The luxury of Luxor

Luxor is to Egypt, what Agra or Jaipur is to India. It is the crown jewel of the Egyptian tourism and is the most popular destination in the country. Luxor means “Palaces” and the heavily commercialized and extremely touristy city is the capital of the Luxor Governorate. It is the highlight of Upper Egypt and many Nile cruises start from here. Being hassled is a part and parcel of the Luxor tourism circuit and it takes extremely patient travelers to not feel jaded and bitter there. However, it is still impossible to visit Egypt and not travel to Luxor, and one must explore this historic city with a pinch of salt. Luxor is absolutely mind-blowing and there are no two ways about it. The fact that it is crammed with unmissable archaeological treasures is yet another unavoidable aspect of it. Thus, it makes sense to grit your teeth, straighten your back, get armed with the firm, but polite “No”s and explore Luxor despite its hassles and bustles. Expect to be offered horse carriage rides, guiding services, felucca rides, souvenir displays, etc, and just go about them all with friendly, but firm negatives (in case you do not desire any of the above). Bargain hard if you intend to make any transaction, yet do keep in mind that a few extra dollars as tips often go a long way for most people in Egypt. If my introduction puts you off Luxor, just understand that my intention was to only prepare you for the overall experience because this lovely Nilotic jewel is indeed a “not to be missed” destination of Egypt.

The two banks of Luxor

I visited Luxor twice: once as an arrival destination of my Nile cruise and the other time, to explore the city itself. Needless to say, my first experience left a bitter taste in my mouth and it was a rushed, hectic visit. My second visit to Luxor was just perfect. Tarek, Akash, and I drove there from Aswan via Edfu and Esna and we stayed in Luxor for a couple of days. My school friend was visiting Egypt with his wife and it felt nice to play the guide. My three years of residence in Egypt made me more aware and culturally hardened against the tourist traps and my pidgin Arabic fluency helped me enjoy my second visit to Luxor. We stayed at a lovely apartment on the West Bank and it was the quiet part of the town. The beautiful Nile slice the city into the East and the West banks and these two areas were as uniquely different as possible. According to the ancient Egyptian beliefs, the East bank is the area of the living and the dead are buried in the West Bank. The city attractions follow this train of thought and while the lively East bank is riddled with temples, museums, swanky hotels, and restaurants, the West bank boasts of some of the world’s most fascinating necropolis, sedate homestays,  quaint river cafes, and agricultural land. Donkeys trundled past sugarcane plantations there as the more intrepid visitors sat smoking shisha at the riverside cafes. Life flows at a slow, gentle pace at the West Bank and the excellent guesthouses there offer swimming pools, rooftop bars, garden cafes, and quiet.

The realm of the living vs the realm of the dead

The East Bank of Luxor represents the complete opposite and it is loud, brash, abrasive, and filled with wonderful temples. Most Nile cruise ships dock on the East Bank making it crowded, chaotic, and full of traffic. It is the perfect hunting ground of Luxor’s tourism vultures and the city (and its residents) gets a bad rap because of that. Its reputation is so ruthless that the best of Egypt’s and even Luxor’s travel operators protectively mollycoddle their herds of tourists there. This protectiveness gets eased as the visitors cross over to the West Bank and both the visitors and their guides get the opportunity to explore the wondrous beauty of the famous necropolis of the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, and the Valley of the Nobles. Stunningly decorated tombs perforate the tawny mountains on the West Bank and these are punctuated with equally magnificent mortuary temples, artisan’s village, and larger than life statues. Logically speaking, for the visitors who have time on their hands, a Luxor can be a multi-day affair with at least 2-3 days dedicated just to the West Bank.

The best of Luxor in two days

Luxor is called the “world’s greatest open-air museum” for a reason. Its attractions spread so extensively over both the east and the west banks, that even if you could spend a week in Luxor and still not climb into every tomb. So to get a better idea, if I had to pinpoint an exact itinerary that would cover the best of Luxor in two days, then it would include the following.

Temples of Luxor

Karnak, Luxor Temple, Medinat Habu, and the Ramesseum

The Tombs of Luxor

• Valley of the Kings – The highlights include the tombs of Tutankhamun and Seti I. Keep half a day to explore the tombs and get bedazzled by the magnificent frescoes.
• Valley of the Queens – Although this requires another ticket, don’t miss the tomb of Nefertari. This is the best-preserved and the most gorgeous tomb in my eyes.
• Valley of the Nobles – This is for the archeology aficionados. Stretched across the Theban hill, the Valley of the Nobles contains hundreds of tombs showing scenes from daily life.
• Deir al Medina – Dedicated to the artists who built the royal tombs, Deir al Media, or the Valley of the Artisans were created by the workers for themselves.

Optional Luxor Activities

• Hot air ballooning
• Farm Stays
• Felucca rides down the Nile

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  

  Follow the rest of the Egypt series here

  • A CLASSICAL EGYPT ITINERARY
  • SLOW TRAVELING IN ASWAN
  • BLUE GOLD COLOURS OF THE PHILAE TEMPLE IN ASWAN
  • ASWAN GUIDE
  • ASWAN SOUQ PHOTO TOUR
  • KOM OMBO TEMPLE: THE CROCODILE TEMPLE OF EGYPT
  • NILE CRUISE GUIDE AND EXPERIENCE
  • AN EDFU MORNING
  • Check out this detailed informative post for more Luxor Pass details.

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