Creative Garagos

Just 25 kilometres outside Luxor lies the small town of Garagos. It is the heart of a thriving pottery industry started by two French monks in the early 20th century. The pottery that comes from Garagos is very charming and in high demand. And getting it at the source means getting the best price! Always nice eh?

We leave Luxor on the convoy that also goes to Abydos, but we veer away from it to dive deep into the small rural villages. If we’re lucky, we’ll pass the sugar cane trains on the way. On this trip, you will see the real Egypt, how people really live and go about their daily lives. It is fascinating!

At the site of the pottery workshop – also a monastery and built by the renowned architect Hassan Fathy, by the way – we get a guided tour showing us the process from start to finish. And then we dive into the shop and the storeroom, a real treasure trove of ceramic goodies.

Tip: As this particular excursion is only a quarter day really, you can easily combine it with a visit to the lovely Montu Temple at Medamud, as both places are in the same direction out of Luxor.

Price: 25 euros per person
Price for Garagos and Medamud, 60 euros per person

Includes: set-up, transport, explanation