4-Day Luxor, Edfu and Kom Ombo Heritage Tour with Ancient Temples

• Meet your tour guide upon arrival at Luxor International Airport, where a representative will assist you with the arrival procedures and take you to your hotel. At the hotel, the tour manager will help with a smooth check-in and review your holiday itinerary with you to establish and confirm the pick-up times for each tour.

Overnight in Luxor.

(Welcome drinks)

• Have breakfast and visit the Valley of the Kings. It was created and used from approximately 1539 BC to 1075 BC. It contains some 60 tombs, beginning with Thutmose I and ending with Ramses X or XI. The site's official name was The Great and Majestic Necropolis of the Millions of Years of the Pharaoh, Life, Strength, Health in the West of Thebes, or the Great Field. The most famous tomb is KV62, the Tomb of King Tutankhamun. Howard Carter discovered King Tut's tomb in 1922. Tutankhamun's tomb was the first royal tomb to be discovered that was still largely intact.
• Continue the tour 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 surrounding 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 or mortuary temple.
• 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 consists 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 the site's modern name. Its ancient name was Ipet-isut, meaning "The Most Select (or Sacred) of Places."
• Move to Luxor Temple. Amenhotep III built it in the 18th Dynasty in the New Kingdom, and Ramesses II completed it during the 19th Dynasty. King Ramesses II was the most famous king of the 19th Dynasty. He ruled Egypt for about 67 years. The temple was dedicated to the great god Amun-Ra, his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu, representing the Theban triad. Enjoy visiting the Obelisk of Ramses II in front of the 1st Pylon. It was called Ipet resyt, 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. Since its inception, Luxor Temple has 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.
• You can book an evening trip to the fabulous sound and light show at Karnak Temple (optional).

Overnight in Luxor.

(Meals: breakfast, lunch)

• Have breakfast, head to Edfu, and visit the majestic temple dedicated to Horus. Edfu Temple is the second largest temple after Karnak and was known in Greco-Roman times as Apollonopolis Magna. The temple was dedicated to the falcon god Horus and was built during the Ptolemaic period, which was oriented east-west instead of the current north-south configuration. The oldest part of the temple is the section from the Festival Hall to the Sanctuary; this was begun by Ptolemy III in 237 BC and completed by his son, Ptolemy IV Philopator. The Hypostyle Hall was added by Ptolemy VII (145-116 BC), and the pylon was erected by Ptolemy IX (88-81 BC). The final touches to the temple were added under Ptolemy XII in 57 BC. The falcon-headed Horus was originally the sky god, whose eyes were the sun and moon.
• Visit Kom Ombo and have lunch on board. Visit the temple shared by the two gods Sobek and Haroeris in Kom Ombo, standing on high ground overlooking the Nile. The Temple of Sobek and Haroeris in Kom Ombo, also known simply as Kom Ombo Temple, dates from about 180 BC during the Ptolemaic era, with additions made in Roman times. The temple at Kom Ombo was also built under Ptolemy VI. Since this bend in the Nile was a favoured spot for crocodiles to bask in the sun and threaten locals, it is natural that the temple would be dedicated to Sobek, the crocodile god. However, it is unusual in having a double dedication, as it also honours Haroeris, a form of the falcon-headed god Horus. The hypostyle halls were added under Ptolemy XIII (51-47 BC), and the Roman emperor Trajan (53-117 AD) added the forecourt and outer enclosure walls.
• Transfer back to the hotel.

Overnight in Luxor.
(Meals: breakfast, lunch)

• Have breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport for your onward destination.

(Meal: breakfast)