A half-day on Luxor's east bank covering Karnak, the largest religious complex ever built in Egypt, and the more elegant Luxor Temple.
ITINERARY
Karnak Temple Complex
Karnak was built for the Theban triad — Amun-Ra, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu — and enlarged by generations of pharaohs, each wanting their contribution to outdo the last. You walk in through the pylons and into the Great Hypostyle Hall, where the columns stand so close together and so tall that the roof they once carried is easy to imagine. Your guide unpicks who added what, which turns an overwhelming site into a readable sequence.
Luxor Temple
Luxor Temple sits right in the centre of the modern city, which gives it a completely different character. It was built by Amenhotep III and extended by Ramses II, and it is known for the colossal seated statues at its entrance and the long avenue of sphinxes that once ran all the way to Karnak. It played the central role in the annual Opet festival, when the gods were carried in procession between the two temples.
Lunch and return
Lunch follows at a local restaurant, after which your driver takes you back to your hotel or cruise boat.
