Explore Luxor | Aswan | Abu Simbel – 03 Days

Valley of the Kings, burial place of the kings of Thebes (ancient Luxor), you will have a brief stop at the visitors center. Guides are not permitted inside the tombs, but your guide will tell you what to look for inside the elaborately decorated rooms. If you wish to visit the tomb of King Tutankhamun, an additional cost is payable direct.

Temple of Hatshepsut, one of the most striking monuments in Egypt. Your guide will introduce you to the history of the temple and the story of Queen Hatshepsut, the famous female ruler of Egypt who posed as a male to gain the throne. There is free time to explore at your leisure as you wander the large courtyards and admire the intricate hieroglyphic decorations.

Colossi of Memnon, which mark the site of the funerary temple of Amenhotep III. These two giant statues standing tall and proud on the West Bank are all that remain of the ancient complex.

Temples of Karnak. Walk along the Avenue of Sphinx to enter the complex as your guide explains how the massive facade was constructed. On entering the Temples of Karnak you will see each legacy left by the various pharaohs as the complex grew even larger. The deeper you go into the complex, the further back in time you will travel, with the oldest ruins dating back over 3,000 years. Walking through the Great Court into the Great Hypostyle Hall, it’s hard not to be overwhelmed by the 134 columns towering above you like an ancient forest. At the rear of the complex you will find the sacred lake where centuries ago pharaohs and their offerings to the gods were purified. After a tour of the complex, you will have additional free time to explore at leisure.

Luxor Temple which was once joined to the Temples of Karnak by a two-kilometer long Avenue of Sphinx, a portion of which marks the entrance to the temple. Dominated by statues of the great warrior pharaoh Ramses II, Luxor Temple has survived Nile floods, foreign invasion and thousands of years exposed to the elements. A pure Egyptian temple, the inner walls and columns are decorated with intricate hieroglyphics which your guide will help you decipher. Find out how Alexander the Great wrote himself into Luxor Temple’s history, and see one of the original pair of obelisk, the second of which now stands on the Place de la Concorde in Paris.

Check out from your hotel after breakfast, then our tour guide will pick you up to enjoy a day tour to the Temple of Edfu, where you will visit the majestic temple dedicated to Horus which is considered by most to be the best preserved cult temple in Egypt. According to the Egyptian myths, it was the place where the falcon-headed god Horus revenged the murder of his father Osiris by killing Seth. Drive to Aswan.

Private tour to explore Philae Temple. The one was carefully moved to its current location (around 500 meters from the original site) when the construction of the High Dam caused surrounding Nile waters to rise. A short motorboat ride takes you to the island where your guide will take you on a walking tour through the temple before allowing you free time to explore further on your own. Dedicated to the goddess Isis, Philae Temple has a beautiful setting on an island in the river which has been landscaped to match its original site. It’s various shrines and sanctuaries celebrate the deities involved in the myth of Isis and Osiris.

See the magnificent temples of Abu Simbel on a vehicle tour from Aswan. With a qualified Egyptologist as your guide, you’ll enjoy a personalized visit to Abu Simbel on this private tour. With its four rock-hewn pharaohs, you’ll agree that the Great Temple is one of the most impressive sites in Egypt, and the highlight of any trip to Egypt. On the short walk to the temple entrances, your guide will explain the history of the site, including details of the UNESCO-led relocation of the entire cliff face to higher ground, and how the temples were discovered by accident in 1813. Due to the large number of visitors to Abu Simbel, guides are not permitted inside either the Great Temple of Ramses II or the smaller Temple of Hathor. However, by using photos and illustrations, your guide will explain to you the structures and their interior artworks. You will then have free time to enter the temples and explore them at your leisure. As one of the few ancient Egyptian sites which largely escaped damage by past invaders, the interiors of Abu Simbel’s temples are astounding. The scale of the buildings and their detailed decoration leaves most visitors in awe. The temples’ attraction is further enhanced by their scenic location on the edge of Lake Nasser in the orange sands of the desert. The drive is approximately three hours each way. Then back to Aswan and drop off at Aswan Hotels or Train station. End of service.