Luxor, a city in southern Egypt is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world and is one of the world’s greatest open-air museums. It is also one of the sunniest and driest cities in the world, think desert climate year-round. In ancient times Luxor was the ancient city of Thebes during the New Kingdom and later home to the god Amun. Discoveries are constantly being made including most recently the “Lost Golden City” which was discovered during my trip (April 2021.) Make sure to also check out my helpful tips for visiting Egypt!
There are accommodations of every price range from hostels to 5-star hotels. I chose to stay at the Hilton Luxor which offers 2 infinity pools with a view of the Nile River, 2 full bars, a spa, breakfast buffet, restaurant, and laundry services. The hotel was clean, the staff was attentive, and I felt safe as the entrance was guarded including a metal detector.
I recommend spending at least two full days in Luxor, plan for a day on the East Bank and another day on the West Bank of the Nile River. On the East Bank I recommend visiting Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. On the West Bank I recommend visiting the following in order of my favorites Valley of the Kings, Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, Mortuary Temple of Rames III at Medinet Habu, and Dier El- Medina (Valley of the Workers.)
Day 1: EAST BANK
Visiting Karnak and Luxor temples will only require a half a day, so I recommend starting your day with a hot air balloon ride over the temples. I will warn you most hot air balloon rides start with a 4:30 a.m pickup from your hotel. But waking up early is worth it, riding over the temples while watching the sunrise is magical! I will warn you the ride is hot, when getting into the basket try not to be assigned closest to the flame. I booked my hot air balloon ride with Hod Hod Soliman Hot Air Balloons through Viator and my captain was Omar. After your hot air balloon ride you will have enough time to go back to your hotel for breakfast before venturing out to the temples.
I also recommend doing a hot air balloon ride the first morning in case the ride is cancelled due to inclement weather so that you can re- schedule for the next morning.
Karnak Temple
Karnak Temple was known by ancient Egyptians as the “The Most Select of Places” and is the largest ancient religious site ever constructed. It is the second most visited site in Egypt following the Great Pyramids of Giza. Karnuk Temple was my favorite temple that I visited while in Egypt. The complex includes temples, chapels, a sacred lake, and other buildings that were built to honor Amun god of the sun and air, mother goddess Mut, and Khonsu the god of the moon.
The temple Amun is stunning and includes 134 columns, some as tall as 70 feet! This is the main building and if on a time constraint make sure to check this out if nothing else. Make sure to check out Sacred Lake and the scarab (beetle) statue nearby. There are numerous superstitions regarding this statue including if you walk around the statue 7 times it will bring you marriage. My tour guide told me to walk around 7 times and make a wish.
Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple is known as the “southern sanctuary” and is a mile south of Karnak Temple. Luxor Temple is enormous, the entrance is over 200 feet wide. At one time Karnak and Luxor Temples were connected by an avenue lined with 2 rows of human- headed stone sphinxes. Today, the sphinx is located outside of Luxor Temple. Unlike other temples Luxor was not dedicated to a god or god figure of kings of pharaohs but instead dedicated to the rejuvenation of kingship. Luxor Temple was a part of the Opiate festival, a festival in which the statues of Amun, Mut, and Khonso would travel from Karnak to Luxor Temple.
After visiting the temples head back to your hotel to spend time relaxing by the pool. For dinner I recommend El Hussein, a locally owned restaurant with authentic Egyptian cuisine. On the menu you will find pasta dishes, soups, pigeon (yes pigeon), and chicken dishes. The portions are huge. For $12 USD I ordered the Bird’s Tongue soup, chicken shish kabobs, rice, and baba ghanoush. Bird’s Tongue soup is an Egyptian soup made of chicken stock, orzo or similar pasta, and veggies. This soup is delicious, make sure you top it with the lime.
Day 2: West Bank
Valley of the Kings
I recommend making Valley of the Kings your first stop of the day and arriving early to avoid the crowds and heat. Valley of the Kings is home to over 63 tombs and is the burial place for most of Egypt’s New Kingdom rulers. Tomb of the Ramses the III is the largest and most visited tomb in the Valley of Kings. It was my favorite because the colors of the artwork are still highly saturated and beautiful.
Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
This mortuary temple is also known as the Holy of Holies. Hatshepsut was married to the god Amun and came into ruling after his passing due to their son being too young to rule. Although Hatshepsut was one of the first and few female kings in Egyptian history, she was one of the most successful pharaohs. Her success was due to reestablishing trade relationships which led to economic prosperity for Egypt and her reign being one of the most peaceful. Some of the trade goods included frankincense and myrrh (used a perfume, incense, and medication.) Interesting fact, Hatshepsut presented herself as a male including a fake beard.
Medinet Habu
Medinet Habu is the second largest ancient temple discovered in Egypt. The exterior walls of the Temple of Ramses III at Medinet Habu depict religious scenes and images of Ramses war between Libyans and the Sea Peoples. My favorite part of this temple was the courtyard with Remmised columns.
Valley of the Workers
Unlike the other sites above, Valley of the Workers known locally as Diel el- Medina provides a look into the lives of the workers who built the surrounding graves for famous leaders. There are three tombs open to the public here and this site is not as crowded as the other sites.
After a long day of temple visiting go back to your hotel and relax by the pool until it cools down. On my last evening in Luxor my guide, Peter was able to arrange a private felucca cruise down the Nile River for $40 USD. This moment brought back memories from my childhood of being obsessed with a world globe that I often studied the continent of Africa on and was fascinated by the Nile River.
Luxor is an amazing city full of history and this itinerary just includes the most popular attractions. When I return to Luxor I plan to visit Valley of the Kings and Tomb of King Tut.
Have you been to Luxor? What was your favorite part of Luxor or what are you most looking forward to?
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Neva says
Ashley, the details about Luxor make me want to go. I love how you rely on local knowledge and businesses to book your trip!
Melanie says
Wow! Lovely photos! I’ve always wanted to do a hot air balloon ride. Great tip about how early you have to get up!
Brenda says
Wow! What an informative travel blog. Well done! Loved the pictures too.