Luxor
Ancient Thebes: the temples of Karnak and Luxor on one bank, the royal tombs of the Valley of the Kings on the other.
Luxor stands on the site of Thebes, capital of Egypt in the New Kingdom. On the East Bank, the Karnak temple complex and Luxor Temple are linked by the restored Avenue of Sphinxes. On the West Bank lie the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, the terraced temple of Hatshepsut, Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon.
Many visitors take a sunrise hot-air balloon over the West Bank, weather permitting. Luxor is also the start or end of most Nile cruises, and the base for day trips to Dendera and Abydos. On 2 August 2027 the path of a total solar eclipse crosses Luxor, with totality of up to about 6 minutes 23 seconds nearby (NASA).
- Best time
- October to April; summer is very hot, so visits start at dawn. 2 August 2027 for the eclipse — plan early.
- Getting there
- About one hour by air from Cairo; overnight sleeper train; about four hours by road from Hurghada.
- Where to stay
- East Bank hotels on the Corniche, or quieter West Bank guesthouses near the tombs.
Top sights
- 1
Karnak Temple
The largest temple complex of ancient Egypt, with the Great Hypostyle Hall.
- 2
Valley of the Kings
Royal tombs of the New Kingdom; the standard ticket covers a set of tombs, with some tombs ticketed separately.
- 3
Temple of Hatshepsut
The terraced mortuary temple of Egypt’s best-known female pharaoh at Deir el-Bahari.
- 4
Sunrise balloon flight
Optional, weather-dependent flights over the West Bank, booked with licensed operators.
Places in this region
Karnak · Luxor Temple · Valley of the Kings · Valley of the Queens · Temple of Hatshepsut · Medinet Habu · Colossi of Memnon · Sunrise balloon (optional) · Dendera · Abydos
Gallery
Programs that visit Luxor
4 daysAswan, Abu Simbel & Luxor in 4 days
Fly south to Aswan, see Abu Simbel at dawn, drive the temple road to Luxor and finish in the Valley of the Kings.
Aswan & Abu Simbel · Luxor
8 daysClassic Egypt in 8 days with a Nile cruise
Cairo and the pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, then three nights on the Nile from Aswan to Luxor with Abu Simbel as an option.
Cairo & Giza · Aswan & Abu Simbel · Luxor
11 daysEgypt in 11 days: private Nile cruise & Red Sea
The length travellers choose most: Cairo, four nights on the Nile from Luxor to Aswan, Abu Simbel, then three days by the Red Sea.
Cairo & Giza · Luxor · Aswan & Abu Simbel · Red Sea
14 daysGrand Egypt in 14 days
Everything in one journey: Cairo, Saqqara, Alexandria, Aswan and Abu Simbel, a Nile cruise, a Luxor balloon at sunrise and the Red Sea.
Cairo & Giza · Alexandria · Aswan & Abu Simbel · Luxor · Red Sea
5 daysLuxor total solar eclipse 2027 — 5 days
Cairo and the GEM, then Luxor for the eclipse of 2 August 2027 — up to 6 min 23 s of totality over ancient Thebes.
Cairo & Giza · Luxor
2 daysLuxor in 2 days — East Bank, West Bank & sunrise balloon
Karnak and Luxor Temple on the East Bank, then an optional sunrise balloon and the West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon.
Luxor
6 daysAswan, Luxor, Dendera & Abydos — Upper Egypt in 6 days
Aswan and Abu Simbel, a Nubian village, the temple road to Luxor, then Dendera and Abydos — two of Egypt’s finest temples — and the West Bank.
Aswan & Abu Simbel · Luxor
21 daysEgypt in 21 days — Nile, desert and Red Sea
Three weeks across Egypt: Cairo, Alexandria, Fayoum and the White Desert, Aswan and Abu Simbel, a Nile cruise, Luxor, Dendera and Abydos, and the Red Sea.
Cairo & Giza · Alexandria · Desert & oases · Aswan & Abu Simbel · Luxor · Red Sea
30 daysThe grand journey: Egypt in 30 days
A month across Egypt: Cairo, Alexandria and El Alamein, Siwa, Fayoum, the White Desert, Middle Egypt, Abydos and Dendera, Luxor, a Nile cruise, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Red Sea.
Cairo & Giza · Alexandria · Desert & oases · Luxor · Aswan & Abu Simbel · Red Sea
Other destinations
Useful for this trip
Questions travellers ask
How many days do I need in Luxor?
Two days cover the East and West Banks. Add a day for Dendera and Abydos, or join a Nile cruise to Aswan.
When is the 2027 total solar eclipse in Luxor?
On Monday 2 August 2027, during the day. Hotels fill early, so we recommend asking for a written quote well in advance.
Is the hot-air balloon flight safe?
Flights run only with licensed operators and are cancelled in unsuitable wind. We book them as an optional extra.
Contact us for a quote
Tell us the basics; you receive a WF reference.