Luxor Holidays

GMT +2 hours

Arabic

Egyptian pound

Pickpockets operate around tourist areas, so never carry money in your back pocket and leave valuables and jewellery in the hotel safe.

Luxor Temple
Parallel to the Nile’s riverbank, this spectacular complex was dedicated to Amun, the king of the gods. Wander through the courtyard and admire the pylons and obelisk.

Karnak Temple
Said to be the largest religious site in the world, here you’ll discover the Great Temple of Amen among ruined temples, chapels and an ancient sacred lake.

Valley of the Kings
New tombs are still being discovered at this extraordinary site. They belong to the pharaohs of the New Kingdom, including Ramses the Great and Tutankhamen.

Valley of the Queens
This landmark contains around 70 tombs of queens, princesses and nobles.

Deir Al-Bahir
This stunning temple was built for the great Queen Hatshepsut, and the inner walls are adorned with beautiful murals.

Medinet Habu
Dating from the New Kingdom, here you’ll find the Temple of Amun and Ramesses III’s mortuary temple.

Memnon Colossis
These two gigantic sandstone figures depict Amenhotep III, and stood in front of his mortuary temple before it was destroyed.

Neferhotep Statue
Dating back to around 3600BC, this statue of King Neferhotep was discovered in 2005 under the southern Queen Hatshepsut obelisk.

The Tombs of the Nobles
Over 500 private tombs show the daily life of the ancient Egyptians. At least seven are definitely worth visiting.

Felucca
Sail up the Nile in a felucca, a traditional Egyptian sailboat. After watching the sun set, float along through bustling river traffic past the lit-up banks. You can hire a felucca along the main corniche – make sure you haggle for the best price.

Caleche
Take a wonderful trip through Luxor in a caleche – a horse-drawn carriage. You can hail one down along the main corniche.

Bicycle
Luxor is bursting with bicycle rent shops.

Donkeys, camels and horses
Explore Luxor’s villages on the back of one of these sturdy animals, traditional modes of transport in Egypt.

January
Egyptian Marathon
Nearly 2,000 runners from 36 nationalities race around Luxor, starting at Hatshepsut Temple and passing landmarks including Luxor Temple and the Valley of Queens.

April
Shem al Nessim
Join in the fun at this outdoor festival, celebrating the first day of spring with music, dancing and story-telling.

November
Festival of Tutankhamen Tomb Discovery
This festival celebrates the uncovering of boy-king Tutankhamen’s tomb in 1922, a staggering 3,500 years after he was mummified.

Luxor’s back streets are home to colourful bazaars, where you can haggle over local goods including clay pots and alabaster.

5¼ hours

Culture, Nature & Quietness, History & Tradition, Events & Festivals

• All our Luxor hotels have swimming pools and some have other facilities like tennis and squash courts.
• Keen golfers can tee off on the nearby 18-hole Royal Valley Golf Course.

Food
At hotels you’ll find a variety of restaurants serving a mixture of Middle Eastern and local specialities, normally buffet-style. There are also a few great local eateries, such as the Luxor Sheraton’s Italian restaurant.

Water
Stick to bottled water, and remember that it’s easy to get dehydrated here in the summer.

Religion
Islam

Dialling code
+20 65

Travel tips
• When visiting the West Bank, wear a strong pair of shoes and a sun hat, and take plenty of water.
• In the summer, excursions leave very early in the morning to avoid high midday temperatures.
• Take a small torch, as the tombs are very dark and you may want to look more closely at the hieroglyphics.
• Kuoni offers a pre-bookable excursion package which is well worth taking – especially if it’s your first time to Luxor.

Summer, Winter

• Egypt is predominately a Muslim country, so make sure you’re properly dressed when out and about. Revealing outfits are a no-no, especially for women.

• Pack lightweight cotton clothes in the summer and a jumper or jacket for cooler winter evenings.

Many hotels hold discos and local shows.

Karnak Open-Air Museum
This wonderful museum houses a collection of statues that have been found in the famous complex.

Luxor Museum
This museum has a small but well-chosen collection of relics from the Theban temples and necropolis. A new section recently opened featuring 16 new exhibits discovered in Luxor Temple, and other displays include pottery and jewellery.

Sound & Light Show
This is the highlight of a trip to Luxor – held at Karnak Temple, it easily rivals the one at the Great Pyramids of Giza. There are two performances a night in English, French, German or Arabic.

Hot-air balloon ride
Discover Luxor from the air as you admire its many landmarks from a unique bird’s-eye view.

Tipping or ‘baksheesh’ is a way of life in Egypt. It’s customary to tip about LE£1 for every little service, so keep a pocketful of small change!