Trips and Tours to West Bank
About West Bank
Immediately across the Nile on Luxor’s West Bank, lie the myriad monuments, temples and tombs that comprise The Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. The first monument generally visited is the imposing 18m-high Colossi of Memnon. Further inland, the Valley of the Kings reveals a landscape partially pocked with subtle openings to often highly decorated tombs, originally constructed to house the regal sarcophagi, enclosed within which are the mummies of the mighty pharaohs awaiting their passage into the afterlife. Some of the best known tombs are those of Ramses II, Seti I, Amenhotep II and of course, the tomb of King Tutankhamen. In all, more than 60 tombs have been excavated.
Read MoreIn ancient times, the wives of pharaohs were interred in tombs at Biban al-Harim, better known as the Valley of the Queens. This necropolis is said to hold more than 70 tombs, many of which are stylishly and lavishly decorated. Around four are open to the public. Beyond the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens is Deir al- Bahri, otherwise known as the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, which rises out of the desert plain in a series of terraces. Hatshepsut was the 5th pharaoh of the 18th dynasty of ancient Egypt. She is generally regarded by Egyptologists as one of the most successful female pharaohs of Egypt, who reigned longer than any other female ruler of an indigenous dynasty. Hatshepsut is believed to have served as a co-regent from about 1479-1458 BC.
West Bank Tours
Here are some popular itineraries that include a visit to West Bank. Alternatively, if you would like to include a visit to West Bank on a bespoke touring itinerary to Egypt, take a look at our tailor-made holiday planning section.
