Luxor Trip Overview
Immerse yourself in Ancient Egyptian history in this tour of Luxor. Starting with the ancient royal burials in the spectacular Valley of the Kings. Explore the Temple of Hatshepsut and be amazed at the impressive size of the statues at the Colossi of Memnon. Enjoy exploring the temples, shrines, pylons and buildings in the largest religious complex ever built to date, Karnak temple and visit Luxor temple in the heart of Luxor. Choose between a visit to Abydos and Dendera Temples or Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples for an unforgettable experience
Additional Info
Duration: 3 days
Starts: Luxor, Egypt
Trip Category: Multi-day & Extended Tours >> Multi-day Tours
Explore Luxor Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Luxor, Nile River Valley, Egypt
Immerse yourself in Ancient Egyptian history in this tour of Luxor. Starting with the ancient royal burials in the spectacular Valley of the Kings. Explore the Temple of Hatshepsut and be amazed at the impressive size of the statues at the Colossi of Memnon. Enjoy exploring the temples, shrines, pylons and buildings in the largest religious complex ever built to date, Karnak temple and visit Luxor temple in the heart of Luxor. Choose between a visit to Abydos and Dendera Temples or Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples for an unforgettable experience
Itinerary
Day 1: Luxor East Bank
Stop At: Temple of Karnak, Karnak, Luxor Egypt
You will be met at your hotel by your guide and drive to the impressive Karnak Temple which is the largest religious complex ever built to date. Comprising of a vast mix of temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings dating from the Middle Kingdom through to the Ptolemaic period. Thirty Pharaohs contributed to the building of this complex dedicated to the God Amun (The Hidden One). Originally an avenue of Sphinxes connected Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Luxor Temple, Luxor 23512 Egypt
Luxor temple is situated in the downtown of Luxor, it was dedicated to the Theban Triad of the cult of the Royal Ka, Amun, Mut, and Khonsu and was built during the New Kingdom, the focus of the annual Opet Festival, in which a cult statue of Amun was paraded down the Nile from nearby Karnak Temple to stay there for a while, with his consort Mut, in a celebration of fertility. Alexander the Great claimed he was crowned here and at the rear of the temple is his shrine. There is evidence that a part of the temple was used as a Coptic church with Coptic (Christian) scenes depicted on the wall. The active mosque of Abu el Hagag is situated in the first open court of the temple standing on the ancient columns themselves.
Duration: 1 hour
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: 5 star hotel.
Day 2: Luxor West Bank
Stop At: Valley of the Kings, Luxor City, Luxor 85511 Egypt
You will be met by your guide who will commence the tour to the West bank of Luxor (ancient Thebes) to explore the spectacular Valley of the Kings. Sixty-five tombs have been found so far in the Valley of the Kings, and all of them are cut deep into the rock. The largest tombs are for Seti I, Ramses III, Horemheb, Merenptah, and Hatshepsut.
Not all tombs are open to the public, your guide will advise you on those which can be viewed and those which require the purchase of additional tickets.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, Kings Valley Rd Deir el-Bahari, Luxor 23512 Egypt
We will then proceed to the unique Mortuary Temple Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri. This is the only temple in Egypt which was built with three terraces. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Thutmose I, the sister-wife of Thutmose II , and the mother- in- law of Thutmose III. She built the temple to confirm her status as the pharaoh of Egypt. Hatshepsut’s famous expedition to the land of Punt (Somalia) is depicted in the second terrace.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Colossi of Memnon, Thebes, Luxor Egypt
The Colossi of Memnon with be a final stop to see the two impressive statues measuring 18 meters high. The statues originally guarded the entrance to pharaoh Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple. Excavations are taking place at present at this site to reveal as much as possible of this temple. We will start or end this tour at the Colossi of Memnon where you will be able to take photographs of these magnificent statues.
Duration: 15 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: 5 star hotel
Day 3: Tour of your choice: Dendera and Abydos OR Edfu and Kom Ombo Temples
Stop At: Dendera Temple Complex, Dendera Egypt
The Dendera temple complex one of the best-preserved temple sites from Ancient Upper Egypt. The whole complex covers some 40,000 square meters and is surrounded by a substantial mud brick wall. The present building dates back to the times of the Ptolemaic Dynasty and was completed by the Roman emperor Tiberius, but it rests on the foundations of earlier buildings.
The temple is dedicated to the goddess Hathor who was identified by the Greeks as Hera or Aphrodite. She was the goddess of love, dance and music.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Stop At: Abydos, Abydos, Sohag Governorate, Nile River Valley
Abydos is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt, the sacred city of Abydos was the site of many ancient temples, including Umm el-Qa’ab, a royal necropolis where early pharaohs were entombed. From earliest times, Abydos was a cult centre, first of the local deity, Khentiamentiu, and from the end of the Old Kingdom, the rising cult of Osiris and Isis.
Today, Abydos is notable for the memorial temple of Seti I, which contains an inscription from the nineteenth dynasty known to the modern world as the Abydos King List. It is a chronological list showing cartouches of most dynastic pharaohs of Egypt from Menes until Seti I’s father, Ramesses I.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Temple of Horus, Adfo, Edfu Egypt
The city of Edfu is midway between Luxor and Aswan. Edfu Temple is dedicated to the Falcon headed god Horus, identified as Apollo by the Greeks and is the most intact temple in Egypt. Building work commenced in 237 BC and finished 180 years later. The temple is approached by the Mammisi or Birth House. In the temple you will view several important ancient Egyptian scenes and texts including the foundation scene and information on the temple construction and the depiction and myth of the famous age-old conflict between Horus and Seth.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Temple of Kom Ombo, Nagoa Ash Shatb, Kom Ombo 81611 Egypt
Kom Ombo or (the Hill of Gold) is famous for its temple and the sugar factory. The temple is unusual as it is dedicated on the northern side to the Falcon headed god Haroeris (Horus the Elder) and on the southern side to the Crocodile headed god Sobek and therefore has two sanctuaries. The temple was famed as a Sanatorium with seven medical clinics held to the rear of the temple, medical and surgical tools recognisable today can be seen inscribed on the temple wall. The Nilometer for measuring the Nile flood can be viewed to the left of the temple. As a temple dedicated to Sobek many Crocodiles were located on the site some of which are now housed in the Crocodile Museum built at the base of the temple.
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
Meals included:
• Breakfast
Accommodation included: 5 star hotel
