Day 3:
Welcome to Luxor and the home of Ride Egypt! Our first horse adventure begins in the morning, where you’ll travel by tuk-tuk to the stables. Here, we will introduce you to our home and horses in our Bedouin-style yard, crafted by local Egyptians on the West Bank of the Nile. The yard features several boxes and lush plantation fields where we grow our horses’ food. Our carefree Egyptian horses graze happily in the glossy green fields, sparkling in the sunshine against the backdrop of the mountains. Our facility also houses donkeys and camels, creating a true ‘farm atmosphere.’ You’ll receive a tour of the stables and horses, and we’ll show you how we grow our food and use plants and herbs for medical issues. Enjoy an introductory ride through bustling streets, river tributaries, local villages, farmlands, and along the Nile, where you can watch feluccas sail calmly by in the late afternoon light—a perfect spot for photos with your new four-legged friend against the iconic Nile setting.
After a relaxed lunch back at the hotel, we’ll head out to see the Temple of Hatshepsut, an impressive mortuary temple built into the cliffs, showcasing unique terraced architecture honoring one of Egypt’s few female pharaohs. Next, we will visit the Valley of the Kings, home to 63 magnificent tombs, along with an Egyptologist whose knowledge will transport you back to the land of the Pharaohs. Here you will marvel at the tombs’ intricate hieroglyphs and the sheer size of these well-preserved catacombs. The landscape is dramatic; great cavernous cliffs of limestone and sedimentary rock with the imposing Al-Qurn, the peak of the valley, resembling a pyramid, a nod to the Old Kingdom. This site has fascinated archaeologists since the 1900s yet the area is so vast a new tomb chamber was discovered as recently as 2005.
We will end the afternoon at the Colossi of Memnon, two massive stone statues that have stood since 1350 BC, famous for their incredible height and historical significance.
We will wrap up the day with a fun dinner party featuring local music and dancing. Enjoy the food and the lively atmosphere as you settle into the Egyptian vibe.
Day 4: A very special morning. We rise before dawn, making the short journey to the stables in darkness. We mount our horses and ride out into the deserted streets with the sun a mere glow on the horizon. We make our way out into farmland, trotting along rural tracks, until there before us is the Valley of the Kings.
Bathed in the light of the morning sun, scores of hot air balloons rise gracefully into the sky like lanterns. The overall sight is breath-taking, but it is truly unique when enjoyed from the back of a beautiful Egyptian horse. We stop for breakfast overlooking Habu Temple and have time for a fascinating tour of the site before the return ride.
A mid-morning stop at the world famous Luxor temple and museum completes today’s historical sites and we return to the hotel for lunch. After showering we journey north-east to Hurghada on the Red Sea, endeavouring to arrive in time for a spectacular sunset. Dinner and overnight at hotel.