Safaga

Safaga is a small industrial port on Egypt's Red Sea coast, about 60 kilometres south of Hurghada. The port itself has little to see or do, but it is the departure point for day trips to Luxor, one of the most important archaeological sites in the world. The drive to Luxor takes about three to four hours each way through flat desert. In Luxor, the East Bank has Karnak Temple, a complex of pylons, obelisks, and hypostyle halls built over more than a thousand years, and Luxor Temple, lit up dramatically at night. The West Bank has the Valley of the Kings, where Tutankhamun's tomb and dozens of others are cut into the limestone hills. A standard day trip covers Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, and the Temple of Hatshepsut. Organised shore excursions are the most common option, since the logistics of independent travel to Luxor from Safaga can be tricky.