We’ll leave for a full-day excursion to Thebes, the ancient capital of the Pharaohs: You’ll discover Luxor and the Valley of the Kings (lunch included - driving time is approximately 9 hours round trip). The Valley of the Kings is one of ancient Egypt’s top tourist destinations. Located in a deep valley just 2 km from the edge of the plain, the site contains over sixty tombs. Only the openings dotting the face of the cliff remain as tell-tale signs of the tombs below. This valley is one of the main complexes of the Ancient Theban Necropolis, located on the left bank of the Nile, directly across from the city of Luxor. It was here, in this setting, that the Pharaohs awaited immortality in their sarcophagi. Further along, dominating the eastern bank, the 18-meter-high Colossi of Memnon—faceless effigies sitting on a throne—are the ruins of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. Our afternoon will be spent visiting the Karnak Temple Complex. Connected to Luxor by a corridor of ram-headed sphinxes, this grandiose site dedicated to the god Amun, was continuously expanded for 1500 years. At the heart of this site stands the colossal Precinct of Amun-Re, enclosing a sacred lake that was used by priests in a purification ceremony before performing rituals in the temple. An important place of worship, it contains the Great Hypostyle Hall, a spectacular forest of gigantic columns. This historically significant complex is breathtakingly beautiful.
PLEASE NOTE
- The order of the visits can change.
- Times are approximate.
We’ll leave for a full-day excursion to Thebes, the ancient capital of the Pharaohs: You’ll discover Luxor and the Valley of the Kings (lunch included - driving time is approximately 9 hours round trip). The Valley of the Kings is one of ancient Egypt’s top tourist destinations. Located in a deep valley just 2 km from the edge of the plain, the site contains over sixty tombs. Only the openings dotting the face of the cliff remain as tell-tale signs of the tombs below. This valley is one of the main complexes of the Ancient Theban Necropolis, located on the left bank of the Nile, directly across from the city of Luxor. It was here, in this setting, that the Pharaohs awaited immortality in their sarcophagi. Further along, dominating the eastern bank, the 18-meter-high Colossi of Memnon—faceless effigies sitting on a throne—are the ruins of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. Our afternoon will be spent visiting the Karnak Temple Complex. Connected to Luxor by a corridor of ram-headed sphinxes, this grandiose site dedicated to the god Amun, was continuously expanded for 1500 years. At the heart of this site stands the colossal Precinct of Amun-Re, enclosing a sacred lake that was used by priests in a purification ceremony before performing rituals in the temple. An important place of worship, it contains the Great Hypostyle Hall, a spectacular forest of gigantic columns. This historically significant complex is breathtakingly beautiful.
PLEASE NOTE
- The order of the visits can change.
- Times are approximate.