Day 028: Safaga, Egypt
Daily life in downtown Safaga, Egypt
On the bus trip west through the desert to find the Nile River
Even the tree provides shade for itself
A family out for their morning commute
Old and new technology: electric lights and mortar bricks, donkey pulling a more modern cart. Whatever works!
Crossing the Nile River to the west bank
Egyptian bulletin wall
The Colossi of Memnon
The Temple of Luxor. The missing obelisk is in Paris.
The obelisk is still in great shape after over 3000 years.
Sphinx Row, a great place to chill out
Moon over the Luxor Temple mosque
Inside the Temple of Luxor – cool columns!
Painted carved hieroglyphs
Welcome to Egypt
On the ride back to the coast
Tour Overview
Your Egyptian adventure starts with a warm welcome at the port from your guide, before you head across the Safaga mountains and desert, towards Luxor. This is a full day away from the ship, and en route to your historic destinations, you will drive through pretty farming villages and across arid landscapes worthy of a blockbuster movie set.
Your first tour of the day involves a stroll around the incredible Temple of Luxor, a large ancient Egyption temple complex located on the east bank of the River Nile. It was built by Amenhotep in the 16th century B.C., and added to by other Pharaohs, including Ramses II at a later date. The Great Temple of Luxor boasts a unique avenue of Sphinxes, a red granite obelisk, Islamic mosque and a gigantic Sitting Ramses II colossus.
After you have walked around this breath-taking site, you will climb back onto the motorcoach for the short drive to a five-star hotel that sits on the river Nile, and here, in one of the banqueting rooms, you will enjoy a delicious lunch. Afterwards, you will enjoy a short stop to a local gift shop (time permitting), where you can browse for gifts, before heading to the west bank of Luxor for a tour of the Valley Of The Kings.
This impressive wadi has been carved out of a bleak landscape, and it’s here the that great Pharaohs chose to bury their dead. While many of the tombs are now closed to the public, you will learn more about the history of the New Kingdom of Egypt as your guide leads you though this amazing necropolis. Explore the interiors of some of the Valley tombs, while marveling at their elaborate wall paintings and hieroglyphics.
Then you will view Queen Hapshetsut’s Temple, famous for being the mortuary temple of the only woman Pharaoh. Set on the foot of a spectacular limestone mountain, before heading to your final stop of the day, the Colossi of Memnon. Here, the impressive two 64-foot statues of Amenhotep III, are all that remain of a once great temple.
Your day ends with a chance to relax on your motorcoach as you head back to the Safaga, and the coast, through memorable landscapes and farming villages, that offer a revealing snapshot of life in Egypt.
