Escape the city for a day and journey with us through the timeless heartland of Upper Egypt. This private tour takes you south from Luxor along the banks of the Nile, revealing a landscape of lush green fields and traditional villages that have remained unchanged for centuries. In the comfort of your private, air-conditioned vehicle, you will travel to two of the Nile Valley’s most remarkable and unique temples, each with its own powerful story to tell. This is your chance to see the real Egypt that lies between the great cities, led by your personal Egyptologist guide.
After a scenic drive, we arrive at Edfu, home to the most impeccably preserved ancient temple in all of Egypt. As you approach, its colossal entrance pylon rises dramatically above the modern town, a breathtaking sight that immediately transports you back in time. Dedicated to the falcon-headed god Horus, this Ptolemaic masterpiece is so complete that you can effortlessly imagine ancient rituals unfolding within its walls. It is less a ruin and more a time capsule, offering the most authentic experience of what a living Egyptian temple truly felt like.
Once inside, you will walk through courts and halls that still have their original ceilings, a rarity in Egypt. Your guide will show you the grand reliefs depicting the annual “Triumph of Horus” and narrate the epic myth of Horus avenging his father, Osiris, by defeating his uncle, the chaotic god Seth. You will explore the inner sanctuary, the very place where the god’s golden statue was once kept, and feel the profound sense of sacred order that this incredible structure was built to embody.
We continue our journey south to a temple with a truly unique character, dramatically situated on a bend in the Nile. Kom Ombo is a place of perfect duality, a symmetrical temple dedicated to two different gods. One side honors Sobek, the formidable crocodile god who represented the primal power and dangers of the Nile. The other side is dedicated to Horus the Elder, the celestial falcon god of the sky. This created a fascinating balance between darkness and light, fear and divinity.
This dual design is unlike any other in Egypt. Your guide will lead you through the twin halls and sanctuaries, showing you how the architects created a mirror image for each god. You will see fascinating medical reliefs thought to be among the world’s first depictions of surgical instruments, and you’ll visit the ancient Nilometer used to measure the river’s flood levels. The tour concludes with a visit to the small but unforgettable Crocodile Museum, which houses a collection of mummified crocodiles once worshipped in the temple.
