Luxor is a city located in Upper Egypt and has a rich history that dates back thousands of years. It is often referred to as the “world’s greatest open-air museum” due to the many well-preserved ancient monuments and archaeological sites in and around the city. When visiting, there are many opportunities to experience the culture and learn about one of the longest histories in the world, the Egyptian Civilization. If you are looking for a unique experience that can’t be found anywhere else, taking this tour is it!
While in Egypt we chose to primarily take guided tours. Part of this is due to the amount of history that can be provided when there is a knowledgeable guide versus having to research everything ahead of time. This was also a choice based on safety. When we visited it was right after issues were arising in late 2023 and the US had put out a travel advisory for Egypt due to terrorism. Always assess for your own comfort levels and take safety into account. This is the US Department of State website to check for travel advisories.
This tour was guided from Cairo. Here is a comprehensive list of what was included:
- Flight to Luxor and transport to hotel
- Hotel stay with breakfast
- Hot Air Balloon ride at Sunrise
- Guided tour to Valley of the Kings and other historical sites
- Driver for the day
- Lunch in the city
- Transfers back to the airport and flight back to Cairo
Hot Air Balloon
Over Luxor at Sunrise
Around 3:30-4:00 am a van came to pick us up from the Luxor hotel. They transferred us to a small boat where we were provided coffee and tea while crossing the river. From there we were organized into groups and hopped into a different van. That’s when we arrived at the hot air balloon area. Just as the sky started to lighten, we watched as they filled the hot air balloons. The workers were well coordinated and efficient in their work. A camera man walked around getting photos and videos for everyone (you could buy these after for around $10 and receive them via email).
While waiting your turn, you get to watch the other hot air balloons take off as more and more are getting filled with air. Finally it’s your turn and they help you step into the basket with around 16 other people. Each basket has small sections with 4 people to each section. The pilot in the center basket along with a second pilot. And then you are off on a grand adventure! Lifting into the air, you can see all around the area. From the farming land to the desert on the other side.
The Ride
Along with many other hot air balloons, you will float gently through the sky for around 25-30 minutes. After taking a million photos and repeating how beautiful it is 1,000 times, the pilot expertly guides the balloon to the ground. You can see the trucks driving out to where you will land. The workers then expertly get everyone out of the basket and allow the balloon to deflate. Once again, with extreme efficiency they get the balloon back onto a truck while you get into a van to be taken back to the original starting point.
If you have never done a hot air balloon ride, this is an amazing first time experience! From the views to the efficiency of the workers, this was one of the most magical experiences we have had! It is a cannot miss experience.
Valley of the Kings
After the hot air balloon ride, they dropped us back at the hotel for breakfast. The guide and driver for the day picked us up from the hotel to start our tour. The guide was extremely knowledgeable and stated she had a Bachelor’s Degree in Egyptian history and was actively working on her Master’s degree. One of the first stops was Valley of the Kings. Located on the west bank of the Nile, this is where many pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried.
Entrance tickets are not included in the tour so those can be bought upon arrival. There are different tombs that you can explore and different ticket options as well. Check out the photo above for the prices (prices may be subject to change). Tour guides are not allowed to actually guide in the tombs so they will likely provide an explanation then allow you to go in and explore by yourself. Note: going down into the tombs the stairs are very steep and it is very hot and stuffy inside of the tombs. Some tombs are bigger than others.
History
Many of the great pharaohs were buried here. One of the most well known is King Tutankhamun. According to our guide, one reason King Tut is so famous is because his tomb was found untouched by looters. Many of the tombs in this area had been looted throughout the years as they were found. King Tut’s tomb in the valley is set lower than others. Because of this, looters stopped at the top tombs and did not dig further allowing his tomb to remain untouched. If you missed out on the mummies in Cairo, fear not for King Tut’s mummy is in his tomb. Though all of his burial items have been moved to museums, his mummy remains on display inside his tomb. The valley is actively being excavated as they search for more tombs throughout the area.
***Hot tip: there are often men inside of the tombs in traditional garb. They will try to take photos for you and they are looking to receive tips for doing so. From our understanding, they are not placed there by the organization but they are also not chased off either.***
Other Historical Sites Visited in Luxor
Avenue of Sphinxes and Luxor Temple
The avenue connects Luxor Temple with the Karnak Temple Complex and is around 2 miles (3km) long. It is believed there were around 1,300 sphinxes when built though many have eroded or been destroyed at this time. This is also a great oppotunity to explore Luxor Temple. It has roughly ~32 columns that create beautiful architecture.
Temple of Karnak
Another historical site to visit is the Temple of Karnak. It sits on the other side of the Avenue of Sphinxes. This is the temple that you see often on Instagram where the ~134 massive columns reside. The temple is partially very large because many different pharaohs added to it throughout their time as ruler. A notable structure to find is the 2 great obelisks built by Queen Hatshepsut. One is still standing. They are the biggest obelisks in the temple because she wanted them to be bigger than the previous kings. You will notice that almost all of her statues have the face destroyed throughout the different temples. They were destroyed by Thutmose III because she had displaced him, her stepson, when she became queen. It is speculated that he is was behind her murder.
At this temple you will find a sacred lake that was used for rituals and purification.
***Hot tip: make sure you find the sacred scarab. If you want good fortune circle it counter clockwise 3 times, to remove envy and bring luck it is 5 times, to get pregnant it is 7 times, and to find the love of your life it is 6 times.***
Temple of Hatshepsut
A unique temple is that of Hatshepsut. Unlike the others, this temple is 3 levels. Archaeologists believe it dates back to c.1478/72-1458 B.C.E. of the New Kingdom and was sacred during the Middle Kingdom as well. After the introduction of Christianity, the temple received the name Deir el-Bahri due to being utilized as a monastery. The artwork is a bit different here than at other temples. It is worth noting that is it believed her mummy was found in the Valley of the King’s. It was not until ~2007 that they determined it was her mummy from new technology that allowed comparisons with organs found at her temple. Though her mummy was not found at her temple, over 40 others were discovered here. To visit her mummy, go to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.
Hotel Stay
When booking the tour, it provides an option of what level of hotel you would like to stay in. For a higher cost you can choose the nicer hotel. Since it was one night we went with the lowest budget option. The room was..okay. There were no towels, the beds were hard, and there were a couple of bugs. Definitely don’t open the mini fridge in the room either. The breakfast at the hotel was decent with bread, eggs, and coffee. If this sounds awful, it’s recommended to upgrade to the nicer room for the extra cost. We arrived somewhat late into the evening and got up early for the hot air balloon ride so we spent less than 12 hours in the room.
General Luxor
Recommendations
- Pack a small overnight bag for the trip. We were able to leave our big bags at the hotel we were staying at in Cairo and only brought an outfit change and toothbrushes.
- Wear sneakers and appropriate clothing. Yes it is extremely hot but I still wore something that covered my knees and shoulders as well as bringing a scarf.
- Bring sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, umbrella, fan, water. It is stupidly hot and you are in the sun most of the day exploring.
- Watch out for tourist traps. We had multiple situations where it was either people looking for tips or trying to sell you “handmade” items.
Are you planning a trip to Egypt? We would love to hear about it! If you are looking for more info check out our posts here — How to Visit The Great Pyramids of Giza, Egypt, How to Experience the Best of Cairo, Egypt.
Want to take the tour? Links are listed below for similar tours with multiple options!!!
**That Adventure Couple utilizes affiliate links throughout our posts to assist you in getting access to the exact experiences and products we talk about. If items are bought through these links, we will earn a small commission which helps keep our site running at no cost to our viewers.