Luxor

Why Go

Luxor holidays offer more history – and mystery – than almost anywhere else on Earth. Rising from the banks of the Nile, Luxor has been at the spiritual heart of Egypt for over 5,000 years. It’s a fascinating open-air museum, with most of its sights grouped closely together: from the ancient temples, to the burial sights of the Valley of the Kings, the teeming old town, where hawkers sell everything from fine linens to cheap fakes, and the cool, colonial style hotels basking in the ever-present sun. By the waterside, a flotilla of Nile cruise ships line up, sometimes three abreast, waiting to take holidaymakers on a trip of a lifetime, down the world’s most mythical waterway, and into another world.

Try to take a river cruise if you can. For this city is intricately linked to the Nile, and you can really only get to understand its history by looking in on it from the river. And, just out of town, farming goes on just as it has for thousands of years - and, free from the sights and sounds of downtown Luxor, you’re returned into a deep, ancient silence again.

Luxor holidays are all about stepping back in time, but the city’s elegant resort hotels are anything but antique – they’re bright new, gleaming white palaces where air conditioned public spaces open out onto green lawns, dazzling pools and parasol-shaded terraces.

Holidays in Luxor, of course, offer an unrivalled access to some of the world’s best antiquities – but, unlike in other historic cities, Luxor’s lay where they were erected. Its temples are some of the most complete and inspiring in the country. Just make sure you hire a guide – there’s so much to take in here, it would be a shame to miss the highlights. If you ever wanted to sample the Golden Age of Travel, a holiday to Luxor could just fit the bill.