Situated on the East bank of the Nile in Southern Egypt, Luxor is the site of the ancient capital,  called Thebes by the ancient Greeks and Waset by the Egyptians.  It lies approx 650 kilometres from Cairo, with the quickest way to get there being a flight from Cairo to Luxor airports.

During the height of its power, Thebes' main deity was Amun, with whom the royals associated themselves and it was during the New Kingdom approx 1550-1050 BC that the Pharaohs were buried in the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank where the sun shone its last rays each day. Luxor temple on the East Bank was built for an important festival named Opet and was connected to the temple of Karnak by an avenue of human-headed sphinxes carved from sandstone.  Like the Pharaohs of ancient times, you too can walk like an Egyptian along the reconstructed sections of the avenue.

 

Places to visit in Luxor include:

• Luxor Temple Complex - One of the two large temple complexes in Luxor, the other being Karnak Temple Complex

• Karnak Temple Complex - Wander along the partly reconstructed Avenue of the Sphinx's between the two temples

• Visit the Valley of the Kings & Valley of the Queens - Descend into the world of Ancient Egypt's funerary chambers

• Colossi of Memnon - Two massive stone statues of the 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Amenhotep III

• House of Howard Carter and replica of Tutankhamun's tomb

• Take a hot air balloon flight over the West Bank

• Visit the Ramesseum - The Mortuary Temple of Pharaoh Ramesses II (Ramesses the Great)

• Be amazed by the beautiful colours at Medinet Habu (Mortuary Temple of  Pharaoh Ramesses III)

• Walk around the different levels of Deir el Bahri - Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

• See where the builders and artisans of the Pharaohs lived in Deir el Medina