Luxor Walks: Avenue of Sphinxes and More
The best walk in Luxor connects its two greatest temples. The Avenue of Sphinxes runs for 2.7 km between Luxor Temple and Karnak, lined with restored sphinx statues, and it follows the route of the ancient Opet Festival processions.
The Avenue of Sphinxes
The avenue has been open since November 2021 and is entered through a ticket system in two segments, one at the Luxor Temple end and one at the Karnak end. Check the current price at the ticket office. It is floodlit and walkable end to end, and the straight, shadeless route is better early in the morning or at dusk. Carry water, a hat and small EGP cash for tickets and drinks, and plan on a card at the main temple gates.
The souk
Behind Luxor Temple, the souk sells spices such as saffron, cumin and hibiscus, along with alabaster jars, hammered brass lamps and cotton galabeyas. Prices are negotiable and vendors can be persistent. A polite no is enough. Stop for mint tea or cold karkadeh, hibiscus tea, at an ahwa, a local coffeehouse, for about EGP 20 to 40, and falafel sandwiches cost EGP 15 to 30.
The corniche
The riverfront promenade is flat and easy, and best in the hour before sunset. Feluccas drift past and the west bank hills turn gold. Calèche drivers will offer rides, so fix the price for the whole carriage first.
West bank on foot, with limits
The west bank sights are kilometres apart across desert, and walking between them in the heat is unwise. Walk inside each site instead, and use a taxi (about EGP 500 to 800 for a half day) or a bicycle in winter to link them. Deir el-Medina, the village of the artisans who built the royal tombs, is a quiet place to walk among the ruins and nearby private tombs. The ferry across the river costs EGP 5 to 10.
Tombs on foot
Inside the Valley of the Kings you descend ramps and stairs into painted corridors. The general ticket covers three tombs for EGP 750. Flash photography is banned. Wear shoes with grip, since the floors can be uneven. For a guided walking experience you can compare Luxor walking tours on GetYourGuide . The Karnak sound and light site lists the evening show that follows the avenue.
Heat
June to August reaches 42 to 46C, so walk before 09:30 or after 17:00. Between October and April, any hour is fine. See also the Luxor sightseeing page and the FCDO travel advice .
Tip: walk the avenue from Karnak toward Luxor Temple in the late afternoon, so you finish at the floodlit temple.