Luxor East and West Bank Private Tour
About this activity
Highlights
- Explore the Valley of the Kings
- Visit the Temple of Hatshepsut
- See the Colossi of Memnon
- Discover the Karnak Temple Complex
- Tour the Luxor Temple
Full description
Included / Excluded
- Private guided tour of Luxor's East and West Banks
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Gratuities for the guide and driver
Itinerary
At first glance, the Valley of the Kings, also known as the Valley of the Gates of the Kings, seems like no more than a sun-blasted gorge of generic red rock, but underneath all of its dust lay the tombs of 63 of the most important pharaohs in the history of Ancient Egypt. Used as a burial chamber for nearly 500 years from the 16th to 11th century BC, Discovered by Howards Carter in an excavation expedition in 1922, one of the most important tombs found in the Valley of the Kings is the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun and all of his treasures. The Valley of the Kings is located on the west bank of the Nile River near Luxor. It is the most famous site for having unique collections of tombs and breathtaking ancient ruins.
In terms of visual impact from afar, there is no rival to Hatshepsut’s Temples. The unique multi-tiered structure nestled up against the limestone cliffs at the shoulder of the river valley is a truly stunning sight. The uniqueness of its layout mirrors that of the pharaoh responsible for building it. Hatshepsut was the only female pharaoh in the history of Ancient Egypt. She came to power during the New Kingdom after the death of her father, Tuthmose I, and her half-brother and husband, Tuthmose II, who succeeded her father on the throne.
One of the biggest tourist attractions in Luxor, the Colossi of Memnon gained its popularity due to its majestic appearance and for the mysterious sounds emitted by the northern colossus statue at every sunrise. In the West Bank of Luxor Egypt, two magnificent twin statues image of pharaoh Amenhotep III and two smaller statues carved by his feet (one being his wife and the other his mother), stands graciously in the horizon of the magnificent Luxor horizons. The two statues, each measuring 60 feet tall, stands in the entrance of Amenhotep III’s mortuary temple. They are famously named by the name of Colossi of Memnon due to a phenomenon produced by one of the statues after an earthquake.
When visiting Karnak, you are paying a visit to the heart of Egypt during the New Kingdom. This huge temple complex was the center of the ancient faith while power was concentrated at Thebes (modern day Luxor) and its significance is reflected in its enormous size. In addition to its religious significance, it also served as a treasury, administrative center, and palace for the New Kingdom pharaohs. It is considered as the largest temple complex ever constructed anywhere in the world. It developed over a period of 1500 years, added to by generation after generation of pharaohs and resulting in a collection of temples, sanctuaries, pylons, and other decorations that is unparalleled throughout Egypt.
This temple might be the greatest testament to why Luxor has earned its nickname, “The World’s Largest Outdoor Museum”. Luxor Temple is located in the modern city of Luxor, which is built on the site of the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes. The temple is one of the best-preserved of all of the ancient monuments with large amounts of structure, statuary and relief carvings still intact, making it one of the most impressive visits in the Luxor area and all of Egypt, adding significantly to its allure is the juxtaposition that its setting provides. The modern city begins on one side and the Nile drifts by on the other. There are few places in Egypt where one is put so immediately and clearly in touch with the extraordinary length of Egypt’s history.
Important information
Know before you book
- This is a private tour; the price is per group, not per person.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off are included; please provide your accommodation details upon booking.
- The tour operates in English; other languages may be available upon request.
Know before you go
- Wear comfortable walking shoes and light clothing suitable for warm weather.
- Bring a hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen to protect against the sun.
- Carry a bottle of water to stay hydrated throughout the day.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Accessibility
- Infant Seats Available
Traveler reviews
A magical cruise (3 April to 10 April 2025)
A magical cruise (3 April to 10 April 2025) We chose Memphis Tours to organize a cruise on the Nile. We spent 7 wonderful days. We were met late at night at the airport by the agency representative, Ibrahim, who drove us to MS Salacia. What a beautiful boat for this adventure, a lot of mahogany woodwork, a lot of copper, a real atmosphere of Agatha Christie ... The cabins (about thirty) are all very nice, they are large (24m2) with two bathrooms, two large windows and good bedding. Everything is very clean the boat is constantly polished. On the decks you can enjoy a swimming pool, very comfortable deck chairs, perfect for drinking a good Egyptian beer or mint tea while watching the Nile banks pass quietly. On this boat, we eat very well. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are hearty and tasty. The Chef and the entire restaurant team are at your service. The excursions are very well organized which allows to visit many sites while having the possibility to also enjoy the comfort of the boat. Finally a big thank you to Sabri, our guide who speaks excellent French and who led us through the temples and the Valley of the Kings, from Luxor to Aswan and even to Abu Simbel. Sabri has made us discover in detail, historical explanations and humor the lives of pharaohs, priests and goddesses. We had a great time with him. In the end, we really recommend Menphis Tours for such an Egyptian adventure. Everything was really perfect. Bruno and Brigitte
Luxor adventures to add to our wonderful Egypt holiday.
We docked at Luxor West Bank to see Karnak and Luxor Temple. We arrived late in the afternoon but the last temple was well lit. 2400 small ram headed sphinx’s lined the route joining the 2 temples. (You can only walk so far along the 3 mile or so pathway) Impressive statues and carvings everywhere. On our last day on the MS Salacia, we visited The East Bank with Memphis Tours. After an early breakfast on board, we said farewell to this wonderful cruise ship (oldy worldy with plenty of character) and set off to see the hot air balloons landing at the Colossi of Memnon. Super high temperatures already as we arrived at the Temple of Hatshepsut. Wow! Then onto the Valley of the Kings. Our tickets allowed access to 3 tombs. For an extra 700 EGP you could visit the tomb or Tutankhamun, only his mummy is there at the moment, all the gold coffins and masks are in the Museum in Cairo. (Being moved also to another Museum shortly) Memphis Tours arranged a hotel for our use in Luxor where we met their representative Ali who checked us in, arranged all our flight transfers etc. for our next stop - Cairo. Great service xx
Memphis Tours 5 day 4 night Dahabiya Nile Cruise
This five-day four-night Dahabiya cruise from Memphis Tours from Luxor to Aswan was a perfect introduction to an amazing country. Memphis Tours arranged everything from picking us up at our hotel to dropping us off at the airport and even escorting us the to check in counter at the airport. Wow! what else can I say. Our personal tour guide Abanoub Nazmi was awesome! He was knowledgeable, punctual, funny, and made sure we had a wonderful time. Abanoub is extremely knowledgeable with the historical sites, the city and its culture and we always felt very safe around him because he knows so many people. I would highly recommend anyone traveling to Luxor/Aswan through Memphis tours and if you are blessed to have Abanoub as your tour guide you will defiantly not be disappointed. And to the staff of the Dahabiya Amoura thank you, the food your hospitality and safety was amazing. This was our trip to Egypt and would gladly recommend and use Memphis tours again. Book it! You will be very happy you did! PS.. We were there in the wintertime so please pack a heavy jacket because the nights do get cold.
Marwa and Osha the best!
We had a two day tour of Luxor with our tour guide Marwa Ali, she was amazing and so knowledgeable. We really enjoyed her company and learnt so much,the experience wouldn't have been the same without her. I cant recommend her highly enough. Our driver for the two days was Osha, he was fabulous and so kind and friendly. We want to say a huge thank you to both of them for making our stay so wonderful.
A great and relaxing time on the Nile with the perfect guide!
Went to Aswan, Luxor, Edfu, and Kom Ombo. Memphis organized the transfer between these cities to be seamless by booking a cruise. Had amazing tours in each city. Our tour guide, Abdalla, was incredibly special and contributed greatly to our enjoyment of the trip. Not only was he extremely knowledgeable and informative, but by the end of the trip, he felt like a part of the family. Would highly recommend him as a guide. This tour includes many temple visits, which is amazing, but the change of pace of visiting Elite Aromatherapy in Aswan as well as visiting the Nubian village was great. Traveling through these areas offers a pleasant reprieve from busy Cairo!