What's up guys we're here in Luxor and in this video we're going to show you the best
things to do in the area.
We've met some really cool people who've linked us up with hot air balloon rides, donkey rides,
and visiting all these amazing temples nearby.
So there's lots of history and we hope you enjoy the video.
We are Zac and Ine.
Full-time digital nomads from the United States and Belgium.
We met while studying abroad in 2018 and have been traveling the world together ever since.
We're here to inspire your next adventure, whether it's hiking in the Canadian Rockies,
a road trip through the US, or backpacking across Africa.
On our channel, you'll find unfiltered videos of hiking guides and the best things to do
in destinations around the world.
Luxor is arguably the most historical place on earth in terms of civilization.
Located along the Nile River in the South of Egypt, the city's history goes back thousands
of years.
It was once the capital of Egypt and a true hub of power and wealth.
Today you can find ancient temples and tombs of these intriguing dynasties along the West
and East bank.
We recommend staying on the West bank since it's quieter and closer to the best things
to do in the area.
Taking a ferry boat to the East bank is also quick and easy when you need to.
Now, let's dive into the 10 best things to do in Luxor.
At number 10, we have the Tombs of the Nobles.
Nestled in the Theban hills of the West bank, there are hundreds of tombs here that date
back to as early as the sixth dynasty in 2300 BC.
These tombs are filled with hieroglyphs showcasing the scenes of people's daily life in ancient
times.
Often overlooked since they're in the same proximity of the more famous Valley of the
Kings, we consider them a true hidden gem of Luxor.
Taking a Felucca ride at sunset is another great thing to do in Luxor.
Felucca's are traditional wooden sailing boats which are built to change direction quickly
depending on where the winds shift.
It's very easy, but you have to know where to decide.
And i'm not gonna i'm not gonna hit these boats over here?
No no, we'll move this way...
Visiting Luxor temple is another highlight and it's most beautiful at night in our opinion.
Located on the shores of the East bank, it's very well preserved and a popular tourist
attraction.
We were struck by the beauty of this temple when walking through the main entrance.
The lights shined perfectly in the evening, casting a golden glow on the giant statues
and ancient hieroglyphs.
The temple itself was mainly built by the pharaohs ramses II and Amenhotep III in the
14th century BC.
You can also combine this temple with the sound and light show at the temple of Karnak.
At number seven we have the Valley of the Kings.
Tucked away in the glorious Thebes mountains, this historical site is located in a beautiful
setting.
The valley boasts 63 magnificent royal tombs, each of which has their own style and identity.
In contrast to the Tombs of the Nobles, the pharaohs decorated their tombs with cryptic
passages from the book of the dead and this helped guide them through the afterlife.
You'll find rich colors, designs, and creativity within each one you visit.
This is a heavily visited area, so go early in the morning to avoid crowds if you can.
I'm Nana.
I'm a tour guide from Luxor.
We are here in the Valley of the Kings, one of the most fantastic parts in Luxor.
We're talking about the tombs of the Kings who ruled Egypt from 1500 BC until 1000 BC.
Almost we have like 62 tombs here at the Valley of the Kings.
One thing we highly recommend doing in Luxor is exploring the local life and the villages
that are scattered around the area.
The Egyptian culture is rich and the people are very welcoming.
We explored the West bank villages by donkey with our friend Hassan.
He toured us around his hometown for two hours and also taught us about the local culture.
We even learned a few Arabic words and had tea at his family's house.
My name is potato.
And why why potato?
It's patata.
I speak Arabic patata.
And what's the donkey's names?
His name is Samil.
Should we get a car wash for the donkey?
Wash the donkey... Yeah... No!
What are some words we have to know in Arabic?
Like what is "hello" in Arabic?
Uh, "hello" is Ahlan
"How are you" is Marhaba. Ah, how are you... Marhaba. [ how are you = ezzayak ]
And what about "thank you"? Shukran gazelann
What is it called? Jalabiya.
for me too that's also called Jalabiya?
Ya Jalabiya.
Hi!
Hey.
Hatshepsut is one of the most awe-inspiring temples in all of Luxor.
It's absolutely massive and stands alone underneath a giant mountain.
The temple was built in honor of the second woman to ever be in power as a pharaoh in
Egypt.
This temple is located right between the Tombs of the Nobles and Valley of the Kings, so
all three can be easily combined in a day.
At number four, we recommend renting a bike and touring lesser-known areas of the West
bank.
Biking gives you the chance to stay away from the crowds and enjoy many attractions at your
own pace.
It's also just relaxing to pedal next to the palm trees and sugarcane fields.
You can easily explore two or three temples and tombs that we mentioned earlier in this
video in one day.
Make sure to stop at the free site of Colossi Memnon.
We rented our bikes from the Spring Hotel on the West bank, which is where we stayed
during our time in Luxor.
The staff were really nice and helpful, such as our friend Ashraf.
My name is Ashraf, Owner of the Spring Hotel.
Here, West bank has the King's Valley, Queen's Valley, and have Hatshepsut.
Anybody is welcome in Luxor here.
The third best thing to do in Luxor is to explore the world famous Karnak.
This complex is more than a temple.
It is actually a mix of sanctuaries, pylons, and obelisks.
Karnak was the most important place of worship in Egypt during the New Kingdom and was very
important both economically and spiritually.
In fact, the priests of the temple owned 65 cities and had over 80,000 people working
for them at one point.
This site is extremely popular, so make sure to time up your visit well.
You can also enjoy a sound and light show if you come during the evening.
Most of these columns don't have any color anymore and it's because of the floods apparently.
So in the past they had a lot of color like you can see there in the back.
Habu temple was our favorite ancient site in all of Luxor.
The intricacy of designs within the walls took our breath away since the walls still
maintain most of their original colors.
These colors give an inside look into what all temples must have looked like.
The beauty and craftsmanship shines through here since this temple is one of the only
ancient sites in Egypt that's been fully excavated.
But besides it's beauty, this temple is also a lot quieter than any of the other temples
we visited.
The best thing to do in Luxor is taking a hot air balloon ride.
Seeing the temples, tombs, and fields from above at sunrise is something you truly can't
miss.
We booked our hot air balloon tour with Hod Hod Soliman and highly recommend them.
They're professional, took safety very seriously, and passionately told the story of Luxor during
the flight.
Find a link to their website in the description below and book your own Luxor balloon tour.
This company has 33 years of experience it's named Hod Hod Soliman.
Hod Hod is the name of the Hoopoe bird.
When you see the Hoopoe, it means there is a good luck and when you see the Hoopoe it
means there is water underneath us.
Here in Luxor, we have the tombs, the temples, it's very nice to see all these things while
you are flying the hot air balloon.
For our last day in Luxor, we actually booked a cruise along the Nile to Aswan.
The sunsets and temples along the way were unforgettable.
Make sure to watch our other full video all about how to book your own Nile cruise to
Aswan and have a great experience for yourself.
There are also a few things we didn't get to do in Luxor, but were recommended to us.
This includes a day trip to the temples of Abydos and Dendera as well as visiting the
Luxor museum.
If you have time, check those out.
And that's it for our video on the best things to do in Luxor.
Make sure to like this video if you found it helpful, subscribe to our channel for more
Egypt videos, and download our free giveaway in the description below.
Catch you on the next adventure.