What it is
Aswan sits where the river breaks over granite islands. The Philae temple stands on an island reached by motorboat. Feluccas, the local sailing boats, run short trips between the islands. Abu Simbel is 280 km further south, close to the Sudanese border: two temples cut into a cliff by Ramesses II, sawn into blocks in the 1960s and rebuilt 65 metres higher when Lake Nasser filled. The drive is about three and a half hours each way, usually leaving before dawn; there are also short flights.
Why go
Aswan is where the trip slows down. Abu Simbel is the single most impressive thing in Egypt on scale alone, and the story of its relocation is worth reading before you stand in front of it.
When to go
November to March; Aswan is the hottest city in Egypt and summer afternoons run past 45°C. Twice a year, on 22 February and 22 October, the sunrise reaches into the Abu Simbel sanctuary and lights the statues at the back. Those two mornings are crowded and accommodation books out months ahead.
Most people stay 2 nights.