At some point, you start to doubt whether you’ve traveled everywhere and seen it all, until you come to Luxor. We rode through, and experienced Luxor from horseback in a way that brought tears of happiness to our eyes every day. Ride underneath hundreds of hot air balloons as the sun rises in the background, complete silence besides the occasional gas burner of the balloons passing over you. Flat out gallops in the desert while the sun disappears into the dunes. Swim in the Nile with your horse. You can experience all of these things with Luxor Stable in Egypt, where Nobi and his horses provide guests with an unforgettable Egyptian experience.
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Equestrian meet-up in Luxor Egypt 2023
Equestrian meet-up in Luxor Egypt 2024
On our ride, we were absolutely perfectly matched to our horses. However, if this happens to not be the case, you are free to change horses as much as you would like. Nobi really caters to everyone to guarantee that everyone can experience this amazing ride. Our strong intermediate guest rode Alarma, who is perfect for beginners too. A very stable and bombproof horse that is still alert and loves to go for a gallop, she takes care of her rider super well. Our other guest was an experienced rider but had not been on a horse in over five years so she rode the incredible Sharifa, a super steady horse with a bit more go than Alarma. Sharifa and her rider got along super well and they really fell in love (so did the rest of us by the way). Sharifa gives it her all in the gallops and you don’t need to tell her twice it’s a race! She went zooming past us at full speed every time and her rider had the time of her life. Our strong intermediate guest also had the pleasure of riding Adham on our last ride. Adham is recently rescued and has remarkably quickly recovered from his difficult past by Nobi and his team’s love and care. He is a bit small and has little legs, so not the fastest galloper but an incredible ride for any intermediate rider or nervous experienced rider. I had the pleasure of riding Fayrouz, so I might be a bit biased when I say she’s the best horse at Luxor Stable. All horses are amazing, however Fayrouz will forever have a special place in my heart. She is a young mare and perfect for confident experienced riders. Our first ride she threw some bucks that went up into the heavens and after that we figured out we liked each other and took on everything as a team. She is super curious and wants to look at every single passing thing, if you’re not paying attention she might even get curious and try to go explore one of the side streets or fields! The horses are predominantly Arabian bred, with the addition of thoroughbred blood, and are called Baladi horses, which is a traditional Egyptian breed.
Also read: What is my horse riding experience level?
Nobi Mahmoud is such a pleasure to have as a host. As a local Egyptian he was born to host and has an infectious energy that makes everyone so happy. He goes above and beyond to make your experience lovely and memorable, and above all, authentically Egyptian. You will even be invited to an Egyptian party before leaving, and during your stay you will have a traditional breakfast or dinner with Nobi and his family at his beautiful home.
It’s crazy how much you can see in and around Luxor, Egypt, especially from horseback. You avoid all tourists and ride through the most incredible places. You’ll go on sunrise rides to ride underneath the hot air balloons. Sunset rides in the desert and ride back in the dark through the stunning west bank of Luxor, where local kids greet you left and right. There are endless sugarcane and banana fields, palm trees and mango trees. If that’s not enough, you also get to ride through the mountains by a secret mountain trail, into a valley close to Valley of the Kings where you find beautiful caves and not a single person in sight. You also ride by the Nile, where you will swim with the horses and past temples, statues and heritage sites that will blow your mind. The program is flexible and can be adjusted to your wishes. Nobi noticed we could not possibly get enough of horse riding and when we would leave for a ride he’d tell us to come back whenever and to take our time. We did a 1,5 hour ride the first day as a test ride, and for the rest we did 4, 5 and even 6 to 7 hour rides. The horses are so very fit that they had the same excitement levels every single day. On the full day ride you have breakfast at a locally owned restaurant right in front of Habu temple, stunning! The best time to ride is from late September until late April due to the heat. Riding in summer is also possible, however rides will only go out in the early morning and late evening, otherwise it’s too hot for the horses, and for you!
Mohamed and Mohamed are the fantastic guides of Luxor Stable and are extremely skilled at their job - to make it a big easier we call them big and little Mohamed! Mohamed is great at filming everything, from the gallops to the tranquil sunset rise to the hot air balloons taking off, and he is super steady, so if you are looking to get some amazing videos of you flying through the Egyptian desert you’ve come to the right place. Both guides are extremely knowledgable and will be able to answer questions you might have about Luxor and its surroundings. They are well trained horsemen with a passion for all animals, you can really feel how much they love and care for their horses. It has been a pleasure riding horses around Luxor with them.
The hotel you will stay at is called Sheherazade and has incredible service, the lovely people that work there go above and beyond to make your stay memorable. The style of the hotel is traditional and the artwork around is stunning, truly being able to immerse yourself in Egyptian culture and traditions. The hotel is extremely well maintained and most also have a lovely pool to take a dip in. Dietary requirements can be accommodated. We absolutely loved it at the Sheherazade hotel!
Riding hats are compulsory and I recommend bringing your own, however there are quite a few available at Nobi’s stable that you can lend if you can not manage to bring your own. It will be useful to bring a secure fanny pack to keep your stuff safe while riding and to bring your phone and/or camera. There are also saddle bags available for use. In summer it gets very hot so please make sure to bring light jods and comfortable, closed footwear. It’s also useful to bring a CamelBak with you during hot and longer rides.
When you go on this horse riding holiday, please be respectful of Egyptian and Muslim culture. It is appropriate to cover up your legs and shoulders, so please do not go out in crop tops and short shorts. At the hotel you can of course lounge by the pool in your bikini, so this is for outside the hotel and on horse rides only.
Also read: How many pairs of horse riding jods do I need?!
The price of the one week horse riding holiday in Luxor is 2095 euros.
Included: accommodation (no single supplement!) and breakfast, transport to and from Luxor airport to the stables which is a 40 min minute drive, either lunch or dinner daily, all horse riding activities mentioned, a camel ride, an hour on the Nile in a traditional sailboat or felucca, sharing a traditional meal at Nobi’s home
Excluded: tips (a 10 to 15 percent tip is customary), drinks, either lunch or dinner daily, optional activities, flights, insurance
Good to know: there are now quite a few direct flights from cities in Europe to Luxor, without a layover in Cairo. I recommend having a look on FlightsFrom.com.
There are three programs for horse riding in Luxor you can book. One for beginners and intermediate riders, where non riders are also welcome. Another for experienced riders where non riders are also welcome to join. The last program is specifically for families, no matter the experience level, for kids from 7 years old and up. Nobi takes 2 to 6 riders at a time as small groups allow you to really experience everything. The weight limit for this horse riding holiday is 95 kg.
For non riders Nobi offers horse riding too if you would like to learn to ride, this is only possible to join the beginners and intermediate groups. If you are not looking to learn to ride horses, Nobi offers carriage rides! This way you still get to experience the tranquility, just not from horseback. There are also lots of opportunities to hike and walk around the beautiful town of Luxor and its surroundings. Another activity included in the program is a camel ride through the village and surrounding banana fields. There are optional activities for non riders to do as well, such as visiting the temples around Luxor and the tombs in Valley of the Kings, watching the sunrise from a hot air balloon, quad biking, a day trip to Aswan and visiting the sound and light show at night at Karnak temple.
Please contact me for your booking, and I will send you the appropriate indemnities, information and rider assessment sheets. Together we will find the right program for your experience level and wishes. Payments are done through Wise, you can create an account here which gives you a discounted fee on your first transfer. To confirm your booking you will put down a 30% deposit, and full payment is due 90 days before the start of your horse riding holiday. Please contact me regarding cancellation policies. The next meet-up for experienced riders in Luxor is from 5 to 12 February 2025! Click here to book.
I hope you are just as excited as I am to go horse riding in Luxor! It truly is an experience of a lifetime and unique in the world, something you will never forget. For any horse, nature and culture lover it is an absolute dream come true.
Please do not hesitate to contact me here or on instagram with any questions you might have or if you would like help with booking your horse riding holiday to Luxor, Egypt. I am also more than happy to find the perfect ride for you anywhere else around the world!
