There are several ways to get to Luxor from Aswan. You can go by boat, either on a cruise on a large cruise ship or sailing on a felucca. Many day tours run from Aswan to Luxor. There are temples and other interesting sights to see along the way. Some minibusses travel between the two cities, but we have been told foreigners are not supposed to ride in them.
We opted for the train. We booked the 10 a.m. Russian train called. It is called the Russian train because it was sent to Egypt by the Russians. It is a newer train air-conditioned throughout, so there is only one class. Some of the other trains have first and second classes. There is a foreign price for the train that is much more expensive than the Egyptian price, but still cheap for us. We paid $40 for the entire family. It was an easy three-hour ride.
Many people want to help you in Egypt. Not for free, but that is how many people make a living. We met a man outside of the train station who offered to take us by taxi to the ferry since our hotel is on the West Bank. The taxi cost 50 £E ($1.60).
Trust is hard in Egypt. We read many things about scams and the hard sell, and it made it hard for us to trust others while there. People are constantly people coming up to us offering goods and services, and they are persistent. It is tiring to move through the city, but also an experience.
The taxi put our luggage on the top of his car un-strapped. We were nervous about it falling off, but he assured us it was fine. He took us to the Egyptian ferry that leaves the Luxor Museum. The ferry is supposed to cost 5 £E, but we paid 10 £E. Getting charged more happened frequently, but when it’s $0.32 vs $0.15, it is hard to have the energy to argue.
An old man rode the ferry with us offering his taxi services on the other side of the Nile. We agreed on a price and walked with him to his taxi. His taxi is an ancient station wagon (almost as old as he is). It took two people pushing along with the driver while he cranked it to get it started. He also put our luggage on the roof unattached.
We made it to our hotel, the Golden Ibis. We booked it through Booking.com and didn’t realize that we would have to pay for the stay in US dollars. Luckily we had enough US currency. Booking.com requires payment from businesses in US dollars, and since the Egyptian Pound is so volatile, businesses want USD. Our hotel did not accept credit cards.
We had two rooms at the hotel, and one had a living room attached. It also has a small pool with freezing water, but Henry liked swimming in it. We paid $40 per night for the hotel.
The West Bank is much more slow-paced. We were glad to stay there rather than on the East Bank. There are plenty of delicious restaurants, and it is easy to catch a boat over to the East Bank.
We explored the West Bank on the day we arrived and dropped our laundry off at a laundry mat. We ate dinner at a restaurant called Thebes overlooking the river. The restaurants in Egypt all serve the same things: kababs, shwarma, fish, burgers, tagine, and fruit juice. Meals come with a tomato and cucumber salad, bread, and baba ghanoush. Many cats and dogs joined us at meal time. Henry had his Big Mac in Luxor. Overall the food in Egypt is delicious.
On our first full day in Luxor, we went to the Karnak and Luxor Temples. We were lucky to run into Asheraf, a friendly boat captain who spent the day taking us across the river to the different sights and back to the West Bank at the end of the day. He is honest, fair, and not pushy. He works with his brother who drives and car, and he has many connections. He hooked us up with many activities and gave us good advice. It was invaluable having him on WhatsApp.
We went early to the temples to avoid the heat. It was in the 90s that day. Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple are two ancient Egyptian temples located on the east bank of the Nile River in the city of Luxor, known in ancient times as Thebes. Both temples were built during the New Kingdom period (1550-1070 BCE) and were dedicated to different deities.
Luxor Temple was built primarily during the reigns of Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BCE) and Ramses II (1279-1213 BCE). It was dedicated to the god Amun, who was the chief deity of Thebes, as well as his wife Mut and their son Khonsu. The temple features impressive architectural elements, such as colossal statues, obelisks, and pylons, and was the site of the annual Opet festival, which celebrated the union of Amun and the goddess Mut.
Karnak Temple, on the other hand, is a vast complex of temples and chapels built over several centuries by different pharaohs. The main temple was dedicated to the god Amun, his wife Mut, and their son Khonsu, and was the most important religious center in ancient Egypt. The temple complex features several impressive structures, including the Great Hypostyle Hall, which contains 134 massive columns, as well as several obelisks and statues.
Asheraf organized our second full day in Luxor. We did a sunrise hot air balloon ride and visited the Valley of the Kings, all before 9 am, which is recommended because it gets hot. A bus picked us up at 4:15 a.m. for the balloon ride. The hot air balloon ride is an item on Henry’s bucket list. Even Lucas enjoyed it, and he is afraid of heights.
The Valley of the Kings is worth the trip. The Valley of the Kings is a famous archaeological site in Egypt located on the west bank of the Nile River near Luxor. It was the burial place of many pharaohs of the New Kingdom period, including Tutankhamun, Ramesses II, and Thutmose III, among others.
The valley was used for royal burials between the 16th and 11th centuries BC and is known for its well-preserved tombs and elaborate wall paintings. The Valley of the Kings contains more than 60 known tombs, although not all of them have been fully excavated or identified. Many of the tombs are decorated with intricate scenes and hieroglyphs that depict the journey of the pharaoh’s soul through the afterlife.
There are several tombs. A ticket allows you to see three of the open tombs on the printed list (it changes weekly). When we were buying our tickets, a tour guide buying tickets for his group told us his favorite tombs, so we went with those: Ramesses II, III, and Merenptah. We also bought an extra ticket to see the tomb of Ramesses V and VI.
Ramesses II, also known as Ramesses the Great, was one of ancient Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs, and his reign lasted for over 60 years. His tomb, KV7, is one of the largest and most impressive in the valley. It consists of a long corridor that leads to several chambers, including a pillared hall, a burial chamber, and smaller side rooms. The tomb’s walls are decorated with colorful scenes depicting the pharaoh’s journey through the afterlife.
Ramesses III was also a powerful pharaoh who reigned during the 12th century BC. His tomb, KV11, is smaller than Ramesses II’s but is still considered one of the most important in the valley. The tomb’s decoration is remarkable for its intricate reliefs and scenes, including depictions of the pharaoh’s victories in battle.
Merenptah was the thirteenth son of Ramesses II and succeeded his father as pharaoh. His tomb, KV8, is located near Ramesses II’s and is notable for its beautifully-preserved wall paintings, which include depictions of the pharaoh’s journey to the afterlife.
Tomb KV9 was built by Pharaoh Ramesses V. Ramesses V was the fourth pharaoh of the 20th dynasty and ruled from 1149 to 1145 BC. He was interred here, but his uncle, Ramesses VI, later reused the tomb for himself. The tomb features intricate scenes from the Book of Gates and the Book of Caverns, which describe the pharaoh’s journey through the afterlife. The tomb also contains a burial chamber and several side rooms.
We all took naps when we got home.
Michael coordinated a sunset felucca ride on our last night in Luxor. Feluccas are sailboats with no motor. The felucca driver worked very hard because the wind was not great.
On our last full day in Luxor, we lazed around and packed. We ate one last meal at Wannas vegetarian restaurant. Asheraf’s brother Daha took us to the airport for our 11:15 p.m. flight. Our flight landed 30 minutes late, so we arrived in Cairo at 1 a.m. No rest for the weary. We exited the airport and met our microbus driver to take us 10 hours to our next adventure, Siwa Oasis.
