Al Moudira Hotel

simply the best upmarket hotel in Egypt

Al Moudira Hotel is, quite simply, the best accommodation option in the whole of Egypt.

If, like most people, you plan to start your trip in Cairo, before progressing south to Luxor, then this will be the first place where you can really kick back and feel like you are actually on vacation.

The hotel is located in a semi-rural area. This might seem a little out-of-the-way, but, if you can convince your driver to take the dirt road shortcut, you’re actually only about 15 minutes from Medinet Habu and the other main sites of the West Bank, which you can explore at your leisure, without getting involved with the busy city of Luxor.

From the road, the hotel is virtually invisible, but as you stroll down the entrance pathway, it reveals itself in a sequence of magnificent archways, delivering you into a central courtyard which is encircled by elegant public areas.

Although the hotel is modern, the architect clearly had a deep understanding of indigenous design, creating a property of great elegance and integrity.

The hotel has over 50 guest rooms, which are contained within a geometric pattern of buildings, connected by gorgeous garden pathways and colonnaded courtyards. Every room features a large bed, below a colourful Arabic dome.

Another major triumph is the gorgeous swimming pool, with its adjacent dining area, set within a beautiful garden of palm trees and giant cacti.

We should also mention the food, which is truly exceptional, the perfect blend of traditional Egyptian dishes and international haute cuisine.

The staff are very friendly and the service is usually impeccable.

When staying here we have met guests from Europe who spend a week or more at Al Moudira every year. The climate in Luxor during the Nov-Mar winter is unusually reliable and close to perfection.

The usual stay duration is three nights, which gives you plenty of time to take in the sites of the West Bank (Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu Temple, the Ramesseum etc.) and the city (Karnak and Luxor temples, the souk etc.). If you add a further night, then you can visit sites further afield, like Dendera and Abydos (the Osirion).

Al Moudira is so much more than a base from which to explore archaeological sites, it’s somewhere that would be well worth visiting even if there were no significant attractions in the local area. A real treat.

We usually recommend deploying at least three nights in Luxor, since the handful of hotels on the west bank are both unusually high quality and very relaxing.

The more time you spend here, the more likely you are to get under the surface of the place, avoid the crowds and get out to some of the lesser-known sites.

Seasonality

Luxor experiences a conventional northern hemisphere climate, with a pleasantly warm dry winter Nov-Mar and an uncomfortably hot dry summer centred on May-Sep.

During the Nov-Mar winter season the daytime temperatures typically reach a balmy 25C, with night-time temperatures plunging to a chilly 8C. These warm (rather than hot) conditions have led to winter being the most popular time to visit, meaning that visitor numbers reach their peak, especially around Dec-Jan. We therefore recommend November to mid-December and mid-January to March (excluding a week either side of Easter), although even then you probably need to deploy traffic avoidance measures when visiting the key sites.

The month of April represents a transition between winter and summer conditions and, in many ways, offers the best of both worlds, with visitor traffic also being relatively low (except for a week either side of Easter).

During the May-Sep summer season the daytime temperatures typically reach 41C, with nighttime temperatures holding up around 23C. These conditions are generally considered to be too hot and visitor numbers are much reduced.

The month of October represents a transition between summer and winter conditions and, in many ways, offers the best of both worlds, with visitor traffic also being relatively low.

Most trips spend 12-16 nights exploring the Nile Valley in a north to south direction. Luxor usually comes second, after the pyramids in Cairo and before a boat trip down to Aswan.

Getting there

Luxor is usually the second stop on an Egypt trip, after Cairo.

Guests returning to Egypt on subsequent trips may choose to avoid Cairo completely and fly directly into Luxor. Notably there are direct flights from London.

Most of our guests fly from Cairo to Luxor, but it is also possible for more intrepid travellers to take the overnight train.

The most popular way to leave is on a cruise boat, four to five nights south down the river to Aswan. This leg can easily be done in a few hours by train, or can be done by road if you want to visit the various sites along the way.

usually 3-4 nights between Giza and Aswan