Your day trip to Abu Simbel from Cairo by plane will start with an early morning pick-up from your hotel in Cairo. You will be transferred to the airport, where you will board your flight to Abu Simbel. The flight duration is about one hour and a half, and you will enjoy the scenic views of the Nile and the desert along the way. Upon arrival in Abu Simbel, you will meet your guide and driver, who will take you to your destination: the Abu Simbel temples. These are two massive rock-cut temples that were built by Ramses II in the 13th century BCE and dedicated to himself and his wife Nefertari. They are considered one of the most impressive and unique monuments in Egypt, and they were declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 19791. The main temple is dedicated to the sun gods Amon-Re and Re-Horakhte, and it features four colossal statues of Ramses II at the entrance, each about 20 meters high. The temple is aligned in such a way that twice a year, on February 22 and October 22, the sun rays illuminate the inner sanctuary and the statues of the four gods seated there. This phenomenon is known as the sun festival of Abu Simbel2. The smaller temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor and Nefertari, and it features six smaller statues of Ramses II and Nefertari at the entrance, each about 10 meters high. This is the only temple in Egypt where the statues of the king and his wife are equal in size, indicating the special status of Nefertari as the favorite consort of Ramses II3. You will have the opportunity to explore the interior chambers of the temples and see the beautiful reliefs and paintings that depict the scenes of the king’s military victories and religious rituals. You will also learn about the history and the relocation of the temples, which were moved from their original location to save them from the rising waters of Lake Nasser in the 1960s. This was a remarkable engineering feat that involved cutting the temples into large blocks, lifting them up, and reassembling them on higher ground. After visiting the temples, you will enjoy a delicious lunch at a local restaurant, where you will taste some of the traditional dishes of Egypt, such as koshari, falafel, and shawarma. You will also have the chance to try some of the local drinks, such as hibiscus tea, mint tea, or coffee. At the end of the day, you will be transferred back to the airport, where you will catch your flight back to Cairo. You will be dropped off at your hotel, with unforgettable memories of your day trip to Abu Simbel.