3-Day 2-Night Tour to Aswan, Abusimbel & Luxor

The best thing about this three-day Upper Egypt tour is its reach. In a tight schedule, you see Aswan’s island temple, the enormous sanctuaries of Abu Simbel, and Luxor’s greatest ancient sites, with the long Aswan to Luxor trip handled for you. The early starts are serious, but the payoff is a packed look at Egypt’s southern treasures.

I like the first-class train ride between Aswan and Luxor, which is more comfortable than spending another half day on the road. I also like the practical care built into the plan: pickup from the airport, train station, or bus station, breakfast packed for the 4:00 am Abu Simbel departure, and a representative waiting by your train carriage in Luxor.

The main drawback is pace. Abu Simbel requires a very early start, and Day 3 runs for about 10 hours. You will see a lot, but this is not a slow, restful holiday. The tour also uses 3-star hotels, and tips for guides and drivers are extra.

Key points to know before booking

• Abu Simbel begins at 4:00 am: A breakfast box is prepared at your hotel, but the day still demands an early alarm and plenty of stamina.
• Philae comes with a felucca ride: After visiting the High Dam, Philae Temple, and the Unfinished Obelisk, you reach your hotel by traditional sailboat.
• The Aswan to Luxor connection is by first-class train: The ride takes about three hours, with a representative meeting you at the Luxor end.
• Luxor packs both banks into one day: The Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut are on the west bank, while Karnak and Luxor Temple are on the east bank.
• Three Valley of the Kings tombs are included: Your guide recommends the best three that are open on the day.
• The tour ends where you need it to: Drop-off can be arranged at Luxor station, Luxor Airport, Hurghada bus station, or another chosen location, with private transfer options to Hurghada or Marsa Alam.

What the $450 price really covers

At $450 per person, this tour is priced as a bundled sightseeing trip rather than a simple guided day outing. You receive two nights in 3-star hotels, breakfast at both stays, three lunches, entrance tickets, transport between the main stops, and a first-class train ticket from Aswan to Luxor.

That package matters in Egypt, where the individual pieces can be awkward to coordinate. You do not need to find a hotel in Aswan, arrange the Abu Simbel departure, buy the train ticket, then work out how to meet your guide in Luxor. The tour operator, Egypt Knight, handles those links.

The value is strongest if you want to cover Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor in one continuous plan. The price is less attractive if you already have hotels, train tickets, or a private driver arranged. In that case, you may be paying for services you do not need.

The included meals are listed as three lunches, one during each touring day. Day 1 includes lunch at a local restaurant. Day 2 includes lunch after returning from Abu Simbel, and Day 3 includes lunch at ElMarsam, described as a highly recommended restaurant. Breakfast is included at the hotels, with a breakfast box prepared for Abu Simbel.

Tips for guides and drivers are not included. Set aside extra cash for that customary expense, since it is the one clear cost left outside the package.

Day 1: Aswan’s High Dam, Philae, and a sailboat finish

Your guide meets you at Aswan Airport, Aswan Train Station, or the Aswan Bus Station. That flexibility is useful if Aswan is not your first stop in Egypt and you arrive by train or bus rather than by air.

The first day is planned as an approximately eight-hour tour. You visit the Aswan High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk, and Philae Temple before lunch. These sites give you three different views of Aswan: modern engineering, ancient stonework, and temple architecture set on an island.

The High Dam is an important starting point because it helps explain modern Aswan. The Unfinished Obelisk offers a close look at how monumental stone was worked before it became part of a finished monument. The crack and unfinished form are the point here, not a polished final structure.

Philae Temple is the star of the day. It was relocated to Agilkia Island after the original island was threatened by rising water, so the visit is tied to both ancient Egypt and the modern effort to protect its monuments. The tour pairs the temple with a felucca ride, a traditional Egyptian sailboat. According to the plan, the boat ride takes you to your hotel after the sightseeing and lunch.

That is a pleasant way to end a busy first day, but do not expect the felucca to replace a separate leisure cruise. It is presented as the transfer to your hotel, not as a long sunset sailing excursion. You check in after arriving, then have the rest of the day free.

The free afternoon is useful. You can rest before the Abu Simbel alarm, which is set for 4:00 am the next morning. If you want to make this schedule work, treat Day 1 as a sightseeing day with an early bedtime, not as a late-night introduction to Aswan.

Day 2: Abu Simbel before breakfast, then north by train

Day 2 is the toughest day and the tour’s biggest reward. A breakfast box waits in the hotel lobby, and pickup is scheduled for 4:00 am for the Abu Simbel excursion.

Abu Simbel contains the rock-cut temples of Ramesses II and Queen Nefertari, dating to around 1290 BC. The scale and setting make this one of Egypt’s major ancient sites, and the temples are the reason many people accept the punishing start.

The plan allows time at Abu Simbel before returning to Aswan at about 1:30 pm. That timing gives you a full morning at the monument, but it also means the second half of the day still has work to do. After lunch, you check out and transfer to Aswan Train Station.

Your first-class train ticket covers the roughly three-hour ride to Luxor. This is a smart piece of planning. Instead of adding another long private road transfer after Abu Simbel, you can sit back and make the journey north by rail. First class does not turn a travel day into a rest day, but it should make the connection more comfortable.

At Luxor, a representative waits directly in front of your train carriage with a sign bearing your name. This detail is especially useful after a long day. You do not need to search the station for an unknown driver or wonder where to go next. The representative welcomes you, then transfers you to your hotel.

You spend the night in Luxor. The exact 3-star hotel is not named in the supplied information, so you should book this tour for its location and sightseeing plan rather than for a particular hotel brand or room style. Breakfast is included, and Day 3 begins at 8:00 am.

Day 3: Three tombs, Hatshepsut, and the Colossi of Memnon

After breakfast, you meet your guide in the hotel lobby at 8:00 am. The drive to Luxor’s west bank takes about 30 minutes.

The Valley of the Kings is the first major stop. Your ticket includes three tombs, and your guide recommends the best three that are open that day. That arrangement is practical because tomb access can vary, and the most famous tomb is not always available on every visit.

Three tombs may sound limited, but the Valley is not a place where more automatically means better. Tombs can be hot, narrow, and visually demanding. Three carefully chosen interiors give you time to look at the wall paintings and burial spaces without turning the morning into a rushed checklist.

The ticket does not state that the tomb of Tutankhamun is included. If seeing that tomb matters to you, ask about any additional ticket before you arrive. The safest assumption is that your included admission covers three open tombs selected by the guide.

Next comes the funeral temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Its broad terraces and cliffside setting create a different experience from the underground tombs. It also gives the day a strong historical balance, moving from royal burial places to a grand temple built for a powerful female ruler.

The visit continues to the Colossi of Memnon. These huge statues are a short, visually direct stop, and they make a good contrast with the more detailed temple visits. The plan does not give a separate time estimate for this stop, so expect it to fit within the west bank morning rather than function as a long independent visit.

Lunch is at ElMarsam, identified as a highly recommended restaurant. Since lunch is included, you can take a proper break before the east bank sites. That matters on a day with about 10 hours of touring, especially after the early Abu Simbel morning and the train ride the previous day.

Karnak and Luxor Temple close the trip

After lunch, you cross to the east bank of Luxor. The afternoon includes Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple, described in the plan as the greatest national monuments of the city.

Karnak deserves serious attention. It is a vast temple complex, not a single building, and its columns, courts, gateways, and sacred spaces give you a sense of scale that smaller sites cannot match. Your guide is important here because a large complex can blur into a long walk among stones unless someone helps you understand what each major area was for.

Luxor Temple provides a fitting final stop. It is located in the city itself and has a different feel from the more spread-out Karnak complex. Seeing both in one afternoon lets you compare two major religious centers rather than treating Luxor as one undifferentiated ancient site.

The schedule ends with hotel checkout and drop-off. The available destinations include Luxor Train Station, Luxor Airport, Hurghada Bus Station, or another location you choose. A private transfer can also be arranged to Hurghada or Marsa Alam.

That final flexibility makes this tour useful as a bridge between parts of an Egypt trip. You can finish in Luxor, continue by bus, catch a train or flight, or head toward the Red Sea. Confirm your preferred drop-off when booking, especially if you need a private transfer rather than a standard city departure.

The guide and group setup

The experience uses licensed guides, drivers, representatives, and a maximum group size of 15 people. That is small enough for a more personal outing than a large coach tour, while still keeping the price below a fully private itinerary.

The plan assigns a guide to the main sightseeing days, and the staff also handles airport, station, and hotel connections. Mahmood Ali is specifically associated with the organization of the trip and is noted for quick replies, checking how the hotels and excursions are going, and taking initiative when help is needed. Those are useful traits in a tour with several moving parts.

Still, the word licensed does not tell you how much time a guide will spend at each monument. If you want long archaeological explanations, tell the guide early. If you prefer a faster visit with time for photographs, say so too. The itinerary is full, and clear expectations will help you get the pace you want.

With up to 15 people, you may share transport and guide time with others. That can keep the cost sensible, but it may also mean waiting for the group at entrances, meals, or transfers. The supplied information does not promise a private vehicle or private guide throughout, so do not assume those features are included.

How hard is the three-day schedule?

The physical challenge is moderate, but the time pressure is high. Day 1 lasts about eight hours, Day 2 about 14 hours, and Day 3 about 10 hours. Day 2 is the clear test because pickup begins at 4:00 am and ends with the train to Luxor.

You should be comfortable with early mornings, extended sightseeing, and several transfers. The tour is a good match for someone with limited time who wants the major sites covered in a logical route. It is less suited to you if your priority is slow mornings, long hotel breaks, or choosing every stop yourself.

The free time after Day 1 is the main recovery window. Use it well. Rest, prepare for the early pickup, and keep the evening simple. The schedule rewards discipline more than spontaneity.

Most people can participate, and the experience is near public transportation. Pickup is offered, and confirmation is received at booking. The information does not give detailed accessibility specifications, so you should contact Egypt Knight before booking if you need step-free access or special transport arrangements.

Who should book this Egypt tour?

I would choose this trip if you want a high-value route through Upper Egypt without arranging each hotel, ticket, meal, and transfer on your own. It is especially useful for a first visit when you want the famous sites and a guide to connect them.

It also suits you if you are arriving in Aswan by plane, train, or bus and need a clean plan that ends in Luxor or continues toward the Red Sea. The first-class train segment makes the itinerary more comfortable than a series of long road transfers.

I would hesitate if you have already spent several days in Egypt and want a slower, more selective experience. You may prefer extra nights in Aswan or Luxor, particularly if you want more time at the temples, a calmer evening schedule, or independent exploration.

The 100 percent recommendation rate and five-star score from 24 ratings are encouraging, and the strongest praise focuses on organization and prompt communication from Mahmood Ali. That is exactly what matters here. The route is ambitious, so reliable coordination can make the difference between a smooth trip and a tiring scramble.

Practical booking advice

The tour is commonly booked about 33 days ahead, which suggests you should not leave it until the last moment if your Egypt dates are fixed. Ask for the hotel names, confirm the exact pickup point, and state your preferred final drop-off.

The listed operating periods show service from Monday through Sunday for some dates, Monday through Saturday for September 1 through December 17, 2025, and Monday through Sunday from December 18, 2025 through January 7, 2026. Check the applicable schedule for your travel date before paying.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience starts. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded, and late changes are not accepted. The tour also requires a minimum number of participants, so if that minimum is not met, you are offered another date or experience, or a full refund.

Should you book the Aswan to Luxor tour?

Book it if you want Abu Simbel, Philae, and Luxor’s headline monuments in three days, and you accept early mornings and long touring days. The included hotels, meals, entrance tickets, train, and station support make the $450 price reasonable for a tightly planned Egypt route.

Skip it if you want a relaxed holiday or insist on named hotels, a fully private schedule, or more control over how long you spend at each site. For the right kind of visitor, though, this is a practical way to see a huge amount of Upper Egypt without spending your trip solving transport problems.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The tour lasts approximately three days and includes two nights of accommodation, one night in Aswan and one night in Luxor.

How much does the tour cost?

The listed price is $450 per person.

Where can pickup take place in Aswan?

Pickup is offered from Aswan Airport, Aswan Train Station, or Aswan Bus Station.

What is included at the hotels?

Accommodation is provided in 3-star hotels in Aswan and Luxor, with breakfast included.

Is Abu Simbel included?

Yes. The tour includes a day trip to the Abu Simbel Temple Complex, with pickup scheduled for 4:00 am and admission included.

How do I travel from Aswan to Luxor?

A first-class train ticket from Aswan to Luxor is included. The train ride takes about three hours.

How many Valley of the Kings tombs are included?

Admission includes three tombs. The guide recommends the best three that are open on the day.

Are meals included?

Three lunches are included, one during each touring day. Breakfast is included at the hotels, and a breakfast box is prepared for the Abu Simbel departure.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 15 people.

Where can the tour end?

Drop-off can be arranged at Luxor Train Station, Luxor Airport, Hurghada Bus Station, or another chosen location. Private transfers to Hurghada or Marsa Alam can also be arranged.

Are guide and driver tips included?

No. Tips for guides and drivers are not included in the tour price.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations made within 24 hours are not refunded.