Holiday in Luxor

About Luxor

Luxor is the largest open-air museum in the world. The city on the Nile, built on the ruins of ancient Thebes, hosts such a wealth of temples, tombs, and monuments that one would need weeks to see everything. Here beats the cultural heart of Egypt — and the dimensions of the millennia-old structures take even experienced travelers' breath away. The Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile is the most famous necropolis in the world. Over 60 artistically decorated rock tombs were built for the pharaohs of the New Kingdom, including Tutankhamun, Ramses II, and Hatshepsut. The vibrant colors of the 3,000-year-old wall paintings are remarkably well preserved and tell of the afterlife beliefs of the ancient Egyptians. The Karnak Temple is the largest temple complex in Egypt and a monument to human ambition. The hypostyle hall with its 134 massive columns, each 23 meters high, is an overwhelming sight. The evening sound and light show bathes the temple in dramatic light and brings history to life. The Luxor Temple right on the banks of the Nile is spectacularly illuminated at night and offers one of the most photogenic motifs in Egypt. The Avenue of Sphinxes, which once connected Karnak and Luxor Temple, was reopened in 2021 after decades of excavation — a 2.7-kilometer-long grand avenue lined with hundreds of sphinxes. A ride on a traditional felucca on the Nile at sunset is one of the most romantic experiences in Egypt. The west bank with the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, and the tombs of the nobles offers at least another full day of discoveries. Luxor is also the starting or ending point for many Nile cruises between here and Aswan.