Tour Overview
This day trip takes you from your hotel in Marsa Alam across the Eastern Desert to two of the best-preserved temples on the Nile: Edfu, dedicated to the falcon god Horus, and Kom Ombo, shared by Horus and the crocodile god Sobek. An Egyptologist guide travels with you in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle. The drive to Edfu takes almost four hours, and lunch at a local restaurant sits between the two visits. Entry fees and water are included.
Tour Highlights
- Trade the coast for the Nile Valley in a single day, crossing the desert from Marsa Alam to two temples usually seen from a Nile cruise.
- Walk through Edfu Temple, among the most complete temples in Egypt, with its towering gateway, roofed halls and dark inner sanctuary of Horus.
- Read the story of Horus and Seth on Edfu's walls, the myth of a son who avenged his father Osiris and took the throne of Egypt.
- See Kom Ombo's rare double design: two entrances, two halls and two sanctuaries side by side, one for Horus and one for Sobek.
- Travel with an Egyptologist guide in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle, with entry fees, lunch, bottled water and all taxes in the price.
Tour Route
Is the Edfu and Kom Ombo trip from Marsa Alam worth it?
Yes, if you want to see Nile temples without joining a cruise. Edfu is one of the most complete temples left from ancient Egypt, and Kom Ombo has a design you will not see elsewhere. The drive is long, at almost four hours to Edfu, so it suits travelers happy to spend time on the road.
Why is Edfu Temple so well preserved?
Edfu is a late temple, built under the Ptolemies over about two centuries, so it had less time to decay than older temples. For long periods it was also partly covered by sand and later buildings, which protected its walls, roof and carvings until it was cleared in the nineteenth century.
The result is a temple you can read almost from front to back. Standing in its halls, you get a clear sense of how an Egyptian temple worked, moving from the bright courtyard into ever darker and more private rooms toward the sanctuary of Horus.
What makes Kom Ombo Temple different?
Kom Ombo is a double temple. Instead of one central axis, it has two parallel ones, each with its own gateway, halls and sanctuary. The left side honored Horus the Elder and the right side Sobek, the crocodile god, who was worshiped in a region where Nile crocodiles were once common.
How does this trip compare with other ways to see these temples?
Edfu and Kom Ombo sit on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan, so you can reach them from several starting points. From Marsa Alam it is a long road day there and back, from Luxor or Aswan the drive is shorter, and most Nile cruises stop at both. The right choice depends on where you are staying.
- From Marsa Alam (this page): a road day across the desert and back to your Red Sea hotel.
- From Luxor or Aswan: a shorter drive along the Nile if you are already in the valley.
- By Nile cruise: most Luxor to Aswan cruises stop at both temples on the way.
What else can you see in the Nile Valley?
If this trip sparks your interest, there is much more to see in Upper Egypt. Luxor's royal tombs and Karnak are a day away from your Marsa Alam hotel, and if you will be staying in the Nile Valley, the same two temples are a shorter drive from Luxor or Aswan.
For Luxor's tombs and Karnak in one day from your hotel, take the private Luxor day trip from Marsa Alam. If you will be staying in Upper Egypt, the same two temples are a shorter drive on the Edfu and Kom Ombo day trip from Luxor or the same trip from Aswan.
Tour Itinerary
A long road day with two temple visits: almost four hours to Edfu, the temple of Horus, lunch, Kom Ombo, then the drive back to the coast.
Your Egyptologist guide collects you from your hotel in Marsa Alam early in the morning in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle, with bottled water on board. Bring a light layer for the car, a hat, sunscreen and comfortable shoes. Breakfast before you leave makes the morning easier.
The drive to Edfu takes almost four hours, leaving the Red Sea behind and crossing the mountains and plains of the Eastern Desert to reach the Nile Valley. It is a chance to rest, and your guide can use the time to introduce the gods and history you are about to see.
Edfu Temple was built under the Ptolemies, the Greek-speaking dynasty that ruled Egypt after Alexander the Great, and it survives almost complete. You pass through the great pylon, cross the open courtyard and enter the halls, where carved walls tell how Horus defeated Seth, the killer of his father Osiris.
Lunch is served at a local restaurant between the two temples, a good moment to sit down out of the sun. Tell us about allergies or special diets when you book so the meal suits everyone in your party.
Kom Ombo stands on a bend of the Nile and was also built in the Ptolemaic period, with work continuing under the Romans. Its plan is doubled, with a left half for Horus and a right half for Sobek, the crocodile god. Look for the carvings of medical instruments and the ancient calendar on its walls.
After Kom Ombo you head back across the desert to your hotel in Marsa Alam in the same air-conditioned vehicle. Your guide, entry fees, lunch, water and taxes are already paid, so you only need cash for tips and anything you buy on the way.
What's Included
What the tour price covers, and what to plan for separately.
Paid
★
Your
Own
Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers about this tour. For anything else, message us on WhatsApp — we reply fast.
Your guide picks you up from your hotel in Marsa Alam early in the morning in a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle, and the same vehicle brings you back to your hotel after Kom Ombo. Send us your hotel name when you book, and we confirm the pickup time with you before the day.
Hotel pickup and return in Marsa Alam, a deluxe air-conditioned vehicle, an Egyptologist tour guide, entrance fees to Edfu and Kom Ombo temples, lunch at a local restaurant, bottled water in the vehicle, and all service charges and taxes. Tips and optional tours are not included.
The per-person price depends on how many people in your party book together and on your travel dates. It falls as the group grows, because the car and guide are shared across more people, and it changes between the summer, autumn, holiday and winter periods. Prices start from {price} per person.
The drive from Marsa Alam to Edfu takes almost four hours across the Eastern Desert, and you also drive back to the coast after Kom Ombo, so this is a long day with much of it in the car. The vehicle is air-conditioned. Bring snacks and something to read or listen to.
Yes. Avicon Travel is a Class "A" travel agency licensed by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism under License No. 1962 and registered since 2010. Our office and team are in Karnak, Luxor, so the guides, drivers and cars on this tour are our own local team, not a booking desk abroad.
