Description
Luxor holds more standing antiquity than anywhere else on earth, and this day takes both banks of the river without rushing either. You begin at Karnak while the light is still low and the hypostyle hall is quiet, cross the Nile by road to the Theban necropolis, and close the day under sail as the western cliffs turn copper.
Your Egyptologist travels with you throughout, entry tickets are arranged in advance, and lunch is served at a Nile-side house rather than a coach stop. The pace is yours: linger in the Valley of the Kings, or trade a tomb for extra time at Hatshepsut.
Highlights
- Private entry to Karnak before the coaches arrive
- Three tombs in the Valley of the Kings, with your guide inside rather than waiting outside
- Lunch at a family-run house overlooking the cultivation, not a tourist restaurant
- Ninety minutes under sail on a private felucca at golden hour
- Air-conditioned vehicle and all entry tickets arranged in advance
Itinerary
Karnak at opening hour
Collection from your hotel or the Nile cruise dock at 6:30. Karnak opens quietly and you walk the avenue of rams into the Great Hypostyle Hall before the coaches arrive: 134 columns, most of the original paint still readable near the capitals. Roughly ninety minutes, unhurried.
Luxor Temple and the corniche
A short drive south along the river to Luxor Temple, still connected to Karnak by the excavated Avenue of Sphinxes. Your guide reads the layers here: Amenhotep III, Ramesses II, a Roman chapel, and a working mosque built on top of it all.
Crossing to the west bank
A private boat across the Nile, then lunch at a family-run house overlooking the cultivation. Egyptian mezze, grilled fish, fresh bread, and shade for an hour before the afternoon sites.
Valley of the Kings
Three tombs are included. We recommend Ramesses IV, Merenptah and Ramesses IX for colour and depth. Tutankhamun and Seti I can be added on the day. Your guide stays with you throughout.
Hatshepsut and the felucca
The terraced temple at Deir el-Bahari against the cliff in the late light, then the Colossi of Memnon on the way back. The day closes under sail around Banana Island, returning you by around 18:30.
Included and excluded
- Private Egyptologist guide for the full day
- All entrance tickets listed in the itinerary
- Air-conditioned vehicle and driver
- Nile-side lunch with soft drinks
- Private felucca charter
- Hotel or cruise-dock pickup and drop-off
- Optional tombs (Tutankhamun, Seti I, Nefertari)
- Personal expenses and souvenirs
- Gratuities for guide and driver
- Travel insurance
- Alcoholic drinks
Location
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