3-Day Aswan , Nubian Village ,Abu Simbel , Luxor & Train ticket

Southern Egypt packs its biggest sights into a short run here, from Philae Temple on an island to Abu Simbel and the royal tombs of Luxor. The plan removes much of the hard work: you get hotel, airport, or station pickups, road transfers, a motorboat, a felucca ride, and a first-class train ticket.

I especially like two things. First, the route uses the train between Aswan and Luxor instead of sending you back by road. Second, you see both sides of Luxor in one day, including Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. The trade-off is a packed schedule, with an early Abu Simbel trip and a long final day. Hotels, meals, and entrance tickets are not part of the $177 price.

Key points to know before booking

• Three major stops in three days: Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor are linked without requiring you to arrange each transfer yourself.
• Philae begins by boat: You reach the temple by motorboat, then visit a Nubian Village by felucca.
• Abu Simbel takes most of Day 2: Allow about eight hours for the group excursion, including the return to Aswan.
• The train is first class: Your Aswan to Luxor connection is arranged, with pickup at the other end.
• Luxor is full but worthwhile: The Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Karnak, and Luxor Temple all fit into Day 3.
• Budget beyond the headline price: Admission charges, accommodation, meals, and tips are separate, and entrance fees should be paid by credit card.

Why this route works for a short Egypt visit

This is a useful middle ground between a fully independent trip and a tightly controlled package. You arrange your own hotels and meals, so you retain some choice and can pick a place that suits your budget. The company handles the awkward pieces: city transfers, local transport, sightseeing guides, and the train.

The $177 price is attractive for the amount of movement involved. It covers air-conditioned vehicles in Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor, an Egyptologist guide, the first-class train ticket, a boat to Philae, a felucca trip, and taxes and charges. You still need to add admission tickets, lodging, and food, so compare the final cost rather than treating $177 as the full trip price.

The schedule is best for someone who wants to cover ground. It is not designed for long café breaks or slow museum visits. You will spend much of Day 2 on the road to Abu Simbel and much of Day 3 moving between major sights. That is a fair exchange if your southern Egypt time is limited.

The maximum group size is listed as 15 people. Abu Simbel is specifically described as a shared group tour, while one past booking described its tours as private. Since arrangements can differ between parts of the trip, ask for confirmation if a private vehicle or private guide matters to you.

Day 1: Philae Temple reached by motorboat

Your first pickup can be from an Aswan hotel, train station, or airport. That flexibility helps if Aswan is only one stop in a longer Egypt trip. Send your arrival details and accommodation information in advance so the pickup can be arranged properly.

Philae Temple is reached by motorboat, and the boat ride is part of the charm. The sanctuary sits on an island, so the approach gives you a clear sense that this is not simply a roadside monument. The guided visit lasts about an hour and a half, although the entrance fee is extra.

The temple is closely linked with the goddess Isis, and its island setting makes it one of Aswan’s most memorable stops. Your Egyptologist guide is there to explain the carved scenes and the layers of Egyptian, Greek, and Roman influence. Without a guide, the columns and reliefs can blur into a long procession of impressive stone. With context, the visit has more shape.

The tour provides the motorboat, but not the admission ticket. Entrance fees should be paid by credit card at the sights, so carry a card that works internationally. Bring your passport and sunglasses, as both are listed among the items to have with you.

The Nubian Village by felucca

After Philae, you continue to a Nubian Village. The visit takes about an hour and a half, and the transport includes a felucca trip. This gives the day a different mood from the formal temple visit: you are seeing a living community rather than only ancient stone.

The felucca is a traditional sailing boat, and the trip adds a pleasant change of pace after the motorboat and temple walking. The supplied details do not promise a particular village activity, meal, or demonstration, so keep your expectations focused on the boat ride and village visit rather than a set cultural show.

You are then returned to your Aswan hotel. That overnight arrangement is yours to make. The company provides the transfer, but accommodation is not included in the tour price, so check that your hotel is ready to receive you after the day’s visits.

Day 2: Abu Simbel and the long move to Luxor

Abu Simbel is the major reason many people choose this package. The temples are far enough from Aswan to require an early start and a long day, with about eight hours set aside for the shared excursion and return. This is the day to protect your sleep and keep your plans simple.

The Abu Simbel Temple Complex is famous for its huge rock-cut façades and the four seated figures of Ramesses II. The scale is the point. After smaller temple visits, the first sight of the façade can feel almost theatrical, even if you have seen photographs.

The shared format keeps the price down, but it also means following the group’s timing. If you want maximum independence at the site, ask before booking how much free time you will have. Admission is not included, and the ticket must be paid separately.

After returning to Aswan in the afternoon, you are transferred to the train station for the trip to Luxor. The train journey is listed at about three hours, and the ticket is first class. That is a practical advantage: you avoid another private road transfer and get a chance to sit down after Abu Simbel.

On arrival in Luxor, a pickup takes you from the station to your hotel. This door-to-door chain is one of the strongest parts of the arrangement. You do not have to negotiate a taxi after a long day, find the correct train platform alone, or work out how to reach a new hotel at night.

The sequence is still demanding. You visit Abu Simbel, return to Aswan, take the train, and transfer to your Luxor hotel on the same day. I would not add a separate evening activity in Luxor unless you have plenty of energy.

Day 3: The Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut

The final day begins with pickup from your Luxor hotel and heads to the west bank. The first stop is the Valley of the Kings, with about two hours planned for the visit. This is where many of Egypt’s best-known royal tombs are found, though the exact tombs open on the day can vary.

Your admission fee is separate. The tour gives you transport and a guide, but you should budget for the ticket before the day begins. The guide’s role is useful here because the tombs can look similar at first glance. The painted scenes, burial beliefs, and royal symbolism become easier to follow with explanations.

Next comes the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari. Allow about an hour and a half. Its broad terraces and cliff setting make it different from the enclosed tombs, and the visit adds a strong architectural contrast to the morning.

Hatshepsut’s story also gives your guide a chance to explain the role of one of Egypt’s most important female rulers. The temple is a place where the setting matters as much as the carved walls, so take a moment to look back across the terraces rather than rushing from one panel to the next.

The stop at the Colossi of Memnon is brief, about 30 minutes, and admission is free. These massive seated statues work well as a quick photo and orientation stop. Do not expect a long guided visit here. It is a pause between the west and east banks.

Karnak and Luxor Temple on the east bank

After the west bank, the tour crosses to the east bank for Karnak Temple. Two hours are planned, and that time is welcome because Karnak is a large complex rather than a single building.

The Great Hypostyle Hall is the visual highlight, with its forest of columns and carved surfaces. Karnak can be hard to understand as one place because it grew over many generations. A guide helps you connect the gateways, courts, columns, and sacred spaces instead of simply walking through a series of disconnected ruins.

Entrance is extra here as well. Since the tour covers several paid attractions, keep a separate admission budget. The exact amount is not provided, so you should confirm current fees before departure rather than relying on the $177 figure alone.

Luxor Temple is the last major stop, with about an hour and a half planned. Its location in the modern city gives it a different feel from the west bank sites. The temple is especially effective late in a long sightseeing day because it is more compact than Karnak and provides a clear final landmark.

At the end, you are transferred back to your Luxor hotel or the train station. That final option is useful if Luxor is not your endpoint, though the supplied details do not include any onward train ticket beyond the Aswan to Luxor journey.

Guides, vehicles, and the level of help you receive

An Egyptology guide is included for the guided visits. That matters most at Philae, the Valley of the Kings, and Karnak, where the remains are impressive but not always self-explanatory.

All listed road transfers use modern air-conditioned vehicles. In southern Egypt, that is more than a comfort note. The route includes long drives, especially on the Abu Simbel day, so air conditioning and organized pickup make the schedule easier to manage.

Motorboat transport to Philae and the felucca trip to the Nubian Village are also included. These are not just transport details. They give the first day variety, with temple, river, and village time instead of three similar road stops.

One useful point from the booking experience is that the contact person, Peter, was described as responsive and accommodating. He is not identified as one of the Egyptologist guides, so contact him for arrangements rather than assuming he will lead the sightseeing.

What the $177 price really covers

At $177 per person, this works best as a transport and guiding package. You are paying for the logistics of moving between three destinations and for several guided visits, not for a complete holiday.

Included:

• Pickup and transfers in Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor
• Air-conditioned vehicle transport
• First-class seated train ticket from Aswan to Luxor
• Egyptologist guide
• Motorboat to Philae
• Felucca trip to the Nubian Village
• Guided visits to the listed temples and sites
• Taxes and charges

Not included:

• Hotel accommodation
• Meals and drinks
• Entrance fees
• Tips

The separate entrance fees are the main extra cost to watch. Since Philae, Abu Simbel, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Karnak, and Luxor Temple all require planning, ask for the current total before you travel. Payment is to be made by credit card at the sightseeing sites.

Tips are not obligatory. If your guide and drivers provide good service, you can decide what feels appropriate rather than treating gratuity as a required part of the package.

Who should book this three-day plan

I would choose this for a first visit to southern Egypt when time is tight and you want the major monuments handled in one booking. It suits people who value reliable transfers more than a slow, open-ended schedule.

It also suits independent-minded visitors who want to choose their own hotels and meals. You keep those decisions, while the company handles the most complicated transport links.

I would think twice if you dislike early starts, shared tours, or long sightseeing days. Abu Simbel takes about eight hours, and Day 3 includes five major stops. The plan gives you reach, not much spare time.

Families and most able participants can join, since the information says most people can participate. Still, the amount of walking, standing, boat travel, and repeated vehicle transfers makes personal stamina worth considering.

Free cancellation is available if you cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if you want the southern Egypt essentials with transport, train travel, and guides arranged in advance. The first-class train, boat rides, and door-to-door transfers give the package real practical value.

Before paying, confirm three things: the total entrance fees, the exact pickup schedule, and whether the Abu Simbel and other portions will be shared or private. If you accept the fast pace and budget for your own hotels, meals, and tickets, this is a sensible way to connect Aswan and Luxor without spending your trip sorting out transport.

FAQ

What destinations are included in the three-day experience?

The route includes Aswan, a Nubian Village, Abu Simbel, and Luxor. The listed sightseeing includes Philae Temple, Abu Simbel Temple Complex, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple, and Luxor Temple.

Is transportation included?

Yes. The package includes air-conditioned transfers in Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor, along with a modern air-conditioned vehicle, a motorboat to Philae, and a felucca trip to the Nubian Village.

Is the train ticket included?

Yes. A first-class seated train ticket from Aswan to Luxor is included.

Are hotels included?

No. You arrange and pay for your own accommodation in Aswan and Luxor.

Are meals included?

No. Meals and drinks are not listed among the inclusions.

Are entrance fees included?

No. Entrance fees to the sightseeing sites are separate. They should be paid by credit card at the attractions.

How large is the group?

The activity has a maximum of 15 participants. The Abu Simbel portion is described as a shared group tour.

What should I bring?

Bring your passport and sunglasses. You should also send your Aswan hotel, train, or flight details so pickup can be arranged.