A Day Trip To Luxor From Hurghada

I decided to take a day trip to Luxor from Hurghada when I visited Egypt. Despite the long 4 hour drive from Hurghada, it was one of the most amazing experiences. However, I would avoid doing what I did, which was visiting in August. The 45°C heat was quite difficult to bear. But even in the heat we still had a great time. There's so much to do in Luxor - it's FULL of Ancient Egyptian history. If you're looking for things to do in Luxor, then here's what I got up to...

1. Karnak Temple Complex

Our first stop of the day was Karnak. In the Karnak Temple Complex you can find several different temples and other religious buildings that were dedicated to Ancient Egyptian gods. It was built between 2055 BC and around 100 AD and is one of the largest religious sites in the world. The most impressive part of the Karnak Temple is Hypostyle Hall (pictured above).

2. Nile Cruise

After lunch we took a boat across the Nile river to get to the other side. This is where we could then visit Medinet Habu, Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. We just took a short crossing but you could go for a longer cruise if you wanted to.

3. Medinet Habu

After our Nile crossing we headed to Medinet Habu. The religious centre was built by Ramesses III and was dedicated to the god Amun. Here you can find the Temple of Ramesses III which features statues, halls and courtyards.

4. Valley of the Kings

This was the part of the trip I was most looking forward to. The Valley of the Kings is a royal burial ground for Egyptian Pharaohs, there are about 63 tombs here. You'll also find find the tomb of Tutankhamun. When I visited the Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun and his belongings were still in his tomb. Now, Tutankhamun can be found at the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo. You can still visit his tomb in the Valley of the Kings although photos are not permitted.

5. Valley of the Queens

The Valley of the Queens is a similar concept to The Valley of the Kings, but it is where the Egyptian Queens and Princesses and Princes were buried. The most interesting tomb here is Queen Nefertari's tomb which features paintings on the walls.