Luxor
Description
This is a 6 hour tour that includes; The Valley of the Kings (3 tombs), Valley of the Queens (2-3 tombs), the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Experience the West Bank with a fully guided tour by your licensed Egyptologist who will accompany you during this escorted visit to the west bank of Luxor, your guide will explain the history of the different sites, techniques used to dig, carve & paint the tombs, the meanings of the drawings, and he will show you the locations of the tombs, temples.
Gallary
Highlights
- Hotel pickup included
- Led by a qualified Egyptologist
- Instant Confirmation
- Small-group tour by minibus
What You Can Expect
A representative will pick you up from your hotel /cruise in Luxor and drive to the West bank. The first stop will be at The Colossi of Memnon, Two Giant Statues, once stood at the façade of the Funeral temple of Amenhotep III, one of the kings of the 18th dynasty (c.1370 BCE), the temple was shattered by a severe earthquake (circa 27 BCE), and nothing has remained but these two statues, witnessing the ongoing excavation work at the site.
You will proceed to The Valley of the Kings, dug at the foot of a limestone mountain called "El Qurn", a mountain which has a peak that looks like a Pyramid, perhaps this is the reason why this site was chosen as a royal necropolis. There, about 64 tombs are discovered so far, only 8 to 9 are open at a time, they used to keep the treasures and the mummies of the Pharaohs, their walls are decorated with chapters from the "Egyptian book of the dead", an ancient religious book, that shows the deceased the safe passage he can take to the underworld, so he can rise again with the Sun God Re and live forever.
You will then visit 3 included tombs, extra tombs need extra tickets which you can obtain from the ticket office at the entrance, not all the tombs are opened at once, they are opened in rotation, to save them for the next generations, so check the availability with your guide. Then you will move to The Funeral Temple of Hatshepsut, a unique building for a unique person, Pharaoh Hatshepsut (c.1508-1458 BCE), the first female to be given this title, an extraordinary person, who defied all circumstances, society, religion to get this title, and she proved that women can become great leaders & examples for their people, she ruled Egypt for 20 peaceful, prosperous years. The temple was designed by "Senmut" the high priest of Amun Re, who believed in the talents of Hatshepsut, writing together a shining chapter in the book of history.
Proceed to The Valley of the Queens, called in the ancient time "ta-set-neferu", which means "the place of the beauty", used as a final resting place for members of the royal family (1550–1070 BCE), about 90 tombs were discovered there so far, queens, princesses, princes, where buried in this site, although their tombs are much smaller than the tombs of the pharaohs, but the walls of their tombs has managed to keep their colors in a perfect state of preservation, there are only 2 to 3 tombs open at a time, "check the availability with your guide".
The use of cameras is forbidden in some sites "check with your guide for availability"
