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

Southern Egypt packs a lot into three days. This experience links Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor with pre-arranged cars, a motorboat, a felucca, and a first-class train ticket, leaving you to arrange your own hotels and meals. I like the door-to-door transfers, which remove much of the guesswork, and the chance to see both Nubian life and Egypt’s grandest temples in one trip. The main drawback is the pace: Abu Simbel and Luxor make for long, full days, and entrance fees are extra.

I also like the balance between structure and independence. You get an Egyptologist guide and planned transport, but you are not tied to a single hotel or forced into a meal package. The listed price is $177 per person, a strong value if you want the major southern sights without arranging every transfer yourself.

The practical catch is that the advertised group size can reach 15 people, even though one published account praised the tours as private. Ask how your dates are arranged. The tour agent Peter is also praised for being responsive and accommodating, which can matter when train times, hotel details, and pickup points need to line up.

Key points to know before booking

• Three cities in three days: You visit Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor with no wasted day between the main stops.
• First-class train included: The Aswan to Luxor ticket is part of the package, along with transfers to and from the stations.
• Abu Simbel requires stamina: The excursion takes about eight hours, followed by the train journey to Luxor.
• Admission fees are separate: Pay entrance charges at the sights by credit card, so budget beyond the $177 tour price.
• Nubian Village adds local character: The village visit includes a motorboat and a felucca ride, not just a drive to a viewpoint.
• The final day is packed: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Memnon, Karnak, and Luxor Temple all fit into one guided day.

What the $177 price really covers

At $177 per person, this is best understood as a transport and guiding package rather than a fully all-inclusive holiday. You pay for the moving parts that can be difficult to organize in southern Egypt: air-conditioned vehicles, a motorboat to Philae, a felucca trip to Nubian Village, the Aswan to Luxor first-class train ticket, and transfers in all three destinations.

You also receive an Egyptologist guide for the scheduled sightseeing. That is valuable at places such as Philae, Abu Simbel, and Karnak, where a quick look at the stones tells only part of the story. The guide helps connect the buildings, rulers, religious ideas, and modern changes that shaped each site.

Your hotels and meals are not included. Entrance fees are also separate, including the charges for Philae, Abu Simbel, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s temple, Karnak, and Luxor Temple. Since payment is expected by credit card at the sights, bring a usable card and allow room in your budget for several admissions.

The price becomes especially attractive if you value convenience. Booking each car, boat, guide, and train ticket separately could take time and require careful coordination. If you prefer to choose your own hotels and eat independently, this arrangement gives you that freedom without leaving the transport entirely to chance.

Day one at Philae and the Nubian Village

Your first day begins with pickup from an Aswan hotel, train station, or airport. That flexibility helps if Aswan is your arrival point, though you need to send your flight, train, or hotel information in advance so the pickup can be arranged correctly.

The first stop is Philae Temple, reached by motorboat. The boat ride is part of the appeal. Philae sits on an island, and the approach gives the temple a sense of separation from modern Aswan. The visit takes about 90 minutes, enough for a guided look at the main structures without turning the first morning into a marathon.

Philae is also a useful introduction to the engineering story of the region. The temple was moved to higher ground after the construction of the Aswan High Dam threatened its original island setting. You will hear that context from the Egyptologist guide while seeing the carved gateways and courtyards in person.

Entrance is not included, so this is your first reminder that the tour price does not cover site tickets. Keep your payment card handy rather than assuming every admission has been prepaid.

After Philae, you continue by boat toward Nubian Village. The package lists both a comfortable motorboat experience and a felucca trip, giving this part of the day a different feel from the formal temple visit. A felucca is a traditional Egyptian sailing boat, and time on the water provides a slower change of pace.

The Nubian Village visit lasts about 90 minutes. It adds a human setting to a trip otherwise filled with ancient monuments. You can expect the guide to help explain the village and Nubian culture, though the exact stops and activities are not detailed. Keep your expectations practical: this is a guided visit, not a long independent stay in the area.

You then return to your Aswan hotel by arranged transfer. That finish is useful because you do not need to negotiate a taxi after the boat ride. The first day is the easiest of the three, but it still gives you two distinct experiences: a major temple and a living community along the Nile.

Abu Simbel: the longest day of the trip

Day two starts with an early morning group excursion to Abu Simbel. The full experience takes about eight hours, and the entrance fee is extra. This is the day that most tests your energy, but Abu Simbel is also one of the strongest reasons to choose this package.

The temple complex is famous for the huge seated figures of Ramesses II carved into the rock face. The scale is hard to grasp from photographs alone. The interior spaces and reliefs reward a careful explanation, so the Egyptologist guide adds real value here rather than simply pointing out the largest statues.

The early start is not a flaw in itself. Abu Simbel is a long way from Aswan, and the tour needs most of the day to make the visit work. Still, you should not book this experience expecting leisurely mornings. Bring sunglasses, your passport, and anything you need for a full day on the road.

The transportation is in a modern, air-conditioned vehicle. That matters in southern Egypt, particularly on a long road trip. The tour is described as a sharing group experience for Abu Simbel, with a maximum of 15 people. Confirm the final group arrangement if having a small party is important to you.

You return to Aswan in the afternoon and then transfer to the train station for the journey to Luxor. The first-class seated ticket is included. The rail leg takes about three hours, followed by pickup at Luxor station and transfer to your hotel.

This sequence is efficient but demanding. You have an eight-hour Abu Simbel day, a return to Aswan, a station transfer, and a train ride before reaching your Luxor hotel. The benefit is that you avoid losing a separate day to the move between cities. The cost is that you may arrive in Luxor ready for sleep rather than an evening stroll.

The station pickup in Luxor is one of the tour’s more useful details. You do not need to figure out local transport immediately after arriving by train. Send your hotel details clearly before the trip, and keep your phone available around the arrival time.

Luxor’s west bank begins with royal tombs

Day three covers both sides of Luxor and starts at the Valley of the Kings. Pickup is from your Luxor hotel, and the visit lasts about two hours. Entrance fees are not included.

The Valley of the Kings is not a single monument but a large area of tombs cut into the dry hills west of the Nile. The exact tombs available can vary, and the standard entrance often covers only a selection, with special tombs requiring separate payment. Because this tour does not specify which tombs are included, ask your guide at the start of the visit.

The main value of the guide here is helping you read the walls. Tomb paintings and inscriptions can look repetitive when seen without context, but the scenes explain beliefs about the afterlife, royal power, and the journey of the dead. Two hours gives you time for a meaningful visit, though not every tomb.

Next comes the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, with about 90 minutes scheduled. The temple rises in broad terraces against the cliffs, and its design differs sharply from the underground tombs. Hatshepsut’s unusual path to the throne makes the site especially interesting, and a good explanation helps you understand why the temple was built in this form.

The stop at the Colossi of Memnon is brief, only about 30 minutes, and admission is free. These giant seated statues work well as a quick photo and history stop between the larger west-bank visits. Do not expect a long guided session here. The point is to see the scale of the statues and continue.

Karnak and Luxor Temple finish the day

After the west bank, the tour crosses to Luxor’s east bank for Karnak Temple. The scheduled visit is about two hours, with entrance fees extra.

Karnak is a vast temple complex rather than one tidy building. Its courtyards, columns, pylons, and sacred spaces were developed by successive rulers over many centuries. Two hours is enough to see the major areas with a guide, but the size of the complex means you should expect plenty of walking.

The Great Hypostyle Hall is the visual centerpiece for many people. Its forest of massive columns makes the site easy to remember, even if you are tired from the morning. This is another place where an Egyptologist can turn a large stone complex into a readable story of religious ceremonies and royal building projects.

The final stop is Luxor Temple, scheduled for about 90 minutes. It is a more compact finish than Karnak, and its position within modern Luxor gives the visit a different mood. You see an ancient ceremonial center while still close to the city around you.

The tour ends with a transfer back to your Luxor hotel or train station. That final option is useful if you are continuing your trip by rail. It also means you do not need to arrange a separate ride after a full day of sightseeing.

Transport, group size, and the human side of the tour

The transport plan is the clearest strength. You receive air-conditioned vehicle transfers in Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor, plus the boat rides and train ticket. Door-to-door planning is especially helpful when your days include hotels, stations, airports, and sites spread across both banks of the Nile.

The package is not a single private tour from start to finish. Abu Simbel is described as a sharing group excursion, and the maximum group size is 15. At the same time, private touring has been praised in connection with the operator, so the actual format may depend on the date and arrangement. Confirm this before paying if you want private guiding.

The human support appears to be another positive. Peter is described as responsive and accommodating, which is useful when you need to send hotel, flight, or train details. Clear communication is part of the experience here because the schedule depends on several handoffs.

You should also remember that meals are not included. This gives you control over what and where you eat, but it means you need to plan for food during the Abu Simbel day and around the train transfer. The tour is strongest for people who enjoy a planned sightseeing framework but do not need every minute packaged.

Who should choose this three-day plan?

I would recommend it to a first-time visitor who wants the essential sights of southern Egypt in a short window. It is also a good match if you are arriving in Aswan and departing from Luxor, since the route moves in one direction and includes the train between the two cities.

You will probably appreciate it if you want expert explanation at major monuments but prefer to choose your own hotels and meals. Families and small groups may also like the pickup options and arranged transfers, though the long Abu Simbel day could be tiring for young children.

I would hesitate to recommend it to anyone seeking a slow Nile holiday. The schedule leaves little spare time, especially on day two and day three. It is also not ideal if you dislike group transport or want to spend half a day at one temple without watching the clock.

The published rating is 4.5 from 17 reviews, a positive signal, but not enough to erase the need to check details. Ask about group size, exact pickup times, which Valley of the Kings tombs are covered by the admission plan, and the total entrance-fee budget.

You can cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that period are not accepted for a refund, so check your schedule before the final day.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if your priority is coverage and convenience. For $177, the included train ticket, boat rides, transfers, guides, and three major sightseeing days offer solid value, especially when you want to avoid arranging southern Egypt’s transport yourself.

Skip it if you want long mornings, flexible museum time, or a fully private experience guaranteed in writing. The best way to make this tour work is to arrive prepared: carry your passport and sunglasses, bring a payment card for entrance fees, send precise hotel or transport details, and accept that Abu Simbel and Luxor will be full days.

FAQ

How long is the tour?

The experience lasts approximately three days.

What cities does the tour visit?

It visits Aswan, Abu Simbel, and Luxor.

Is the train ticket included?

Yes. An air-conditioned first-class seated train ticket from Aswan to Luxor is included.

Are hotel stays included?

No. You arrange and pay for your own accommodation.

Are meals included?

No. Meals are not included in the tour price.

Are entrance fees included?

No. Entrance fees for the sightseeing stops are separate and should be paid by credit card at the sites.

How many people can join the tour?

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

Where can pickup take place in Aswan?

Pickup can be arranged from an Aswan hotel, train station, or airport. You need to send your relevant hotel, train, or flight details in advance.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes. You can receive a full refund if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations within 24 hours are not refunded.