. BTW, do you have any experience with Egypt sleeper train system? Do they normally run on time? If the train arrive in Ramses station at 7am, will I make it to my international flight out of the CAI at 10am?

What you could do is get to Abu Simbel in the evening or afternoon and spend the night at the Seti (about 15 min walk from the temples). Get the ticket the night before so you can go straight to the security and entrance point. Or take the 1st flight that arrives. Leave at 9am back to ASW or LXR.

Book the Seti well in advance as it's often sold out (group bookings).

The train runs ontime, by airline standards. At least gets into Cairo within 15-30 minutes of. Is Ramses station on the east side of the Nile north of Cairo? I'd say it should be 30-45 minutes to CAI from there so it should be enough time. Take the early train if you are concerned. Most tourists appear to get off at the 1st Cairo station on the west bank.

If your time is limited, why not fly back ABS-ASW-CAI? The trains are fine but the time is better spent, say, exploring Luxor or Aswan than on the train.

Train is overnight, so actually it gives you most of the evening in ASW or LXR before you board, and saves you a hotel night too.

We did the trains , they were on time and fairly clean.