The Oldest Temples in the World That You Can Visit With Culture Trip

Giza and Cairo, in the north of Egypt, are the country’s most visited destinations, but no trip to this ancient land is complete without heading south to Luxor. This city is as historically rich as any region of Egypt, most notably being home to the temples of Luxor and Karnak. The former is approximately 3,443 years old, which makes the quality of what remains rather astonishing. You can follow the Avenue of Sphinxes, which lead you directly to the sturdy sandstone entrance, guarded by two statues of Ramesses II. From there you can explore the fascinating remnants of a complex that saw several famous Pharaohs come and go. Our Ultimate Egypt trip features a visit to Luxor Temple at night, when the entire place is gloriously lit-up in candlelight, as well as a visit to Karnak Temple – the baby of the family, at only 2,000+ years old.

Is there a city on Earth that offers such rich historical findings as Athens? Arguably not, as the city’s iconic Acropolis proves. This ancient hilltop citadel is remarkably well-preserved, and it’s most famous landmark is around 2,469 years old. The Parthenon was built as a temple dedicated to the goddess Athena. It also spent time as a Christian church and a mosque, while the structure was supposedly built to replace an even older Parthenon, which was destroyed during the Persian invasion. Today it stands as one of the most symbolic images of ancient Greece, proudly representing the art, architecture and cultural legacy of a civilisation ahead of its time. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the Acropolis on the first full day of our Greek Island Odyssey trip, an island-hopping adventure that goes from Athens to Milos, Naxos and Santorini.

South Korea is famous for its rich Buddhist heritage, best represented by the thousands of temples spread across the country. One of the oldest and most striking being Golgulsa. This unique grotto structure, inspired by the cave complexes of India, was built sometime in the sixth century. Today it is open every single day of the year for visitors to experience the unique phenomenon of Korean temple stays, which you’ll get to have on our Soulful South Korea trip. As well as spending a night within the ancient temple itself, you’ll meet Buddhist monks, dine on traditional veggie delights and take lessons on archery, meditations chants and Sunmudo, a meditative martial art practiced by Korean Buddhists for over a thousand years.