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Private Luxor West Bank Tour: Exploring Valley of the Queens & Tombs of Nobles
Uncover hidden gems of Luxor’s West Bank on a private tour. Explore the Tombs of the Nobles, Deir el-Medina, and the Valley of the Queens with its fascinating tombs.
Uncover hidden gems of Luxor’s West Bank on a private tour. Explore the Tombs of the Nobles, Deir el-Medina, and the Valley of the Queens with its fascinating tombs.
Duration:
6 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
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Tombs of the Nobles - The Tombs of the Nobles on the West Bank of Luxor are the burial grounds of some of the mighty courtiers and persons of the ancient city. Nestled in the foothills opposite the Ramesseum are more than 400 tombs of Nobles from the 6th Dynasty to the Greco-Roman period .
These tombs are some of the least visited attractions on…
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Tombs of the Nobles - The Tombs of the Nobles on the West Bank of Luxor are the burial grounds of some of the mighty courtiers and persons of the ancient city. Nestled in the foothills opposite the Ramesseum are more than 400 tombs of Nobles from the 6th Dynasty to the Greco-Roman period .
These tombs are some of the least visited attractions on the West Bank but are definitely worth a visit, you will find beautifully decorated tombs with enchanting colors. -
Valley of the Artisans (Deir el-Medina) - Deir el-Medina, also called Valley of the Artisans, on Luxor’s West Bank is an ancient Egyptian workers’ village that was home to the craftsmen who worked the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. During the 18th to 20th Dynasty of the New Kingdom of Egypt the workmen who lived in Deir el Medina included the stonemasons who excavated the royal tombs in the limestone hills and cliffs of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, as well as the sculptors, drafters and painters who decorated the excavated tombs. .
The settlement was founded by Amenhotep I (circa 1541-1520 BCE) and was occupied during the 19th and 20th Dynasty.
The small temple in Deir el-Medina is a Ptolemaic temple. It was dedicated to goddesses Hathor and Maat. -
Valley of the Queens - The Valley of the Queens is, just like the Valley of the Kings, a burial place of the New Kingdom from ancient Egypt. In the Valley of the Queens there were mainly queens and royal children buried but also nobles from the New Kingdom had a part for their tombs here.
Because the rock structure in the Valley of the Queens is very grainy, they used a different way of working than in the Valley of the Kings, they used lime paste (muna) to smear on the walls.
There are more than 90 known tombs, usually consisting of an entrance passage, a few short halls, and a sarcophagus chamber.
The famous tomb of Nefertari can also be visited with the purchase of an extra ticket. - Malkata House - apartments & restaurant - Enjoy an authentic Egyptian lunch at Malkata House with views of the desert and Valley of the Queens
What's Included
- Private transportation
- Lunch included
- Air-conditioned vehicles
- Expert Egyptologist guide
- Private transportation
- Lunch included
- Air-conditioned vehicles
- Expert Egyptologist guide
What's Not Included
- Tips
- All entrance tickets
- Tips
- All entrance tickets
Additional Information
Uncover the lesser-known treasures of Luxor’s West Bank during this fascinating tour as we guide you through some extraordinary locales and their stories. Be awestruck by the Tombs of the Nobles, the final restplace of the city’s ancient nobility, boasting brilliantly coloured and detailed murals. Our journey continues to Deir el-Medina, the residential…
Uncover the lesser-known treasures of Luxor’s West Bank during this fascinating tour as we guide you through some extraordinary locales and their stories. Be awestruck by the Tombs of the Nobles, the final restplace of the city’s ancient nobility, boasting brilliantly coloured and detailed murals. Our journey continues to Deir el-Medina, the residential area for the talented craftsmen responsible for intricately carving and embellishing the Valley of the Kings’ tombs. Finally, uncover the secrets of the Valley of the Queens, home to over 90 tombs of royal consorts and offspring. For an additional fee, you also have the opportunity to behold the stunning tomb of Nefertari, the cherished queen of Ramses II.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.9
(20 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Alison_l
Nov 21, 2024
Excellent tour - The tour was well organised from start to finish with an excellent English speaking guide and a courteous Egyptian driver.
Hamdyi, our guide was fantastic and very nowledgeable. We visited the Valley of the Queens, tombs of the Nobles and artisans village - all a very interesting experience and insight into the lives of ancient Egyptians. There was no hard sell at the alabaster shop.
Hamdyi took us to a very good restaurant, Malkata House for a traditional lunch which we enjoyed a lot.
Overall this was an excellent trip with our guide Hamdyi and we recommend to other travellers.
Review provided by Viator
Aquasia_d
Mar 16, 2023
Guide was very nice,... - Guide was very nice, provided good information on the history at each site. We were picked up on time, no issues & lunch was amazing!!!!!! No major crowds, would recommend this tour!!!
Review provided by Viator
Weybird2
Feb 15, 2023
Excellent private tour of Luxor West Bank tombs. - Yassin organized an excellent private tour of the West Bank tombs for two of us. We began with a boat ride across the Nile, where we were met by a driver with a clean comfortable car. Our Egyptologist guide Hamdi was wonderful—very knowledgeable and pleasant, with excellent English. Top notch organization—we highly recommend it.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Emmanuelle231
Feb 1, 2023
Great tour! - We absolutely loved this tour. The guide is amazing and speaks a perfect French, he is very knowledgeable and answers all questions in details. Everything was nicely organized and made easy for us. Highly recommend!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Azizh309
Jan 9, 2023
An authentic team creating a seamless experience for your family - I travelled with my wife and two young children. The team created a seamless experience for us and adapted the tour a few times given our circumstances and needs of our children.
Mohammed has assembled a great team and network of services, most importantly the majority of them are from the villages surrounding the West Bank landmarks which means you get an authentic viewpoint.
The integrity of the team is what stood out the most for me, they charged appropriately and were transparent throughout.
Alaadin was our tour guide, he was excellent and down to earth. He had in-depth knowledge of ancient egypt and is well educated.
Chef Hassan prepares all the meals which are authentic and difficult to find for a tourist, very friendly and willing to go the extra mile. High quality food.
I would highly recommend this team for your Luxor experience, especially if you are with a young family requiring personalization in your tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Ashley
Oct 22, 2022
Best Guid in Egypt! - We had a 2-day tour and saw so many incredible things. It was jammed packed with unforgettable sights. Hamdi was our guide, he was amazing! Compared to other guides we had in Egypt he was kind, humble, and patient with our large group. His knowledge of the antiquities was vast and that was only the tip of the iceberg. He answered all of our questions with concise proficiency. He was honest and trustworthy, our favorite guide we had while we where in Egypt. I would love to come back and spend more time in the temples. Never enough time to see it all.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
727farahr
Jul 17, 2022
Wonderful - We got Samah as guide and she was wonderful, so nice, patient, she share we us all the things she knows. And in the same time she let us some time alone to visite and discovers by ourselves. We spend a great time and a wonderful day
Review provided by Tripadvisor
William
May 17, 2022
A warm experience from kind souls that are passionate about sharing their knowledge - Saber was excellent and a wealth of knowledge. He was extremely passionate about his studies, patient and accommodating, and fluent English. He even took us through the local market and helped score some great deals!
Mahmoud always had a big smile! He was our driver all week. He was very kind and took great care of us. Easy to talk to! And very safe on the road.
We would love to have these two in the future!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Andrew_t
Nov 20, 2023
Well-organized alternative West Bank tour. Top stories of ancient Egypt by local guide. - I arrived in Luxor with a group of 20 fellow travellers in which I was free to join them in visiting the Valley of the Kings the next day. However, I choose for the Valley of Queens instead which is one of the reasons for having booked the Luxor West Bank Valley of Queens tour.
In royal tombs you can usally see a funeral of the deceased king as well as his trip to the afterlife. The Valley of Queens is less in mind, therefore out of sight for the majority of travellers visting Luxor. Still, it deserved my attention because in here the tomb of Queen Nefertari is located and said to have the most beautiful wall paintings in Egypt. Note that the Nefertari tomb visit is not included to this Luxor West Bank tour. I have purchased this ticket separately through the travel agency. Despite the high ticket price and 10 minute limit it was well worth the visit! The tomb is a beautiful display of Nefertari’s journey to the afterlife. Mind-blowing bright colored paintings! Thanks to Mohamed of Far And Beyond Travel for his assistance in purchasing the Nefertari Tomb ticket prior to my visit.
I was also interested in people’s day-to-day life such as agriculture, hunting, craftmanship, get-togethers etcetera. That is what I hoped to see on the wall paintings within those smaller tombs in the Valley of the Artisans as well as the Valley of the Nobles. This is where my guide Hassan came in. Before entering the tombs he explained to me the function of tombs regarding the concept of resurrection. As the sun as well as the moon can set and rise through the sky Godess of Nut people pass away and expected to rise one day. That is why the body needs to be preserved and stored as a mummy in a tomb. Hassan lives at the West Bank. It has been a privilege for me to hear such stories from a very local person in my case. From Hassan’s point of view I was his guest taking a deep dive into ancient Egypt with a nice cup of coffee in our hand! We felt a mutual connection in our interest for the stories of Egypt. After each ‘’lecture’’ Hassan gave me free time to visit the actual tomb. It all worked out well for me. I want to thank Hassan for making this particular tour pleasant experience!
Hassan’s colleague Omar has driven me around in a nice air-conditioned Lexus SUV. We picked up Hassan first and talked shop on our way between the different valleys. Omar is a is a talkative and considerate persoon. I want to thank him for the soft music in the car which is very relaxing.
The lunch, which is included to this tour, in Malkata house was delicious. I enjoyed the local cuisine once again.
Review provided by Viator
Nath3636
Jun 14, 2023
Local guides not the best - My review for this agency is mixed. My first guide in Giza and Cairo was absolutely amazing. He knew how much of the history to tell me, answered my questions, and was considerate of the heat and took me to the best sites. He also knew where to take the best pictures. Even though I don’t take pictures usually he really convinced me to and took some good ones and when I said no more he was super respectful. However, he is a subcontractor for this agency. In Luxor, the guide I received was not the best. He “mansplained” everything and repeated the same things multiple times. He also would tell me something at the beginning and then give me “free time” while he rested. I saw other guides walking through the temples and even waking guests to the door of the tombs and explaining things as they went along. I did not get that. He also lacked total consideration for the heat (probably because he was resting while I was waking around) and he did not let me ask any questions. When I was able to get one in, he would not understand me and would talk but without answering my question that I just gave up. The second day with The Valley of the kings and queens - I just called it quits halfway through. I did not feel like I was getting what I needed out of my guide - the heat was too much - and he couldn’t articulate what exactly the other temple and tombs would be and why they were important or different than what I had already seen. Also, this is minor but this guide also never offered to take a picture of me (I was traveling alone). I also opted to have the company take me from Luxor to the airport as an add on and they completely overcharged me compared to what I would have paid had it been through the hotel or any other company. Not sure I would recommend them - the subcontractor in Cairo would recommend 100%.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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