Day 01
Luxor's East and West Bank Temples and Tombs
- Ride in a minivan and journey to the west bank of the Nile River. As you travel, listen as your guide tells tales about the Valley of the Kings, the mountain-cut royal necropolis of the capital of Thebes that once stood on the site of Luxor. If you have any particular areas of interest, let your guide know.
- Soak up views of the rugged mountains and, on arrival, enjoy a brief stop at the valley's visitor center. Then, explore the inner rock-cut chambers and tunnels. Guides are not permitted to accompany you inside the tombs, but your guide will describe what to look for before you enter.
- Walk through colourful, hieroglyph-covered corridors and see painted chambers that once contained the remains of ancient Egypt's rulers. If you wish, pay an additional direct cost to enter the tomb of King Tutankhamun.
- Next, drive to the Temple of Hatshepsut, a vision of geometrical colonnades hewn into a cliffside. Learn about the temple's history and the life of Queen Hatshepsut, Egypt's first female ruler. Stroll around the courtyards and terraces, and admire the statues and hieroglyphics that adorn them.
- Next, head to the most beautiful temple on the west bank of Luxor at Habu, King Ramses III's mortuary temple, where you will learn about his 32 years of reign in Egypt. You will listen to many interesting stories, such as the conspiracy against the king, and you will see his palace too.
- Then, stop for photos at the Colossi of Memnon: two towering statues of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III that once stood at his now long-gone funerary temple. Hear the stories and legends surrounding the statues, and inspect the Roman-era graffiti engraved in the stone.
- Before your tour ends, perhaps take the opportunity to visit an alabaster factory and, if you wish, purchase some hand-cut pieces as souvenirs.
- After finishing the west bank tour, drive to the Temples of Karnak on the Nile's East Bank.
- As you travel, hear how Luxor stands on the 4,000-year-old site of Thebes, Egypt's ancient royal capital, and how Karnak is the largest of its temple complexes. Discover how this vast collection of buildings was developed by more than 30 pharaohs, including Amenhotep IV and Ramses II.
- On arrival, walk along the Avenue of the Sphinxes to the gateway, and then explore inside with your Egyptologist guide. Hear how the huge pylons at the entrance were constructed, and marvel at the courtyards and sanctuaries beyond. The deeper you go into the complex, the further back you step, with the oldest ruins dating back more than 3,000 years.
- Gaze in awe at the showpiece Hypostyle Hall crowded with 134 massive columns that tower above you like an ancient forest. Crane your neck upwards and learn about the ingenious methods used to raise them by the long-ago Egyptians.
- See the sacred lake where pharaonic offerings were purified and enjoy leisure time strolling around the site.
- Continue to Luxor Temple, an ancient temple in the center of Luxor laid parallel to the Nile. Hear how it was built around 1,400 BC and added to by Tutankhamun, Ramses II and even Alexander the Great.
- Admire the two colossal statues of Ramses at the entrance and the granite gateway obelisk, whose original counterpart now stands in Paris' Place de la Concorde.
- Then, head inside to gawk at the richly carved inner sanctuaries, papyrus columns and courts. Peep inside the atmospheric anterooms, including the chapel dedicated to Alexander the Great, who rebuilt the room in his name.
- When the time comes, finish your tour with a drop-off at the start point.
