Luxor East and West Bank Tour

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 East and West Bank sightseeing tour.

The Temple of Queen Hatshepsut is located at Deir el-Bahari on the West Bank of Luxor. It was built during the reign of Queen Hatshepsut in the 15th century BC, during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. Queen Hatshepsut ruled Egypt for about 20 years and became one of the most important female rulers in ancient Egyptian history.

The temple is known for its terraced structure, colonnaded halls, wall reliefs, and its location against the cliffs of Thebes. It was designed as a mortuary temple for Queen Hatshepsut and was also connected with the worship of Amun, one of the main gods of ancient Thebes. The temple has 3 main terraces connected by ramps and 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. Hatshepsut’s reign was a major period of construction and trade, including her famous expedition to the Land of Punt, which is shown in relief scenes inside the temple.

You will see the main terraces, ramps, chapels, relief scenes, and temple areas connected with Queen Hatshepsut, Amun, Hathor, and Anubis. The temple’s design makes it one of the most recognizable monuments on the West Bank of Luxor and one of the major sites at Deir el-Bahari, near the mortuary temples of Mentuhotep II and Thutmose III.

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.

The Valley of the Kings became the main royal burial area of ancient Thebes after the pyramids were no longer used as the main form of royal tombs. It includes more than 60 discovered tombs and the tombs of famous rulers such as Tutankhamun, Ramses II, Ramses III, Seti I, and other kings connected with the New Kingdom period.

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.

Inside the tombs, you will see painted corridors, religious scenes, hieroglyphic texts, and burial chambers connected with ancient Egyptian funerary beliefs. Many of these decorations were based on ancient Egyptian religious books and were designed to guide the king through the afterlife.

The tomb of Tutankhamun was discovered in the Valley of the Kings by Howard Carter in 1922, almost intact, and contained more than 5,000 objects. This discovery made the valley one of the most famous archaeological sites in Egypt. 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. 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, which was one of the largest temple complexes on the West Bank of Luxor.

Amenhotep III ruled Egypt for about 38 years during the New Kingdom period. His mortuary temple covered a very large area on the Theban West Bank, but most of the structure disappeared over time because of floods, stone reuse, and natural damage. The two seated statues remain the most visible part of the original temple complex today, and 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. 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.

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