Upon arrival at Cairo International Airport, you will be met and assisted by our representative who will help you during passport control, in the luggage area, and during customs formalities. Then you will take your flight to Luxor where you will be met and assisted by your Egyptologist guide who will take you to your hotel for check-in. You will then go to the West Bank of the River Nile to visit the two colossal statues known as Colossi of Memnon, which mark the site of the funerary temple of Amenhotep III. These two giant statues standing tall and proud on the West Bank are all that remain of the ancient complex. You will then tour the Valley of the Kings, which is the burial place of the kings of Thebes (ancient Luxor). You will have a brief stop at the Visitors’ Center and have time to visit three tombs. Guides are not permitted inside the tombs but your guide will tell you what to look for inside the richly decorated rooms. Here you may visit the tomb of King Tutankhamun (optional, for an additional cost). Leaving the hot sands of the Valley of the Kings, you will visit the Temple of Hatshepsut, which is one of the most striking monuments in Egypt. Your guide will introduce you to the history of the temple and the story of Queen Hatshepsut, the famous female ruler of Egypt who posed as a male to gain the throne. You will have free time to explore at your leisure as you wander the large courtyards and admire the intricate hieroglyphic decorations. In addition, you will have the chance to visit an alabaster factory and purchase genuine items if you wish. You will then be accompanied by your Egyptologist guide to visit the Karnak Temples, which is considered the largest place of worship ever built. Its ancient name I pet-it means “the most sacred of places.” The temple, or, more correctly, the complex of temples, was built more than 2,000 years ago by generation after generation of pharaohs. Within the complex, you will find the great “Hypostyle Hall,” which is an incredible forest of giant pillars. After this, you will visit the Luxor temple which was built by Amenhotep III and Ramses II for rituals and festivals dedicated to the god Amun-Ra. After the conclusion of your tour, you will be driven back to your hotel for drop-off. Optional night activity: Karnak Temples Sound and Light Show ($50.00 US Dollars per person).
