Valley of the Kings, Luxor

Salaam, hi and hello! When we were in Luxor in Upper Egypt 28 years ago, we crossed the Nile by ferryboat to get to the West bank (called Thebes by the ancient Greeks) from where a bus took us to the Valley of the Kings. This isn´t done any more, a bridge was built 7 km downstream 10 years ago and now it´s a bus ride all the way. A bridge, what else is new? Luxor had 30 000 inhabitants when we were there in 1975, now it has 350 000. (Later in Cairo, a man told us that Luxor was a mere village; seen from Africa´s biggest city with an assumed population of 18 to 20 million [nobody knows the precise number] this statement can´t surprise) We passed some ...  Read the complete review

Okay, so I went the easy way with a guided tour: you get there on an air-conditioned coach, run the gauntlet with the many market traders anxiously trying to sell you carvings of scarabs that you don't want, take the tourist bus up the hill (like those little seaside trains you get here) and finally you're there. It's hot, dry and you'll need a couple of litres of water, plus a good hat and sunglasses. There's very little shade here - the choice is between the blazing sun and the stuffy, smelly tombs. However, it's worth it! I visited the tombs of Sapetah, Seti and Rameses II. The first is smaller and was finished in a rush when the pharoah died ...  Read the complete review

This is one of those places that tourists ‘do’. They arrive on an air-conditioned bus, spend a couple of hours in the searing heat looking at the tombs and leave for their well earned snooze with the satisfaction that they have been to the World famous Valley of the Kings. Or, you can do it the fun way. -- Getting to the Valley the fun way -- I have done bike, donkey, mini-bus and walking. In order of preference: Walking: Definitely the best. Get off the Cairo train at 4 am and set off for the valley. Avoid the tourist ferry and cross the river with the locals. Hitch a ride to the student ticket office and buy ...  Read the complete review