Tour Code: TEG217
- Itinerary
- Reviews
The Dendera Temple and Abydos Temple are two of the best preserved ancient temples in Egypt, standing out for bright colors and delicate reliefs. Both of them are to the north of Luxor: The Dendera Temple is about 87 km (54 mi) north while the Abydos Temple is 175km (109 mi) north; so it is a nice plan to visit them in one day.
► There are three regular ways to get to the two temples from Luxor:
• Taxi:
This is the most convenient and fastest way. It takes about 3 hours to travel from Luxor to Abydos, 1.5 hours from Abydos to Dendera and another 1.5 hours back to Luxor. In addition to the time consumed on the way, you will have about 2 hours to sightsee in each temple. So if your budget permit, this is the most recommended way. The cost is EGP800-1,200 per taxi per day.
• Tour bus:
There are many one-day group tours to Abydos Temple and Dendera Temple every day. You may consult the details from local travel agencies or your hotel. Because they are mostly big groups with 20-40 members, the price is not high. But you may need to set off very early and the sightseeing time is not so enough.
• Train:
If by train, you may travel this way: firstly take a train from Luxor to El-Balyana nearby Abydos, then to Qena not far from Dendera, and at last back to Luxor. Please note that El-Balyana is a very small train station not included into the online train ticket booking system yet, so you need to buy the ticket in advance in the Luxor Train Station. Also, for overseas travelers, it's kind of challenging to travel to Abydos and Dendera by train. But it is commonly recognized as the cheapest way.
A train travel itinerary for reference:
Luxor to El-Balyana: By train, 04: 50am - 08:00am
El-Balyana to the Abydos Temple: By taxi, about 20 minutes
Visit the Abydos Temple: 08: 30am - 10:00am
Back to El-Balyana: By taxi，about 20 minutes
El-Balyana to Qena: By train, 11:00am - 1:40pm
Qena to the Dendera Temple: By taxi, about 15 minutes
Visit the Dendera Temple: 02:00pm - 04:30pm
Back to Qena: By taxi, about 15 minutes
Qena to Luxor: By Train, 06:00pm - 07:20pm
Warm tips:
• The above train travel itinerary is planned on the premise that all trains arrive on time. But in Egypt, train delay is very common, so you may need to adjust the itinerary accordingly and properly on the traveling day.
• Usually, there is no English broadcasting service onboard. You'd better ask the railway staff to remind you to get off in advance.
• Nowadays, overseas tourists are allowed to visit the Dendera Temple and the Abydos Temple without the police escort. But when you arrive by train, the station police will still check your passport and register. In some cases, they even appoint taxi drivers for overseas tourists.
► Recent Admission Fees
The must-sees of Abydos Temple include the Temple of Seti I, the Abydos King List and Spaceship Sculpture. The entrance ticket fare is EGP100 per person and the camera ticket is EGP300.
The top attractions in the Dendera Temple are the Dendera Zodiac in the Temple of Hathor and the Dendera Light, which is really like a modern light. The admission fee is EGP120 per person and the camera ticket is EGP300.
► There are three regular ways to get to the two temples from Luxor:
• Taxi:
This is the most convenient and fastest way. It takes about 3 hours to travel from Luxor to Abydos, 1.5 hours from Abydos to Dendera and another 1.5 hours back to Luxor. In addition to the time consumed on the way, you will have about 2 hours to sightsee in each temple. So if your budget permit, this is the most recommended way. The cost is EGP800-1,200 per taxi per day.
• Tour bus:
There are many one-day group tours to Abydos Temple and Dendera Temple every day. You may consult the details from local travel agencies or your hotel. Because they are mostly big groups with 20-40 members, the price is not high. But you may need to set off very early and the sightseeing time is not so enough.
• Train:
If by train, you may travel this way: firstly take a train from Luxor to El-Balyana nearby Abydos, then to Qena not far from Dendera, and at last back to Luxor. Please note that El-Balyana is a very small train station not included into the online train ticket booking system yet, so you need to buy the ticket in advance in the Luxor Train Station. Also, for overseas travelers, it's kind of challenging to travel to Abydos and Dendera by train. But it is commonly recognized as the cheapest way.
A train travel itinerary for reference:
Luxor to El-Balyana: By train, 04: 50am - 08:00am
El-Balyana to the Abydos Temple: By taxi, about 20 minutes
Visit the Abydos Temple: 08: 30am - 10:00am
Back to El-Balyana: By taxi，about 20 minutes
El-Balyana to Qena: By train, 11:00am - 1:40pm
Qena to the Dendera Temple: By taxi, about 15 minutes
Visit the Dendera Temple: 02:00pm - 04:30pm
Back to Qena: By taxi, about 15 minutes
Qena to Luxor: By Train, 06:00pm - 07:20pm
Warm tips:
• The above train travel itinerary is planned on the premise that all trains arrive on time. But in Egypt, train delay is very common, so you may need to adjust the itinerary accordingly and properly on the traveling day.
• Usually, there is no English broadcasting service onboard. You'd better ask the railway staff to remind you to get off in advance.
• Nowadays, overseas tourists are allowed to visit the Dendera Temple and the Abydos Temple without the police escort. But when you arrive by train, the station police will still check your passport and register. In some cases, they even appoint taxi drivers for overseas tourists.
► Recent Admission Fees
The must-sees of Abydos Temple include the Temple of Seti I, the Abydos King List and Spaceship Sculpture. The entrance ticket fare is EGP100 per person and the camera ticket is EGP300.
The top attractions in the Dendera Temple are the Dendera Zodiac in the Temple of Hathor and the Dendera Light, which is really like a modern light. The admission fee is EGP120 per person and the camera ticket is EGP300.
This trip can be customized to meet your individual needs!