Luxor was my second major stop in Egypt, and after cramming as many iconic sites as possible into the past couple of days in Cairo, I was in full travel-mode upon arrival in Luxor. Just a short flight from Cairo, Luxor is home to more wonders from ancient Egypt. And as my guide, Sherry, would explain, nearly everything we were about to see revolved around one main theme: life, death, and what was believed to come after.
Arriving in Luxor: My Hotel on the Nile
Compared to Cairo, Luxor was relaxing, spread out enough to feel like I could finally breathe easily. I felt so disoriented after the plane ride that I referenced my maps app to figure out what was going on around me, besides quiet streets and small, scattered tan buildings.
My hotel was on the east bank of the Nile River, just across from some of the most historically significant landmarks in Egypt: the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. Zooming out on the map from my room in the Steigenberger Nile Palace Hotel, it was dizzying to see that I was in the middle of nothing but vast desert expanse, save for the civilization hugging the Nile.
Checking out the hotel grounds along the Nile, I felt grounded in a way I hadn’t yet felt since arriving in Egypt. Feluccas (small vessels with oars) drifted slowly across the water. Though I made a mental note to try to ride one, my time in Luxor would end up being too limited. Looking at the Nile, it was priceless to think just how significant this river was, how it had fed powerful civilizations and continued being a lifeline.
Karnak Temple
I had the great pleasure of spending all of time in Luxor with my guide, who was a published academic and an enthusiast of ancient Egyptian culture (to say the least). Viewing all of the sights from her expert eyes was enriching. She took me first to Karnak Temple, a massive religious complex, not far from my hotel. I learned that generations of pharoahs expanded this sacred site.
What stood out most to me at this temple was the Avenue of Ram-Headed Sphinxes, which is exactly what it sounds like. The sphinxes lining the avenue were meant to guard the temple, and I learned of the rams’ association with the main god at this temple, Amun. Walking around the complex, which only held a few other tourists, it was difficult to imagine the rich spiritual energy that would’ve been busting here during ancient religious ceremonies.
Valley of the Kings
Crossing over to the west bank of the Nile, the landscape changed dramatically. Any trace of greenery disappeared, and I stared out into bone-dry, rocky hills, a color palette of pale desert beige. And the air was even hotter than in Cairo; the high for today was scheduled to be a mind-boggling 111°F (44°C). There would be no escaping it, save for our descents into the tombs that lay hidden in front of us.
The Valley of the Kings holds some of the most powerful pharaohs of Egypt. Including Tutankhamun and Ramesses III, IV, and VI. Many of the chambers shared similar characteristics: wide, echoey chambers, sturdy pillars, decorated walls, and now-empty sarcophaguses. Each steep descent into a different tomb was not only a relief from the blazing sun and heat, but also a thrill to view the vault designs and painted figures that had withstood millennia.
In the nearby Valley of the Queens, my favorite tomb was that of Queen Nefertari, which to this day remains one of the best-preserved, with intact, intricate artwork inside. As Sherry told me, it’s been called the “Sistine Chapel of Egypt,” speaking to just how pristine and vivid the artwork is. Exploring her tomb was awe-inspiring. Much of the paint on the low ceilings was still unharmed, showing off thousands of decorative stars to make it feel as though we were walking underneath a glowing night sky.
Dendera Temple Complex
Sherry was particularly excited to show me the Dendera complex, and she raved about its significance. Within the complex is the gigantic Temple of Hathor, which was nothing less than a wonder to walk through. I was astonished to see smoke scars from the times when this temple was intentionally burned. They added to the mystery behind the massive columns and wide-open inner rooms of the temple.
We’d just walked through dark, underground tombs, but this experience was nearly the opposite; sunlight poured in all around us, and the rooms were quite tall, with heiroglyphics etched into the stone walls all the way up to (and on) the ceiling. At one point, I braved feelings of claustrophobia and crawled up a ladder, through a small hole, and into a long narrow expanse of an ancient crypt, lit only by a single string of tiny lights along the floor.
It could’ve just been Sherry’s enthusiasm rubbing off on me, but the visit to the Dendera complex was the greatest highlight from my time in Luxor (a close second was the Tomb of Nafertari). Something about the green, palm-tree-lined temple grounds, the sturdy architecture that withstood vicious fires, and the incredible display of artwork covering the walls inside completely captivated me in a way I never expected.
Scratching the Surface of Egypt
My trip to Egypt was entirely too short, although I crammed in quite a bit during my time there. Getting sweeping overviews of each city and stopping by the biggest highlights felt like a tease. Even so, I left with more appreciation for the ancient (and modern) Egyptian culture. And while I’d love to return to Egypt and see more of Luxor, cruise down the Nile, or scuba dive in Sharm El-Sheikh, this first impression was more than sufficient for now.
