Wander through the Valley of the Kings and the temples of Luxor

Luxor, located on the fertile banks of the Nile is also known as 'the ancient kingdom capital'. One of our local representatives will be waiting for you on your arrival here to start your Valley of the Kings tour. He or she will answer any questions you may have and you can make arrangements with him/her for your visit to Karnak tomorrow. We try not to arrange set times for these visits since this is your holiday and we believe you should decide what time you want to get up in the morning. Karnak is a popular tourist attraction and as such, it is generally crowded with tourists. That's why we recommend visiting Karnak very early in the morning at around 7:30 or at lunch time around 13:00. There's a great restaurant with a lovely ambience and mouth-watering Egyptian cuisine: Restaurant Sofra. It's located in one of the side streets behind the boulevard. It may be a little difficult to find, but with the help of the hotel reception staff or a taxi driver, you should be able to find it. It's definitely worth a visit. 

On the second day of your Egypt trip, you'll be collected from your hotel in the morning or afternoon, whichever you prefer (or you'll travel by cruise boat). Our english-speaking guide will accompany you to Karnak, which lies about 10 minutes from the city centre. For over 1300 years, nearly all pharaohs contributed to the construction of what is probably the most splendid structure in Egyptian history. The best time to visit the temple is around 7:30 in the morning, around lunch time or after 15:00, when tour buses haven't yet arrived or have already left. 

You'll explore the temple at your own pace, starting at the Avenue of the Sphinxes at the temple's spectacular entrance. Karnak's dimensions are extraordinary. As you cross through several outer temples you'll finally reach the centre, the absolute highlight of Luxor. The entire temple covers an area of 6000 square metres. Its 'forest of columns' of 134 columns covered by chiselled hieroglyphic figures is unique. You can spend hours wandering through the temple. The rest of the day is yours to spend as you wish - visit the temple of Luxor in the heart of the city, stroll through the small city streets filled with souvenir shops or relax by the hotel pool.

After breakfast you'll be collected by our guide and taken to the opposite side of the Nile. You'll need to bring along all of your belongings as you'll be spending the next two nights on the west bank. There are more friendly guest houses and family-run hotels filled with adventurous travellers and backpackers on this side of the Nile. As soon as you cross the Nile, you'll feel as if you're in an entirely different kind of Luxor. It's friendlier, rural and home to the most well known attraction in Egypt - the Valley of the Kings. Nearly all pharaohs are buried here and to this day it is a Mecca for archaeologists.

The West Bank is a very special part of Egypt. Countless coaches filled with groups of tourists cross the bridge directly into the Valley of the Kings to visit the tombs every day. On the West Bank, travellers can experience a combination of the local way of life and unique world famous attractions. We've chosen to dedicate a morning of this Valley of the Kings tour to visiting these attractions with a guide, leaving you with free time to visit other sights independently by bike, donkey or with a guide.

Our driver will be waiting on the West Bank pier to drive you through winding mountain roads to the Valley of the Kings. In ancient Egypt, this was considered a holy burial place for Pharaohs. So far 63 tombs have been discovered. Ten tombs are open to the public every day, including the tomb of Tutankhamun, and a visit to three of them will be included in your Valley of the Kings tour itinerary, though you may have to wait quite a while to enter each one. The corridors of the tombs are covered with colourful hieroglyphics and often run deep into the mountain revealing secret halls and chambers. A visit to the tombs of prominent Egyptians, as well as a visit to the temple of pharoah ramses III is also included in the trip.

Our guide will share plenty of interesting facts about Egypt's mystical past and answer your questions. After your tour, you can explore the famous temple of Hatshepsut, the Valley of the Queens, Deir el Medina (home of the temple and tomb builders) and more. When you are finished, you'll be dropped off at our comfortable countryside hotel on the edge of the village, where you can enjoy dinner on the rooftop terrace.

Day 4 of your Valley of the Kings tour is free for you to spend as you wish. You can take a taxi cab back to the temples and tombs, or you could simply visit them on foot. You can sailing along the Nile on a traditional felucca or hire a bicycle and cycle through the countryside. You may want to go for a donkey ride, just ask your hotel's reception staff who will gladly help you out.

Another one-of-a-kind excursion you can choose from is a hot air balloon ride at sunrise above the Valley of the Kings and the West Bank, which only costs about £55, far more affordable than hot air balloon rides in most countries. It's a unique experience and lasts for about 20 minutes. You could do this early in the morning on Day 2. Your hotel will be happy to put you in touch with a local company. There are several small restaurants in the area where you can try out the local cuisine. Try the simple, yet tasty dish of 'Memnon' at one of the restaurants in the town of Gezira where the boat will drop you off. 

After breakfast on the last day of your Egypt trip, you'll be collected by our driver and sail back to the East Bank where you'll continue travelling through Egypt. If you would like to spend an extra day on the West Bank, we can add one day to your travel plan. However, two days is usually enough for most travellers. 

Next, you can travel south from Luxor with a Abu Simbel tour where you'll have the opportunity to visit this famous temple. If you've already visited Aswan, or if you would prefer to travel towards the beach, take a private transfer or domestic flight to the Red Sea.

Check out our Red Sea diving trip in El Quseir or take a domestic flight to our favourite beach destination Dahab, Egypt.