Beit Sabee

not as good as the fantastic boats to which it is related

Beit Sabee is a relatively simple accommodation option in the Luxor area.

If your prime areas of interest are the fabulous archaeological sites of the West Bank (Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens etc.), then staying in this vicinity makes an enormous amount of sense.

We would usually consider this guesthouse to be too simple, but the fact that it is owned by the guys from Nour el Nil (the operators of the best small boats on the Nile) ensures that it is reliable and well-serviced.

The property is well-located in a local village, close to the scenic temple at Medinet Habu, although the ubiquitous modern security wall between the village and the desert area is less than attractive.

The building itself is very modest from the outside, but the public spaces in the central courtyard and up on the roof are pleasant.

Guest accommodation is in 15 colourful and characterful rooms, each with a modest private bathroom. In truth, the room images above are a little over-flattering.

We usually recommend a three night stay, which gives you two full days in this rural area, preferably including lesser-visited sites like Medinet Habu temple, usually only venturing into the busy city to see Karnak temple on the day of departure. If you add a fourth night, then you can add the fascinating and much more remote archaeological sites at Dendera and Abydos.

If you prefer something more opulent, then Al Moudira Hotel is the stand-out option.

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