The flight from Aswan to the small town of Abu Simbel takes only around 30 minutes. Your Egyptologist guide will meet you at the airport (if option selected) and accompany you to the famous temples of Ramses II and his favorite wife Nefertari. On the short walk to the temple entrances, your guide will explain the history of the site, including details of the UNESCO-led relocation of the entire cliff face to higher ground, and how the temples were discovered by accident in 1813. Due to the large number of visitors to Abu Simbel, guides are not permitted inside either the Great Temple of Ramses II or the smaller Temple of Hathor. However, by using photos and illustrations, your guide will explain to you the structures and their interior artworks. You will then have free time to enter the temples and explore them at your leisure. As one of the few ancient Egyptian sites which largely escaped damage by past invaders, the interiors of Abu Simbel's temples are astounding. The scale of the buildings and their detailed decoration leaves most visitors in awe. The temples' attraction is further enhanced by their scenic location on the edge of Lake Nasser in the orange sands of the desert. After visiting the temples there may be time for a short visit to the small visitor's center which documents the UNESCO relocation project.