Luxor 3 Day Itinerary (No Tourist Traps)
Three days is our 2-day plan plus a second, quieter West Bank morning: the Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu, and a sunset felucca sail to close the trip. Still no day trips or balloon rides; that’s what our Luxor, Egypt itinerary covers separately.
Book these before you go:
- Your East Bank hotel : confirm the resort has reliable air conditioning before you commit
- A guided West Bank tour : covers the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens in one booking
- A sunset felucca sail : fix the total price and duration before boarding
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | East Bank: Karnak at opening, the Avenue of Sphinxes, Luxor Temple at night |
| 2 | West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Colossi of Memnon |
| 3 | West Bank: the Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu, sunset felucca |
Day 1: East Bank temples
Head to Karnak Temple at opening, EGP 600 ($12), card only, per the official Karnak visitor page
. Give it two unhurried hours before the tour buses fill the Hypostyle Hall. Walk the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor Temple, the 2.7km processional way only fully reopened in November 2021. Rest through the midday heat, then see Luxor Temple after dark, EGP 500 ($10), one of Egypt’s best-lit night sites.
Day 2: the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut
Cross to the West Bank early. The Valley of the Kings general ticket is EGP 750 ($15) for three tombs from a rotating pool, confirmed on the official entrance fee page
; it excludes Tutankhamun and Seti I, both separate per the official ticket breakdown
. Add Hatshepsut’s Temple, EGP 440 ($9), and the free roadside Colossi of Memnon on the way back.
Day 3: the Valley of the Queens and a slower West Bank
Cross back to the West Bank for the Valley of the Queens, roughly EGP 180-220 ($4) for general admission. Nefertari’s tomb (QV66) is a separate ticket, roughly EGP 1,500-2,500 ($30-50), strictly limited to a few hundred visitors a day with only 10-15 minutes inside; confirm same-day that it’s open, since conservation closures happen without much notice.
Is Nefertari’s tomb worth the extra cost?
For most visitors with the budget, yes. The paintings are the best-preserved in the valley by a wide margin, and the visitor cap means it never feels crowded the way the Valley of the Kings can. Skip it without regret if the timed-entry hassle doesn’t appeal; Hatshepsut’s Temple already covers the West Bank’s architectural highlight.
Continue to Medinet Habu, Ramesses III’s mortuary temple, EGP 200 (~$4) and genuinely less crowded than Hatshepsut despite comparably vivid wall color. In the evening, take a fixed-price felucca sail on the Nile; agree the total cost and duration before you board, since a common trick is claiming “no wind” partway through to justify switching to a paid motor.
Is three days better spent on a slower pace or a wider list?
A slower pace, generally. Three days lets you add the Valley of the Queens and Medinet Habu without rushing the Valley of the Kings on day two, which is the itinerary most visitors regret compressing. Resist the urge to squeeze in a day trip; that’s a different itinerary with its own logistics.
For the East Bank’s museums and the souk, our 4-day itinerary is the next step up, and our Luxor guide rounds out the full list of what’s worth doing across both banks.