Luxor Trip Overview
Soar above Luxor’s West Bank for an aerial perspective of the city’s archaic sights. Enjoy scenes of vast temples and tall statues illuminated and richly colored by the sun sitting low in the sky. Your expert guide provides the essential context so you get the most from the flight. Take to the skies and experience the region by the light of sunrise as you glide over landmarks in a hot air balloon. Acquire necessary safety guidelines prior to your ride, then float up hundreds of feet. Observe the complex of temples and chapels at Karnak to the east, then cast your eyes to the west for views of Hatshepsut Temple in its dramatic spot at the foot of colossal cliffs. Spy the Colossi of Memnon rising up and seemingly guarding royal tombs. With informative historical and cultural narratives from your guide, gain a fantastic perspective of the ancient sites and magnitude of Luxor
Additional Info
Duration: 6 to 8 hours
Starts: Luxor, Egypt
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Luxor Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Luxor, Nile River Valley, Egypt
Soar above Luxor’s West Bank for an aerial perspective of the city’s archaic sights. Enjoy scenes of vast temples and tall statues illuminated and richly colored by the sun sitting low in the sky. Your expert guide provides the essential context so you get the most from the flight. Take to the skies and experience the region by the light of sunrise as you glide over landmarks in a hot air balloon. Acquire necessary safety guidelines prior to your ride, then float up hundreds of feet. Observe the complex of temples and chapels at Karnak to the east, then cast your eyes to the west for views of Hatshepsut Temple in its dramatic spot at the foot of colossal cliffs. Spy the Colossi of Memnon rising up and seemingly guarding royal tombs. With informative historical and cultural narratives from your guide, gain a fantastic perspective of the ancient sites and magnitude of Luxor
Itinerary
This is a typical itinerary for this product
Stop At: Temple of Karnak, Karnak, Luxor Egypt
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak from Arabic Khurnak meaning “fortified village”), comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings near Luxor, in Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom (around 2000–1700 BC) and continued into the Ptolemaic period (305–30 BC), although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut (“The Most Selected of Places”) and the main place of worship of the Eighteenth Dynasty Theban Triad with the god Amun as its head. It is part of the monumental city of Thebes. The Karnak complex gives its name to the nearby, and partly surrounded, modern village of El-Karnak, 2.5 kilometres (1.6 miles) north of Luxor.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Luxor Temple, Luxor 23512 Egypt
The Luxor Temple (Arabic: معبد الاقصر) is a large Ancient Egyptian temple complex located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city today known as Luxor (ancient Thebes) and was constructed approximately 1400 BCE. In the Egyptian language it is known as ipet resyt, “the southern sanctuary”. In Luxor there are several great temples on the east and west banks. Four of the major mortuary temples visited by early travelers include the Temple of Seti I at Gurnah, the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahri, the Temple of Ramesses II (i.e., Ramesseum), and the Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu. The two primary cults’ temples on the east bank are known as the Karnak and Luxor.[1] Unlike the other temples in Thebes, Luxor temple is not dedicated to a cult god or a deified version of the pharaoh in death. Instead, Luxor temple is dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship; it may have been where many of the pharaohs of Egypt were crowned in reality or conceptually.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Colossi of Memnon, Thebes, Luxor Egypt
The Colossi of Memnon (Arabic: el-Colossat or es-Salamat) are two massive stone statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III, who reigned in Egypt during the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. Since 1350 BCE, they have stood in the Theban Necropolis, located west of the River Nile from the modern city of Luxor.
The twin statues depict Amenhotep III (fl. 14th century BCE) in a seated position, his hands resting on his knees and his gaze facing eastwards (actually ESE in modern bearings) towards the river. Two shorter figures are carved into the front throne alongside his legs: these are his wife Tiye and mother Mutemwiya. The side panels depict the Nile god Hapi.
Duration: 30 minutes
Stop At: Valley of the Kings, Luxor City, Luxor 85511 Egypt
The Valley of the Kings is a valley in Egypt where, for a period of nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, rock-cut tombs were excavated for the pharaohs and powerful nobles of the New Kingdom (the Eighteenth to the Twentieth Dynasties of Ancient Egypt).
The valley stands on the west bank of the Nile, opposite Thebes (modern Luxor), within the heart of the Theban Necropolis. The wadi consists of two valleys, East Valley (where the majority of the royal tombs are situated) and West Valley.
With the 2005 discovery of a new chamber and the 2008 discovery of two further tomb entrances,[6] the valley is known to contain 64 tombs and chambers, It was the principal burial place of the major royal figures of the Egyptian New Kingdom, as well as a number of privileged nobles. The royal tombs are decorated with scenes from Egyptian mythology and give clues as to the beliefs and funerary practices of the period.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, Kings Valley Rd Deir el-Bahari, Luxor 23512 Egypt
The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, also known as the Djeser-Djeseru , is a mortuary temple of Ancient Egypt located in Upper Egypt. Built for the Eighteenth Dynasty pharaoh Hatshepsut, who died in 1458 BC, the temple is located beneath the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari on the west bank of the Nile near the Valley of the Kings. This mortuary temple is dedicated to Amun and Hatshepsut and is situated next to the mortuary temple of Mentuhotep II, which served both as an inspiration and, later, a quarry. It is considered one of the “incomparable monuments of ancient Egypt.
Duration: 1 hour
