Sitting pretty on the East Bank of the mighty River Nile, Luxor (called Thebes in Ancient Egypt) is a lovely riverside city and one of Egypt’s most popular destinations.
The city is often referred to as the world’s largest open-air museum, which goes some way to conveying the huge number of amazingly well-preserved ancient monuments which can be found here. In fact, one third of the world’s antiques call Luxor home.
Perhaps the city’s most famous monuments are the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, which sit on the West Bank of the Nile. During the reign of the Egyptian empire the valley became a royal burial ground for pharaohs such as Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses II, and their tombs, and those of their wives, carved into the rock, can still be seen here, adorned with beautiful coloured hieroglyphics.
Other must-see sights in the city include the temple complex of Karnak, the stunning Luxor Temple and the lesser-known but very impressive Valley of the Nobles. Luxury Nile River cruises also start or finish from the city and are one of our favourite ways to see the ancient sights.
Since the wealth of historic sites in Luxor can become overwhelming, we always recommend making use of one of our expert guides to help really bring the ancient city to life.
