Luxor is a city in the south of Egypt, sitting on the Nile as most of other Egyptian cities. It is a must see place and arguably one of the best open museums in the world.
The best way to reach Luxor from Cairo is by train. This is a wonderful way of seeing Egypt from the comfort of your train window. I recommend taking the day train rather than the night train. The day train lets you experience and see a lot of Egypt the 10 hour train ride. However, by taking the night train, you save time and probably money and the train is more comfortable and offers sleeping cabins specifically for the tourists. The tickets can be purchased online or in person, and cost about $15 for the day train and $100 for the night train. The day train comes in 3 classes, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class. Make sure to buy 1st class as the other classes are terrible. In fact even the 1st class was barely first! The day train departs at different times, and I recommend the 8 am to see much of daily life of Egyptians.
Taking the train during the day makes you see why the Nile is literally why Egypt exists. The entire population of Egypt lives within a short distance from the Nile. Few km away, and it is a desert, while it is lush and green by the Nile banks. Once in Luxor, there is no shortage of Taxis to take you to your accommodation. Just make sure to negotiate the price before departing.
The top 3 places to see
Valley of the Kings
It is here where you will see the famous tomb of Tutankhamen and Seti.
Temple of Karnak
It s further out of the city center, and is known for a forest of columns with open or closed flowers at the top. At night, they have a light show that covers the history of Egypt. Not worth the wait in my opinion.
Temple of Luxor
This is right within the city center and the best time to visit is after sunset, as the lighting adds more aura to the place.
Other places that are worth checking are the valley of the queens which is within “hiking” distance from the valley of the kings. Also the temples of Medinet Habu, tombs of the Nobles, Ramesseum Temple, Colossi of Memnon, and the under-rated and worth checking Deir el Medina for its colorful and well preserved paintings.
It is worth staying in Luxor for a couple of days, 2-3 days minimum.
