FLIGHTS, ACCOMMODATION AND MOVEMENT IN LUXOR

Via Hurghada

According to Abbreviation Finder, the nearest airport to Luxor is Luxor Airport, which is mainly used for domestic air traffic in Egypt. Leisure flights to Luxor usually land at Hurghada Airport, located about 300 km from the destination.

Flights to Hurghada cost around € 500-700. The flight from Helsinki to Hurghada takes about five hours.

Hotels and accommodation

Luxor has plenty of hotels where accommodation prices and levels vary widely. In Luxor, you can live, for example, in a luxury hotel, or in a very affordable accommodation suitable for a small travel budget.

On average, a hotel night in Luxor costs around € 40-70 per night, but you can of course pay more for the highest quality accommodation. All-inclusive options are also available. At its cheapest, Luxor accommodates from 10 to 20 euros per night.

Getting around is advantageous

The cheapest way to travel in Luxor is by horse-drawn carriages and minibuses. Kalesh horse-drawn carriages and minibuses work like taxis and buses, and trips in the Urban Area cost less than a euro.

Taxis are also reasonably cheap in Luxor and there are plenty of them. A taxi ride in the Urban Area costs about 2-3 euros, but it is a good idea to agree on the price in advance.

ATTRACTIONS OF LUXOR

Karnak Temple

Luxor’s largest temple, Karnak, is one of the city’s most famous attractions. Karnak is already 3,500 years old, but in the restored parts of the temple area the passage of time is hardly noticeable. The engraved columns and tall statues have endured the tooth of time amazingly well.

Luxor Temple

The temple area of Luxor is smaller than Karnak, but perhaps an even better preserved reminder of the building skills of the ancient Egyptians.

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is the most famous attraction in the Luxor region, with over 60 ancient burial sites. Numerous pharaohs have rested in the tombs dug in the middle of the desert, including several Ramses as well as the very famous Tutakhamon. The inhabitants of all the graves have not even been identified.

Several of the tombs are open to tourists, and in their corridors and chambers you can admire, for example, hieroglyphs and sarcophagi. The Valley of the Kings was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1979.

Lively bazaar

Located on the east bank of the Nile, the large bazaar area is one of Luxor’s commercial hubs, divided into a tourist-oriented and locally-used half. On the tourist side you will find typical souvenir stalls and on the local side you will find food and groceries. An authentic Egyptian atmosphere can be found in the local hemisphere.

Good to know about Luxor

Located along the Nile, Luxor is not a beach holiday destination as the Nile is not suitable for swimming. However, the hotels have swimming pools and sun loungers, so sun worshipers can also enjoy the Egyptian sun in Luxor. A cultural tourist interested in a beach holiday should consider a combination holiday during which they spend a week in Luxor and a week on the shores of the Red Sea.

Egypt is a Muslim state and local customs should be respected. For example, the overly revealing dress of female tourists is not considered good.

On Muslim holiday Friday, the shops are closed in the morning. During the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan in August, most restaurants are closed during the day and alcohol service is limited.

Stomach upset is a common scourge among those vacationing in Egypt, as the country’s bacterial population is very different from the Finnish one. Stomach upset can be avoided with good hand hygiene and tap water avoidance. Lactic acid bacteria found in a travel pharmacy can also be a good help.