Luxor and Aswan Overnight

Pickup

Your WOW Egypt Tours representative and driver will pick you up from your hotel, Nile Cruise, Luxor Airport, Luxor Train Station, or your location in Luxor. You will be transferred by private modern air-conditioned vehicle with your private Egyptologist guide to begin your Luxor and Aswan Overnight Tour.

Temple of Queen Hatshepsut

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.

Queen Hatshepsut ruled Egypt for about 20 years and became known for major building projects, trade activity, and temple construction. During your visit, your private Egyptologist guide will explain the history of Queen Hatshepsut, her reign, her building program, and the religious role of the temple.

The temple is known for its terraced structure, colonnaded halls, ramps, wall reliefs, and its location against the limestone cliffs of Deir el-Bahari. The temple has 3 main terraces and includes chapels and temple areas connected with Amun, Hathor, and Anubis.

Valley of the Kings

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.

The Valley of the Kings includes more than 60 discovered tombs, including the tomb of Tutankhamun, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. The tombs were decorated with religious scenes, hieroglyphic texts, and images connected with the afterlife and the journey of the king after death.

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. 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.

Colossi of Memnon

Continue to the Colossi of Memnon, two massive seated statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. The statues were built in the 14th century BC during the 18th Dynasty and once stood at the entrance of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III.

Amenhotep III ruled Egypt for about 38 years, and his mortuary temple was one of the largest temple complexes on the West Bank of Luxor. Although most of the temple has disappeared, the two seated statues remain among the most recognized monuments in Luxor.

Each statue is about 18 meters / 60 feet high. 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.

Lunch Time

Lunch is served at local restaurant.

Motorboat Crossing to the East Bank

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. This short crossing connects the West Bank sightseeing area with the East Bank temples and gives a direct route before hotel check-in and the evening temple visits.

Check-in Your Nile-View Hotel

After the motorboat crossing, transfer to your Nile-view hotel in Luxor for check-in. The hotel is selected with a Nile view when available according to the confirmed booking category and room availability.

Karnak Temple

Continue to Karnak Temple on the East Bank of Luxor. Karnak Temple is one of the largest religious complexes in ancient Egypt, covering about 100 hectares / 247 acres. It was the main religious center of ancient Thebes and the principal place of worship for the Theban triad: Amun, Mut, and Khonsu.

The history of Karnak Temple developed over more than 2,000 years, with major construction and expansion during the Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom periods. Important additions were made by rulers such as Senusret I, Hatshepsut, Thutmose III, Amenhotep III, Seti I, and Ramses II.

During your visit, your private Egyptologist guide will explain the history of Karnak Temple, its religious role, and the main sections of the temple complex. You will see the Great Hypostyle Hall, pylons, obelisks, statues, chapels, the sacred lake, and carved temple walls connected with ancient Egyptian kings and gods.

The Great Hypostyle Hall is one of the most famous sections of Karnak Temple. It includes 134 massive columns, with the central columns reaching about 21 meters / 69 feet high. Your guide will explain the columns, inscriptions, royal scenes, and religious meaning of this important part of the temple.

Luxor Temple

After visiting Karnak Temple, 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 and 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.

Avenue of Sphinxes

Between Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple, your guide will explain the Avenue of Sphinxes, the ancient ceremonial road that once connected both temples over a route of about 2.7 km / 1.7 miles.

The avenue was used during religious processions, especially the Opet Festival, when the statues of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu were moved from Karnak Temple to Luxor Temple. Parts of the avenue can be seen today in Luxor, including sections with sphinx statues that show how the ancient processional road connected the two temples.

Dinner

Dinner is served at your Nile-view hotel or local restaurant according to the tour arrangement.

Overnight

Overnight at your Nile-view hotel in Luxor.

Meals: Lunch & Dinner Overnight: Nile-view hotel in Luxor

Breakfast Box for Early Leave

A breakfast box will be prepared for your early departure from Luxor to Aswan.

Check-out

Complete the check-out formalities at your Nile-view hotel. Your driver will assist with luggage before starting the road journey from Luxor to Aswan.

Transfer from Luxor to Aswan

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

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

Philae Temple

Start your Aswan sightseeing with a visit to Philae Temple, one of the most important temples in Aswan. The temple was mainly dedicated to the goddess Isis and dates mostly to the Ptolemaic and Roman periods, especially from the 4th century BC to the Roman period.

Philae Temple was originally located on Philae Island and was later relocated to Agilkia Island between 1972 and 1980 after the construction of the Aswan High Dam. The relocation was part of the Nubian monuments rescue campaign, which helped protect major temples from the rising waters of Lake Nasser.

During your visit, your private Egyptologist guide will explain the history of the temple, the relocation project, the role of Isis, and the religious importance of the site. You will reach the temple by motorboat and visit the main temple areas, including pylons, courtyards, chapels, columns, carved walls, and religious scenes connected with Isis, Osiris, and Horus.

Unfinished Obelisk

After visiting Philae Temple, continue to the Unfinished Obelisk, located in the ancient granite quarries of Aswan. The obelisk is usually connected with Queen Hatshepsut of the 18th Dynasty, around the 15th century BC, and would have been one of the largest obelisks ever made if completed.

The Unfinished Obelisk would have measured about 42 meters / 138 feet long and weighed around 1,200 tons if finished. During your visit, your guide will explain the quarrying techniques, the size of the obelisk, and why it was left unfinished after cracks appeared in the stone.

Lunch Time

Lunch is served at local restaurant.

Aswan High Dam

After lunch, continue to the Aswan High Dam, one of the most important modern projects in Egypt. The dam was built between 1960 and 1970 to control Nile flooding, improve irrigation, and generate hydroelectric power.

The Aswan High Dam is about 3,830 meters / 12,565 feet long, and Lake Nasser extends for about 500 km / 310 miles southward between Egypt and Sudan. During your visit, your guide will explain the history of the dam, its effect on agriculture and electricity in Egypt, and its connection with Lake Nasser.

Drop-off in Aswan

After completing your Luxor and Aswan Overnight Tour, you will be transferred by private air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel, Nile Cruise, Aswan International Airport (ASW), Aswan Train Station, or your location in Aswan.

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch