Cairo, Luxor & Hurghada: buzzing cities & relaxing beaches

Luxor, the dynastic and religious capital of Middle Kingdom (circa 2050-1710 BCE) and New Kingdom (circa 1550-1080 BCE) Egypt, has much to offer visitors, from huge temples to ancient royal tombs, through spectacular desert and river landscapes and vibrant modern life.

Thebes, Egypt's World Heritage-listed ancient capital, was located on the west bank of the Nile near Luxor. Most of Luxor's ruins and tombs are located there. The modern city of Luxor is on the east bank. In this area are the train and bus stations, most hotels and restaurants, some museums, tourist shops and so on. Most visitors (and almost all travel groups) stay on the east bank and travel across for the tourist sights, but in recent years there has been an increase in hotels on the west bank and many independent travellers stay there.

Hurghada was once a fairly small and unimposing fishing village, next to the Red Sea. It has a number of superb beaches. Today, the resort of Hurghada is almost unrecognizable from its past life and has become a major destination in Egypt for budget tourists especially from Europe and Russia. It has more than 100 hotels, many of which line the shoreline, and numerous flights particularly from airports across Europe. Famous for its superb diving opportunities, Hurghada is especially appealing to those with little experience of scuba diving, who come to marvel at the underwater reefs and awesome marine life. Tourism is now a huge part of Hurghada and each year, many tourists choose to combine their holiday here with visits to other prominent locations along the Nile Valley, including the relatively nearby city of Luxor.