Experience the wonders of ancient Egypt on an unforgettable full-day trip from Cairo to Luxor by flight. Discover the legendary treasures of Luxor, often called the world’s greatest open-air museum, as you explore both the West and East Banks of the Nile with a professional Egyptologist guide. Visit the magnificent Valley of the Kings, where Egypt’s greatest pharaohs were buried, admire the spectacular Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and stop at the iconic Colossi of Memnon. After a delicious lunch at a local restaurant, relax on a traditional one-hour felucca cruise along the Nile before exploring the awe-inspiring Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex ever built in ancient Egypt. Complete your experience with a charming horse-drawn carriage (calash) ride through the streets and traditional markets of Luxor before returning to the airport for your evening flight back to Cairo.
The Valley of the Kings (what used to be Thebes) lies about 7km from the Nile on the west bank, and must have been one of the most amazing discoveries made in Egypt. It was here that bodies of kings such as Tutankhamoun , Ramses II, Ramses IV, Tutmose III and many other kings once lay. The idea for building this kind of burial ground is thought to have originated with the Pharaoh Tutmose I, who owing to the frequency of tomb robbings (even in those days), decided to have his tomb concealed in a place far away from his mortuary temple and not near the temple as past Pharaohs had been doing. The Pharaohs that followed did the same — hence changing a tradition that had been going on for close to 2000 years. Within the tombs and along the walls, inscriptions from the Book for the Dead provided instructions for how the Pharaoh may have a safe trip to the next world and how to avoid the dangers that lay on the way. Although not all the tombs are always open to visitors, the more interesting ones usually are. These tombs are also electrically lighted and give a more impressive image, exposing more of the artistic detail. The tombs in the valley of the kings belong to the Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Families. They are 62 tombs, including some small tombs which are not considered royal. The total tombs that can be visited are seventeen. Some of them are really worth visiting, such as: – Tomb No. 62 belonging to king Tutankhamoun and No. 35 belonging to king Amenhotob II, for they are characterized by their lovely entrances, passages and their colorful drawings. -Tomb No. 17, which belongs to King Siti I, is considered the most beautiful tomb in the whole valley. -Tomb No. 8 is king Merenbetah’s, and is marked by its beautiful coffin and unique drawings. -Tomb No. 11, belonging to King Ramsis III, is known for its splendor and luxury. -Tomb No. 9, which belong to Ramsis the Fifth, was seized by king Ramsis the Sixth and is considered a good example of Ramsis’ late art. -Tomb No. 6, which is the tomb of King Ramsis the Ninth, is the last tomb built in the valley.
The mortuary temple of Queen Hatshepsut is one of the most dramatically situated in the world. The queen’s architect, Senenmut, designed it and set it at the head of a valley overshadowed by the Peak of the Thebes, the “Lover of Silence,” where lived the goddess who presided over the necropolis. A tree lined avenue of sphinxes led up to the temple, and ramps led from terrace to terrace. The porticoes on the lowest terrace are out of proportion and coloring with the rest of the building. They were restored in 1906 to protect the celebrated reliefs depicting the transport of obelisks by barge to Karnak and the miraculous birth of Queen Hatshepsut. Reliefs on the south side of the middle terrace show the queen’s expedition by way of the Red Sea to Punt, the land of incense. Along the front of the upper terrace, a line of large, gently smiling Osirid statues of the queen looked out over the valley. In the shade of the colonnade behind, brightly painted reliefs decorated the walls. Throughout the temple, statues and sphinxes of the queen proliferated. Many of them have been reconstructed, with patience and ingenuity, from the thousands of smashed fragments found by the excavators; some are now in the Cairo Museum, and others the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
These two huge statues of Amenhotep III originally sat in front of the mortuary temple of the king. Unfortunately, this temple was destroyed throughout the centuries. It is believed that it was built of white sandstone, gold and silver. The statues show Amenhotep seated on his throne with the two Nile gods of upper and lower Egypt uniting the two lands, at his sides. It is also interesting to know that on the right of each statue appears a small figure of Queen Tiye, wife of Amenhotep III and on the left Queen Mutemua, his mother. The colossi are made of sandstone. Part of the north colossus fell in the earthquake of 27 BC. During the Roman period, this site became very popular. Authors and travellers wrote verses on the stone.
The Karnak site is situated about 3.5km from the Luxor temple and is the largest of its kind in the world. The circumference of this temple measures about 4km within the Karnak site. Perhaps the largest temple within the Karnak is that of Amun, a great Pharaonic God. A processional path of ram sphinxes representing Amun leads into the temple. Between the forelegs of these rams is a small statue of Ramses II, Amun’s servant. Though the temple was originally founded during the Middle Kingdom, the various dynasties that came afterwards continued to add onto it, hence the size of this massive temple. From the highest wall of the temple, we see the great frontyard which was built by Ethiopians, and the Shashank gate and hall of columns which was established by King Ramsis II. Just behind these great buildings lies the obelisk built by Queen Hatshepsut, then the granite temple and the feasts hall established by King Thotmos III. On the far horizon appears the holy lake, the remains of Osiris’ tomb, the series of the southern walls, the temple of the infant god Khonso and Obet Temple.
Absolutely. This day trip is designed for visitors staying in Cairo who want to experience Luxor's most famous attractions in a single day without spending the night.
Your standard entrance ticket includes access to three selected royal tombs. Special tombs such as Tutankhamun or Seti I require separate tickets.
Yes. The tour includes round-trip domestic flights between Cairo and Luxor, along with airport transfers at both destinations.
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