Luxor Day Trip from Sahl Hasheesh: Valley of the Kings, Karnak & Lunch
Cross the desert at dawn and stand where Egypt buried its kings for eternity.
Overview
The day begins in the dark, with a pickup from your Sahl Hasheesh hotel and a quiet road west. As the sun climbs over the Eastern Desert, the Red Sea slips behind you and the green ribbon of the Nile Valley opens ahead — Luxor, built on the bones of ancient Thebes, is waiting. Comfortable air-conditioned transport and rest stops keep the journey easy.
You start among giants at Karnak, the largest temple complex the ancient world ever built. Beneath the 134 colossal columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall, sunlight drops in pale shafts and the carvings climb higher than you can reach. Your Egyptologist guide reads the walls like pages, unfolding two thousand years of pharaohs, priests and gods.
There's time for an optional felucca on the Nile, a slow white sail toward Banana Island on the same river the ancients knew. Then comes lunch — an unhurried plate of Egyptian food at a local Luxor restaurant, with the afternoon's greatest sights still ahead.
Cross to the West Bank, the land of the dead, and step down into the Valley of the Kings. Three royal tombs are yours to enter, their painted ceilings and hieroglyphs still vivid after three thousand years; the Tomb of Tutankhamun can be added for those who want the boy-king himself. Nearby, the temple of Queen Hatshepsut rises in clean stone terraces against the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari, and two weathered giants — the Colossi of Memnon, eighteen metres of Amenhotep III — keep their three-thousand-year watch over the plain.
By evening the temples are behind you and the desert road carries you home, back to Sahl Hasheesh with a day among the pharaohs to remember.
Highlights
- Stand beneath the 134 columns of Karnak's Great Hypostyle Hall, the heart of Egypt's greatest temple.
- Descend into 3 painted royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, with the Tomb of Tutankhamun as an optional upgrade.
- See Queen Hatshepsut's terraced temple carved into the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari.
- Stand before the Colossi of Memnon, two 18-metre guardians of the Theban plain.
- Optional felucca sail on the Nile to Banana Island aboard a traditional boat.
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off at your Sahl Hasheesh hotel
- Air-conditioned transfers by mini-van or car, with rest stops
- Expert Egyptologist guide (English or German)
- Fast-track entry to Karnak Temple
- Fast-track entry to the Valley of the Kings — 3 royal tombs included
- Entry to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
- Photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon
- Lunch at a local Luxor restaurant
- Water and soft drinks during the journey
- Tomb of Tutankhamun (optional add-on — included in the Nile Boat + Tutankhamun option)
- Felucca sail to Banana Island (optional add-on — included in the Nile Boat + Tutankhamun option)
- Extra royal tombs beyond the 3 included — Tutankhamun, Seti II, Ramses V/VI (optional add-ons)
- Drinks at the restaurant
- Guides in Spanish, French, Italian, Polish, Chinese or Russian (on request)
Good to Know
Pick your date
Guide language English Change
Optional. Pickup from your hotel
Free pickup and drop-off across Sahl Hasheesh.
Optional Add-ons
An unforgettable experience. The giant columns of Karnak were amazing. Long drive and very hot but our guide made it brilliant.
Best day of our holiday! Karnak and the temples were unforgettable. Worth the early start from Sahl Hasheesh. Our guide was brilliant.
Absolutely worth it! Walking through Karnak and seeing the Colossi of Memnon was unforgettable. Our guide was incredibly knowledgeable.
Brilliant day trip to Luxor. Karnak and the Colossi of Memnon are unbelievable. Our guide was excellent and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend.
Absolutely amazing! The temples of Luxor were incredible. Our guide was wonderful. Long drive from Sahl Hasheesh but so worth it.
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