The Great Temple at Abu Simbel is generally considered the grandest and most beautiful of the temples commissioned during the reign of Ramesses II, and one of the most beautiful in Egypt. The great temple of Amon Re and Ra-Harakhte where the four famous colossal statues of Ramses II sit majestically over 20 meters high, staring out across the desert. Enjoy a fantastic lecture from your personal guide outside the temples, and then free time to look inside the temple interior, which sinks 200 feet (60 mt) into the mountain, with statues and carvings that depict Ramses II’s military victories and captives. On the back wall of the temple you will see the statues dedicated to the gods Amun, Ra-Horakhty, and Ptah, as well as to the deified Ramesses himself.

Later on, walk to the small temple of Hathor dedicated to the cow-headed goddess of love, happiness, joy and music built in honor of Ramses favorite wife Queen Nefertari, Six massive standing statues front the temple each 10 meters high. Between 1964 and 1968, the entire site was carefully cut into large blocks (up to 30 tons, averaging 20 tons), dismantled, lifted and reassembled in a new location 65 metres higher and 200 metres back from the river, in one of the greatest challenges of archaeological engineering in history. Some structures were even saved from under the waters of Lake Nasser. After visiting the temple complex, make the return trip to Aswan, where this tour concludes with drop-off at your hotel or cruise ship.