Located on the banks of the river Nile, Luxor offers probably the richest step back in ancient Egyptian history. With world renowned monuments on both the East and West banks of the Nile, Luxor is a must-visit destination. For those that have a keen interest in ancient Egyptian history, keep reading because this post will ensure you don’t miss ANYTHING during your visit!

First off, I’d like to mention that I have recently visited Luxor (end of 2016) on a cruise but I extended my stay to be able to do additional sightseeing that was not included in the cruise itinerary. I booked my trip with Traveline Egypt and they provided me with an amazing guide called Amr El Sharkawy – you should definitely request him.

Make sure to follow the tips in this post to ensure you make the most out of your trip.

Sightseeing in Luxor

East bank

Luxor Temple

Karnak Temple

Luxor museum

Mummification museum.

West bank

Valley of the Kings & Queens

Valley of the Kings: Tomb of Seti the 1st is a must although the entrance fee (LE1,000) may seem shocking in comparison to the other entrance fees it’s really worth it.

Valley of the Queens: Tomb of Queen Nefertari what they like to call “the sistine chapel of Egypt” because of the colours. Used to cost GBP2,000 to open plus the price of the tickets but now it’s open to the public for LE 1,000 per person. Go!

Tombs of the Nobles (Ramoza)

Temple of Hatshepsut

Temple of Madinet Habu

Colossi of Memnon

Ramasseum.

Now, this is where you’ll be thanking me – the places that aren’t included in the “typical” itineraries sold by travel agencies are:

Dandara, Abydos and Qena.

These are beautiful sites but they’re located a little further out so they tend not to be included to prevent over-tiring guests. I personally think that doing Dandara, at least, is a must – especially if you want to stray from the “model itinerary”. On the other hand, Abydos features some of the most sophisticated murals and beautiful carvings. A day consisting of Abydos and Dandara is longer than most days but definitely worth it.

Sightseeing Tips:

1. Don’t buy your entrance tickets through a travel agency as anything purchased from a TA is subject to a 13% VAT which is likely to increase very soon. So better to buy your tickets at the sights and avoid the extra cost!
2. Don’t use taxis to get around, better to organize all transport with your Travel agency. Egypt is beautiful and the people are generally very kind but there is no taximeter so you’re very likely to get ripped off! Plus a TA is always the safer option in a foreign country.
3. Get a guide, the sights are beautiful but having the ancient stories narrated to you as you walk through the temples and the hieroglyphics translated to you by an egyptologist make the experience that much better.
4. Request Amr El Sharkawy as your guide – he is great at his job and goes above & beyond to make sure your every request is met.
5. You can start your tours a little later (8-9am) December – February as these are the cooler months. All other months start as early as you possibly can to avoid the heat as this may hinder your experience.

Where to stay?

When looking at where to stay I’d look at the following 3 options.

Sofitel Old Winter Palace

Enjoy your stay in what was once a winter destination for the Egyptian Royal family. A historic hotel built in 1886, the Winter Palace has managed to keep its historic charm! I would suggest it to those that appreciate a classic style, as opposed to modern interiors. Choose between enjoying a garden or Nile view from your guest room or one of the seven suites available at the Old Winter Palace.

Pavillion

Sharing the garden, pool and outlets with the Old Winter Palace the Pavillion offers a more modern style accommodation. The rooms/suites offer garden or pool views – no Nile view.

Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa

Just a 10 minute walk from Karnak temple, the Hilton hotel is located right by the Nile river. Stay in a deluxe guest room with a garden or Nile view or even better, spoil yourself and enjoy the Spa suite featuring a balcony, patio, spa treatment room with a massage bed AND tub, bedroom with a king size bed and a separate lounge area! The Hilton has been renovated since it’s opening in 1988, it has transformed into quite a modern property as seen in the photos.

Hotel Tips:

1. Book your hotel through a Travel agent, they always offer the most competitive rate – better than what’s online.
2. Try asking for an upgrade, I’m sure your TA will make the effort to at least try get you one!
3. If you’re going for an early tour and you wanna get some extra sleep, ask the hotel to prepare you a packed breakfast the night before, which you can enjoy between your tours.
4. Stick to hotel outlets for dinners or bars, don’t bother venturing to local places. Luxor is a destination for sightseeing and sightseeing only, leave the exploring for Cairo – which I’ll be writing about very soon so be sure to check back!

Let me know if you have any questions and feel free to drop me an email, I’ve helped tons of people plan and book their trip!

Meanwhile, enjoy this video of my trip in December2016.

Nile Cruise – Luxor, Egypt from KenzieKashmiri on Vimeo.