Medinet Habu, Tombs of the Nobles & Deir el-Medina Tour

Start at Medinet Habu, the vast mortuary temple of Ramesses III and one of the best-preserved temples on Luxor's West Bank, yet far quieter than the Valley of the Kings. A fortified gateway leads into courts whose walls are carved with deep reliefs of the king's campaigns, including his victory over the Sea Peoples. Inside, much of the original paint survives on the columns and ceilings. Your Egyptologist also shows you the smaller chapels built by Hatshepsut and later rulers within the enclosure walls.

Next, visit the Tombs of the Nobles, the burial places of high officials, scribes and priests of the New Kingdom. Unlike the royal tombs, which focus on the afterlife, these are painted with lively scenes of daily life: farming and harvests, fishing and hunting in the marshes, banquets with musicians, craftsmen at work and families together. The colours are often remarkably fresh, and because the tombs are small you can study every detail closely with your guide.

Finish at Deir el-Medina, the village where the craftsmen who cut and painted the royal tombs lived with their families for generations. Walk among the stone foundations of their houses, then step inside their own tombs, which they decorated with great skill and vivid colour. Nearby stands a small, elegant Ptolemaic temple dedicated to Hathor. It is a rare, human glimpse of ordinary lives in ancient Egypt before you return to your hotel.