Luxor’s West Bank in half a day with a private guide. You are collected from your hotel and taken to the Valley of the Kings to visit three of its royal tombs, then to the terraced Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. You can return by felucca across the Nile if you wish. Hotel pickup, transport and guiding are included, and the tour takes about five hours, from $75.
You will Uncover the mysteries behind Luxor West Bank. You will explore the history and culture of ancient Egypt with your knowledgeable Egypt day tour guide. Your first stop of the day will be the valley of kings. It is a rock cut tomb excavated to be the burial tombs for the new kingdom pharaohs and privileged nobles, which contains 63 tombs and chambers decorated with colorful scenes of ancient Egyptian mythologies, beliefs and funerary rituals.
Afterward, head to visit the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, the only woman who ruled Egypt from pre dynastic history until today. The Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut was dedicated to sun god worshiping and was the only 3 level temple in the ancient world. With its connecting ramps, Hatshepsut temple was a turning point in ancient Egyptian architecture. You will enjoy the wonderful reliefs illustrating the earliest trade agreement between 2 countries in ancient history .
Your final stop will be at the Colossi of Memnon, the Colossi is a twin massive statue of the Pharaoh Amenhotep III in a seated position. They were built to guard at the entrance of Amenhotep’s memorial temple. You will have free time to snap photos of your favorite. Afterwards, drive back to your hotel in Luxor.
Valley of the Kings. For roughly 500 years, from around 1550 to 1070 BCE, the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried here in tombs cut deep into the desert hills, hidden from robbers rather than marked by pyramids. Sixty-three tombs are known so far, from simple shafts to long corridors painted with scenes from the Book of the Dead and the sun god’s night journey. The most famous, the tomb of Tutankhamun, was found almost intact by Howard Carter in 1922. Your guide will help you choose which tombs to enter on the day, since the open tombs rotate to protect the paintings.
Temple of Hatshepsut. Built for one of the very few women to rule Egypt as pharaoh, this mortuary temple rises in three broad terraces linked by long ramps. Its colonnades still carry reliefs of Hatshepsut’s trading expedition to the land of Punt, with ships, incense trees and exotic animals, as well as scenes claiming her divine birth to support her right to the throne. Seen from the forecourt, with the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari behind it, it is one of the most striking buildings of the ancient world.
Colossi of Memnon. These two quartzite statues once guarded the entrance to the vast mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, which has almost completely disappeared. After an earthquake damaged one statue in antiquity, it was said to “sing” at dawn, and Greek and Roman visitors came to hear it and carved their names on its legs. Today it is a quick, open-air stop and the best photo of the morning.
Good to know. Start early: the West Bank is at its quietest and coolest in the first hours after opening. Wear comfortable shoes for the slopes and steps, and bring a hat, sunglasses and water. If you would like to add the tomb of Tutankhamun or another specific tomb, tell us when you book and we will plan the timing.
