Emily Johnson
July 9, 2024, 9:15 p.m.This was a wonderful tour! Luxor and Abu Simbel were stunning, although it was a bit challenging due to the warm weather. Our guide did an excellent job in explaining the history and significance of each site. Overall, a very enriching experience.
1) Day 1- El Gouna-Luxor-Aswan
Early morning, we will pick you up from your hotel in El Gouna by a private A.C. Car to be transferred to Luxor for an overnight trip from El Gouna . Upon arrival, you will meet your private tour guide who will join you to visit: Karnak temple : No site in Egypt is more impressive than Karnak . It is the largest temple complex ever built by man and represents the combined achievement of many generations of ancient builders and pharaohs. The Temple of Karnak has three main temples, smaller enclosed temples, and several outer temples situated on 247 acres of land. Luxor Temple: The Temple of Luxor was the center of the most important festival, the festival of Opet. Built largely by Amenhotep III and Rameses II, the temple's purpose was as a setting for the rituals of the festival. The festival was to reconcile the human aspect of the ruler with the divine office. Lunch will be served in a local restaurant in Luxor with a Nile view. Valley of the Kings: The final resting place of Egypt's rulers from the 18th to 20th dynasty, it is home to tombs including the great pharaoh Ramses II and boy pharaoh Tutankhamun . The tombs were well stocked with all the material goods a ruler might need in the next world. Most of the decoration inside the tombs is still well preserved. Hatshepsut Temple: It is one of the most beautiful & best preserved of all of the temples of Ancient Egypt. The temple was built on three levels with two wide ramps in a central position joining the levels together. Colossi of Memnon: Two massive stone statues of King Amenhotep III are the only remains of a complete mortuary temple.
The statues are made from blocks of quartzite sandstone which exist in Cairo and then moved 700 KM to Luxor Then transfer to Aswan- overnight in the Hotel there
2) Day 2-Aswan-Abu Simbel-El Gouna
Depart from Aswan to journey 280 kilometers to the stunning rock-carved temples of Abu Simbel. Relocated to the west banks of Lake Nasser, the temple complex is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the "Nubian Monuments." First, visit Abu Simbel Temple – a stunning Ancient Egyptian monument built by Ramses II out of a sandstone rock cliff. Marvel at the representation of the deities carved on the temple's huge façade. Nearby, also visit the small Temple of the King's wife Nefertari, dedicated to the goddess Hath-or. Find out how they were displaced in 1960 with the help of the Egyptian government and UNESCO to avoid the rising waters of the Nile. See the mural depicting the famous victory of Ramses II at the Battle of Qadesh and admire the small temple he built for his favorite wife, Queen Nefertari. Have your Lunch After visiting the most spectacular and best-preserved temples in Egypt Abu Simbel temple, take your Car back to Aswan, then transfer back to your hotel in El Gouna