Things to Do in Luxor

Luxor was built on the site of ancient Thebes, capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom, and contains roughly one-third of the world's surviving ancient monuments.

The Valley of the Kings holds 62 known tombs including Tutankhamun's, carved into limestone cliffs on the west bank of the Nile over a span of nearly 500 years.

Luxor Temple, located in the heart of the modern city, remains one of the best-preserved temples in Egypt and was originally connected to Karnak Temple by a sphinx-lined avenue over 3 kilometres long.

The Nile floods that made Egyptian agriculture possible were carefully tracked and recorded by ancient Nilometers, and Luxor's Karnak Temple complex contains one of the oldest surviving examples.

Luxor was also known as 'the city of 100 gates' in antiquity, referring to Karnak Temple's many pylons and entrances.

Hot air ballooning over the Valley of the Kings at sunrise is now a major tourist activity, offering aerial views of tombs and temples that have been hidden from view for millennia.