See the best of Luxor in a weekend

You will arrive at Luxor international airport on Friday evening. There are plenty of taxis available (you should also check with your hotel beforehand to see if they provide transfers). In about half an hour, after crossing the Nile, you'll be at your hotel. There, you can enjoy a refreshing drink and all the essential comforts. Rest up after your flight. The next day is an early start.

For a real eye-opener right from the start, start with a visit to the tomb of Queen Nefertari, undoubtedly the most beautiful tomb in this part of Egypt. Early in the morning, make your way to the Valley of the Queens. The idea is to be among the first there, as visits are limited to 150 people a day. That's the whole point of being there the day before.

The tomb of Nefertari

As you will have slept on the west bank of the Nile, you will almost be there. Your hotel will have booked you a taxi. Or you can take the shuttle bus. You can probably also make the journey by bike. Find out more.

The tomb is carved out of the rock and you will reach it by taking a gentle staircase that will lead you to an antechamber of a few square metres and its vestibule. The antechamber is very small and not worth dwelling on, with the exception of the porch on your right (east wall) which leads to the side annex. It is decorated, on the left, with Osiris wearing a double crown (pschent), against a bright yellow background.

And on the right, Anubis, standing. Above the passageway, on the lintel, an unknown figure is seated, surrounded by 11 cobras, each separated by a large ostrich feather. The ostrich feather is the prerogative of Ma'at, the goddess of justice. But there's nothing to say that it's her who is represented here.

Once past this opening, you're straight into the magnificent vestibule and annex. The short vestibule leading to the annex offers a sublime representation of Nefertari. Above the passageway, an eagle. On the left, Khepri, the scarab-headed god, and on the right, Hathor and Horakhti. Visiting such a place is a unique, exhilarating and impressive experience.

Once past this opening, you are straight into the magnificent vestibule and annex. The short vestibule leading to the annex offers a sublime representation of Nefertari. Above the passageway, an eagle. On the left, Khepri, the scarab-headed god, and on the right, Hathor and Horakhti. Visiting a place like this is a unique, exhilarating and impressive experience.

But your emotions are not over yet. As soon as you emerge, you will descend another richly decorated staircase that will take you to the burial chamber. The descent is under the auspices of Anubis, represented on the two walls facing each other, symmetrically, as a large black jackal with pointed ears, and Isis, who confers immortality on the pharaohs. Here, Nefertiti is enshrined in a host of hieroglyphic texts.

You will then enter the burial chamber. The vault was here, in the centre. Four pillars rise from floor to ceiling. They are entirely painted and in a very good state of preservation. It's moving. Many essential gods are painted in this large underground chamber.

You can then head off to visit the tomb of Sethi I, in the Valley of the Kings. This is the advantage of being on a timetable: you won't waste too much time.

The tomb of Sethi I

As soon as you arrive at the site, take the little train that will take you to the troglodyte tombs. The tomb of Sethi I is 100 metres deep in the rock. Closed for 25 years for reasons of preservation, this vault will reveal its secrets, some of which have remained intact.

In addition to its state of preservation, this tomb is remarkable in two respects: its surface area and its 11 chambers (by comparison, Nefertari's tomb has only 7) and two very important frescoes: the Ritual of the Opening of the Mouth and the Book of the Gates, which consists of various tableaux in which figures are repeated, including Sethi I wearing the double royal crown.

In the Hall of the Bull was the sarcophagus of Sethi I (preserved for 2 centuries in the Soane Museum in London).

On your way out, you may have the opportunity to visit other tombs, depending on how busy they are that day. Given that you're under time pressure, you shouldn't miss out on the must-see sites. We suggest that you make a dash for the funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut before it gets too hot. It lies 5 kilometres to the south-east. You'll be there in no time.

The temple of Hatshepsut

You can't miss this temple - its architecture is unique. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that it was designed by Queen Hatshepsut's Grand Butler. It is a large, flattened building built into the side of a mountain, consisting of a stack of 3 immense long terraces.

When you arrive at the site at Deir el-Bahari, you'll probably feel a bit like you do when you arrive at the site of Mont Saint-Michel. Because you'll have to cross the formidable esplanade that will lead you to the temple. In full sunshine. Which should take you around 10 minutes.

Once you reach the first terrace, you can admire the hunting portico, an imposing bas-relief in which Queen Hatshepsut, depicted as a Sphinx wearing the pharaoh's nemesis, tramples on her enemies. The temple was originally adorned with 6 sphinx statues of the queen carved from blocks of pink granite. One of them can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. Another damaged fresco shows the famous queen building the obelisks in Luxor.

This temple belongs to the category of the Temples of the Millions of Years, whose function was to glorify kings and queens and thus prepare for their deification. For Hatshepsut, it was a way of expressing during her lifetime her privileged link with the god Amun-Ra, the spirit of this entire space, who became incarnate in her own father, King Thutmosis I.

This was how he became a pharaoh. And a legend.

At the top, on the third terrace, the temple originally had large water-filled pools, adorned with a wealth of exotic and colourful flora, including red Nile ibises. Beautiful statues of the queen are repeated side by side. Hatshepsut is wearing her double crown. She holds the royal sceptres against her chest, arms folded. This terrace is called the Sublime of Sublimes. This is where the sanctuary of the god Amun is located, the heart of the temple.

Howard Carter House

We're not going to lie, the heat is exhausting and you won't immediately want to rush off to discover new things. To accommodate this, we suggest you return to your hotel for lunch. Or you could visit the house of Egyptologist Howard Carter, the man who discovered Tutankhamen's tomb. The house is close to where you are, just off Kings Valley Rd, which should make you very happy. Even on foot, you'll be there in no time. Of course, this destination has a major attraction. It is the perfect reconstruction of the tomb that Carter discovered in 1922, the tomb-cave of Tutankhamen.

Here you will have to pay the entrance fee if you don't have a pass (the Luxor Premium Pass is definitely the key to all the attractions). In the garden, there's a cafeteria that's supposed to welcome you, but lately it's been closed due to a lack of visitors. That's why it's a good idea to always have something to drink and refresh yourself. You can sit down in the shade and recharge your batteries before your visit. And eat a sandwich, if you remembered to bring one.

The visit takes place in two stages. First, the Egyptologist's house. You'll visit his study, see his personal effects in their original setting, and the photos taken at the time of his discovery by the photographer Harry Burton, who worked in the room.

You will then be taken to the far end of the house. Passing through the tree-lined garden, you will enter a building containing a perfect reconstruction of the famous tomb. You will enter the antechamber, followed by the burial chamber and the treasure chamber. The guide will tell you that Carter began by cutting a small hole in the wall separating the antechamber from the sarcophagus room to see the point of going any further. Then he exploded with wonder and joy at the treasure it contained, which he had fantasised about so much.

Now that you're feeling tired, you can go home and get some rest so that you're ready to go at the crack of dawn the next morning.

The Ramesséum

But if you're feeling brave, since you'll probably still have some time left, then you can choose between the Ramesséum and the temple of Sethi I, both temples of Millions of Years, which are nearby. Or opt for a visit to the Sheikh Abd el-Gurnah site, which contains 146 tombs of dignitaries from the dynasty, as well as the funerary temples of Sethi I and the Mayor of Thebes.

Let's get straight to the point and visit the Ramesséum or Temple of Millions of Years of Ramses II. This mythical temple was described 21 centuries ago as "the most majestic in all Egypt" by Diodorus Siculus. And that's saying something! Unfortunately, all that remains today is a ruin that has long since lost its superb appearance. Only the temple in the centre is still partially standing. It's worth remembering how extraordinary these temples must have looked, covered in coloured pigments, precious stones and metals. Today, all you can see is the stone in its raw state.

Eat breakfast early in the morning and keep well hydrated. In Egypt, as in all very hot desert countries, people tend to underestimate their own dehydration. So you need to replenish the water lost during the previous day and night.

Unlike tombs, which are buried in the ground, there is no shelter from the scorching heat of the sun when visiting temples. Hence the need to visit early. This is especially true of the two temples on the east bank of Luxor, Amun and Karnak, as they are monumental. So you need to be there as early as possible. It will take you around 45 minutes by taxi to get there. You can't come to Luxor without visiting these two temples, which are impressive in terms of surface area, volume and invention, even if you do get the feeling that there is a certain redundancy between the two.

The Temple of Amun

You enter the temple via its well-preserved pylon, guarded by 6 monumental statues, the colossi of Ramses II, which you will have to admire from afar, or by looking up. These colossi, representing the pharaoh, are to be found throughout the temple, sometimes seated, sometimes standing, sometimes wearing the high pschent, the prerogative of the pharaohs.

At the entrance, theobelisk stands on its plinth to the left of the entrance. To the right, another gigantic, empty stone plinth. This is where the obelisk on the Place des Invalides in Paris once stood.

As you walk past the monumental pillars engraved with a multitude of hieroglyphs, you will wonder at the rich symbolism. This temple was the site of ceremonies and sacrifices to the glory of Amun and the Opet (New Year) festival. For this occasion, boats were transported to the pylon via a small canal that opened out into the Nile about a hundred metres away. The boats were then hoisted up and placed on the triple resting place inside the temple.

Here, past this large courtyard, the great colonnade of Amenhotep III is quite simply dazzling.

Lunch at the Winter Palace

With a busy morning ahead of us, lunchtime will be a welcome break. To enter the Winter Palace is to enjoy its freshness and its interior architecture from another century. It is reminiscent of Agatha Christie, who stayed here to write her famous Death on the Nile, which has been adapted several times for the cinema. Step through the wooden revolving door and you'll find yourself in this immense residence, with its spacious rooms and very high ceilings. Lots of wood panelling.

You have a reservation at l'Oasis, the restaurant located by the swimming pool, just a few steps from the arboretum that fills the grounds of this palace. Here you can enjoy top-quality cuisine and refreshments. And enjoy the peace and quiet.

The Luxor Museum

After a good coffee, with the sun still high above the horizon, there's nothing like staying cooler while continuing to explore the ancient Egyptian world. Head for the Luxor Museum, not far from the Winter Palace. Take a horse-drawn carriage and you'll be there in no time.

In its air-conditioned halls, you'll discover some truly beautiful granite statues. They are imposing in their modernity and state of preservation, taking you thousands of years back into Egypt's past: the statue of Amenothep III, as straight as an i, his fists pressed against his thighs; the goddess Hathor, seated and wearing the solar disc on her head; the goddess Iounyt, seated, wearing the headdress of the Nemes of the pharaohs, Thoutmôsis III, and so on.

Then there is a remarkable marble statue of the crocodile god Sobek, god of water, holding out an ankh to Amenothep III, who is standing next to him. On his head is a cobra, surmounted by his ram's horns, themselves surmounted by a solar disc, his umpteenth attribute.

The museum also houses a number of mummies. And a statue of Tutankhamun as a sphinx.

The necropolis of Sheikh Abd el-Gournah

As you will have to return to your hotel on the west bank of the Nile before your departure, you will have booked a visit to this necropolis, situated high up in the mountains, 482 metres above sea level. On to Sheikh Abd el-Gournah and its 146 tombs. Few of them can actually be visited, but the tombs of Menna (TT69) and Nakht (TT52) have been cleaned of their saltpetre and restored so that they can be visited by the public.

Located around 1.5 km from Deir El-Medinah, this necropolis will probably be in the same area as your hotel. Once you have descended into the tomb of Menna, you will be amazed by the beauty of the frescoes and the vibrancy of their colours.

There, painted on the bas-reliefs, peasants mow the wheat with a wide sickle while others harvest it in their nets. The scribes take care to recount these moments in life. There is no electricity here. Thanks to a mirror, the vigil will send the sun's rays onto these paintings that are as splendid as they are centuries old. Without it, the tomb would be very dark.

The Temple of Sethi I

You can then head off to the Temple of Sethi I, also located in the heights of Sheikh Abd el-Gournah.