Tour of Luxor's East Bank

Half-day tours incorporating the majestic temple complexes of Karnak and Luxor are barely sufficient to do them justice, but the combination certainly makes for a fascinating and instructive excursion. While your tour may be conducted in the morning, most Nile cruise programmes visit in the afternoon to take in the Temple of Luxor, beautifully floodlit as dusk begins to fall. Karnak usually comes first, its obelisks, kiosks, hypostyles, hieroglyphs and pylons representing ambition and achievement on a grand scale. There are numerous temples incorporated within the site, and from your very first sight, approaching the first pylon past the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes, it’s clear that Karnak is a must-see. The centrepiece is the Amun Temple Enclosure, dominated by the great Temple of Amun-Ra, including the imposing Great Hypostyle Hall. Other highlights include the Temples of Khonsu and Ramesses III, and the Sacred Lake.

Located in the modern town centre, the smaller Temple of Luxor is relatively easy to explore and understand, largely because it was mainly the work of one pharaoh, Amenhotep III. Particularly fascinating are the layers of history, vividly represented by Islamic and Roman influences, which over time have become integral parts of the overall complex.

Approaching the imposing first pylon¸ the seated and standing statues of Ramesses II beckon visitors inside to a great courtyard of pillars. Here is one of the temple’s most fascinating features, the Mosque of Abu-al-Haggag. By the 14th century the original complex had gradually been buried, and the mosque that was built over the site now appears to blend seamlessly into the excavated court below. In one of the central chambers, colourfully painted stuccoes depict Roman officials, tacked onto the ancient remains in the 3rd century. While these varied attractions can easily keep you busy for a couple of hours, the full expanse of the site is perhaps most impressive when viewed floodlit at night.