Discover the empires of Egypt’s ancient dynasties with a Luxor Shore Excursions from Nile Holiday. You’ll have your own Egyptologist to host your private Shore Tour of the Luxor Region.

Exercise your wonder in a private tour of the magnificent Karnak Temple, the largest complex of temples in the world — 1300 years in the making! Step back more than three millennia into the Valley of the Kings, where the tomb of the young King Tut (Tutankhamen) was found in 1922. Ancient history comes to life on your private tour of Egyptian sites. This is all about you can explore while going for a Luxor City Breaks.

What to Expect In Your Luxor Shore Excursion?

When your ship docks at the Luxor port, explore ancient Egypt on this private half-day shore excursion along Luxor’s east bank of the Nile River. Explore two of Upper Egypt’s most impressive treasures — the Karnak Temples and the Luxor Temple — and learn about Egypt’s fascinating history from your expert Egyptologist tour guide. This private Luxor Shore Excursion allows you to determine how much time to spend at each temple.

Begin your shore excursion at the Temples of Karnak on Luxor’s east bank of the Nile River. Walk along the Avenue of Sphinx to enter the complex as your expert tour guide explains how its massive façade was constructed. Learn about the legacy left by each of the region’s various pharaohs who built the complex larger and larger. The deeper you go into the complex, the further back in time you’ll travel — the oldest ruins date back more than 3,000 years!

Enter through the Great Court into the Great Hypostyle Hall and marvel at the 134 columns towering above you like an ancient forest. At the rear of the complex lies the Sacred Lake, where pharaohs and their offerings to the gods were once purified millennia ago. Enjoy free time to explore at your leisure before continuing to the next location.

Travel south to the Luxor Temple, once joined to the Temples of Karnak by the Avenue of Sphinx. Dominated by statues of the great warrior Pharaoh Ramesses II, the founding pharaoh of Egypt’s 19th dynasty, this 1400 BC temple has survived countless Nile floods, foreign invasions and thousands of years exposed to harsh conditions. Admire the mysterious inner walls and columns adorned with intricate hieroglyphics, which your guide will help you decipher, and discover the temple’s intriguing history.

Top Sights to Explore In Luxor Shore Excursions

Colossi of Memnon

Between the two historic places Valley of the Queens and Medinet Habu towards the Nile, there are well-known huge statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. The yellowish-brown stonework up on the Edfu hills represents Amenhotep III seated on a cube-shaped throne, with scanty traces of a standing guard on the entrance to the King’s Temple.

Tombs of the Nobles

If you think you did not have enough of tombs in the Valley of the Kings then make way to the Tombs of the Nobles, less famed, but include better-preserved examples of the daily life paintings, the walls of these private tombs are scenes of life along the banks of the Nile. Typical to the relief work of private tombs, we find scenes of Egyptians hunting fish and fowl and bearing the fruits for preparation and feasting. Likewise, cows are brought forth for butchering, sometimes with unsettlingly realistic documentation of the process.

The burial grounds contain around 400 tombs belonging to several dignitaries dating back to the 6th dynasty right up to the Ptolemaic era. The tomb paintings here are not so related to guiding the dead into the afterlife; instead, the tombs showcase scenes from the daily life of the dwellers. The Tomb of Sennefer, Tomb of Rekhmire, Tomb of Ramose, Tomb of Userhet, Tomb of Khaemhat, Tomb of Menna, Tomb of Nakht and More have some of Egypt’s most expressive and exuberant tomb paintings.

Deir el-Medina (Valley of the Artisans)

Though not as glamorous as the Valley of the Kings or the Valley of the Queens, the Valley of the Artisans (known locally as Deir el-Medina) offers a glimpse into the lives of the workers who constructed the area’s famous royal graves. A small temple dedicated to the Egyptian goddesses of love, Happiness and truth can be found on the site, as well as village remains and several tombs. Three tombs are open to the public: Inherka’s tomb (No. 359), Sennedjem’s tomb (No. 1) and Peshedu’s tomb (No. 3).

If you’re interested in seeing some of Luxor’s best tombs and artwork, visit the Valley of the Artisans. Many recent travelers said these tombs are better than those found in the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. And because this site isn’t overrun with tourists like others in the area, you won’t have to wait in long lines to see these well-preserved crypts.

Medinet Habu (Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III)

Though this collection of temples isn’t as well known as the Temple of Karnak, the Luxor Temple and the Temple of Hatshepsut, Medinet Habu stands out because of its massive funerary temple. Built by King Ramses III to honor Amon-Re, one of Egypt’s most popular gods, the property’s largest temple features reliefs that depict the king winning various wars. A smaller temple, a chapel and the two-story Syrian Gate are also housed within Medinet Habu’s walls.

If you’re interested in soaking up local history but don’t want to deal with hordes of tourists, past visitors recommend checking out Medinet Habu. This lesser-known temple complex offers more breathing room, meaning you won’t have to rub elbows with others to catch a glimpse of the site’s hieroglyphs. Several travelers also noted how well-preserved this property is compared to others in the area.

Rameses III built his magnificent mortuary temple on Luxor’s West Bank with intricate relief carvings and shrines. Medinet Habu has wonderfully preserved art, and is among Luxor’s most important ancient sites. Images of hunting trips, prisoner executions, and battles with the Sea People are a larger-than-life window into his royal legacy.

The entrance to this temple complex is through the singular Syrian Gate, this large building is particular to Madinat Habu and is carved with giant images of the Ramses III defeating the Libyans.

The Ramesseum temple (The Mortuary temple of Ramesses II)

The Ramesseum temple was originally called the House of millions of years, unlike the well-preserved structures that Ramses II built at Karnak temple and Abu Simbel Temple, his memorial temple has not survived the times very well. It has been extensively restored, but is most famous for the scattered remains of fallen statues that inspired the poem ‘Ozymandias’, by English poet Shelley, using the undeniable fact of Ramses’ mortality to ridicule his aspirations to immortality.

The temple was dedicated to the god Amon and the deceased king. The walls of the Ramesseum, which is only about half preserved, are decorated with reliefs, including scenes depicting the Battle of Kadesh, the Syrian wars, and the Festival of Min.

The Ramesseum temple is famous for its seated statue of Ramses II (of which only fragments are left). The Colossus of Ramses II, the Ozymandias of Shelley’s poem, lying somewhat forlornly on the ground, where it once stood 17.5m tall. The head of another granite statue of Ramses II, one of a pair, lies in the second court. Twenty-nine of the original 48 columns of the great hypostyle hall are still standing. In the smaller hall behind it, the roof, which features astronomical hieroglyphs, is still in place. Some of the wall carvings, including one showing the pharaoh’s name being inscribed on a leaf, are finely done.

Luxor Museum

The Luxor Museum considered to be one of the museums depicting Egypt, holds a beautifully exhibited collection from the local area that narrates the ancient Theban story from the Old Kingdom during the Islamic Period. The prized possessions of the museum are the two Royal Mummies of Ahmose I and what is believed to be Ramses I. The museum prides itself on the quality of the pieces it has, the uncluttered way in which they are displayed, and the clear multilingual labeling used.

The Abydos Temple of Seti I

The Abydos Temple Of Seti I is situated in Abydos, one of the most important archaeological sites of Ancient Egypt. Abydos is located in Upper Egypt, about 175 km to the North of Luxor. It was a necropolis for Egypt’s earliest kings and later became a pilgrimage center for the worship of the god Osiris. It is also where the cults of the deified kings of ancient Egypt were celebrated.

The temple of Seti I has an unusual L-shaped ground plan and was built primarily of limestone, with the occasional use of sandstone in different areas throughout the structure. The temple was completed after Seti I’s death, by his son, Ramesses II, whose cartouches are found in certain parts of the temple, along with his characteristic sunk relief style, that is different from the very fine raised relief of his father.

The Mortuary Temple of Seti I was re-decorated by Ramses II with added reliefs and wall inscriptions, which compete in quality with the old, contemporary works at Abydos. The temple’s sanctuary with its numerous halls and chambers and few scanty fragments of the courts and pylons scattered over the place.

Luxor shores are an abode of cultural and heritage souvenirs. Visit the place for an amazing Luxor Shore Excursion. Your personal guide from Nile Holiday invites you to choose from the Private Luxor Tours offered, but feel free to suggest alternatives for your private tour of the Luxor area. Your personal guide can customize your Egypt Tours to include exactly what you want.