Feb 22 & Oct 22 · Every year ·
The Abu Simbel Sun Festival
On two mornings a year the first sunlight travels about 200 feet into the Great Temple of Ramses II and lights three of the four statues in the sanctuary. Thousands come for it. It lasts around twenty minutes, and it's worth planning a trip around if your dates line up.
What happens at dawn
The beam reaches the back wall of the sanctuary, where four gods sit side by side. Ra-Horakhty, Amun-Ra and Ramses II himself are lit. Ptah, a god linked with the underworld, stays in shadow.
The temple was cut into a new hillside in the 1960s to save it from Lake Nasser, so the dates moved by about a day. They now fall on or around February 22 and October 22.
Abu Simbel town celebrates with music and dancing outside the temple before sunrise.
Three ways to be there at sunrise
Stay the night in Abu Simbel
The calmest option. You walk to the temple gates before dawn instead of riding a coach through the night. Rooms are few, so this is the one to book first.
About Abu SimbelA Lake Nasser cruise
The ships moor right below the temples, so on festival morning you are a short walk from the gates while the road traffic is still on its way.
Lake Nasser cruisesA day trip from Aswan
On festival mornings the road trip leaves Aswan in the small hours to reach the temple before sunrise. Long, but it works on a Nile cruise itinerary.
Abu Simbel day tours
Questions travelers ask
When is the Abu Simbel Sun Festival?
On or around February 22 and October 22 every year, at sunrise. The next one is February 22, 2027.
How long does the sunlight stay in the sanctuary?
About twenty minutes. Arrive well before dawn: the queue forms in the dark, and the temple fills quickly once the gates open.
Is it very crowded?
Yes. It is Abu Simbel's busiest morning of the season. Staying overnight or arriving by Lake Nasser cruise puts you near the front.
Can I see Abu Simbel without the festival?
Yes, any day of the year, and with far fewer people. If your dates don't match the festival, the temples are just as remarkable.