It is best to make an early start-most of the sites open at 6.00 AM; afternoons can be spent in the hotels or having a leisurely lunch. Late afternoon/evenings are best spent visiting the temples on the East Bank.
DAY 1
Start your visit to Luxor by visiting the royal tombs at Valley of the Kings. A single ticket (LE 70) entitles you to visit three tombs. There is a toy train to transport you to the entrance (LE 4)-if you have the time and inclination, you can easily walk up to the entrance. At the entrance, you will have to hand over your video cameras. A map here shows the lay-out of the tombs and you can choose the three that you want to visit. We visited the Tombs of Ramses III, Tuthmosis III and Ramses IX.
Ramses IX-This tomb is notable for its well-preserved paintings, the colours still so vivid as if the paintings are fairly recent! It is believed that the tomb was unfinished when Ramses IX died; after his death, the tomb was hastily completed
Ramses III- This tomb had a “false start” when its builders mistakenly cut through into the adjacent tomb. Ramses III changed the course of the corridor to the right and the result was a very large tomb with beautifully painted sunken reliefs.
Tuthmosis III-This tomb requires some “serious” walking and climbing a steep staircase. It is located between two limestone hills and is the most inaccessible of the tombs at the Valley of the Kings. The choice of its location demonstrates the extent to which the pharaohs went to protect their burial places from tomb raiders. There is a second steep staircase that leads to the burial chamber.
After visiting the three tombs on your itinerary, you might want to just walk around the valley-away from the long queues near the most popular tombs; it is quite peaceful with some good views over a barren landscape.
Be prepared that some of the tombs that you have set your heart onto maybe closed for renovation-we could not visit the Tomb of Mernepath for the same reason. There is a visitors’ centre just before the ticket booth, where a couple of documentaries are run, giving information on the discovery of the tombs and their restoration. Also http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/ is a good site for detailed information on the “Valley of the Kings”.
Deir al Bahri-The Temple of Hatshepsut is partly rock-cut and partly free-standing and has a wide causeway that leads to three huge terraced courts. Hatshepsut was the daughter of Tuthmosis I and became regent for Tuthmosis III, the minor son of her husband. She is then believed to have assumed the role of a pharoah and ruled for 15 years. Spend an hour here studying the reliefs recording the birth of Hatshepsut and the pharoah in the presence of various Pharonic gods. At some places the reliefs show gaps where Hatshepsut’s face has been disfigured by her successors
Colossi of Memnon-En route to your hotel for a brief siesta, stop at the two statues known as the Colossi of Memnon. These faceless statues are the remains of a large funerary complex that was built by Amenhotep III, but has been eroded away over the centuries due to the floods. .
After lunch and a siesta, head out to the Luxor Temple on the East Bank.
Luxor Temple-This temple is best visited during late afternoon/evening so that you get the opportunity to see the temple by daylight as well as when the sun has set and the temple is lit up. The temple was mostly built by Amenhotep III. The architecture of the temple is truly awe-inspiring. I loved the court of Amenhotelp III, which is surrounded by double rows of columns on three sides and is built in such a way so as to be open to the sun. Alexander the Great has rebuilt the barque shrine in this temple, which has reliefs depicting Alexander in the traditional regalia of the Pharoahs.
Day 2
Make an early start at around 7.00 p.m from the hotel to first visit the Medinat Habu. The tickets for visiting Medinat Habu are not available at the site but have to be bought at the Antiquities Inspectorate Office, close to the ferry landing. Apparently Medinat Habu was inhabited as recently as the late 9th century. It comprises of funerary temples built by Ramses III, Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III. What I found most striking were the reliefs depicting Ramses III as the victor of several wars. Medinat Habu is a huge complex and has some of the best preserved reliefs-the colours are still vivid and beautiful.
Then you can return to the hotel for a siesta or visit another set of tombs-either the Valley of the Queens or Tomb of the Nobles.
The grand finale of any visit to Luxor is the Karnak Temple which according to one account is large enough to hold 10 cathedrals-therefore allow for sufficient time and energy to enjoy this temple. But I can guarantee that one visit will not be enough and you will want to come back again to visit this architectural marvel. The temple is open from 6.00 a.m to 5.30 p.m from October to April and till 6.00 p.m from May to September. Tickets can be bought at the entrance for LE 50. The highlight of this temple for me is the great Hypostyle Hall which consists of 134 papyrus- shaped stone pillars and lies after the second pylon. Originally, this hall was roofed; it was also brightly painted but today, the paint can be seen only in a few places. The temple has a total of ten pylons-its size and grandeur can only be imagined.
If you have time left before taking the flight/ train home, take in the sound and light show at the Karnak Temple, which is of one and a half hour duration.
Remember to read up a little on the sites that you will be visiting; this will help you to better appreciate the architectural marvels at Luxor. Do the sight seeing at a pace that suits you-prioritize according to your interests!
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