Luxor Holiday
Historic Luxor is located south of Cairo on the east bank of the majestic River Nile. It lies on completely flat land and affords glorious views towards the west bank and over the Egyptian flood plains. Not many resorts can boast a treasure trove of ancient sights barely a stone's throw away from their luxurious hotel pools, but Luxor is actually built on the 4,000 year old ruins of Thebes.
Undoubtedly, the focal point of the city is the illustrious Luxor Temple with its incredible statues, shrines and two splendid obelisks. There are fascinating museums housing mummified exhibits as well as objects from Tutankhamun's tomb. Just north of Luxor is Karnak - a huge, ancient religious site that was built over 3,000 years ago as a dedication to Egyptian gods. In the evenings, an impressive sound-and-light show is projected here - definitely worth a visit. Across the Nile, most visitors make their way to the Valley of the Kings, burial place of King Tut and countless Pharaohs. There are 62 tombs in total, but only a few are open to the public. You can explore these intriguing chambers replete with hieroglyphics and reliefs that will transport you back to the time of the Pharaohs.
Beaches
Luxor is famous for its stunning antiquity. If you need to cool off after a day of exploring - all the hotels and boats have swimming pools or plunge pools.
Shopping
You don't really come to Luxor for the shopping although with such an abundance of historical sights to see, the souvenir market is awash with trinkets to take home. You can also visit the bazaar where Egyptian handicrafts and carpets are for sale.
Nightlife
The city is not renowned for its nightlife, with tourists coming for the sights rather than the sounds. However, as well as restaurants there are bars to cater for western tastes and live music is available in some of hotels.
Local Specialities
Being a city used to tourism, Luxor has a range of restaurants and cafés catering to western tastes. However, it would be a shame to go away without tasting some of the local dishes such as grilled perch fish or chicken marinated in herbs and yoghurt.