Hurghada To Luxor Two-Day Tour: Temples, Tombs And Tutankhamun

Visiting Luxor and seeing the ancient Egyptian temples and tombs is a bucket list travel experience I have always dreamed of doing. Finally, I made it happen on a fully escorted tour from Hurghada to Luxor.

I was on holiday in Hurghada, a four-hour drive from Luxor, and took two days off from my beach schedule to book a private two-day tour to Luxor. This allowed me ample time to see the ancient Egyptian attractions on my wishlist, including Tutankhamun's tomb.

My Luxor tour included a private minibus transfer from and to my Hurghada hotel, an overnight stay at a five-star hotel, and a qualified Egyptologist who provided rich insights into each place we visited. I also had the option to add an early morning balloon ride and a felucca cruise to my itinerary.

In this travel post, you will discover what I did during my trip and why visiting Luxor from Hurghada for two days is worth it.

This was not a free/sponsored tour in return for this review. I paid for everything and was entirely satisfied with the customer service and expertise I received from Egypt Key Tours. Therefore, I am more than happy to recommend them to my readers.

This travel guide may contain affiliate links – please read my disclaimer and privacy policy for more information.

Day One - Travel to Luxor, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Optional Light and Sound Show

Getting to Luxor from Hurghada

Pick-up at our hotel in Luxor was early - 7:00 a.m., to be exact; however, knowing what was in store for us made getting out of bed a lot easier than usual.

Our driver arrived in an air-conditioned private vehicle, and we set off for the four-hour drive from Hurghada to Luxor. I was concerned there would be no toilet stops on the route, but I needn't have worried as halfway into the journey, we stopped at a local Bedouin shop/cafe. Of course, a little bit of hard selling was involved from the storekeeper while we used the cafe's facilities; however, with a firm "no thank you", we were left alone.

Back in our vehicle, we drove through miles of deserted landscape, military checkpoints, and a few towns. Finally, by 11:15 a.m., we were in Luxor, once known as Thebes, on the eastern bank of the Nile.

I highly recommend booking a Hurghada to Luxor Tour with a qualified guide. Knowing what you are looking at is much more rewarding than simply making your way to Luxor alone and then wandering around the temples and ruins, clueless about what you are looking at.

The first stop on the tour - Karnak Temple

This 2000-year-old ancient Egyptian complex is one of the country's most famous. It is a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, and other religious buildings. It's the second-largest ancient religious site in the world, the first being Angkor Wat in Cambodia, which I have also visited. Walking around this vast open-air museum will feel like you have been transported back in time.

Construction of the complex began during the reign of Senusret l in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic Period. Karnak was dedicated to worshipping the Theban Gods - Amun-Ra, his wife Mut and their son, Khunso.

It was also a city to 4,000 Egyptians but ultimately a place to worship, which made Karnak’s priests as important as Egyptian kings.

The stand-out features of Karnak include the Hypostyle Hall, the Statue of Ramses ll, the obelisk of Hatshepsut, and the beautiful hieroglyphics, which can be seen throughout the complex.

My visit to Karnak lasted approximately two hours and 30 minutes, and I left in awe of the complex's architecture, history, and sheer size. I learnt so much from my guide, which I have written about in this article: Exploring the Karnak Temple Complex in Luxor: The Perfect Visitors Guide. Please take a moment to read it to discover what you will see during your visit.

Next on the tour - Luxor Temple

We made a brief stop for lunch (not included in the tour) before heading to Luxor temple.

Before entering the temple, we stopped to admire the Avenue of Sphinxes, a ceremonial road flanked by hundreds of sphinx statues. This avenue is about 2.7 kilometres long and was used for the Opet Festival, during which the statues of the deities were carried from Karnak to Luxor.

Although smaller than the Karnak Complex, the Luxor Temple is a testament to the grandeur of ancient Egyptian architecture. Its massive statues are a marvel of human ingenuity and will undoubtedly leave visitors in awe, much like the pyramids in Cairo.

It's a living testament to ancient Egyptian history and is believed to have hosted one of the ancient Egyptian festivals. The scenes on its walls depict the celebration of the festival, providing a window into the past. King Amenhotep III created its inner part, and the outer part is a legacy of King Ramses II, standing as a testament to their reigns.

Upon entering the temple, I hadn't expected to see a mosque within its walls. The mosque was built on the buried ruins of a church that once stood in Luxor temple, which archaeologists didn't uncover until many centuries later. To the temple's rear are chapels built by King Thutmose III and Alexander the Great, serving as a testament to the temple's diverse religious history.

The stand-out features of Luxor Temple include the Great Court of Ramses ll, the Pylon of Ramses ll, and the Luxor Obelisk - the second of which is in Place de Concorde in Paris. Another of Luxor's ancient obelisks stands on the banks of the River Thames in London.

Optional Light and Sound Show in Karnak Temple

If seeing Karnak Temple in daylight is not enough for you, you might want to return at night to see it illuminated.

We arrived around 7 p.m. to be led through the darkened temple, guided only by the flickering torchlight of the temple guides. The haunting music and the narration of the history of Karnak that is played make for a very atmospheric experience.

As you are led to the lake in Karnak and take a seat, a projected story with music is played on the temple ruins. When I went in March, the evenings were still cold, so sitting on concrete and listening to the story wasn't very comfortable.

The show was a little underwhelming, and had I known how it told the story of Egypt, I might have skipped the Light and Sound Show altogether; however, the darkness at the beginning as we entered the temple was good, so it averaged itself out.

Overnight hotel stay in Luxor

I booked my one-night stay at Iberotel Luxor. I'm not going to pretend it was luxurious because it wasn't despite its good ratings; however, it did have the most amazing view of the Nile, and because of that, I am going to say it is a good place to stay for one night in Luxor. It was also extremely cheap for a 4-star hotel.

I booked the hotel myself; however, the tour company can book a hotel stay as part of the complete package if you want them to. My tour package did not include food; however, snacks (crisps and chocolate) and water were provided daily. I didn't want to eat at my hotel in the evening, so I walked to the Sofitel Winter Palace, a historic hotel built in 1886, for dinner. This luxury property is an alternative place to stay in Luxor.

Day Two - Optional Balloon Ride, Valley of the Kings, including Tutankhamun Tomb and Temple of Hathsetshup.

I had imagined that on day two of my Hurghada to Luxor trip, I would wake at dawn and sail across the Valley of the Kings in a hot air balloon. Sadly, this part of my bucket list experience was not to be, as the weather wasn't right for a flight. The weather can't be too windy (which was for me) or not windy enough, so if you book a hot air balloon flight in Luxor and get to do it, count yourself lucky!

After an unexpected extra few hours in bed and a buffet-style breakfast, we met our guide outside the hotel and proceeded to the Valley of the Kings. Today, we would be visiting several tombs, including the one I had dreamt of seeing since childhood, the Tomb of Tutankhamun.

What to expect in the Valley of the Kings

Upon our arrival at the Valley of the Kings, our guide purchased our tickets, which were included in the tour price and gave us access to three fascinating tombs. An additional ticket is available for those who wish to delve into the mysteries of Tutankhamun's Tomb (and who wouldn't?), which we purchased. The ticket office area also has a coffee shop, a gift shop, and convenient toilet facilities.

Exploring these three tombs not only offers a glimpse into the rich tapestry of ancient Egyptian beliefs but also provides a profound understanding of the enduring legacy of the pharaohs who once ruled this magnificent civilisation.

Visiting a tomb requires taking stairs or a walkway down under the ground and passing along well-lit passageways with low ceilings. These are inscribed with intricate hieroglyphics and images of deities and lead to burial chambers. The size and grandeur of the tomb depended on which king it belonged to. Some have antechambers where wives and children are buried, whereas others are a single tomb just for the Pharaoh.

They are sized according to how long the king reigned. Tutankhamun died young, so his tomb was only small, as there was not enough time to keep digging to make it larger, whereas Rameses II reigned for 60 years, so his tomb was extensive.

Visiting Rameses I, Rameses lll and Rameses IX Tombs

Rameses l Tomb (KV16)

Despite being a small and relatively simple tomb compared to others in the Valley of the Kings, KV16 is significant due to its well-preserved and vibrant wall decorations.

The tomb's walls are adorned with vivid depictions from the Book of Gates, a funerary text describing the soul's passage into the afterlife.

The burial chamber features a red granite sarcophagus and is decorated with images of the king making offerings to deities.

Rameses lll Tomb (KV 11)

KV11 is one of the larger tombs in the Valley, with a complex layout that includes multiple corridors and chambers. The tomb was initially designed for Setnakhte (Rameses III's father) but was taken over and extended by Ramses III.

The walls of KV11 are richly decorated with scenes from the Book of the Dead, the Book of Gates, and the Amduat (the Book of the Underworld).

The tomb features intricate carvings and vibrant paintings depicting Rameses III's battles, religious rituals, and daily life scenes.

Rameses lX Tomb (KV6)

KV6 is noted for its long, straight corridor that leads to intersection 'gates' and finally to the burial chamber. This tomb is one of the more expansive ones, reflecting the stature of Rameses IX; however, there is no sarcophagus (coffin) to see here.

The walls and ceiling of KV6 are adorned with detailed scenes from various funerary texts, including the Litany of Ra, the Book of the Dead, and the Book of Caverns. These texts were meant to guide the pharaoh through the afterlife.

One notable aspect of the tomb’s decoration depicts the king with various deities, illustrating his divine connections and ensuring his protection in the afterlife.

Inside Tutankhamen's Tomb

The penultimate reason I visited the Valley of the Kings was to go inside King Tut's Tomb. The Boy King, whose golden death mask is known worldwide and resides in Cairo's Egyptian Museum, is the most talked about and iconic Pharaoh in Egypt's history.

The chance to step inside his tomb and see his mummified body and his original sarcophagus (coffin) was so exciting I felt like a kid waiting to open a Christmas present! This was an experience I had waited a lifetime for.

Entering the tomb requires an additional ticket but is undoubtedly worth every penny. Once inside, I was surprised by the size of Tutenkhamen's temple as it was much smaller than the others I had seen. The reason for this was that the boy king died so young that there was limited time to make it bigger, as was the case for the Kings of Egypt, who reigned well into their twilight years.

Arriving at Tutenkhamen's burial chamber was an unmatchable experience because there he was lying in a mummified state in a glass coffin. Standing beside him was a pinch-me moment; seeing his tomb was like something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark!

Next Stop - The Temple of Hathsetshup

A short drive from the Valley of the Kings and nestled against towering limestone cliffs in Deir el-Bahari is the Temple of Hathsetshup. This temple was built for the extraordinary Queen Hatshepsut, one of Egypt's few female pharaohs who ruled Egypt disguised by a man. A series of grand terraces lead to the main temple, where huge statues line the upper walkway.

What makes this temple even more incredible is that the stepson of Hatshepsut erased most of her images from the temple walls here and in other Luxor temples to eradicate her memory.

From the number of visitors this temple receives yearly, his actions only increased interest in this fearless female Pharaoh.

If you want to learn more about Queen Hatshepsut and the temple, please read my article: A Guide to the Egyptian Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut.

One last stop - The Colossi of Memnon

As we drove from the main temple area, we made one last stop at the Colossi of Memnon before returning to Hurghada.

These two enormous stone statues represent Pharaoh Amenhotep III. They stand at the entrance of the ruined Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III, the largest temple in the Theban Necropolis.

You can't anticipate their size until you stand beneath them; they are huge. Although damaged, you can still make out their shape despite them being over three thousand years old. Such craftmanship is incredible and, as they say, one of the mysteries of the ancient world.

Conclusion

My dream of visiting Luxor and seeing its temples and tombs can now be happily ticked off my travel list. Now that I have dipped my toe into this ancient culture, I need to see more, so a Nile cruise or visit to Cairo is next on the agenda.

Visiting Luxor for two days ensured I could see everything at a good pace; however, if you are limited on time or don't want to spend more than a day away from your Hurghada holiday resort, then you can always book a day trip to Luxor from Hurghada.

Happy Travels!

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