There’s a moment on every Luxor day that catches people off guard. It isn’t always the one they expected. Sometimes it’s standing inside a painted tomb corridor and realising the blues and golds overhead are three thousand years old and still bright. Sometimes it’s the silence at Hatshepsut’s temple before the coaches arrive. And sometimes it’s nothing more than the drive back at dusk, with sugarcane on one side and the Theban hills going pink on the other.
We’re Egypt Luxury Trips, a private travel company based in Luxor, and we plan those days for a living.
This page walks you through our tours of Luxor — what each one covers, how long it takes, what’s included, and how to choose between them. No fixed group departures, no shared coaches, no schedule you have to keep up with. Every itinerary listed here runs privately by default: your own licensed Egyptologist guide, your own air-conditioned vehicle, your own pace.
If you’re weighing up Luxor day tours, deciding between a half day and a full day, or wondering whether to add a balloon at sunrise, the answers are below.
Why Luxor Is Worth the Days You Give It
Luxor sits in Upper Egypt, spread across the east and west banks of the Nile. The east bank is the living city — the Corniche, the markets, Karnak and Luxor Temple lit up after dark. The west bank is the necropolis: the Valley of the Kings, the tombs of nobles and workmen, mortuary temples built into the cliffs.
We usually recommend two to four days here, and October to April is the most comfortable window for visiting. Two days covers the essentials without rushing. Three lets you slow down, add museums and local food, and start noticing the city rather than just its monuments.
Top sights to anchor your visit:
- Karnak Temple — a monumental complex that rewards time and context
- Valley of the Kings — royal tombs, colour, symbolism, and the west bank’s strongest stories
- Luxor Temple — beautifully lit in the evening, right in the middle of town
- Hatshepsut Temple — a dramatic cliffside landmark with real political history behind it
Our Tours of Luxor at a Glance
Here’s the quick comparison. Details on each follow below.
| Tour | Duration | Focus | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full-Day Luxor Tour: East & West Banks | Approx. 8 hours | Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Colossi, Karnak, Luxor Temple | Private |
| Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut Temple Tour | Approx. 6 hours | West Bank: three tombs, Deir el-Bahari, Colossi | Private |
| Karnak & Luxor Temples Tour | Approx. 4 hours | East Bank temples | Private |
| Valley of the Nobles, Deir el-Medina & Medinet Habu | Approx. 4 hours | Painted noble tombs, workmen’s village, Medinet Habu | Private |
| Luxor Hot-Air-Balloon Ride | Approx. 2 hours incl. transfers | Sunrise flight over the West Bank | Private |
| Luxor Museum & Mummification Museum | Guided visit | Royal statues, reliefs, embalming | Private |
| Luxor City Tour by Horse-Drawn Carriage | Guided visit | Corniche, markets, Avenue of Sphinxes | Private |
| Felucca Ride on the Nile in Luxor | Guided visit | Sunset sail, tea on board | Private |
| Karnak Temple Sound & Light Show | Evening | Karnak after dark | Private |
| Dendera & Abydos Temples Tour | Full day | Seti I’s temple, Dendera’s zodiac ceiling | Private |
| Dendera Temple Half-Day Tour | Half day | Temple of Hathor, crypts | Private |
| Edfu & Kom Ombo Temples from Luxor | Full day | Two temples, round trip | Private |
| Esna & El-Kab Day Tour | Full day | Temple of Khnum, rock-cut tombs | Private |
The Full Day: Both Banks of Luxor in One Go
If you only have a single day and want the headline sites covered properly, this is the one.
Our Full-Day Luxor Tour: East and West Banks runs approximately 8 hours, starting with hotel or Nile cruise pickup in Luxor.
How the day unfolds:
- Pickup and Colossi of Memnon. Your guide meets you, and the day opens on the West Bank with a photo stop at the two seated statues. It sets the scale before anything else.
- Valley of the Kings. You enter three open royal tombs covered by the standard ticket, with your Egyptologist explaining the New Kingdom burial landscape.
- Temple of Queen Hatshepsut. The terraces, colonnades and surviving reliefs at Deir el-Bahari close out the morning.
- Lunch, then Karnak Temple. After lunch at a local restaurant, you cross to the East Bank for the gateways, the Great Hypostyle Hall, the obelisks and the Sacred Lake.
- Luxor Temple and return. You finish at the riverside temple built principally by Amenhotep III and expanded by Ramses II, then head back to your hotel or cruise.
| ✅ Included | ❌ Not included |
|---|---|
| Hotel or cruise pickup and return in Luxor | Entry to the tombs of Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses VI |
| Private air-conditioned transport | Any sites or services not mentioned |
| Entrance fees to the listed sites | Personal expenses |
| Lunch at a local restaurant | Tipping |
| Private English-speaking Egyptologist guide | |
| Bottled water | |
| Service charges and taxes |
Optional add-on: Special tombs are available on request — ask us to confirm availability and price.
Half a Day, Done Properly
Not everyone wants eight hours. Two of our most-requested Luxor half day tours split the city cleanly in two — and if you want the West Bank logistics in more depth, read our guide to Luxor West Bank private tours.
Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple Tour — Approx. 6 Hours
This Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple Tour stays on the West Bank the whole time, door to door from your Luxor hotel or your docked cruise ship.
You cross the river by private vehicle, and your guide uses the drive to set up the geography of the day, so you arrive already knowing what you’re looking at. In the Valley, your standard ticket covers three tombs drawn from a rotating selection set by Egypt’s antiquities authority. Which tombs are open changes day to day — so your guide confirms the day’s options on arrival rather than promising a fixed list months ahead. We’d rather tell you that now than have you discover it at the gate.
From the tombs you continue to Hatshepsut’s temple, cut into the cliff face in three flat terraces — one of the only structures in Egypt built that way, and the work of the only woman who ruled as pharaoh in her own right. The reliefs claiming her divine birth were political argument in stone, made to justify a throne much of her court never fully accepted.
A short stop at the Colossi of Memnon finishes the loop. Two eighteen-metre statues of Amenhotep III standing alone in open fields, the last survivors of what was once the largest mortuary temple on the West Bank.
Included: pickup and return in Luxor (hotel or docked cruise ship), private air-conditioned transport, standard entrance fees to all three sites, a qualified Egyptologist guide, bottled water, taxes and service charges.
Not included: special royal tomb tickets (Tutankhamun’s included), meals, additional services, tipping.
Practical note from our guides: the terraces at Deir el-Bahari are fully exposed to sun. A hat and water matter more there than they do inside the tombs.
Karnak and Luxor Temples Tour — Approx. 4 Hours
The East Bank counterpart. Our Karnak and Luxor Temples Tour starts at Karnak, walking the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes and entering through the monumental pylons before reaching the Great Hypostyle Hall, the surviving obelisks and the Sacred Lake. Then on to Luxor Temple, once connected to Karnak by that same processional avenue, with its courts, colonnades and colossal statues of Ramses II.
Included: pickup and return in Luxor, private air-conditioned vehicle, entrance fees to both temples, a qualified Egyptologist guide, bottled water, taxes and service charges.
Not included: meals, additional attractions, personal expenses, tipping.
Valley of the Nobles, Deir el-Medina and Medinet Habu — Approx. 4 Hours
For travellers who’ve already done the Valley of the Kings, or who simply prefer the quieter corners: painted noble tombs, the workmen’s village at Deir el-Medina, and Medinet Habu, with an Egyptologist guide. See the full programme on our Valley of the Nobles, Deir el-Medina and Medinet Habu tour page.
Sunrise from Above: The Luxor Hot-Air-Balloon Ride
Approximately 2 hours including local transfers, and the earliest alarm of your trip. Worth it. Here’s how our Luxor hot-air-balloon ride works.
You’re collected before dawn and transferred to the Nile for a motorboat crossing to the West Bank, with tea, coffee and a light snack before the launch process begins. At the launch site you watch the crew inflate the balloon and take the safety briefing before boarding.
The flight itself runs approximately 45 minutes over Luxor’s West Bank, subject to wind direction and aviation conditions — fields, villages, desert hills and ancient monuments below as the light changes. After landing you receive a flight certificate, then head back to your hotel or cruise.
Included: hotel pickup and return, air-conditioned transfers, motorboat crossing, pre-flight snacks and refreshments, the flight, bottled water, flight certificate, taxes and service charges.
Not included: additional activities, personal expenses, tipping.
Because it finishes early, most guests pair it with a West Bank tour the same morning. Ask us and we’ll time the two together.
Slower Days and Evenings in Luxor
Not every hour needs to be a monument. A few of our Luxor cultural tours exist precisely to break the rhythm:
- Felucca ride on the Nile — a traditional wooden sailboat past palm groves and river islands at sunset, with tea served on board
- Luxor city tour by horse-drawn carriage — the Corniche, local markets and the Avenue of Sphinxes at a trot
- Luxor Museum and Mummification Museum — royal statues and temple reliefs, then the science of embalming, guided
- Karnak Temple Sound and Light Show — the pylons and columns lit after dark, with the Sacred Lake as the stage
Beyond the City: Day Trips from Luxor
Luxor also makes an excellent base. These Luxor excursion packages run as private round trips — browse every option on our Egypt day trips page.
| Day trip | What you see |
|---|---|
| Dendera & Abydos Temples | Seti I’s temple at Abydos with its famous King List, then Dendera’s zodiac ceiling |
| Dendera Temple Half-Day | The Temple of Hathor, its restored astronomical ceiling and underground crypts |
| Edfu & Kom Ombo from Luxor | The best-preserved temple in Egypt at Edfu, then Kom Ombo’s twin sanctuaries above the Nile |
| Esna & El-Kab | The restored ceiling at the Temple of Khnum and the rock-cut tombs of El-Kab |
| Day Tour from Luxor to Aswan | Edfu, Kom Ombo, the High Dam and Philae, with a first-class train return |
For the background on the two northern temples before you go, read our guide to Dendera and Abydos temples.
Coming to Luxor from Somewhere Else?
Plenty of our guests aren’t staying in Luxor at all.
Luxor Tours from Cairo
Our Day Trip from Cairo to Luxor by Flight turns Luxor from a multi-day add-on into a single day: roughly an hour in the air each way, a full day on the ground, and return flights that get you back to your Cairo hotel the same evening.
The day covers the Valley of the Kings (three standard open tombs), Hatshepsut’s temple, the Colossi of Memnon, and both Karnak and Luxor Temple after lunch.
Included: Cairo hotel pickup and return, return Cairo–Luxor flights, meet-and-assist at Luxor Airport, private air-conditioned transport in Luxor, standard entrance fees, lunch, a qualified Egyptologist guide, bottled water, taxes and service charges.
Not included: special tombs, the optional hot-air-balloon flight, personal expenses, tipping.
Luxor Tours from the Red Sea Coast
Our Safaga to Luxor Day Trip is a private full-day shore excursion from $200 per person, collecting you at the Safaga Port cruise exit — representative holding a name sign, pickup aligned with your ship’s arrival — and returning you the same day. The drive is roughly three hours each way through the Eastern Desert by private car.
On the ground: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon, lunch at a local restaurant, then Karnak.
Included: port pickup and drop-off, all private transfers, a private licensed Egyptologist guide, standard entrance tickets to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Karnak, lunch, bottled water in the vehicle, all taxes and service charges.
Not included: gratuities, special-entry tomb tickets, drinks with lunch, personal expenses, travel insurance.
Prefer an overnight? The Safaga Port to Luxor 2-Day Private Overnight Tour starts from $300 and covers both banks, with Karnak, Luxor Temple and the evening Sound and Light Show on day one.
Luxor Nile Cruise Tours
Luxor is also where most Nile itineraries begin or end. We arrange a 3-night cruise from Aswan to Luxor (Philae, Kom Ombo, Edfu, Karnak), a 4-night cruise from Luxor to Aswan, and a 7-night Nile cruise — see all our Nile cruise itineraries. Tell us which direction suits your flights and we’ll build the rest around it. Still choosing? Our guide to the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan walks through the options.
Your FAQs About Tours of Luxor, Answered
What are the best tours to do in Luxor?
If it’s your first visit and you have one day, the full-day east and west banks tour covers the headline sites. With more time, split it: the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut in one half-day, Karnak and Luxor Temple in another, and a balloon at sunrise in between.
How much do Luxor tours typically cost?
Pricing depends on group size, season, route and which extras you want, so we quote each trip individually rather than publishing a number that won’t apply to you. Where we do publish a starting price — the Safaga day trip from $200 per person, the Safaga 2-day from $300 — it’s on the tour page. Send us your dates and party size through the enquiry form and you’ll get a written quote.
What is included in a standard Luxor day tour?
Typically: hotel or cruise pickup and return, private air-conditioned transport, standard entrance fees to the listed sites, a licensed Egyptologist guide, bottled water, and taxes and service charges. Lunch is included on the full-day and shore-excursion itineraries. Each tour page lists its own inclusions and exclusions in full.
Are private tours available in Luxor?
Every itinerary on this page is private by default. There’s no separate “private” tier to upgrade into — your guide, your vehicle, your pace.
What is the best time of year to visit Luxor on a tour?
October to April is the comfortable window. Two to four days is the stay we usually recommend.
Can I book Luxor tours from Hurghada or Cairo?
We run a same-day flight tour from Cairo and private shore excursions from Safaga Port on the Red Sea coast. If you’re coming from elsewhere on the coast, such as Hurghada, message us with where you’re staying and we’ll work out the logistics.
How long does a typical Luxor tour last?
Roughly two hours for the balloon including transfers, about four hours for the temple half-days, six for the West Bank tour, and around eight for the full day across both banks.
Do Luxor tours include entry fees to attractions?
Standard entrance fees to the listed sites are included. Special-entry tombs are not — Tutankhamun’s, Seti I’s and Ramses VI’s require separate tickets bought at the gate. We tell you that before you book rather than at the entrance.
Are guided tours better than self-guided visits in Luxor?
We’d say yes, and not only because we sell guiding. A private guide handles the timing, the entrances and the pacing, and turns a painted wall into a story you actually follow. In the Valley, where tomb time is what most visitors run short of, not queueing as a group hands that hour straight back to you.
What should I wear or bring on a Luxor tour?
Light, breathable clothing and closed, comfortable shoes — the tomb ramps are sloped and the ground is uneven. Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. Between December and February, pack a layer for the cool desert mornings; in summer, refill your water before leaving the West Bank. For general questions about travelling with us, see our FAQs.
Planning Your Days in Luxor with Us
Luxor gives you more than most cities can hold in a single visit: royal tombs on one bank, a temple complex thirty pharaohs kept adding to on the other, a sunrise you can float over, and a river that still sets the pace of everything.
What matters is how those pieces are arranged around your dates, your energy and your interests. That’s the part we handle. One planner from your first message to your last day, licensed Egyptologist guides, private transfers, and clear inclusions you can compare before you commit to anything.
And if the combination you want isn’t shown as a single package here, that’s normal — most of what we plan isn’t. Tell us the sites and we’ll build the route.
Ready to start?
Fill in the enquiry form with your travel dates, your party size, where you’ll be staying or docking, and any mobility considerations we should plan around. Our team will come back with availability, a written quote and an honest recommendation on which tours of Luxor fit your trip — including when the answer is that a different day would suit you better.
