Upper Egypt · Destination guide
Ancient Thebes rebuilt in stone — Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the Nile all within a few miles of each other.
Get your bearings
Luxor stands on the site of Thebes, capital of Egypt at the height of its power, and it packs more ancient monuments into a few square miles than any other town on the Nile. The river splits it in two: the East Bank, where the living built Karnak and Luxor Temple, and the West Bank, where they buried their kings in the hills above the floodplain.
Karnak alone is the largest religious complex ever built — a forest of stone columns added to by pharaoh after pharaoh for two thousand years. Across the river, the Valley of the Kings hides the rock-cut tombs of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses VI, their painted ceilings still bright after three thousand years.
Most travellers reach Luxor by a short flight from Cairo and use it as the northern end of a Nile cruise down to Aswan. Two nights covers the headline sites; three lets you cross the river slowly, drift up at dawn in a balloon, and give Karnak the morning it deserves.
What you're really here to see
01The largest religious building ever raised, expanded by thirty pharaohs over two millennia. The Great Hypostyle Hall packs 134 columns so vast that a dozen people can stand on a single capital. Go early, before the light goes flat and the coaches arrive.
Half day · go at opening
02Sixty-three tombs cut into the limestone of the West Bank, Tutankhamun's among them. The painted walls still carry their original colour — gods, star-ceilings and the king's journey through the underworld, rendered for an audience of one.
Tickets cover 3 tombs
03Egypt's most architecturally modern monument — three colonnaded terraces rising straight out of the cliff at Deir el-Bahari. Built for the woman who ruled as pharaoh, it looks more like the 20th century than the 15th century BC.
1–2 hours
04Right in the middle of town and best after dark, when the floodlights catch the colonnade and the avenue of sphinxes that once ran the full three kilometres to Karnak. An easy walk from most hotels for a cool evening hour.
Best at night
Time to allow
Luxor is denser than it looks. The honest sum on how long to give it.
Karnak and the Valley of the Kings in a single hard day — common on a cruise turnaround, but both get short-changed.
East Bank one day (Karnak, Luxor Temple), West Bank the next (Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon). The right minimum.
Add a dawn balloon over the West Bank, the workers' village at Deir el-Medina, and the quieter tombs of the nobles.
Start a 3–4 night Nile cruise here and let the boat carry you south past Edfu and Kom Ombo to Aswan.
Where it fits
Luxor is the northern hinge of Upper Egypt — the start of the river journey and a short hop from Cairo.
Board a 3–4 night Nile cruise to Aswan, stopping at Edfu and Kom Ombo along the way.
A 70-minute flight returns you to the Pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
A sunrise hot-air balloon over the Valley of the Kings and the green floodplain — Luxor's signature morning.
Hurghada is a 4-hour drive or short flight for a beach finish after the temples.
From the catalogue
A six-day private tour of Egypt using hotels from start to finish, with no Nile cruise. You spend two nights in Cairo, one in Luxor and two in Aswan, joined by internal flights and a private road journey by way of Edfu and Kom Ombo. With a private Egyptologist you visit the Giza pyramids and the Grand Egyptian Museum, both banks of Luxor, Abu Simbel, Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk.
This five-day itinerary follows the Nile from Luxor to Aswan, with visits to temples and archaeological sites along the way. In Luxor, the programme includes Karnak Temple and the West Bank, including the Valley of the Kings. Further south, Edfu is known for its Ptolemaic Temple of Horus, while Kom Ombo is dedicated to the gods Sobek and Horus. In Aswan, the itinerary includes Philae Temple, which stands on Agilkia Island, and the Aswan High Dam. We arrange the accommodation, transfers and guided visits, with an English-speaking Egyptologist for sightseeing. Unlike shorter three-night Nile itineraries, this programme includes visits to both Edfu and Kom Ombo.
We operate this 8-day itinerary from Hurghada to Luxor and Aswan as a licensed Egyptian Destination Management Company (licensed by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism – ETAA). You spend 7 nights on a comfortable Nile cruise with full-board dining and daily guided shore excursions led by our certified Egyptologists. Transfers Hurghada ⇄ Luxor (embark and disembark) and all cruise transfers are included, and we run the full-day Abu Simbel excursion from Aswan by private road transfer. This package includes standard archaeological site entrance fees (the Valley of the Kings ticket included here covers entrance to three tombs). Small-group or private options and a la carte upgrades (for example, a private cabin, premium tomb entrances, or domestic flights) are available on request – we tailor the trip to your preferences and advise on timing, modest dress requirements, and practical trade-offs such as early starts or walking on uneven ancient stone.
A 13-day guided holiday combining Alexandria, Cairo, a three-night Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor, and a Red Sea break in Hurghada. We arrange domestic flights, private transfers and a dedicated Egyptologist throughout. This itinerary suits travellers who want museum and city sightseeing in Cairo and Alexandria followed by the paced sightseeing a short Nile cruise affords, then four nights for snorkeling and beach time in Hurghada. As a licensed Egyptian tour operator, we book the hotels and cruise with local suppliers and manage timings so you move comfortably between cities.
This eight-day Luxor round trip follows the Nile between Luxor and Aswan, with visits to major temples and river towns. In Luxor, the itinerary includes Karnak Temple and the West Bank, including the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple. Further south, sightseeing includes Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae Temple. We arrange the accommodation, transfers and guided visits with an English-speaking Egyptologist. Unlike one-way Nile itineraries, a Luxor round trip begins and ends in Luxor; the listed route also includes stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo. Standard entrance fees for guided sights listed in the itinerary are included. The specific meal plan follows the itinerary.
This nine-day land tour links Cairo, Alexandria, Aswan and Luxor, with private Egyptologist guiding at the major attractions named in the itinerary. In Cairo, visits include the Giza Plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum, Old Cairo and Khan El-Khalili; Alexandria brings the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Qaitbay Citadel. In Aswan, the itinerary includes Philae Temple, the Unfinished Obelisk and Aswan High Dam, followed by Luxor’s East and West Banks. We arrange the accommodation, transfers and transport between cities. Unlike fixed-seat group coach tours, sightseeing here is by private vehicle with an Egyptologist guide.
This 10-day Egypt tour combines Cairo’s ancient monuments, Alexandria’s Mediterranean setting, a seven-night Nile cruise and time on the Red Sea coast in Hurghada. In Cairo, visit the Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, the Valley Temple of Khafre and the Grand Egyptian Museum, followed by an Old Cairo programme covering Coptic, Islamic and Jewish heritage. Your Egyptologist accompanies visits to Luxor West Bank, Karnak Temple, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae Temple and Aswan’s High Dam. An overland excursion from Aswan reaches Abu Simbel, where Ramses II’s temple and the Temple of Nefertari stand beside Lake Nasser. Discovery Tours Egypt is a licensed Egyptian tour operator arranging the hotels, cruise vessel, guides and transport.
Your holiday opens in Cairo, where an Egyptologist guides you around the Giza Plateau, the Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. A short flight then brings you to Luxor for a day on both sides of the river: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s terraced temple and the Colossi of Memnon, followed by Karnak and Luxor Temple. After a night in Luxor you head to Esna to join your dahabiya, a graceful two-masted boat with only a handful of cabins. Four nights on board, all meals included, bring visits to the temples at Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo, before you go ashore at Aswan to see Philae, the High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk. You fly back to Cairo for a final night. As dahabiyas board on Mondays, the holiday begins on a Friday. Hotels, cabin, flights and transfers are all organised by us with trusted local partners.
Over eight days this holiday pairs Cairo’s great monuments with a four-night Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan, travelling between the two by overnight sleeper train rather than by air. That keeps the cost down and turns two travel days into nights on the move. In Cairo, an Egyptologist guides you around the Giza Plateau, the Great Sphinx and the Grand Egyptian Museum. On the cruise you visit Karnak and Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahari, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae and the Aswan High Dam. Standard entrance fees are included; pyramid interiors, premium tombs such as Tutankhamun and Seti I, and extras such as Abu Simbel are available on request. We arrange the hotel, the cruise cabin, the train compartments and every transfer, through trusted local partners.
Every way in
Day trips, classic multi-day tours, Nile cruises, hotels and private transfers – every part of an Egypt trip can be arranged from Luxor. Start wherever makes sense.
Hotel pickup, a private Egyptologist, half or full day.
2–15 day private itineraries, hotels and guides included.
Pair Luxor with a 3–4 night river cruise in one trip.
Aswan ↔ Luxor sailings, dahabiyas and classic cruisers.
5★ and boutique stays, hand-picked by our team.
Private meet-and-greet from the airport to your hotel.
Best time to visit
Luxor sits in the desert south, so the seasons bite harder than on the coast.
22–30°C and clear — ideal for long mornings among the temples, and proper winter sun when the UK is grey. It's peak season, so book the balloon and hotels ahead, especially December and February half-term.
40–45°C by midday. Sightseeing is a dawn-only affair, but prices fall sharply and the sites are nearly empty before 9am.
Karnak's evening show is a gentle way to see the complex lit up once the heat drops — worth an hour on a first night.
Flights run almost year-round but cancel in high wind. Build a spare morning into the plan if the balloon is a must.
The practical part
Small, walkable and split by the river — the practical part.
Luxor has its own airport (LXR), about 20 minutes from the East Bank, with several daily flights from Cairo and seasonal international charters.
The West Bank tombs are a short drive over the bridge or a few minutes by local ferry. We run the West Bank as a guided half-day by private car.
The East Bank sites are walkable or a quick caleche ride; the West Bank needs a car. A private Egyptologist turns the tombs from pretty to legible.
Valley of the Kings entry covers three tombs; Tutankhamun, Seti I and Nefertari carry separate tickets. We pre-arrange the ones worth the upgrade.
Common questions
Two full days is the comfortable minimum — one for the East Bank (Karnak and Luxor Temple) and one for the West Bank (the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon). A third day adds the dawn balloon and the quieter tombs.
Karnak is the vast temple complex on the edge of town, built over two thousand years; Luxor Temple is the smaller, elegant one in the centre, best seen floodlit at night. An avenue of sphinxes once connected the two.
Yes. Your ticket covers three tombs, and the painted walls are extraordinary — gods, hieroglyphs and star-ceilings still in their original colour. Tutankhamun's tomb and the long, deep tomb of Seti I are worth the separate tickets.
By Nile cruise — a 3–4 night sailing south past Edfu and Kom Ombo is the classic way and the most scenic. There's also a 3-hour drive or a short domestic flight if you're not cruising.
Operators are licensed and fly at dawn in calm conditions, cancelling in high wind. It's one of the most popular things to do in Luxor — at sunrise the temples and the green floodplain spread out below you and the Nile catches the first light.
The East Bank has most hotels, restaurants and the two big temples within walking distance — the easy choice for a first visit. The West Bank is quieter and closer to the tombs, better for a second stay or a slower pace.
Plan your trip
Tell us your dates and what you want out of Luxor – we'll send a private, tailored itinerary within 24 hours. Cairo · Luxor · Aswan · Hurghada · Marsa Alam · Sharm El Sheikh, on the ground since 1988.
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