Setting the scene
Situated on the West Bank, nestled at the bottom of the mountain this Temple is one of the most spectacular sites in Egypt. Due to the rock formations etc it looks as though the Temple has been carved from the mountain itself, which adds to the aesthetic elegance.
The site is split over multiple levels, boasting chapels, sanctuaries, courtyards & tombs. Hatshepsut was a very intriguing ruler & her reign was regarded as one of the most prosperous. Interestingly some of the Hieroglyphs have been damaged / removed by Thuthmosis III who tried to erase any references to Hatshepsut. For this reason I would recommend a tour guide, as there is so much detail in the paintings that you will miss otherwise. (I used NASCO as they had a desk in my hotel, I would recommend them).
top tips!
As with most sites, there are a couple of places that are closed to the general public here, unless you give a tip to the workers. I didn’t go into any of the additional places so can’t attest to the value for money, but I do regret not paying the extras. If I had small bills I would have, however I only had EGP200 notes & didn’t want to tip that much.
Once you leave the visitor centre, there isn’t anywhere to get a drink, so stock up on water & supplies before heading in. The walk up the stairways etc can be quite onerous, so if you mobility difficulties it would be a good idea to take regular breaks. If you are in Peak Summer heat, you should definitely bring an umbrella to keep the sun off you.
Important Information
| Opening times | 6am – 5pm, which I found on Google but with a lot of sites, they seem to open & close on varied hours. As I went with a Tour Guide, everything was sorted for me. |
| Entry fee | My fee was included in the tour I took, however from what I have found online, the prices vary from Egp150-300 depending on where you look. |
| Time to complete visit | I was there for around 2 hours including the tour guide talking us through everything. However, if you were wandering around solo you could spend longer here taking everything in. |
| Getting there | I took a guided tour, however the best way to get here if going solo would be to take a Taxi. The Taxi drivers in Luxor are happy to wait for you outside or come back to collect you. Just be sure to set a price before going. |
| Tours | I highly recommend a tour for this site, there is a lot to the Hieroglyphs that I would have missed without a tour. Due to the nature of the subsequent rulers attempting to erase Hatshepsut there is a lot of history in the art. |
I am completely new to blogging & only set this up to help people out on their journeys. If you have any questions about the article or feedback, please do leave a comment & I will get back to you. You can also subscribe for free to get a notification when my next post goes live. Thanks for taking the time to read through ❤️
Tyler's Travel Tales 