26 Mar 2023
Just perfect! This was one of the best and most affordable tours my husband and I have done in our visits to Luxor. It was easy to organise our early morning pick up through Elaria on the phone the night before. We got a message from her via WhatsApp the next morning to be sure we were picked up. The driver, Mina, and guide, Ali, arrived in a large, comfortable car. Ali explained what we would see as we drove to purchase the entry tickets. He suggested — and I highly recommend — buying a ticket to the tomb of Sennefer in The Valley of the Nobles. Our first stop was at Habu temple of Ramesses III. Ali was fascinating to listen to as he guided us all throughout the grounds. Our next stop was The Valley of the Nobles. As tour busses cannot park there, this area with its 400 tombs is not crowded. In fact, we had the tombs we visited all to ourselves. We first visited the T-shaped tomb of Rekhmire with its detailed scenes of everyday life clouding workers such as potters, carpenters, artists, and sculptors. Next was the amazing tomb of Sennefer, which Ali explained means the beautiful boy. This tomb, well known for its highly decorative depictions of grapes, is sometimes called The Tomb of the Vineyards. Every inch of the walls and ceiling is painted in bright colours and designs. Next, we visited Deir el-Medina, which, unfortunately for us, happened to be very crowded with tour busses. Ali told us only 30 or so workers lived in the village, but including their families it was a busy place. It was referred to as The Place of Truth because the artists living there were believed to be inspired by the gods in creating and decorating the eternal resting places of the kings. Finally, we were dropped of at a restaurant for a full buffet lunch. Highly recommend this tour.