Abydos

The drive from Luxor to Abydos (as part of a convoy) takes you through lush fields of sugarcane, swaying palm trees, and picturesque mud-brick villages dotted with pigeon towers. At the end of the trip, the temple appears rather surprisingly amid a cluster of houses and shops, the desert stretching out behind them. Groups are not allowed to visit the temples here, so Abydos is a good place to break away from whatever crowds there might be farther upriver.