Things to do in Edfu

Edfu · 2.6km from downtown

132 reviews

Edfu is located 123 kilometers north of Aswan and about 140 kilometers south of Luxor, and is a must-see for visiting the Luxor-Aswan Golden Route. The very famous temple here is the Temple of Horus, because the local terrain is low, and when the Nile River overflows, the entire temple is submerged in the deep soil, making it the best preserved temple in Egypt. The Temple of Horus was built in 237 BC and took more than 200 years to complete. It is mainly dedicated to Horus, the eagle-headed god. Horus is one of the most important gods in ancient Egypt. He is the child of the sun god Osiris and the protector goddess Isis. He is usually described as a condor wearing an Egyptian crown. The pharaohs of ancient Egypt regarded themselves as the incarnation of Horus. . The whole temple is 137 meters long and 79 meters wide at the front. The gate of the temple is 36 meters high, which is not very large. There is only one main temple, and there is an eagle head statue of Horus outside the temple. The interior is similar to other temples, with a huge column hall outside and a stone room inside, which contains a rare crocodile mummy.

Edfu · 2.9km from downtown

Edfu

2.8

4.0/5

1 reviews

Egypt's Edfu Temple is an ancient city located on the west bank of the Nile. Edfu Temple has many historical sites and attractions, such as ancient city walls, ancient houses, ancient markets, museums, and more, which visitors can explore and appreciate.

No. 4 of Best Things to Do in Egypt

Valley of the Kings

9

4.4/5

444 reviews

The Valley of the Kings lies on the west bank of the Nile in Luxor, Egypt, and was the royal resting place of ancient Egypt's New Kingdom. Over nearly five hundred years, from the Eighteenth Dynasty to the Twentieth Dynasty, pharaohs and nobles were buried in tombs cut into the cliffs; more than sixty tombs have been discovered to date, arranged under "KV" numbers, with the royal tombs mainly clustered in the East Valley, while the West Valley is more secluded. The tomb murals are the real highlight here: the corridors and the walls and ceilings of the burial chambers are covered with scenes from religious texts such as the Book of the Dead and the Book of the Underworld, and the pigments remain vivid after more than three thousand years. Tutankhamun's tomb became famous after archaeologist Howard Carter discovered a large trove of burial treasures there in 1922, and the pharaoh's mummy still rests in a temperature-controlled glass display case in the burial chamber; the tomb of Ramesses III is grand in scale with well-preserved painted decoration; the ceiling of the tomb of Ramesses VI depicts the sky goddess Nut stretching across the entire chamber; and the painted corridor of the tomb of Seti I is especially exquisite. Visiting tips: there is almost no shade in the valley, and afternoons are hot, so going in the early morning is more comfortable; a small electric shuttle runs between the entrance and the main cluster of tombs, saving you the walk. Most tomb entrances are inconspicuous openings in the cliffs, lined up along the path; slow down and take note of the hieroglyphs and images of the gods in the murals, and you will notice far more detail. Visitors with plenty of energy can also follow the ridge path up for a panoramic view over the whole valley; the peak of Al-Qurn above, shaped like a natural pyramid, is one of the reasons the ancient Egyptians regarded this valley as a sacred place.

Qesm Al Wahat Al Khargah · 87.5km from Edfu

2026 Global 100 - Night Attractions

Luxor Temple

8.7

245 reviews

Luxor Temple is located on the east bank of the Nile in the city of Luxor, forming a north-south counterpart to Karnak Temple. It was a worship site built during the New Kingdom period of ancient Egypt for the "Theban Triad"—Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. In ancient Egyptian, it was called the "Southern Sanctuary" and is often referred to as the "Southern Harem of Amun." The main structure of the temple was constructed by Pharaoh Amenhotep III of the 18th Dynasty, while the pylon, forecourt, colossi, and obelisks at the entrance were added by Ramses II. Later pharaohs like Tutankhamun continued to add reliefs, and during the time of Alexander the Great, the rear sanctuary was rebuilt. A single temple thus layers over a thousand years of construction history. At the entrance still stands a granite obelisk of Ramses II, while its paired counterpart crossed the ocean as early as the 19th century and now stands in Paris's Place de la Concorde. The seated statue of the pharaoh in front of the pylon, the grand colonnade, and the sun court of Amenhotep III unfold layer by layer. The reliefs on the colonnade walls vividly depict the procession of the Opet Festival—during the Nile flood season in ancient Egypt, the statue of Amun was ceremoniously transported from Karnak Temple to here. The avenue of sphinxes in front of the temple gate was precisely the sacred path for this ritual. After years of archaeological restoration, this nearly three km-long avenue has been reconnected, and today, visitors can walk the round-trip route between this temple and Karnak Temple. In one corner of the temple stands a still-functioning mosque built atop the ancient pillars, sharing the same courtyard with the pharaonic-era pylon. When illuminated at night, the pillars, colossi, and minaret form a highly recognizable nightscape in Luxor.

Luxor · 82.1km from Edfu

No. 6 of Best Things to Do in Egypt

Karnak

8.6

4.6/5

522 reviews

Karnak is located in Luxor on the east bank of the Nile. It is a massive ancient Egyptian temple complex and the core religious area of the ancient city of Thebes. Construction of the entire complex began during the Middle Kingdom (around 2000 BC) and continued through the New Kingdom and into the Ptolemaic period. About thirty pharaohs successively participated in its expansion and decoration, with construction lasting nearly two thousand years—an exceptionally long building period rarely seen in ancient human architecture. The complex is divided by enclosure walls into several main areas, of which the larger and better-preserved part is dedicated to Amun-Ra, the chief of the Theban gods; the northern area is dedicated to the war god Montu, and the southern area to the goddess Mut—companion of Amun-Ra, symbolized by the vulture. Numerous small temples and chapels are also scattered among the areas. Lining the processional way leading to the temple pylons are ram-headed sphinx statues; this ceremonial road once extended all the way to Luxor Temple to the south, a total distance of about 3 km, and was an important religious processional route in ancient Thebes. The core structure of the temple is the Hypostyle Hall, covering several thousand square meters and supported by more than a hundred massive stone columns, with the central colonnade reaching over twenty meters in height, its shafts covered with reliefs and painted decoration. Light enters the hall through high windows, falling among the dense forest of columns and creating a solemn and deeply atmospheric sense of space—one of the most impressive sights of Karnak. The complex also contains a large obelisk erected by Queen Hatshepsut and a sacred lake used for ritual purification. Many murals, reliefs, and statues record the military campaigns and ritual scenes of successive pharaohs, making them important physical materials for understanding ancient Egyptian religion and royal culture. Due to their great age, as well as human and natural erosion, many parts of the temple were once severely damaged. Through long-term archaeological excavation and restoration, large numbers of stone elements have been repositioned and reassembled, revealing the appearance seen today. When visiting, you can enter through the massive pylon at the entrance and follow the central axis past the Hypostyle Hall, the obelisk, and the sacred lake in turn, taking note of the well-preserved painted reliefs on the column capitals and walls.

Luxor · 83.7km from Edfu

Esna City · 47.5km from Edfu

Esna lock

6.8

4.8/5

4 reviews

Esna lock is located on the Nile waterway between Luxor and Aswan. It is an essential hub for Nile cruises traveling round-trip between the two cities and is also known as the "water elevator" on the river. The old Esna lock was built in 1908. Today, cruise ships pass through the new lock, which was opened in the 1990s. The lock chamber is over 200 m long and just over 10 m wide, accommodating only two cruise ships at once. It needs to adjust a water level difference of nearly 8 m between the upstream and downstream, so queuing to pass through the lock is common. Passing through the lock is a unique experience in itself: after the cruise ship enters the lock chamber, the massive iron gates behind it slowly close. As water is pumped in or released, the ship rises or falls with the water level. Standing on the top deck, you can watch the water line on the lock wall move slowly relative to the railing, directly experiencing this water engineering project. The entire process takes about half an hour to an hour. If you pass through the lock at dawn or dusk, the light and shadow on the river are distinct, making it perfect for capturing photos of river life. When passing through at night, the lock area is brightly lit, offering a unique atmosphere.

No. 7 of Night Attractions in Egypt

Kom Ombo Temple

Nagoa Ash Shatb · 59.9km from Edfu

4.7/5

117 reviews

An hour's drive from Aswan takes you to the Temple of Kom Ombo, which means "Golden City" in ancient Egyptian. It is located on a small hill by the Nile and was built during the Ptolemaic dynasty. Like other temples, it also has tall stone pillars and temples that look desolate because of dilapidation, but what is different is that it has two gates. One gate is dedicated to the eagle god Horus (Haroeris) and the other is dedicated to the crocodile god (Sobek), so the temple of Kam Ombo is also known as the "double temple".

No. 13 of Best Things to Do in Egypt

Philae Temple

8

4.2/5

176 reviews

Philae Temple is dedicated to the goddess of love, Isis. Philae was originally a small island in the Nile River south of the Aswan Dam, where the temple was first built. After the completion of the Aswan Low Dam in 1902, Philae Island would be flooded during the flood season, and travelers arriving by boat could only see the temple gates and stone columns protruding above the water. The temple walls preserve numerous hieroglyphic inscriptions and vivid reliefs, primarily worshiping Isis, while deities like Hathor also received offerings here. Legend says Isis possessed ten thousand names; she governed fertility and was also the protector of the people, widely revered in ancient Egypt.

Egypt · Aswan

No. 5 of Cool Water Escapes in Egypt

Agilkia Island

8

5.0/5

1 reviews

Agilkia Island is an island in the Nile, located in Lake Nasser south of Aswan. The island is home to thePhilae Temple complex, which was relocated in its entirety from thePhilae Templesite. Between 1977 and 1980, the complex was dismantled stone by stone, numbered, and reconstructed here. To accommodate the temple, the island itself was leveled and reshaped to replicate the original terrain of thePhilae Templeas closely as possible. Visitors must take a boat from Aswan, and the short journey on the Nile is an experience in itself. The sound and light show held on the island in the evening uses lighting and narration to tell the myth of Isis and Osiris, and the silhouette of the temple against the night sky creates a unique atmosphere.

Egypt · Aswan

No. 15 of Best Things to Do in Egypt

Colossi of Memnon

Al Bairat · 85.1km from Edfu

4.0/5

187 reviews

Colossi of Memnon are two massive quartzite statues standing on the plain on the west bank of the Nile. They were commissioned by Pharaoh Amenhotep III of the Eighteenth Dynasty during the New Kingdom period and originally served as the entrance guardians for the first pylon of his mortuary temple. Including their bases, the two statues are approx. 18m tall, stand approx. 15m apart, and face east toward the Nile. Smaller figures of Queen Tiye and the pharaoh's mother, Mutemwiya, are carved on the thrones beside the statues' legs. The sides of the bases feature reliefs of the Nile god Hapi, who holds lotus and papyrus plants to symbolize the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. Both statues are heavily weathered, making their faces and upper bodies difficult to identify. The southern statue is carved from a single block of quartzite. The northern statue was severely damaged in an earthquake in 27 BC and was later repaired by the Romans using sandstone; its upper section is built from five layers of stone, which makes it look noticeably different from the southern statue. After the northern statue was damaged, a phenomenon occurred where the colossus would emit a sound resembling string music or whistling at dawn. Ancient Greek and Roman tourists flocked to listen and carved inscriptions on the base. Many of these inscriptions mentioned the Greek mythological hero Memnon, which is how the colossi got their name. Roman Emperor Septimius Severus later repaired the upper part of the statue, and the sound ceased to occur after that. Today, visitors can still see those Greek and Latin inscriptions from the Roman era on the base and experience the traces left by travelers from two thousand years ago.

No. 18 of Best Things to Do in Egypt

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Edfu Today's weatherClear with poor air quality 11-29℃

Edfu weather for the next 2 days11/11: 13-30℃, 11/12: 13-32℃

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