Private Day Trip to Luxor from El Gouna with Temple Visits

Highlights

• A private day tour to the most important temples of Luxor
• Luxor has extensive sights that include many temples, valleys, statues, and unusual architecture
• Marvel at the terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the mortuary temple of the most powerful woman in Ancient Egypt
• The temple complex of Karnak is a huge complex of worship from temples, obelisks, and huge statues
• Take a felucca ride over the banks of the legendary Nile
• The Valley of the Kings - discover the royal Cemetery of the Pharaohs, an indispensable piece of the Egyptian history

Description

On this private day tour, we will show you the cultural highlights of Luxor, including the world-famous Valley of the Kings and the Karnak Temple as well as a selection of huge pharaoh statues with the fascinating terraced temple of Queen Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. You will also get a glimpse into the life of the locals with a great lunch at a local restaurant. Accompanied by your personal guide, visit the following highlights on your tour:

● The valley of the kings
On the western bank of the Nile, opposite the city of Thebes, is Thebes Necropolis: the Valley of the Kings. Thebes was the capital of the New Kingdom during the 18th Dynasty. Today the modern city of Luxor and the village of Karnak are located on the territory of the former pharaoh's Kingdom. In this dry river valley, Egyptian workers worked under the scorching desert sun in the second millennium BC. In the shadow of a pyramid-shaped natural summit consecrated to the goddess Hathor, graves of captivating beauty and awe-inspiring size were carved into the rock.

● Hatshepsut temple
Hatshepsut's most ambitious project was her own mortuary temple in Deir el-Bahari, across from the city of Luxor. Deir el-Bahari should be the threshold between this world and the hereafter. On the walls of the temple, there is also a drawing illustrating the myths about the divine birth of the Queen of Hatshepsut. It is noteworthy that the temple was considered one of the most important religious centers of ancient Egypt even after the queen's death a few centuries. The amazingly high color quality of these murals will also impress you. The weight in the Hatshepsut temple is supported by a unique ceiling construction. During her peaceful reign, sometimes in dual power, she led the New Kingdom to its highest development and created buildings that still proclaim her fame today, e.g. the tallest of all obelisks still standing in Egypt today (Karnak) or the unique terraced temple in Deir el-Bahari (West Thebes).

● Karnak temple
The pyramid of Cheops is more powerful, the Colosseum larger, the Parthenon more beautiful. But "in the nobility of the conception, in the abundance of details and the mysteriousness" the portico of the Great Temple of Karnak surpasses everything. It is a huge complex of many different temples and cult sites that are related to each other. The religious heart of Egypt beat here for many centuries. Outstanding among the ruins is the Temple of Amun Re. The most powerful sanctuary in ancient Egypt, built in the early Middle Kingdom after 2,100 BC. Over 130 pillars are said to have once supported the wooden roof of the temple. The temple represents an image of the world. The pillars, which are over 20 meters high, support the roof of heaven. The obelisks are also worth seeing. E.g. the rose granite sphinx of Queen Hatshepsut, the Holy Lake, and the Temple of Chons.

● The Colossi of Memnon
The Colossi of Memnon are located on the way to several interesting temples and tombs in Teben-West and others. the Deir el Bahri (Hatshepsut Temple) and the Valley of the Kings. These two statues are the last remains of a once-great temple of Amenhotep III. It stretched behind the two statues that flanked the main entrance. The plant was over 600 meters long. Today you can only see a few remains of the former temple.

Annotation:
- Not all graves are open to the public. Some of the graves are permanently closed, while others may be closed for restoration purposes. In the Valley of the Kings, you can visit 2 to 3 graves

- If you want to see the resting place of Tut Ench Amuns, you have to pay an additional entrance ticket.

- There is now a complete ban on photos for the entire Valley of the Kings. Cameras have to be handed in when entering and are only given again when leaving.

- With the purchase of a video ticket for EGP 300, you can take photos/videography in one grave per ticket. An exception is the grave of Seti I. Tickets are only available at the ticket booth near the Colossi of Memnon, not on site. All graves now have an explanation at the grave entrance on a modern and informative board about the history, architecture, and decoration.

- Basic plans and important detailed recordings are presented. These tables were created with the support of the Theban Mapping Project by the Egyptian Antiquities Authority.

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