For repeat visitors to Luxor, this full-day journey off the beaten track to Abydos is highly rewarding, heading north from Luxor along the Nile’s fertile banks. At its heart, Abydos is an ancient temple dedicated to the deities of Osiris, Isis and Horus. Covering 5sq miles and dominated by the great temple of Seti I, the vast site was the burial ground of pharaohs from as far back as the 1st dynasty, and reputedly includes the resting place of the Scorpion King, made famous by the Hollywood film The Mummy Returns.