Walking into Medinet Habu Temple – Luxor, Egypt
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How to Get to Medinet Habu Temple
Medinet Habu Temple is located on the West Bank in Luxor, nearby Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut. Luxor can be reached via air from Cairo; search the best flight prices here. If you’re planning a trip to Luxor, your best bet would be to hire a guide/driver and ask them to include Medinet Habu Temple as one of your stops. I would highly recommend the company Aswan Individual, as they can easily arrange a tour of the West Bank that will include a stop at Medinet Habu Temple. This is the same company that I used on our day trip from Aswan to Abu Simbel, and they were fantastic and reliable! Of course, the Nile Cruises also start or end in Luxor.
We loved cruising the Nile with Mayfair Cruises!
Hotels near Medinet Habu Temple
When staying in Luxor, you need to decide if you want to stay on the East Bank or the West Bank. They are connected by a bridge if traveling via car/driver, or you could get from one side to the other on a local motorboat. Personally, we stayed on the East Bank and I’m happy that we did — it appears more developed, and the Karnak Temple Complex and Luxor Temple are both lovely at sunset (whereas the Valley of the Kings, for example, would be underwhelming at that time of day). Plus, the airport is on the East Bank, which was incredibly convenient.
That said, I’d recommend staying at the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa, and hiring a driver/guide to take you to Medinet Habu Temple and the West Bank. The Hilton Luxor was a beautiful property, situated right along the Nile. They boast an infinity pool blending in with the Nile and stunning sunset views.
Overlooking the Nile during Sunset at the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa
Facts About Medinet Habu Temple
Now that you know how to get there and where to stay…why would you want to go to Medinet Habu Temple? Well, let me put it this way: it is one of Egypt’s best kept secrets.
Incredibly preserved hieroglyphics at Medinet Habu Temple
Medinet Habu Temple isn’t on the itinerary for most Niles cruises — and most people that visit Luxor see the main sites through a cruise excursion. So, with that being said, there were very little crowds. The few tourists that were there were extremely polite Egyptian tourists, according to our guide.
Blown away that the color still remains – Habu Temple
The Medinet Habu Temple is also known as the Mortuary Temple of Ramses III and has unbelievably preserved statues, details, and colors. The facade isn’t obstructed with any chairs set up for a light and sound show (like with the Temple of Edfu, for instance) and provides ample angles from which to observe.
Colossal statues – Habu Temple Luxor
Unlike every other temple that we saw throughout our time in Egypt, the hieroglyphics and other engravings were inches deep and not seemingly scratched on the surface. Pair that with the colorful pillars, intricate images, and colossal statues, and you have one beautiful temple. The most well-known reliefs at Medinet Habu Temple refer to the defeat of the Libyans under the rule of Ramses III; the relief I most remember is one where you can see scribes counting the number of enemies that were killed, as represented by a pile of hands and a pile of male genitals. Gruesome, I know.
Beautiful intricacies at Medinet Habu Temple
This just scratches the surface on why Medinet Habu Temple is worth a visit, but I must leave you with some reason to go and visit for yourself…
One of the best temples in Luxor – Habu Temple
Map of Medinet Habu Temple
To help with orientation, I have provided you with a map of Medinet Habu Temple below in relation to other key sites to visit in Luxor. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment!
Luxor International Airport
Hilton Resort & Spa
Medinet Habu Temple
Valley of the Kings
Luxor Temple
Karnak Temple
What To Wear in Egypt – Travel Packing List
When planning my trip to Egypt, I figured out all of the sites that I wanted to see, but realized that I didn’t actually know what to wear in Egypt! Unlike places like Oman, you do not need to be covered wrists to ankles, nor do you need to have your head and shoulders covered at all times (unless, of course, you’re entering a place of worship). That said, it is important to adhere to local cultures and customs, so I do recommend wearing moderate, loose-fitting clothing. It’s particularly important to have a sun hat to keep away those rays, sunblock, bug spray wipes, and comfortable walking shoes (I fell in love with these and used them daily). To view my travel packing list, with all of my travel essentials – and I mean all of them – head on over to this article I wrote to pick and choose your favorite items!
How To Purchase Things In Egypt
Before you leave for your next trip, I highly recommend opening a free Charles Schwab High Yield Investor Checking account. I know that might sound a bit overwhelming, but don’t worry, you don’t need to be an investor to open an account! This provides you with your own Schwab Bank Visa Platinum Debit Card, which offers a ton of benefits both at home and overseas. I’ve been using a Charles Schwab Debit Card since 2011, and it’s honestly the best free travel card out there. Why is that so? Well, you can withdraw from any ATM around the world, and Charles Schwab will reimburse you any ATM fees! They also don’t charge foreign transaction fees either, which is, of course, important when you travel. It is worth noting there there is no minimum balance requirement and that they offer free online transfers between accounts (so it’s totally fine if you have another credit card, debit card, or bank account with another company). Open your Charles Schwab account today – FOR FREE – by following this link.
Do You Have Travel Insurance?
You need travel insurance if you want to visit Egypt! As a rule of thumb, you should always have travel insurance when you leave your home country. Travel insurance is arguably the most important thing to have on hand (after your passports and visas). I’ve had to use my travel insurance multiple times on the road, even though I’m healthy. You never know when something might happen; take comfort in knowing that whether your flight gets cancelled or you wind up sick and in the hospital, you will be covered.
For any place that has faced a series of destabilizing events in recent years, be sure to select a plan that covers terrorism and political unrest. While I felt entirely safe in Egypt, as with anywhere in the world, you never know what could happen and it’s always better to be safe than sorry! I recommend World Nomads Travel Insurance for each and every one of you, as I used them on my most recent trip to Egypt too.. You can get a free quote here.
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