Day 1: Travel day & arrival
Arrival and check in to El Gezira Garden Hotel. Nestled on Luxor’s serene West Bank, is the perfect place to find tranquillity surrounded by trees and fragrant citrus fruits- ideal for unwinding after a day of riding and sightseeing. The hotel boasts amenities such as a swimming pool with sun loungers and a bar, and provides air-conditioned rooms with complimentary Wi-Fi. Conveniently located just a 10-minute drive from the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut, the hotel offers accommodations with a simple yet cozy décor featuring warm colors. Each unit includes a private bathroom and a balcony with views of the pool, garden, or village. The El Gezira Garden Hotel will be your home from home for the next 4 nights.
Day 2:Non-Riding tour / Introductory Ride. Valley of the Kings, Tutankhamun & Hatshepsut
Welcome to Luxor and the home of Ride Egypt! This morning sees the beginning of our first horse adventures together. You will travel by tuk-tuk to the stables where we will introduce you to our home and our horses. Our Bedouin style yard, crafted by local Egyptians, is based on the West Bank of the Nile boasting several boxes and lush plantation fields. Here you will find our carefree Arabian horses grazing happily in the glossy green fields and almost sparkling in the sunshine against the backdrop of the mountains. Our facility is home to horses, donkeys and camels and very much holds a “farm atmosphere”.
The first riding trip is relaxed and gives you a chance to get to know us and our horses in preparation for a full day trail ride the following day. We ride through the villages on horseback under the palm trees along to the River Nile. The Nile is incredibly peaceful and you can see the buffalo grazing along the banks. On return you will transfer back to your hotel for lunch. Riding time 2-3 hours.
After lunch, we will introduce you to the land of the Pharaohs. This non-riding itinerary gives insight as to why the Valley of the Kings is so important – the Pyramids of Giza and the Nile Delta were the tombs of choice for pharaohs of Egypt’s Old Kingdom but those of the New Kingdom wanted to be closer to the source of their dynastic roots in the south. Consequently they built their crypts in the hills of this barren tract of land which lies west of Luxor, now called the ‘Valley of the Kings’ or the ‘Valley of the Dead’.
You will have the chance to visit four amazing tombs, including the Tomb of Tutankhamun which was discovered in November 1922 by Howard Carter. Tutankhamun is colloquially known as “King Tut” or “the boy king”. His tomb is now considered to be the best-preserved and most intact pharaonic tomb ever found in the Valley of the Kings.
Our afternoon continues onto the Temple of Hatshepsut, the most famous female in Egyptian history. Hatshepsut was a pharaoh of Egypt from roughly 1479 to 1458 BCE. She not only had the longest reign of any Egyptian female, but is also regarded as one of the most successful rulers in Egyptian history. Under Hatshepsut, Egypt explored, built, and grew. This temple reflects the stunning beauty of these important figures – there are three layered terraces reaching 29.5 metres (97 ft) tall. Each story is articulated by a double colonnade of square piers, with the exception of the northwest corner of the central terrace, which employs proto-Doric columns to house the chapel (the Doric order is a particular type of architecture and this style of column is often associated with Egyptian tombs). The terraces are connected by long ramps which were once surrounded by gardens with foreign plants including frankincense and myrrh trees.
To complete the history circle our last stop is at Carters House – this is rarely visited in standard tourist packages and yet is one of the most interesting buildings to be found in Luxor. Although far from glamorous, we never tire of visiting the house where Howard Carter lived during his search for Tutankhamun’s Tomb and his excavation of the Valley of the Kings. It’s a simple but mesmerising piece of history, a step back in time and a house full of actual happenings. You can see the photo lab he used, along with his cameras and other photography equipment. His original desk is still in the house, as is the library he kept and items relating to the excavation of King Tutankhamun’s Tomb which are on display. It’s a very special feature for us in our Luxor itinerary.
Optional Extra ticket: £50 Our trip has an optional extra to visit Valley of the Queens (Arabic: وادي الملكات Wādī al Malekāt) where wives of pharaohs were buried in ancient times. In those days it was known as Ta-Set-Neferu, meaning “the place of beauty”. There are few figures from ancient Egypt who have captured our imaginations as vividly as Nefertiti. Living in the mid-14th century BCE, Nefertiti was the model of ancient Egyptian beauty and a one of the most powerful queens of the ancient world. As wife of the pharaoh Akhenaten, Nefertiti may have helped influence Egypt’s adoption of the monotheistic worship of the sun deity Aten. Traditionally believed to be the stepmother of Tutankhamun, she helped raise the famous boy-king. This is one of the most stunning tombs in all Egypt and although an expensive entry fee, this should not discourage visitors from witnessing such unimaginable beauty so well preserved.
Dinner will be around 8pm at a local Egyptian feast, eating with your hands whilst sitting on the floor on plush cushions is a must when in Luxor!
