After pickup from your hotel or the bus or train station on day 1, drive in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle to the prodigious East Bank of Luxor with an Egyptologist tour guide. Upon arrival, witness the sprawling Karnak Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Discover the vestiges of ancient temples, pylons, chapels and other historic buildings, as well as the Karnak Open Air Museum.
Next, continue to the magnificent Luxor Temple, an ancient sandstone temple complex built by great kings such as Amenhotep III, Alexander the Great, Tutankhamun and Ramesses II. After exploring the temple complex, take a delightful ride a felucca, traditional Egyptian sailing boat before savoring a lovely lunch at a local restaurant (upgrade lunch at Banana Island is available as an add-on). You'll then be dropped off back at your hotel or selected location around 2 PM.
In the evening, rejoin your guide with hotel pickup at around 6 PM for the Sound and Light Show at Karnak Temple, if you select this optional tour. Find out about the eventful history of ancient Thebes, the glory of Egyptian civilization, and the legacy of the pharaohs with the show's narration. Enjoy a supernatural experience of poetic voices, haunting music, and light and sound effects before being dropped back to your hotel or selected location.
Day 2 begins with pickup again, after which you'll make your way to either the hot air balloon port or the West Bank of Luxor, depending on the tour option selected. If you opt for the balloon ride, cross to the west bank of the River Nile to watch the sunrise. Listen to the pilot and ground crew's safety briefing and instructions, then hop into the basket of the balloon. As the balloon gently rises in the sky, relish the breathtaking view of Luxor and catch the glory of the morning sun.
Next, head to the West Bank of Luxor to visit the Valley of the Kings, or go there directly if you don't take the hot air balloon option. Glance around the complex and see the tombs and resting places of remarkable Egyptian kings such as Merneptah, Ramesses III, and Ramesses VI. You can also visit the entrance to the famed Tutankhamun’s Tomb if you purchase the add-on.
From here, move on to the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, dedicated to the fifth pharaoh and the only female ruler of Egypt who reigned for 20 peaceful years. Finally, discover the Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III at the Colossi of Memnon before breaking for lunch at a local restaurant. Thereafter, you will be dropped back to your hotel or selected location.
