Special Two-Day Tour to Luxor Departing from Hurghada

Early in the morning, you'll be collected from your hotel in Hurghada by a private A.C. car and driven to Luxor for an overnight trip to Luxor from Marsa Alam . On arrival, your private tour guide will meet you and take you to: Madinat Habu temple: In ancient times Madinat Habu went by the name Djanet and, according to belief, was the site where Amun first appeared. Both Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III raised a temple here dedicated to Amun, and Rameses III later built his larger memorial temple on the same ground. First Pylon – the temple of Rameses III. In his day, Djanet grew into the administrative hub of Western Thebes. The whole complex was enclosed by a massive fortified wall, with an unusual gateway at the eastern entrance known as the pavilion gate. This structure, modeled on Syrian migdol fortresses, is not what you'd expect to find in Egypt. Rameses III, a military man, likely appreciated the value of such a design. He probably resided here on occasion, since a royal palace adjoined the south side of the temple's open forecourt, while priests' dwellings and administrative buildings stood on either side. Originally, a canal with a harbor outside the entrance linked the temple to the Nile, though the desert erased this long ago. Madinat Habu temple from above Ramesseum: The Ramesseum, funerary temple of Ramses II (1279–13 BC), stands on the west bank of the Nile at Thebes in Upper Egypt. Renowned for its 57-foot (17-meter) seated statue of Ramses II (of which only fragments survive), it was dedicated to the god Amon and the deceased king. The Ramesseum's walls, only about half preserved, carry reliefs depicting the Battle of Kadesh, the Syrian wars, and the Festival of Min. Deir El Madina The main cemetery of the royal workmen at Deir el-Medina lies west of the village, on the slope of the Theban hills. Most tombs date to the 19th dynasty, and some stand out for their size and decoration. By the 20th dynasty, they had become family tombs housing descendants of the original owners, with little change beyond an added underground burial chamber. The lower slopes of the eastern hill of Qurnet Murai held the burials of babies and children — over a hundred were laid to rest in ordinary domestic pottery jars, amphorae, baskets, fish baskets, chests, boxes, or proper coffins. The poorest burials, those of stillborn infants, held no jewelry or amulets, only small vessels of food for the afterlife. Adult graves sat higher up the slope, many dating to the 18th dynasty. Lunch is served during the tour. The valley of The Queens The Valley of the Queens, also called Biban el-Harim, Biban el-Sultanate, and Wadi el-Melikat, is where Pharaohs' wives were buried in ancient Egypt. Known then as Ta-Set-Neferu — 'the place of the Children of the Pharaoh' — it holds not just the Queens of the 18th, 19th, and 20th dynasties (1550-1070 BCE) but also numerous princes, princesses, and other nobility. Mortuary priests maintained these tombs, carrying out daily rituals and offering prayers for the deceased nobles. The valley sits near the better-known Valley of the Kings on the west bank of the Nile opposite Thebes (modern Luxor ). This barren stretch of western hills was chosen for its relative isolation and closeness to the capital. Rather than the traditional pyramid burial chambers (perhaps due to their vulnerability to robbers), 18th dynasty kings opted for rock-cut tombs instead. This necropolis is said to hold more than seventy tombs, many elegant and richly decorated — one example being the rock-carved resting place of Queen Nefertari (1290-1224 BCE) of the 19th Dynasty, whose polychrome reliefs remain intact. The ancient Egyptians called it Set Neferu, meaning "seat of beauty". Between 1903 and 1906, an Italian expedition uncovered around eighty tombs, some belonging to royal children; many had been badly damaged, burned, or repurposed as stables for donkeys and camels. Among the best-known tombs is that of Nefertari, the best-loved of Ramesses II's many wives, in whose honor he built a stunning temple at Abu Simbel. In the evening, you can opt into a Sound and Light Show at Karnak : the show opens with a historical introduction covering the founding of the great city of Thebes and the building of the Karnak Temple.
It recounts the glorious achievements of several great Pharaohs while you take in a striking, poetic description of the artistic treasures and grand legacy held within the Karnak temple. Overnight at a 5-star hotel.

After breakfast at your hotel, your private tour guide and air-conditioned vehicle will take you to visit: Luxor Museum This wonderful museum houses a carefully chosen, brilliantly displayed and explained collection of antiquities spanning from the end of the Old Kingdom through to the Mamluk period, gathered largely from the Theban temples and necropolis. Its ticket price puts some visitors off, but don't let that deter you: it's one of the most rewarding sights in Luxor and among the finest museums in Egypt. From there, drive to Dendera temple Dendera temple . The Temple of Hathor was largely built in the Late Ptolemaic period, particularly under Ptolemy XII and Cleopatra VII, with later additions from Roman times. Though raised by a dynasty of rulers who weren't native Egyptians, the temple's design follows the pattern of other classical Egyptian temples, with one exception: the front of the hypostyle hall, which, per an inscription above the entrance, was built by Emperor Tiberius. The complex also holds scenes portraying the Ptolemaic rulers — carved into the outer face of one temple wall, for instance, is a huge relief of Cleopatra VII and her son by Julius Caesar and co-ruler Ptolemy XV (better known as Caesarion), both dressed in Egyptian garb and offering sacrifices. Hathor was also worshipped as a goddess of healing, reflected in the sanatorium found within the temple complex, where pilgrims once came seeking a cure. Sacred water (made holy by pouring it over statues inscribed with sacred texts) was used for bathing, priests of Hathor dispensed unguents, and sleeping quarters were offered to those hoping the goddess would visit their dreams and offer help.
Lunch is served in Qena, then we drive you back to your hotel in Hurghada .