Hot Air Balloon Ride over Luxor

The valley of the nobles

Situated on the West Bank of the Nile in Luxor, the Valley of the Nobles (part of the larger Theban Necropolis) is the final resting place of over 500 high-ranking officials, courtiers, viziers, priests, and military leaders, primarily dating from the New Kingdom period (c. 1550–1069 BCE).Unlike the grand royal burial sites such as the Valley of the Kings, which center heavily on divine judgment and the pharaoh’s journey through the underworld, the non-royal tombs in this valley provide a rare, intimate look into everyday life, culture, and administrative service in ancient Egypt.

The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)

Located on the Giza plateau just two kilometers from the Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is the world’s largest archaeological complex dedicated to a single civilization. Spanning over 500,000 square meters, this modern architectural landmark houses more than 100,000 ancient artifacts—highlighted by the complete 5,000-piece Tutankhamun collection, displayed together in its entirety for the very first time.

Visitors begin their journey in a soaring atrium featuring a 3,200-year-old colossus of Ramses II before ascending a grand staircase lined with royal statues that frame direct, panoramic views of the Pyramids. Designed to international museum standards with climate-controlled galleries and interactive digital displays, the GEM seamlessly combines ancient majesty with high-end dining and visitor amenities. Its direct visual axis and close proximity to the Giza site make it an effortless centerpiece to pair with classic pyramid and sphinx day itineraries.

Saladin citadel and Mohamed Ali mosuqe

Located at the highest point in Cairo atop the Saladin Citadel, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali (popularly known as the “Alabaster Mosque”) is one of Egypt’s most famous historic landmarks.

Saladin Citadel (Al-Qalaa): Built in 1176 CE by Salah al-Din to protect Cairo from Crusader armies, this massive medieval fortress served as the seat of Egypt’s government and royal residence for nearly 700 years. The complex features fortified towers, military museums, and multiple historical mosques spanning several dynasties.

Mosque of Muhammad Ali: Commissioned in 1830 by Muhammad Ali Pasha in the classic Ottoman imperial style, the mosque features dramatic pencil-thin minarets soaring 84 meters high and a massive central dome. Its interior and lower exterior walls are clad in polished alabaster stone, giving the mosque its signature name.

Coptic Cairo & Ancient Churches

Situated in Old Cairo around the ancient Roman Fortress of Babylon, Coptic Cairo is the heart of Egypt’s Christian heritage. This compact, pedestrian-friendly district features historic places of worship:

The Hanging Church: Built suspended over a Roman gatehouse, famous for its 11th-century marble pulpit and historic icons.

Church of St. Sergius & Bacchus (Abu Serga): Built over the underground crypt where the Holy Family is believed to have sheltered.

Church of St. Barbara: Known for its fine woodwork and tranquil atmosphere.

Ben Ezra Synagogue & Coptic Museum: Showcasing the historic bridge between Ancient Egyptian, Roman, Christian, and Jewish history in Cairo.

Memnon Colossi

The massive stone statues (60 ft high) flank the entrance of the funeral temple of the rich pharaoh Amonhotel III; who ruled Egypt in 1350 BC. The temple was the largest on the west bank but unfortunately has been damaged by an earthquake and only the 2 statues still rising majestically.

Located on the west side of Luxor.
A short stop on your way to the valley of the kings.

The valley of the kings

The ultimate dream of any traveler to Egypt is to see the valley of the kings with all the colored tombs that survived since 1500 BC. The burial place of the kings of the new kingdom period offers the most amazing scenes and colors of your entire trip. The ancient Egyptians kept the place as a secret in order to protect their mummies for the afterlife; therefore it was the most important place for the famous kings such as Tut ankh Amun, Ramesses the great, Seti the first and a lot more.

Located on the west side of Luxor.
Opens daily: 6am -5 pm.
It takes about 30-45 minutes to get there by car.

Deir el Medina: (The valley of the artisans).

A Hidden village in the heart of the Theban mountains which was the house of the workers and artisans who dug and painted the tombs at the valley of the kings and queens since 1520 BC. Apart from visiting the temples and royal tombs, this village is one of the most important and interesting archaeological sites because of the wealth of information it provided on the daily life of the people who lived there. Unfortunately a small number of tourists make it to that hidden gem. The site offers tombs, a temple and the remains of their houses.

Located on the west side of Luxor.
Opens daily 6a.m – 5 p.m.
It takes about 30-45 minutes to get there by car. A few minutes ride from either the valley of the kings or the valley of the queens.

Madinet Habu Temple

The magnificent memorial temple of Ramesses III (1186-1155 BC). One of the Least visited sites of Egypt although the colors and the unique war scenes should make it of the highlights of Luxor. A visitor to the site gets to see the remains of the palace of Ramesses III which was adjacent to the temple.

Located on the west side of Luxor.
Opens daily from 6 a.m.-5 p.m.
It takes about 30-45 minutes to get there by car. A few minutes ride from the valley of the kings or the valley of the queens.

Com Ombo Temple

Standing right by the shore of the rive Nile; Com Ombo temple is one of the most beautifully sited temples. Despite not being in a good state of preservation, the temple is quite unique in terms of being dedicated to 2 gods. The crocodile god, Sobek, is depicted everywhere on the walls of the temple. A visitor to the temple has access to see the mummified crocodiles which are displayed in a small museum on your way out.

Located about 30 miles (50 km) north of Aswan.
Opens 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
A walking distance from the cruise ship. Also possible to visit by road from either Luxor or Aswan.

Luxor Temple

An iconic temple that was built approximately 1400 BC. Many kings contributed in building the temple including Tut ankh Amon, Ramesses the second and Alexander the great. The temple can be visited in the evening while it’s lit up which gives you a totally different feeling.

Located in the city centre on the east side of Luxor.
Opens daily 6 a.m – 9 p.m.
It takes about 10-15 minutes to get there by car.

Felucca Ride on the Nile

Enjoy relaxing and watching the birds while floating on a sail-boat with a view of Luxor from The Nile. The boat will take you to the Banana Island on the other side of The Nile while you can explore the little island with all the banana and citrus trees grown by the farmers, plus visiting the crocodile pools and other animals they have.

The Unfinished Obelisk

The largest obelisk of Egypt, which unfortunately left unfinished at the quarry of granite due to some natural cracks that appeared in the stone. If the ancient Egyptians managed to extract and erect that obelisk, it would have been the single heaviest piece of stone in history as it weighs about 1167 tonnes. A visitor to the quarry gets to see the marks of other obelisks and artifacts that had been extracted and moved to the different temples of Egypt.
Located in Aswan about 1.5 km far from town across the street from an old Fatimid Cemetery.
Opens daily 7 a.m.- 4 p.m.
It takes about 10-15 minutes to get there by car.

Hatshepsut Temple (also known as Deir El Bahary temple)

The beauty immense temple of Hatshepsut that’s sunk in the heart of the limestone cliffs; partly carved into the mountains, was built around 1478 BC. A master piece of architecture, that was commissioned by the strong lady who ruled Egypt as a king for 22 years.

Located on the west side of Luxor.
Opens daily: 6 a.m – 5 p.m.
It takes about 30-45 minutes to get there by car. Only a few minutes ride from the valley of the kings.

The High Dam

The rock-fill dam is Egypt’s most important and impressive achievements in modern history. That engineering miracle took about 10 years to be built; work started in 1960 and was inaugurated in January 1971. The dam’s construction required about 44 million cubic meters of building materials, and a workforce of about 34000 people with an investment of 1$bn.

From the top of the dam you can gaze across Lake Nasser which was created by the dam and considered to be one of the biggest man-made lakes in the world; it extends all the way into the Sudan with a total length of about 340 miles (550 km). It serves the irrigation needs of both Egypt and the Sudan, controls flooding, generates power and helps navigation on the river Nile all year round.

Edfu Temple

One of the most beautiful temples of Egypt, due to its completeness and state of preservation. Edfu temple is the best example of the Ptolemaic temples in Egypt which dates back to Ptolemy III 237 B.C. The entrance to the temple is marked with 2 huge towers which are so called the pylon; each is about 118 ft high.

Located halfway between Luxor and Aswan, about 70 miles (115 km) of each.
Opens 6 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Visitors from cruise ships get to the temple on a horse-carriage that takes about 15 minutes each way. Also possible to visit by road from either Luxor or Aswan.

Philae Temple: (Isis Temple)

No doubt that Philae temple has one of the most attractive locations among all monuments in Egypt, since it’s built on one of the islands in the reservoir of the Old Aswan Dam, therefore the only way to get there is by a little motor boat. Approaching the island, the scenery is beyond words with the temple presiding over the new island Agilika as it had to be moved due to the rising water of the dam.

Philae temple was built and dedicated to the goddess Isis in 690 BC, and it was the last place where the ancient Egyptian religion was practiced up until 550 A.D. A sound & light show adds more charm to the island at night.

Located on Agilika island close to the old Aswan Dam and only reachable by motor boats.
Opens daily 7 a.m – 4 p.m.
It takes about 25 minutes to get there by car and another 15 minutes for the boat ride.

Karnak Temples complex

The largest monumental complex on earth that covers and area of 200 acres and a history of 2000 years. The extraordinary complex is considered to be an open air museum that houses temples, shrines, obelisks, columns, sphinxes and a lot more.

Located on the east side of Luxor.
Opens daily: 6 a.m – 5:30 p.m.
It takes about 15-25 minutes to get there by car.

Giza Pyramids & The Sphinx

The last remaining wonder of the ancient world which are about 4000 years old; today they stand to prove the might, organization and achievements of the Ancient Egyptians, leaving people speechless with so many unanswered questions.

The Pyramids are part of the Giza necropolis which dates back to the 4th dynasty in the Old Kingdom period of the Egyptian history. The biggest pyramid belongs to king Khufu which took about 20 years to be built, while the other two belong to Khafre and Menkaure (well known by other Greek names).

The Sphinx is a limestone structure; a mythical creature represented in the lion’s body and human’s head. It’s also one of the world’s largest monuments measuring 240 feet (73 meters) long and 66 feet (20 meters) high. It was built by King Khafre around 2600 BC.

Located about 8 miles (13 km) southwest of the city center of Cairo.
Opens daily 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
It takes about an hour or less to get there by taxi from the city center depending on traffic.