what is there to see in luxor ?

what is there to see in luxor ? When we say Luxor, or the city of history, offers all kinds of fun inside it, whether cultural or recreational tourism. Seeing the temples and picturesque landmarks in broad daylight is an experience that deserves to be repeated many times in life. But what to do in Luxor at night? Here, the city turns into a destination from another world with its distinctive lights, some temples that allow night visits, and boats that offer distinctive tours.

Interesting facts about Luxor

The largest open museum in the world and one of the greatest cities ever and the most amazing city that contains a huge amount of history and many unique things to do in Luxor, so to pave the way for our topic here are some interesting facts about this legendary city;

1. Historical significance: Luxor, or as it was called in ancient times, “Thebes,” was the capital many times during the ancient Egyptians’ reign.
2. UNESCO World Heritage Site; Luxor Temples and Tombs are considered one of the most breathtaking world heritage sites classified by UNESCO.
3. Museum of History; Luxor contains about a third of the world’s antiquities, making it the largest open museum ever.
4. Balloon rides; Inside Luxor, there is a unique type of tourism, which is balloon tourism. When you ride inside it, you will see the breathtaking views of Luxor.
5. Monuments; Inside Luxor are temples and tombs that are now about four thousand years old, and their colors and formations continue to amaze us day after day.
6. The modern name; the current name, (Luxor) Al-Aqsar, means in Arabic many palaces, which indicates the many temples inside the picturesque city. 

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The History and Evolution of Luxor

The history of the city shows the great stages that Egypt went through over thousands of years, as it was an important center throughout ancient Egyptian history.

1. Early history; Luxor has been known since the pre-dynastic era, when several communities coexisted with each other. It was of great importance during the Old Kingdom era, as it was close to the Nile River.
2. The Middle Kingdom; When the time of the Middle Kingdom came, it was time for Luxor to become a city of great importance, as it was a place for religious temples such as Karnak, and it also became the capital of the country.
3. The Golden Age; The golden age of Luxor was during the New Kingdom, when it was filled with miracles and architectural masterpieces, such as the Temple of Deir el-Bahari, the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, or the Colossi of Memnon. It was also a center of trade, as it continued to be the capital of the country.
4. Decline; During the late ages of the ancient Egyptians, Egypt suffered from many foreign invasions such as the Persians or Assyrians, which were followed by the Greeks and Romans. Regardless of the fact that the capital moved to the northern cities, it remained an important place for religious monuments.
5. Christianity and Islam: Some temples were used as churches in the Christian era, but in the Islamic era, the name changed from Thebes to Luxor.
6. The present; Currently, Luxor is one of the most important tourist cities in Egypt with its many beautiful monuments. It receives great attention from tourists and locals, and many discoveries of antiquities from ancient times are being made there, which increases its importance.

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what is there to see in luxor ?

Luxor is a large city with amazing monuments and landmarks right and left everywhere in it. Here are some landmarks to see when you visit the amazing city.

• East Bank; On the eastern bank of the city are the religious temples, each of which is a splendor from another world, such as:

1. Karnak temple; Karnak Temple is a temple in which many kings participated from the Middle Kingdom to the New Kingdom and beyond, and it contains special touches from the greatest kings who ever ruled Egypt.
2. Luxor temple; It is a bit like the Karnak Temple, as many kings from the New Kingdom participated in its construction. It is connected to the Karnak Temple by a road called the Avenue of Sphinxes.

• West Bank; On the West Bank are located temples and funerary monuments such as:

1. Valley of the Kings; The Valley of the Kings is a unique splendor built in a mountain in western Luxor to include the tombs of most of the kings of the modern kingdom, the most famous of which is the tomb of Queen Hatshepsut and King Ramses II, and the tomb of King Tutankhamun was discovered there.
2. Deir El-Bahari Temple; It is the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut, built in western Luxor, and is considered one of the most beautiful and best-preserved temples ever.

• There are many other landmarks that are an ideal location to visit, such as the Valley of the Queens, the picturesque Temple of Habu, and the Luxor Museum.

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Best Things to Do in Luxor

Luxor is an ideal tourist destination and includes many types of activities that must be done there such as;

• Discover the stunning temples; the temples feature bright colors and figures of the great gods, kings, and queens from ancient Egyptian history with historical engravings that show the artistic greatness of the ancient Egyptians.
• The beautiful graves; Enjoy a unique experience inside the mountain in the Valley of the Kings or the Valley of the Queens and immerse yourself in the breathtaking tombs experience.
• Nile Cruise; The Nile cruise experience on the calm breezes of the Nile is an experience beyond imagination with a view of some of the landmarks of the great city.
• Hot Balloon rides; Balloon tourism is a unique tourism in Luxor, where you will enjoy the experience of seeing the landmarks at an excellent height.
• Getting to know the local culture; Local culture is one of the most important activities that you should know when visiting Luxor, whether it is trying the local food or learning about their customs and traditions.

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How Much Time Do You Need in Luxor?

The time you need inside Luxor depends on the depth of what you want to know or visit in the city, whether it is simple or deep knowledge.

• Short visit; it takes from 1-2 days; These visits give only one day to visit the East Bank and the same to visit the West Bank.
• Ordinary; it takes about 3 days; In addition to the regular visits, there is an extra day to visit more unique landmarks such as the Temple of Habu or the Luxor Museum.
• Extended visit; it takes 4-5 or more days; this enables you to visit more landmarks such as the temples of Dendera or Abydos, for example.

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Day Trip Ideas from Luxor

Luxor is the perfect place for day trips to nearby places.

1. Dendera Temple; Dendera Temple is located near Luxor on the Luxor to Dendera Temple trip, as it is only about 60 kilometers away from the city itself.
2. Abydos temple; It is about 160 km from Luxor and is considered one of the most beautiful temples that must be visited on a day trip.
3. Kom Ombo temple; the unique temple dedicated to two gods is located about 165 km from Luxor.
4. Edfu Temple; Edfu Temple or Horus Temple is one of the best preserved temples and is located about 115 km from Luxor.

Luxor apart from being an ideal place for antiquities and temples; is also a location for visiting the nearby distinctive landmarks, which shows that the whole area was an important and historical place throughout ancient Egypt.

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How to Get to Luxor

Luxor is a city in southern Egypt and getting there is very easy as it can be reached by many means.

• By air; Luxor can be reached by domestic flights from several cities within Egypt, such as Hurghada or Cairo, or by international flights from several countries.
• By train; you can reach Luxor by sleeping train from Cairo, for example, which usually takes 10 hours, or you can reach it from Aswan by train, which takes about 3 hours.
• By Nile Cruise; it is possible to reach it by Nile cruise from Cairo or Aswan, but this means viewing the beautiful natural scenery of the Nile.
• By Road; From Hurghada, it is a common way by bus, but from Cairo by bus it may take a long time.

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How to Get Around Luxor

Moving around Luxor is one of the easiest things ever, as the city has many means of transportation in all its streets.

• Taxi; A common and well-known means of transportation that easily transports you around the city streets and is available all the time.
• Horse-drawn carriage; It is a popular means of transportation in Luxor city where you will move around the city with the feeling of the beautiful air.
• Boats; Since Luxor is a Nile city, the boat is an excellent means of transportation to some of its places.
• Bicycles; Many shops in Luxor rent bicycles for transportation and it is an enjoyable experience.
• Walking; Some places on the East Bank can be reached by walking, such as Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple, for example.

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Where to Eat in Luxor

There are many places to eat in Luxor, including popular and distinctive ones, to suit all tastes.

1. Traditional cuisine; There are many restaurants that offer popular food as a great opportunity to discover new flavors, such as Al Hussein Restaurant.
2.  Nile view dining; There are places that offer dinner with a distinctive view of the Nile River and the comfort it provides.
3. Fine dining; Many excellent restaurants offer Western and gourmet cuisine, such as Cleopatra Restaurant.
4. Cafe and casual options

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Where to Stay in Luxor

Luxor offers many accommodation options, including the best hotel choices and friendly prices.

• Luxury hotels; like Steigenberger Nile Palace, and Hilton Luxor Resort & spa, they’re both offer nice views with high-quality service.
• Mid-range hotels; Hotels offering special accommodation with reasonable prices such as Pyramisa Hotel Luxor
• Budget hotels and hostels; like Luxor hotel
• Guesthouses

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Location and Climate of Luxor

• Location; Luxor is located on the eastern bank of the Nile River in southern Egypt, about 670 kilometers south of Luxor and about 220 kilometers north of Aswan.
• Climate; Because Luxor is located in the south of Egypt, it is hotter in the summer than other cities, and the temperature reaches its peak in the months of June, July, and August.
• Climate²: In winter, the weather is acceptable in the morning, but in the evening the temperature drops.
• The best time to visit Luxor is in winter due to the excellent weather that characterizes the city in the months of October to February.

Conclusion

In the end, Luxor is the ancient capital of Egypt and the center of history throughout the stages of ancient Egypt. Visiting it is like traveling to a gateway to the ancient world and being amazed by the beautiful landmarks of the ancient Egyptians, which are still among the most brilliant things built by Egyptian artists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are the tombs of the Valley of the Kings worth visiting?

Yes, of course, the tombs carved into the mountain display drawings, engravings, and a special, distinctive architecture still alive today.

Are there any unknown landmarks in Luxor worth visiting?

Yes, there are less famous landmarks such as:

1. Tomb of Ay
2. The Ramesseum
3. Deir El-Medina