Luxor East and West Bank Tour from Aswan

Your WOW Egypt Tours representative and driver will pick you up early in the morning from your hotel, Nile Cruise, Aswan Airport, Aswan Train Station, or your location in Aswan. You will be transferred by private modern air-conditioned vehicle to begin your Luxor East and West Bank Tour from Aswan.

Start the road journey from Aswan to Luxor by private air-conditioned vehicle. Luxor is located about 220 km / 137 miles north of Aswan, and the driving time is usually around 3 hours 30 minutes to 4 hours each way, depending on road conditions, pickup location, and traffic.

During the transfer, you will travel north from Aswan toward Luxor through the Nile River Valley route. Your guide or representative will assist during the journey and explain the general program before arrival.

Start your Luxor sightseeing with the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari on the West Bank of Luxor. The temple was built in the 15th century BC during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom for Queen Hatshepsut, one of the most important female rulers in ancient Egyptian history.

The temple is known for its terraced structure, colonnaded halls, ramps, wall reliefs, and its location against the cliffs of Thebes. The temple has 3 main terraces built against the limestone cliffs of Deir el-Bahari. During your visit, your private Egyptologist guide will explain the history of Queen Hatshepsut, her reign, her building projects, and the religious role of the temple.

You will see the main terraces, chapels, relief scenes, and temple areas connected with Amun, Hathor, and Anubis. This visit is an important part of any Luxor West Bank Tour and gives clear context about royal mortuary temples in ancient Egypt, especially during the New Kingdom period between the 16th and 11th centuries BC.

After visiting the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, continue to the Valley of the Kings, one of the most important burial sites in ancient Egypt. The valley was used for the tombs of many New Kingdom pharaohs from the 18th, 19th, and 20th Dynasties, mainly between the 16th and 11th centuries BC.

Your entrance ticket includes visits to 3 tombs in the Valley of the Kings, according to the tombs open on the day of your visit. The valley includes more than 60 discovered tombs, including the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. Your private Egyptologist guide will explain the history of the valley, the purpose of the royal tombs, the decoration of the burial chambers, and the beliefs connected with the afterlife.

Inside the tombs, you will see painted corridors, religious scenes, hieroglyphic texts, and burial chambers connected with ancient Egyptian funerary beliefs. The Valley of the Kings is one of the main highlights of Luxor Tours and one of the most requested stops on Luxor Day Tours and Luxor Day Trips.

Continue to the Colossi of Memnon, two massive seated statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III built in the 14th century BC during the 18th Dynasty. The statues once stood at the entrance of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, which was one of the largest temple complexes on the West Bank of Luxor.

During your stop, your guide will explain the history of the statues, their connection with Amenhotep III, and the ancient temple that once stood behind them. Each statue is about 18 meters / 60 feet high, and Amenhotep III ruled Egypt for about 38 years during the New Kingdom period.

The Colossi of Memnon are usually visited as part of Luxor West Bank sightseeing tours and are an important photo stop in Luxor.

Lunch is served at local restaurant.

After lunch, cross the Nile by motorboat from the West Bank to the East Bank of Luxor. The Nile crossing usually takes about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the docking point and river conditions. The Nile River is about 6,650 km / 4,130 miles long and was central to ancient Egyptian agriculture, transport, trade, and daily life. Then continue by private air-conditioned vehicle to visit the East Bank temples.

After crossing to the East Bank, continue to Karnak Temple. Karnak Temple was constructed and expanded over more than two thousand years, from around 1971 BC to 30 BC. It was the main religious center of ancient Thebes and the principal place of worship for the Theban triad: Amun, Mut, and Khonsu.

Karnak Temple developed through several ancient Egyptian periods, with important work by rulers such as Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom, Hatshepsut and Thutmose III in the 15th century BC, Amenhotep III in the 14th century BC, and Seti I and Ramses II in the 13th century BC. The temple complex covers about 100 hectares / 247 acres.

During your visit, you will see the Great Hypostyle Hall, pylons, obelisks, statues, chapels, the sacred lake, courtyards, and carved temple walls. The Great Hypostyle Hall was mainly developed during the reigns of Seti I and Ramses II and remains one of the most important sections of Karnak Temple. It includes 134 massive columns, with the central columns reaching about 21 meters / 69 feet high.

Your private Egyptologist guide will explain the religious and political role of Karnak Temple, its connection with ancient Thebes, and its importance as a major center of worship for Amun for many centuries.

Continue to Luxor Temple, located in the center of modern Luxor city. Luxor Temple was built mainly by Pharaoh Amenhotep III around 1400 BC, with later additions by Ramses II in the 13th century BC and other rulers in later periods. The temple is about 260 meters / 853 feet long.

The temple was connected with the Opet Festival and the renewal of kingship in ancient Egypt. During the Opet Festival, the statues of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu were carried from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple along the ancient ceremonial route known today as the Avenue of Sphinxes.

You will see the first pylon of Ramses II, seated statues, courtyards, colonnades, chapels, and carved temple walls. Luxor Temple can be visited in the evening when the temple is illuminated, giving a different view of the site.

Luxor Temple is one of the key monuments for understanding ancient Thebes during the New Kingdom period, especially between the 16th and 11th centuries BC, when Luxor became one of Egypt’s most important religious and royal centers.

Between Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple, you will learn about the Avenue of Sphinxes, the ancient ceremonial road that once connected both temples over a route of about 2.7 kilometers / 1.7 miles. The avenue was used during religious processions, especially the Opet Festival, when the statues of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu were carried from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple.

The Avenue of Sphinxes was developed and restored in different ancient periods, with important work connected to New Kingdom and later rulers. It remained an important religious route in ancient Thebes, linking two of the most significant temple complexes on the East Bank of Luxor.

Parts of the avenue can be seen today in Luxor, including sections with sphinx statues that show how the sacred processional road connected Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple in ancient times. The modern reopening of the Avenue of Sphinxes took place in 2021 after major excavation and restoration work.

Between Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple, you will learn about the Avenue of Sphinxes, the ancient ceremonial road that once connected both temples over a route of about 2.7 kilometers / 1.7 miles. The avenue was used during religious processions, especially the Opet Festival, when the statues of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu were carried from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple.

The Avenue of Sphinxes was developed and restored in different ancient periods, with important work connected to New Kingdom and later rulers. It remained an important religious route in ancient Thebes, linking two of the most significant temple complexes on the East Bank of Luxor.

Parts of the avenue can be seen today in Luxor, including sections with sphinx statues that show how the sacred processional road connected Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple in ancient times. The modern reopening of the Avenue of Sphinxes took place in 2021 after major excavation and restoration work.

After completing your Luxor East and West Bank Tour from Aswan, you will be transferred back by private air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel, Nile Cruise, Aswan Airport, Aswan Train Station, or your location in Aswan.