Private Day Tour: Sightseeing East and West Banks of Luxor

The largest of Luxor’s temples, Karnak Temple was one of the most sacred sites in ancient Egypt. It marked the ascendancy of Thebes (present day Luxor) as the capital of the New Kingdom, with construction beginning in the 16th century BC. Most subsequent rulers tinkered with the complex so it represents a great crash course in different pharaonic styles.

The major site here is the Temple of Amon, the largest place of worship ever constructed. There the Great Hypostyle Hall, which was once roofed, dwarfs visitors with its dozens of colossal columns reaching 25 yards (23 meters) into the sky.

Other highlights include the serene sacred lake, gargantuan statues of rulers and gods, as well as the best selection of obelisks in Egypt.

The enormous Luxor Temple was one of the great constructions of the New Kingdom (dating from the 14th century BC) dedicated to the god Amun. It was known as the “Southern Sanctuary” and was the site of ceremonies aimed at encouraging the life-giving Nile floods.

Once through the processional Avenue of Sphinxes you come to the First Pylon, which announces the phenomenal scale of the stonework here: statues, columns and obelisks all compete with each other in a race to the sky.

Ensuing civilizations have also left their marks: there’s a shrine erected by Alexander the Great, Roman wall frescoes as well as a 14th century AD mosque, ensuring this remains a place of worship in the present day.

Considered among the most significant archaeological destinations on earth, the Valley of the Kings was the burial place for many of Egypt’s New Kingdom pharaohs—the most famous of which is the tomb of Tutankhamun, aka King Tut. The remaining tombs are divided into three sections; those of Ramses VI and Ay rank among the most beautiful, thanks to their intricate detail.

This impressive mortuary temple, built by Queen Hatshepsut, seems to blend in with the limestone cliffs from which it was cut. The meticulously restored complex happens to sit on one of the hottest places on the planet, so most visitors come in the cooler morning hours.

Standing nearly 60 feet (18 meters) above the desert plain, the two faceless statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III are often the first monuments you’ll see when visiting Luxor’s West Bank. Each of the two Colossi was cut from a single block of stone.

If you mention to someone that you will be visiting KV62 while you’re in Egypt, the chances are they won’t have any idea what you are talking about. On the other hand, if you tell them you’ll be be visiting the Tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings you’ll immediately see the envy in their eyes. Yes, I’m sure most will agree that KV62 is an incredibly unromantic name for what is perhaps the most famous of all the ancient Egyptian tombs – that of King Tutankhamen.