Itinerary

Day 1

It is a 3 1/2-hour drive from Safaga to Luxor--Egypt's vast necropolis and a magnificent realm of this country's intriguing past.



Your first visit will be to the Temple of Karnak, built over a period of two millennia by generations of Pharaohs. The 62-acre Temple of Karnak was dedicated to the god Amun. You will see just the highlights, as it would take days to explore all of the numerous pylons, obelisks and smaller temples within. The great Hypostyle Hall alone is a veritable forest of giant pillars rising 70 feet towards the sky. At the height of its glory, the Karnak Temple collected annual "tribute" or taxes from more than 65 cities and towns in the region.



Enjoy lunch in Luxor, then continue your tour, heading to the west bank of the Nile.



Here you will visit the Valley of the Kings--the vast city of the dead where, to date, 62 magnificent tombs have been discovered. This necropolis is considered one of the most important spots of the world's ancient civilizations. Potentially hundreds of tombs were originally carved into the desert rocks, intricately painted with mineral dyes that have maintained their rich hues, and filled with treasures for use in the afterlife by many dynasties of Pharaohs. You will have a chance to visit two tombs at the Valley of the Kings. You will also stop for photos at the Temple of Hatshepsut. Hatsheput was both a woman and a Pharaoh. She dressed like a man and wore a false beard; not due to any kind of gender confusion on her part, but due to the considerable bias against ruling females in that era (c. 1500 BC).



Rising out of the desert plain in a series of brilliant white terraces, the mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut merges brilliantly with the sheer limestone cliffs that surround it. The second photo stop will be at the Colossi of Memnon--two immense statues of Amenhotep III which, in Pharaonic times, guarded the entrance to his great temple.



Leaving the west bank, you will have an approximately 3 1/2-hour drive back to the port of Safaga to re-board the ship.

Extra Information

Inclusions -

Private tour with AC van

Exclusions -

drinks