Day 01
Luxor East and West Bank Temples and Tombs
- Your tour representative will pick you up from your hotel in Luxor, and you will then drive to begin your sightseeing with your tour guide.
- Start by visiting the West Bank, where you can see the Valley of the Kings, which was created and used from approximately 1539 BC to 1075 BC. It contains around 60 tombs, beginning with Thutmose I and ending with Ramses X or XI. The official name of the site was The Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years of the Pharaoh, Life, Strength, Health in The West of Thebes, or more commonly, the Great Field. The most famous tomb is KV62, the Tomb of King Tutankhamun. The discovery of King Tut's tomb was made by Howard Carter in 1922, and Tutankhamun's tomb was the first royal tomb to be discovered still largely intact.
- Then continue to visit the Hatshepsut Temple at El Deir El Bahary. This impressive temple was dedicated to Queen Hatshepsut, the only female pharaoh. It rises out of the desert in a series of terraces and merges with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it.
- Proceed to the two colossal statues of Amenhotep III. The Colossi of Memnon are two massive stone statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. For 3,400 years, they have stood in the Theban necropolis, across the River Nile from the city of Luxor. The original function of the Colossi was to stand guard at the entrance to Amenhotep's memorial temple, or mortuary temple.
- Next, move to the East Bank and explore Karnak Temple, the largest place of worship ever built. In ancient Egypt, the power of the god Amun of Thebes gradually increased during the early New Kingdom, and after the short persecution led by Akhenaten, it rose to its apex. In the reign of Ramesses III, more than two-thirds of the property owned by the temples belonged to Amun, as evidenced by the stupendous buildings at Karnak. Although badly ruined, no site in Egypt is more impressive than Karnak. It is the largest temple complex ever built by man and represents the combined achievement of many generations of ancient builders. The Temple of Karnak is actually made up of three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples located about three kilometres north of Luxor, Egypt, on 100 ha (247 acres) of land. Karnak is actually the site's modern name. Its ancient name was Ipet-isut, meaning "The Most Select (or Sacred) of Places".
- Afterwards, head to Luxor Temple. It was built by Amunhotep III in the 18th Dynasty during the New Kingdom and was completed by Ramesses II during the 19th Dynasty. King Ramses II was the most famous king of the 19th Dynasty and ruled Egypt for about 67 years. The temple was dedicated to the great god Amun-Ra, his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu, together representing the Theban triad. Enjoy visiting the Obelisk of Ramses II in front of the 1st Pylon. It was called "Ipet resyt", which means the Southern Opet or the Place of the Seclusion of Amun-Re. It was directly connected to the temple of Karnak, the main cult centre of Amun-Re or Amun-Min, the sky god or the ithyphallic fertility god. The temple of Luxor has, since its inception, always been a sacred site. After Egypt's pagan period, a Christian church and monastery were located here, and after that, a mosque, the 13th-century Mosque of Abu el-Haggag, was built and continues to be used today.
- Later, return to your hotel to conclude the tour.
