Luxor, Luxor
Once the seat of kings, now ancient Luxor is home to world-class wonders and world class hotels in equal measure. Egypt holidays open the doors to another world.
Overview
Luxor - known as Thebes in ancient Egypt - is less of a city, more a huge, sunny, open-air museum, ripe for wandering around, eyes up, jaw open, in continual disbelief. This is a monumental example of the skill of man, and the faith of a nation. Its temple complexes still stagger, no matter how many times you've seen them on the cinema screen, or in a travel book.
If ever a city was dwarfed by its history, Luxor is it. In fact, today's city is a compact affair, with just a few central streets lined with graceful, stone-built public buildings, leafy gardens and pleasant riverside walks. Actually, what most people think of as Luxor is really three different areas, consisting of the city of Luxor on the east side of the Nile, the town of Karnak just north of Luxor, and Thebes (which the ancient Egyptians called Waset), which is on the west side of the Nile across from Luxor. Got that? Now go and explore this fascinating region - where the most impressive Egyptian pharaonic structures are clustered.
Luxor is used to receiving tourists - it's been doing so since the word was invented - so you can expect a warm welcome, lots of facilities, a little hustle and bustle, and, perhaps, an over-eager bazaar stall holder - all good natured, of course.
As you'd expect, the city has all the amenities you'll need - its bars, nightclubs, bazaars and hotels are top notch. And, away from the heat and dust of downtown Luxor, a cruise down the Nile is just about the most wonderful boat journey you can make, anywhere in the world. You've been promising yourself a trip like this one day in your life: at Luxor, the extraordinary and the everyday are more closely linked than any place we know.
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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.
