Luxor and Cairo Overnight Tour by Flight

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 Cairo 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.

The crossing route and timing depend on Nile conditions, docking arrangements, and operating conditions on the day of your tour.

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.

Breakfast Box for Early Leave

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

Check-out

Complete the check-out formalities at your Nile-view hotel in Luxor. Your driver will assist with luggage before your transfer to Luxor International Airport (LUX).

Transfer to Luxor Airport

You will be transferred by private air-conditioned vehicle to Luxor International Airport (LUX) for your domestic flight to Cairo.

Flight from Luxor to Cairo

Take your domestic flight from Luxor International Airport (LUX) to Cairo International Airport (CAI). The flight duration is usually around 1 hour, depending on the confirmed flight schedule and airport operating conditions.

Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport (CAI), your private Egyptologist guide and driver will meet you to begin your Cairo and Giza sightseeing tour.

Great Pyramids of Giza

Start your Cairo sightseeing with the Great Pyramids of Giza, one of the most important ancient Egyptian sites and one of the main highlights of any Cairo tour. The Giza Pyramids Complex was built during the 4th Dynasty of the Old Kingdom, around 2600 BC to 2500 BC, and includes the three main pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure.

Your private Egyptologist guide will explain the history of the Old Kingdom, the role of the Giza Plateau, pyramid construction, and the importance of the pyramids as royal tombs. You will see the Great Pyramid of Khufu, built around 2580 BC to 2560 BC and originally about 146.6 meters / 481 feet high.

You will also see the Pyramid of Khafre, built around 2570 BC and originally about 143.5 meters / 471 feet high, and the Pyramid of Menkaure, built around 2510 BC and originally about 65 meters / 213 feet high, from outside.

Entry inside any pyramid can be added at additional charge if available on the day of your visit.

Great Sphinx

Continue to the Great Sphinx of Giza, one of the most recognized monuments in Egypt. The Great Sphinx is generally dated to the Old Kingdom, around 2500 BC, and has the body of a lion and the head of a king.

The Great Sphinx measures about 73 meters / 240 feet long and about 20 meters / 66 feet high. During your visit, your guide will explain the history of the Sphinx, its connection with King Khafre of the 4th Dynasty, and its role in the ancient Egyptian royal and religious landscape of Giza.

Valley Temple of Khafre

Continue to the Valley Temple of Khafre, part of the pyramid complex of King Khafre from the 4th Dynasty, around the 26th century BC. Valley temples were connected with royal funerary rituals, purification, mummification traditions, and the processional route leading toward the pyramid complex.

The Valley Temple of Khafre is usually dated to around 2570 BC and was built with large limestone and granite blocks. It is located near the Great Sphinx and formed part of the wider Khafre funerary complex on the Giza Plateau.

The Valley Temple visit gives more context about the full funerary complex at Giza and helps explain how the pyramids, temples, causeways, and royal burial areas were connected in ancient Egypt.

Grand Egyptian Museum GEM

Continue to the Grand Egyptian Museum GEM, located near the Giza Pyramids. The museum is one of the largest museums dedicated to ancient Egyptian civilization and is planned as a main center for displaying important collections, statues, royal objects, and archaeological material from different periods of ancient Egyptian history.

The Grand Egyptian Museum is located about 2 km / 1.2 miles from the Giza Pyramids and was developed on a site of about 480,000 square meters. During your visit, your private Egyptologist guide will explain the main displays available during your visit, the museum layout, the historical value of the displayed objects, and the connection between the museum collections and the ancient Egyptian sites you visited at Giza.

The Grand Egyptian Museum GEM is one of the most requested stops on Cairo Tours and Cairo Day Trips for travelers interested in ancient Egyptian royal history, statues, funerary objects, temple art, tomb discoveries, and museum displays.

Lunch Time

Lunch is served at local restaurant.

Egyptian Museum

After lunch, continue to the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir Square, one of the most important museums in Cairo. The museum opened in 1902 and contains a large collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities from different periods of Egyptian history.

During your visit, your private Egyptologist guide will explain selected objects, royal statues, funerary items, daily life artifacts, and important archaeological discoveries. The museum includes collections connected with pharaohs, temples, tombs, burial customs, art, and daily life from more than 5,000 years of Egyptian history.

The Egyptian Museum is especially useful for travelers who want to understand ancient Egyptian history, royal power, religion, funerary beliefs, and archaeological collections in Cairo before continuing to Islamic Cairo.

Khan El Khalili Bazaar

Continue to Khan El Khalili Bazaar, one of Cairo’s most famous historic market areas. The bazaar was founded in the late 14th century AD, around 1382 AD, during the Mamluk period and remains an important commercial and cultural area in Islamic Cairo.

During your visit, you will walk through old market lanes, shops, and historic streets near El Moez Street. Your guide will explain the history of the bazaar, its connection with trade in medieval Cairo, and its role as one of the most visited old market areas in Egypt.

Khan El Khalili Bazaar is located near Al-Azhar Mosque, which was founded in 970 AD, and close to several monuments and streets from the Mamluk and Ottoman periods. The area gives clear context about markets, trade, local crafts, and daily commercial life in historic Cairo.

El Moez Street

End your tour with El Moez Street, also known as Al Muizz Street, one of the most important historic streets in Cairo. The street is connected with the foundation of Fatimid Cairo in 969 AD and includes many Islamic monuments from the Fatimid, Ayyubid, Mamluk, and Ottoman periods.

El Moez Street extends for about 1 km through Islamic Cairo and includes gates, mosques, madrasas, sabils, palaces, old houses, and historic commercial areas. During your walking visit, your guide will explain the history of the street, its main monuments, and its importance in the urban layout of medieval Cairo.

El Moez Street gives a clear view of Islamic architectural development in Cairo over more than 1,000 years, from the Fatimid foundation of the city in the 10th century AD through later Mamluk and Ottoman additions.

Drop-off in Cairo

After completing your Luxor and Cairo Overnight Tour from Aswan by Flight, you will be transferred by private air-conditioned vehicle to your hotel, Cairo International Airport (CAI), Giza hotel, or your location in Cairo or Giza.