Luxor Trip Overview
See the sites on the East Bank of the Nile. Visit the well-preserved temple complexes of Karnak and Luxor. Karnak is the largest temple complex in Egypt, dedicated to the God Amon, his wife, Mut, and their son Khonso.
Additional Info
Duration: 4 hours
Starts: Luxor, Egypt
Trip Category: Tours & Sightseeing >> Bus & Minivan Tours
Explore Luxor Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Luxor, Nile River Valley, Egypt
See the sites on the East Bank of the Nile. Visit the well-preserved temple complexes of Karnak and Luxor. Karnak is the largest temple complex in Egypt, dedicated to the God Amon, his wife, Mut, and their son Khonso.
Stop At: Temple of Karnak, Karnak, Luxor Egypt
When visiting Karnak, you are paying a visit to the heart of Egypt during the New Kingdom. This huge temple complex was the center of the ancient faith while power was concentrated at Thebes (modern day Luxor) and its significance is reflected in its enormous size. In addition to its religious significance, it also served as a treasury, administrative center, and palace for the New Kingdom pharaohs. It is considered as the largest temple complex ever constructed anywhere in the world. It developed over a period of 1500 years, added to by generation after generation of pharaohs and resulting in a collection of temples, sanctuaries, pylons, and other decorations that is unparalleled throughout Egypt. While the height of its importance was during the New Kingdom and famous pharaohs such as Hatshepsut, Tuthmose III, Seti I and Ramesses II all contributed significant additions to the complex, construction continued into the Greco-Roman Period with the Ptolomies, Romans, and early Christians all leaving their mark here. Temple Of Karnak Complex: Karnak is divided into three compounds: the precinct of Amun, the precinct of Mut, and the precinct of Montu; however, for most visitors the largest of these, the precinct of Amun, is enough. Its complicated layout alone dwarfs every other site that you will visit in Egypt. The precinct of Amun contains all of the most famous sections of the Karnak complex, including the dizzying Great Hypostyle Hall. This hall of 134 massive columns is one of the most impressive places in all of Egypt. Going into the detailed description of the different elements that make up the complex is a near endless task that we will leave to a tour guide. Instead, we will simply suggest that you allow plenty of time to explore this huge complex and admire the many impressive sights within it. Imagine how awe-inspiring it must have been over 2000 thousand years ago when these huge structures were newly constructed.
Duration: 2 minutes
Stop At: Luxor Temple, Luxor 23512 Egypt
This temple might be the greatest testament to why Luxor has earned its nickname, “The World’s Largest Outdoor Museum”. Luxor Temple is located in the modern city of Luxor, which is built on the site of the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes. The temple is one of the best preserved of all of the ancient monuments with large amounts of structure, statuary and relief carvings still intact, making it one of the most impressive visits in the Luxor area and all of Egypt, adding significantly to its allure is the juxtaposition that its setting provides. The modern city begins on one side and the Nile drifts by on the other. There are few places in Egypt where one is put so immediately and clearly in touch with the extraordinary length of Egypt’s history. Who Constructed Luxor Temple, and when? Amenhotep III, one of the great builders of ancient Egypt, constructed the temple during his New Kingdom reign, which lasted from 1390 to 1352 BC. In its current form, however, the temple appears to be one of the many projects the Ramesses II commissioned during his long reign. builder, Ramesses also repurposed many existing monuments to add to his own reputation. The statuary and carvings that decorate the temple today mainly feature Ramesses II. Luxor Temple, along with the temple complex of Karnak, is the most famous temple complexes around Luxor and they are both located on the East Bank of the Nile. In ancient times an avenue of sphinxes that ran the entire 3 kilometers between them to connect the two sites. This avenue is currently under excavation, but the section nearest to Luxor Temple has already been restored. The Temple’s location in the heart of Luxor makes Luxor Temple a very easy site to visit at almost any time of the day. Even when it is not open to visitors, the temple is visible during a stroll down the Nile corniche or through downtown Luxor. We recommend visiting the temple around sunset. The complex is beautifully lit in order to highlight the relief carvings as the light wanes and the columns emblazoned against the evening sky make for an incredible photo opportunity.
Duration: 1 minute
