PHOTO GALLERY Luxor TempelLuxor TempelLuxor MuseumKarnak TempelValley of the KingsValley of the KingsValley of the Kings

Luxor has often been called the worlds greatest open air museum, as indeed it is and much more. The number and preservation of the monuments in the Luxor area are unparalleled anywhere else in the world that know of. Actually, what most people think of as Luxor is really three different areas, consisting of the City of Luxor on the East side of the Nile, the town of Karnak just north of Luxor and Thebes, which the ancient Egyptians called Waset, which is on the west side of the Nile across from Luxor.

Not to be missed when in Luxor are two half days tours to west and east bank. First one will take you to the final resting place of the might pharaohs, the Valley of the Kings. And the second one will explore Luxor & Karnak Temples, dating back to the 20th-century BC.

If traveling by air Luxor is served by the Luxor International Airport.

For crossing the river a bridge was recently constructed a few miles upstream of the main town of Luxor, allowing you to access the East Bank and West Bank with land transport. When in the city be aware that the sites on the West Bank might be further than you think so taxis are the best way to travel, but make sure you agree a price beforehand!
Traditionally, however, river crossings have been the domain of several ferry services. This so-called 'local ferry' continues to operate from a landing opposite the Temple of Luxor. The single fare (March 2007) is 1 L.E. - one Egyptian Pound - per passenger.
Alternatively feluccas line the East Bank of the Nile all day providing a cheap and leisurely sail to the other side.

For domestic travel along the route of the Nile, a rail service operates twice a day. A morning train and sleeping train can be taken from the station situated around one mile from Luxor Temple. The line runs between several major destinations, including Cairo to the north and Aswan to the south.

Attractions on the East Bank
The Luxor Museum
The Luxor Museum is surprisingly entertaining. Displays of pottery, jewelry, furniture, statues and stelae were created by the Brooklyn Museum of New York. They include a carefully selected assortment of items from the Theban temples and necropolis.
The hours for the Museum are from 9 am to 1 PM and then from 4 PM until 9 PM. in the winter. Afternoon hours in the summer are from 5 PM until 10 PM.

The Mummification Museum
The Mummification Museum is a new, and located near the Mina Palace Hotel.
The museum's features displays of both human and animal mummies. However, there are also displays of tools used in the mummification process, as well as artifacts of items buried along with the mummies for use in the afterlife. Almost anything one ever wanted to know about mummification can be learned here, including the mummification process itself.
Museum hours are from 9 AM to 1 PM year round, with winter evening hours of 4 PM until 9 PM and summer evening hours of 5 PM until 10 PM.

The Open Air Museum
The Open Air Museum is located across from the Great Court, opposite to the entrance to Ramesses III's temple in the Temple of Amun. It is accessed to the left of the first courtyard just before the Second Pylon at Karnak in modern Luxor (ancient Thebes) It has a collection of monuments that were discovered elsewhere at Karnak, particularly inside the Second and Third Pylons.

Karnak Temple
Standing just 3 kms from Luxor, this immense collection of temples dates back to the 20th-century BC. Its centrepiece is the magnificent Temple of Amun, the king of all gods: a vast edifice of soaring columns and statues built around a sacred lake and approached along a superb avenue of ram-headed sphinxes.

Luxor Temple, Winter Palace Hotel.

Attraction on the West Bank
Valley of the Kings
Situated on the West Bank of the Nile facing Luxor, the Valley of the Kings harbours Egypt's most eminent ancient sites. The mausoleums here were the final resting-places of a succession of mighty pharaohs. You can see the excavated tombs of Tutankhamun (small entrance fee payable locally) and Queen Nefertiti as well as over sixty others.

Valley of the Queens,
Medinet Habu (memorial temple of Ramesses III),
The Ramesseum (memorial temple of Ramesses II),
Deir al-Madinah (workers' village),
Tombs of the Nobles,
Street market in LuxorDeir el-Bahri (temple of Hatshepsut, etc.),
Malkata (palace of Amenophis III),
Colossi of Memnon (memorial temple of Amenophis III).

Sharia al-Karnak, also known as the Maabad al-Karnak, runs along the Nile from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple is lined with colorful bazaars and a good place to shop for Egyptian souvenirs. Street is also full of restaurants and cafes, where you can sit down and watch the world go by. West bank is also known for the alabaster and unusual shapes of clay pots used for cooking.

The streets around Luxur Temple offer tourist bazaars, gold and silver shops, and hand made clay pots. Wooden bowls carved from lemon, orange or tamarisk wood in the village of Hegaza and on sale in the Movenpick, and Gorgeous handmade silks, linens and cottons can be found in the Winter Akhmeem Gallery (Winter Palace).

A wonderful way to explore the river is by famous Felucca sailing boats, which have been sailing on the Nile for hundreds of years. You can hire them from the mooring stations of the cruise boats.
See the sights of Luxur from a different perspective and take a ride on the .caleche., traditional horse and carriage. Pick one just off of Nile Street, however as with every mean of transport in Luxor make sure you agree a price before you set off.
More adventures visitors can choose to sightsee from a back of a camel or see the valley of the West Bank from above in a hot air balloon.