Visit the Abu Simbel temples, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Nubian Monuments, on this day trip from Aswan. Waste no time waiting in line with skip-the-line entrance tickets, and take a guided tour of the complex with a professional guide.

After pickup from your hotel in Aswan early in the morning, drive approximately 300 kilometers (190 miles) southwest to Abu Simbel in an air-conditioned bus or private car, depending on the tour option you select. Once there, meet your guide, then discover two of the most renowned temples in Egypt, one dedicated to Ramses II and the other to his favorite wife, Nefertari.

Skip the lines to access the site and explore the temples constructed in the 13th century B.C. Admire the gigantic facade of the Ramses II temple that represents four colossal seated figures of Ramses. The facade is 119 feet (36 meters) wide and 100 feet (32.5 meters) high, and the statues are each 67 feet (20.4 meters) high. Enter the interior of the temple via a 185-foot (56.4-meter) man-made rock cave that leads to a series of halls and rooms.

The most remarkable feature of the temple of Abu Simbel is that the construction is oriented in such a way that twice a year, the morning sun shines through the length of the inner temple and illuminates the statues of the four gods seated at the end of the cave. After your tour, return to Aswan and get dropped off at your hotel around noon.