For Luxor and Aswan info and bookings email steven@marsaalam.com or contact Steven via WhatsApp on + 20 1284 332 337
LUXOR AND ASWAN EXCURSIONS
WHY GO ?
They are breathtakingly beautiful places where you feel you can touch history and will leave their impression on you for a lifetime. Now is a great time to go before the crowds return.
EXCURSIONS OFFERED
For anything you want to know which might not be answered here or bookings please email steven@marsaalam.com or contact Steven via WhatsApp on +201284332337.
ONE DAY LUXOR EXCURSIONS
All the excursions offered here, whether one day or longer, are for those who are looking for a VIP chauffeur driven excursions by air-conditioned private car from Marsa Alam with their own personal guide.
They are more comfortable and yet still usually cheaper than those organized by tour companies during which all the tourists are shepherded on coaches with very little freedom. Going by private car with your own guide is also more relaxing, more personal, and it allows you to see the real Luxor.
OPTION 1
From just 120 euros pp ! You can choose from Steven’s popular set programme which runs every day and includes your own private car or minivan with driver (not the hassle of crowded coaches), your own personal Egyptology guide, entrance fees for all the sites and lunch. All this for just –
For further detailed information please see the itinerary listed further down this page.
OPTION 2
You create your own semi-tailor made package but using the list a little further down this page – on the right hand side on laptops or just below option 3 on mobiles – to help you decide. The price is 125 euro (£115) per person but there needs to be at least three people or there would be a surcharge.
OPTION 3
You have a car with one of Steven’s drivers to take you there and back and you decide entirely what you wish to do. If you need some inspiration to decide you are welcome to check out the list of key attractions below – on the right hand side on laptops or further down this page if you are on a mobile.
This excursion would cost 220 euro (£100) for the car and up to three passengers with a eight hours stay allowed free of charge and a nominal extra fee per hour for any extra time required.
OPTION 1 – ITINERARY
Leave your hotel on a Monday or Thursday at 5am by private air conditioned taxi and arrive Luxor at around 8.30am. You will cross the Nile to visit some of the most spectacular highlights of Luxor’s fabled West Bank during which you will explore with your own private tour guide –
For more information of any of these please see the list on the right hand side.
At around noon you will travel back across the Nile by private boat. Then in the afternoon you will see The Temple of Karnak – the largest ancient religious site known anywhere in the world – followed by an hour in a traditional faluka during the late afternoon – the perfect way to relax while watching the traditional rural life on the river bank.
After that you will then be taken to what is probably the best patisserie in Egypt where each person will get a surprise gift from Steven.
If you finish early there might be some time for some shopping for souvenirs in Luxor’s vast souq or, if you prefer, take a little time to wander by yourself around central Luxor. Finally, at 5.30pm, you will be picked up by your private car which will take you back to Marsa Alam where you will return to your hotel by 9pm. Should you wish to make any changes to the itinerary – such as visiting Luxor Temple instead of Karnak or spending more time in the souq – Steven will be happy to make suitable arrangements where possible. For further information or if you wish to make a booking please email steven@marsaalam.com or contact Steven via WhatsApp on + 20 1284 332 337
OPTION 2 – MORE DETAILS
This is the most popular one day excursion by Steven’s Marsa Alam limousine and excursion company but Steven also does fully tailor made excursions – just enquire via email at steven@marsaalam.com
Leave Marsa Alam by car at 5am. Arrive Luxor around 8.30am. Cross to the West Bank and select your preferred two West Bank visits from the list of the top ten attractions listed on the right hand side of this page. ( No need to include number 10 – shopping – on your list as your guide will allow you time for this. )
Then return to the East Side for lunch followed in the afternoon by a visit to Luxor or Karnak Temples – the latter the largest ancient religious site anywhere in the world and the second most popular historical site in Egypt, second only to the Giza pyramids near Cairo.
Some thirty Pharaohs contributed to the temple’s construction and its’ impressively architraved huge columns have formed the background to numerous Hollywood films including The Mummy Returns and Death on the Nile.
Then, after all the history a more relaxing wander down Luxor’s souk to discover some bargains before leaving after sunet to return to Marsa Alam.
Price from just 125 euro (£115) per person (based on three people sharing a car) including limousine charges, all transport, Egyptologist guide, meal and museum entrance charges. To book email steven@marsaalam.com
TWO DAY EXCURSIONS
WHICH INCLUDE LUXOR
Four options – A to D – first in brief –
OPTION A
A luxury two exploration of Luxor package including an overnight stay in the Royal Suite of a five star cruise ship or in a Nile view room of a five star hotel. 288 euro (£242) per person based on a minimum of two. Travel from and return to your Marsa Alam hotel in a private air-conditioned taxi. See further down for more detail.
OPTION B
A day exploring Luxor and then a five star river cruise down the Nile to visit Edfu Temple the next day before returning by ship. Travel from and return to your Marsa Alam hotel in a private airconditioned taxi. See further down for more detail.
OPTION C
A two day exploration of Luxor package including an overnight stay in either the Gaddis Hotel or on a four star Nile cruise ship. 173 euro (£149) per person based on a minimum of three. Travel from and return to your Marsa Alam hotel in a private air conditioned taxi. See further down for more detail. You will be picked up from your hotel reception at approximately 5.30 and driven in a private air conditioned taxi to Luxor where you will arrive at approximately 9am.
OPTION D
A luxury two day excursion combining Cairo and Luxor including two separate flights, a five star hotel and your own personal Egyptologist guide in Cairo and Luxor. Marvel in wonder at the Pyramids, discover the treasured antiquities of the Egyptian Museum and visit the legendary tomb of Tutunkhamen. Just some of the unforgettable highlights. Only £431 pp. See our Cairo page for full details.
OPTION A IN DETAIL
Two day luxury package
For the two day luxury package you get a free upgrade to a Royal suite similar to this –
You will be picked up from your hotel reception at approximately 5.30 and driven in a private air conditioned taxi to Luxor where you will arrive at approximately 9am.
After a greeting and introduction from your guide you will travel across to Luxor’s fabled West Bank to visit.
Then check in to the Royal Suite of your five star cruise ship and enjoy a late buffet lunch and some time to spend at leisure either on board or looking around the town of Luxor and shopping in the souk.
In the evening you will visit the spectacular sound and light show at Karnak Temple – the largest ancient religious site known anywhere in the world.
The next morning you will have breakfast on board followed by a trip to Luxor Temple and the town’s famous museum before returning for lunch on board.
Then you will spend the afternoon on board a feluka, a traditional river sailing boat, for a two hour cruise to Banana Island, before returning to Luxor where you driver will be waiting for you to take you back to your hotel.
OPTION B IN DETAIL
Luxor and Edfu on a five star cruise ship
Leave Marsa Alam by car at 6am. Arrive at Luxor before 10am.
The morning and early afternoon will be spent touring some of the historic sites of Luxor’s West Bank which has been described as the world’s largest open air museum. Please select your preferred two of the top ten West Bank attractions listed on the right hand side of this page.
Some of the most famous archaeological sites ever discovered can be found here, but if you want to mix relaxation with history you can also choose horse or camel riding.
You will then embark on the Five Star Hapi Five cruise ship for a late lunch on board and set sail up river for Edfu.
This is one of the world’s unmissable journeys with magnificent views over the lush green fields in sharp contrast with the almost Marsian red of the barren mountain backdrop of the vast Sahara lit by the sinking sun. Here along the world’s longest river, rural life continues much as it has done for centuries. And you don’t need to stay on deck to watch as most cabins enjoy a magnificent view over the river bank.
And there’s plenty to do besides watching the scenery. There’s a swimming pool and a jacuzzi and even a massage service. You can also use the onboard wifi to catch up on your emails, play chess in the library or borrow a book – perhaps the classic “Murder on the Nile” by Agatha Christie – and relax with a drink in your cabin or on the sun deck.
In the evening the ship will moor at Edfu where you will have dinner on board and then retire to your room or, if you still have energy, to the English pub.
At Edfu, the next morning, you will take a horse and carriage to visit the vast and beautifully preserved temple of Horus, probably the most intact Pharaonic temple in Egypt. After the tour, reembark for lunch and then enjoy a leisurely cruise down river returning to Luxor, where you will be picked up by limousine to take you back to Marsa Alam.
For more information or to book you can contact Steven by email at steven@marsaalam.com or via WhatsApp on +20 1284 332 337.
OPTION C IN DETAIL
A two day land based Luxor option
I detail below the most popular two day land based Luxor excursion but Steven also does tailor made ones – just enquire on or email steven@marsaalam.com or contact Steven by WhatsApp on +20 1284 332 337.
Leave Marsa Alam by car 6am. Arrive Luxor before 10am. The first day will be spent touring Luxor’s West Bank which has been described as the world’s largest open air museum. Some of the most famous archaeological sites ever discovered lie here, but if you want to mix relaxation with history you can also choose horse or camel riding or sailing in a boat on the river – best just before the sunset.
Please select your prefered four from the top ten West Bank attractions listed on the right hand side of the page. Lunch will be provided at one of the best restaurants.
Return after sunset by the ferry to the East Side. You will sleep overnight at either the Gaddis Hotel, probably the best three star hotel anywhere in Egypt or on a four star cruise ship.
The next day after breakfast you will visit Luxor and Karnak Temples – the latter the largest ancient religious site anywhere in the world and the second most popular historical site in Egypt, second only to the Giza pyramids near Cairo.
Some thirty Pharaohs contributed to the temple’s construction and its’ impressively architraved huge columns have formed the background to numerous Hollywood films including The Mummy Returns and Death on the Nile.
After all the history there’s a break for lunch and finally a leisurely trip to Luxor Souk to spend a couple of hours shopping and then leave after sunset to return to Marsa Alam.
Price from 150 euro per person (based on three people sharing a car) including limousine charges, all transport, your own personal Egyptologist guide, lunch on both days and breakfast on the second, one night in a three star hotel or on a four star cruise ship and museum entrance charges. To book email steven@marsaalam.com or contact Steven by WhatsApp on +20 1284 332 337.
ONE WEEK – LUXOR AND NILE CRUISE
Steven can also arrange one week on a five star Nile cruise ship visiting the ancient sites of Luxor, Aswan and Edfu for just forty dollars per person per day (based on two sharing) all year round subject to availability. There is a small extra charge for excursions to the sites according to the itinerary.
He can also arrange for your transport to and from Marsa Alam and also to and from either Luxor or Marsa Alam airports. Should you need any advice in planning such a holiday please email steven@marsaalam.com and he will be delighted to help.
DO IT YOURSELF LUXOR EXCURSION
If you prefer to do your own trip why not just book a round trip by limousine – same day 219 euro or if more than one day 290 euro. To book email steven@marsaalam.com.
TOP 10 THINGS TO DO –
LUXOR’S WEST BANK
Here’s our list of the top ten attractions on Luxor’s West Bank.
1. VALLEY OF THE KINGS
Highly recommended
With the discovery of a new chamber in 2006 , and the discovery of two further tombs in 2008, the valley is known to contain 63 tombs and chambers. It was the burial place of the major royal figures of the New Kingdom, together with those of the wealthiest nobles. The royal tombs are decorated with magnificent scenes from Egyptian mythology which give clues to the beliefs and funerary rituals of the period. Almost all of the tombs were robbed in antiquity, but they still give an impression of the opulence and power of Egypt’s pharaohs. It was also here that in 1922 Howard Carter discovered the legendary tomb of Tutankhamun.
September 2009 – 3.36 min – over 46,000 views.
2. DEIR EL BAHRI – INCLUDES THE TEMPLE OF HATSHEPSUT
Highly recommended
A large area of mortuary temples and tombs located on the West Bank built in order to aid the resurrection after death of the great Pharaohs of the time. Possibly the most famous is the Temple of Hatshepsut which has a huge ramp rising up almost one hundred feet to the impressive pillared galleries. One historian called it one of the “incomparable monuments of ancient Egypt.”
3. COLOSSI OF MEMNON
Highly recommended
Two enormous statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III reaching a height of 18 metres (60 feet) and weighing 720 tons each. Their original duty was to stand guard at the entrance of Amenhotep’s memorial temple who was worshipped as a sun god on earth even during his lifetime.
In Roman times one of the statues was believed to emit a singing or whistling sound at dawn and such was its’ fame that several Roman Emperor’s visited Luxor to see the Colossi with the hope that hearing the legendary whistle would bring them good luck.
19.11.2017 – 2.45 mins – 5,600+ views + 58+ likes
4. VALLEY OF THE QUEENS
This is where the wives of the Pharaohs were buried. It was known as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning – “the place of the children of the Pharaoh”, because along with the Queens of the Pharaohs, many princes and princesses were also buried with various members of the nobility.
5. VALLEY OF THE NOBLES
Within the foothills of the Valley of the Kings lies the Valley of the Nobles containing the tombs of governors, viziers and priests. These tombs are shallower and have not survived so well, but despite this you can see some amazing carvings and paintings.
31.10.2012 – 4.04 mins – 2,800+ views – 42+ likes
6. VALLEY OF THE WORKERS
Deir el-Medina is an Egyptian village dating back to the second millenium BC which was home to the artisans who worked on the tombs in the Valley of the Kings during the period of the New Kingdom. The excavations led by Bernard Bruyere in the 1920s resulted in one of the most thoroughly documented accounts of community life in the ancient world providing a fascinating insight into daily life including medical knowledge, the legal system, the religious cults, literature and commerce of the period.
23.10.2015 – 3.07 mins – 4,300+ views – 32+ likes
7. CAMEL OR HORSE RIDING
Take a relaxing one hour trip by camel or horse riding through the villages and agricultral communities along the Nile. See all the various working animals and a very different way of life.
8. RELAX IN A FELUCCA ON THE NILE
Take one of the traditional Nile sail boats and relax with magnificent backdrop of Luxor’s temples and the surrounding countryside and mountains.
9. RAMASSEUM
The mortuary temple of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II who died in 1212BC. Work on the construction of the temple took 20 years and you can still see the remains of what was once the tallest free standing statue in the world at about 25 metres before an earthquake brought it down. Among the impressive surviving columns of the temple you can see some fascinating carved scenes depicting some of the military victories of one of Egypt’s greatest Pharaohs.
10. HABU TEMPLE
The mortuary temple of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses III who died around 1155BC. The temple precinct measures approximately 200 metres by 300 metres and contains more than 7000 square metres of ancient wall reliefs, some of them depicting the defeat of the Sea Peoples during Ramesses’ reign.
AND DON’T FORGET SOME SHOPPING !
There are a large number of small shops in and around Luxor selling
souvenirs, papyrus art and also the essential items of every day life. Whether here or back on the East side your guide might be able to help you negotiate a discount.
ASWAN AND ABU SIMBEL
FULL ONE DAY TRIP TO ASWAN
Steven offers a full one day trip to Aswan in a chauffeur driven modern car for just 250 euros for two which includes entrance to all visited sites, your guide for the day and a lunch in a restaurant with direct views over the Nile, with its steep banks and sail clad fellucas – probably the most beautiful stretch of the great river. You will leave at 5 am from your Marsa Alam hotel so that you can enjoy a full day exploring this ancient and atmospheric city with its historic sites and optionally its busy souk. Highlights include visits to the High Dam, Philae Temple and the Unfinished Obelisk.
TWO DAY TRIP TO ASWAN AND ABU SIMBEL
For the ultimate experience why not try our two day trip to Aswan as well as the two massive rock cut temples of Abu Simbel for the cost of just 600 euros for two people. It’ll be another early start on the second day to make the most of your trip and you will need to ask your Aswan hotel (bed and breakfast all included) reception to organise a breakfast box. Then you will meet your guide at 5 am who will take you to Abu Simbel where you will get to visit the spectacular temples carved out of the sandstone cliff on the west bank of the Nile, a memory to treasure for a lifetime. Then, it’s back to Aswan to enjoy a leisurely lunch and finally to your hotel at Marsa Alam. When you relate your experience to other hotel guests, your family or friends, please remember to mention this website and Steven’s Excursions.
TWO DAY LUXOR AND ASWAN
Below I’ve detailed the most popular two day Luxor Aswan combined excursion but Steven also does Aswan only one and two day trips – just email steven@marsaalam.com.
Leave Marsa Alam by car at 5am and arrive at Luxor before 9am. Cross to the West Bank by ferry across the Nile and select your prefered two West Bank visits from the list of the top ten attractions listed on the right hand side of this page.
Then return to the East Side for lunch following in the afternoon by a visit to Luxor and Karnak Temples – the latter perhaps the largest temple complex in the world. After that a quick trip to Luxor souk to do some shopping and then leave after sunet for Aswan.
The next day would be spent touring the sites of Aswan – a beautifully picturesque town with an endearing laid-back atmosphere but also not without some historic sites of worldwide importance. I advise a trip to the Temple of Philae and to see the High Dam followed by some time exploring Aswan’s market for souvenirs and spices. However should you wish to visit other sites just let Seifein know (number below.) You would leave Aswan around sunset to return to Marsa Alam.
Price from 173 euro per person (based on three people sharing a car) including limousine charges, all transport, an Egyptologist guide, lunch on both days and breakfast on the second day, one night in a three star hotel and museum entrance charges. To book email steven@marsaalam.com.
LONG DISTANCE TAXI PRICES FROM MARSA ALAM WITH STEVEN’S TAXIS
The prices are per car and not per person. Return prices for Aswan, Cairo and Luxor are for the same day and include up to 6 hours waiting free or 8 hours for only a little more. Email steven@marsaalam.com For trips to Luxor, Aswan and Cairo please add 20 euro for the travel permit for a saloon (up to 3 passengers). Please ask if you want the minivan price (up to 8 passengers) for which the travel permit would cost 30 euro.
| Destination | one way euros | return euros |
| Luxor | 110+20 permit | 150+20 (return same day) |
| Aswan | 230+20 permit | 280+20 (return same day) |
| Hurghada | 50 | 75 |
| Cairo | 320+20 permit | 461+20 (return same day) |
SOME USEFUL LUXOR INFORMATION
Telephone code: 95
Ambulance: 123
Police: 123122
Tourist Police: 237 6820
Opening hours of sights on West Bank 6am to 5pm daily.
Luxor Airport is located just 6km East of the city centre – Tel: +20 95 232 4455. There are frequent connecting flights with Cairo on Egypt Air and a number of international flights to European cities.
Population: As of late 2020 most estimates range between 400,000 and 1.3 million. It will of course depend partly on where the city’s limits are defined. Most of the population live on the east side of the river.
Banks: There are number of banks around the city centre and at the airport open Sunday to Thursday – most with ATMs outside.
Hotels: There are many of all types from budget options suitable for backpackers to some top five star resorts. Please email steven@marsaalam.com who will be able to help arrange your accommadation on any excursion.
The Main Tourist Office is situated opposite the train station in the town centre and open every day from 8am to 8pm. Tel: (095) 237 2215.
The Main Post Office is located on Television Street close to Luxor Temple and is open Saturday through to Thursday 8.30am to 2.30pm.
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Photos acknowledgements – photographs listed below are all creative commons copyright except where otherwise specified – for details please see the links below – in order of sequence.
- Temple at Luxor – night view – Ron Porter via Pixabay.com
- Felucca at Aswan – GHGraf via Pixabay.com
- Temple of Hatshepsut (cropped)- Jarekgrafik on Pixabay.com