Luxor is a city in Upper (southern) Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. As the site of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been referred to as the "world's greatest open air museum", the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor standing within the modern city. Immediately opposite, across the Nile River, lie the monuments, temples and tombs on the West Bank Necropolis, which include the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens.
Luxor also boats spectacular desert and river scenery and a bustling modern life. Shopping facilities are extensive here, with silver, gold, cotton goods, leather goods and spices among the best bargains to be had.
Things to see and do
* Valley of the Kings & Valley of the Queens
* Temple complexes of Luxor and Karnak
* Tombs of the Nobles
* Medinet Habu
* Felucca cruise on the Nile
Cruise Season – Oct - April
Currency – Egyptian pound (LE) (EGP)
Language – Arabic
Land Area – 416 km²
Population – 390,000 approx
Electricity – 2 round pins European style
Time – GMT plus two hours
International Country Telephone Code – +20
Port Location –Nile cruises dock on the East bank at Luxor.
Transport Links – Luxor International Airport is a destination for flights on several European and Middle Eastern routes, as well as the main southern hub for domestic flights within Egypt.
Buses leave regularly from behind the Luxor Temple, to most major cities. Train travel to and from Luxor is a great and amazingly inexpensive option.
There are boat trips from Cairo to Luxor and sometimes further up the Nile to Abu Simbel.
To get around Luxor you can hire a bicycle, taxi or horse drawn carriage. However it is easy to travel around the tourist district on foot. Ferries and feluccas are available to take you from east to west bank.