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.

Luxor has more standing ancient architecture than almost anywhere on earth, and a sensible order of visits makes it manageable. Start early, keep the heat in mind and keep your cards handy. Karnak first Karnak is the largest temple complex in Luxor, and it is the one to do at gate opening. Adult entry is EGP 600. Walk in through the avenue of ram-headed sphinxes to the Great Hypostyle Hall, where 134 sandstone columns crowd the sky, and take in Hatshepsut’s obelisk and the Sacred Lake.

Luxor is better known for its antiquities than for candlelit dinners, so the romantic options are few. The ones that exist are good, and nearly all of them involve the river at the end of the day. Sunset on a felucca A traditional felucca, with its single lateen sail, is the best hour you can spend together here. A one hour private sail costs about EGP 400 to 600 for the whole boat.

The classic multi-day trip from Luxor is a slow boat south. A Nile cruise turns the river into a moving hotel, and the temples arrive one after another with little packing and unpacking in between. How long Cruises from Luxor to Aswan run either 3 nights and 4 days, or 4 nights and 5 days. The 3 night version is a brisk trip with a stop each day. The 4 night version adds time ashore and a more relaxed pace.

Children tend to love Luxor for the boats and the mummies, and to wilt at the midday sun. The trick is to put water and shade in the middle of every day and keep the big monuments for early morning. On the water A felucca is the easiest win. A one hour sail costs about EGP 400 to 600 for the whole boat, which takes up to four people, so a small family fits comfortably.

Two of Egypt’s best preserved temples sit within a morning’s drive of Luxor, and neither draws the crowds that Karnak does. Dendera and Abydos make a long but rewarding day, and Edfu and Kom Ombo make an easier one to the south. Dendera and Abydos The northern run takes about 9 to 10 hours round trip, driving through farming villages along the Nile. Dendera is the temple of Hathor, known for its colourful astronomical ceiling.

The price on the Valley of the Kings sign is not the price of the Valley of the Kings that most visitors want. Luxor tickets are layered, and a little arithmetic before you queue saves a good deal of money and surprise. The Valley of the Kings ladder The general adult ticket is EGP 750 (EGP 375 for students) and admits you to three tombs from a daily rotation of open tombs.

Luxor is cut in two by the Nile, and the day goes smoothly once you plan around the water. The east bank holds Karnak, Luxor Temple, the souk and most hotels. The west bank holds the desert sites, the farmland and the balloon launch fields. There is no pedestrian bridge in the middle of town, so every crossing is by boat or by road. Crossing the river The public baladi ferry leaves from the east bank landing near Luxor Temple every 10 to 15 minutes and costs EGP 5 to 10 for a foreigner.

Two days covers Luxor’s non-negotiables: Karnak and Luxor Temple on the East Bank, the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut across the river. No day trips or balloon rides; those need their own gateway itinerary. If the Valley of the Queens interests you, our 3-day version picks up where this one stops. Book these before you go: Your East Bank hotel : check the room’s cancellation window since summer rates swing fast A guided West Bank tour : worth it if you’d rather not manage the tomb rotation yourself A sunset felucca sail : fix the total price and duration before boarding, not per person 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 Day 1: East Bank temples Land at Luxor International Airport (LXR), roughly 9km/20 minutes from the East Bank hotel strip; there’s no train or shuttle link, so a taxi or pre-booked transfer is the only real option.

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 .

Four days is our 3-day plan plus a full East Bank day: the Luxor Museum, the Mummification Museum, the corniche, and the souk. Still both banks, still no day trips or Nile cruise; that’s a separate gateway trip covered in our Luxor, Egypt itinerary . Book these before you go: Your East Bank hotel : four nights is long enough that location relative to Karnak versus the souk matters A guided West Bank tour : bundles the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens 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 4 East Bank: the Luxor Museum, the Mummification Museum, the souk Day 1: East Bank temples Karnak at opening, EGP 600 ($12), card only, per the official Karnak visitor page , followed by the Avenue of Sphinxes on foot to Luxor Temple.

Five days is our 4-day plan plus a genuinely slow West Bank day: Deir el-Medina, the Ramesseum, and the case for hiring a licensed guide once you’re past the headline sites. Still both banks only; day trips and the Nile cruise live in our Luxor, Egypt itinerary . Book these before you go: Your East Bank hotel : five nights is long enough to book a hotel with a real pool for the afternoon heat A guided West Bank tour : a licensed guide earns its keep once you’re past the main tombs 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 4 East Bank: the Luxor Museum, the Mummification Museum, the souk 5 West Bank: Deir el-Medina, the Ramesseum, a licensed guide Day 1: East Bank temples Karnak at opening, EGP 600 ($12), card only, per the official Karnak visitor page , then the Avenue of Sphinxes on foot to Luxor Temple.

Six days is our 5-day plan plus a Tombs of the Nobles deep dive and a second, quieter look at Karnak. This is also the point where the Luxor Pass math genuinely shifts, worth checking before you buy anything on day one. Day trips still live in our Luxor, Egypt itinerary , not here. Book these before you go: Your East Bank hotel : six nights rewards booking a room away from the Sound and Light Show’s evening noise if that matters to you A guided West Bank tour : worth booking for the Tombs of the Nobles specifically, since the named tombs are easy to miss alone 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 4 East Bank: the Luxor Museum, the Mummification Museum, the souk 5 West Bank: Deir el-Medina, the Ramesseum, a licensed guide 6 West Bank: the Tombs of the Nobles, a Karnak revisit Day 1: East Bank temples Karnak at opening, EGP 600 ($12), card only, per the official Karnak visitor page , then the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor Temple.

Seven days is our 6-day plan plus a genuinely relaxed final day: no rush, one last revisit, and departure logistics for Luxor’s small airport. A full week across both banks is more Luxor than most trips need; if you’d rather spend day seven on Dendera or a Nile cruise instead, that’s our Luxor, Egypt itinerary , not this one. Book these before you go: Your East Bank hotel : a week-long stay is worth the extra cost of a hotel with a real pool and reliable air conditioning A guided West Bank tour : book once for the Valley of the Kings, reuse the same operator for the Tombs of the Nobles later in the week 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 4 East Bank: the Luxor Museum, the Mummification Museum, the souk 5 West Bank: Deir el-Medina, the Ramesseum, a licensed guide 6 West Bank: the Tombs of the Nobles, a Karnak revisit 7 East Bank: a relaxed morning and departure Day 1: East Bank temples Karnak at opening, EGP 600 ($12), card only, per the official Karnak visitor page , then the Avenue of Sphinxes to Luxor Temple.

Two days is not enough time to do Luxor as a gateway properly, so don’t try to. Pick the dawn hot air balloon and the long Dendera and Abydos day trip, skip Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan, and the Nile cruise entirely, and you leave with two genuinely distinct experiences instead of four rushed ones. Our Luxor, Egypt guide covers all five gateway trips if you want the full picture before deciding what to cut; anyone with more time should start at our 3 day plan instead.

Three days based in Luxor covers both marquee day trips without rushing either: the dawn balloon and the Dendera and Abydos run from our 2 day plan , plus a full day at Edfu and Kom Ombo. It still isn’t enough for Aswan or the Nile cruise; those start at our 4 day plan and up. Same balloon-first opening as the 2 day version, one more long day trip added, back to an East Bank bed every night in between.

Four days from Luxor is the ceiling for doing everything as day trips: the balloon, Dendera and Abydos, and Edfu and Kom Ombo from our 3 day plan , plus a long day trip to Aswan itself. Past this length, a Nile cruise starts beating day trips on cost and comfort; see our 5 day plan for that version. Book these before you go: A sunrise balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings A Nile cruise from Luxor : reserve now if you’re already thinking about a longer trip next time A private day tour from Luxor to Aswan Your East Bank hotel : you’ll want four consecutive nights in the same bed for this one Day Focus Travel time from Luxor 1 Dawn balloon, East Bank base, book ahead 0, launches from the West Bank airfield 2 Dendera and Abydos day trip 9-10 hours round trip 3 Edfu and Kom Ombo day trip 9-10 hours round trip 4 Aswan day trip: Philae, the High Dam, the Unfinished Obelisk 6-8 hours round trip driving, plus sightseeing Day 1: the dawn balloon and getting oriented Arrive in Luxor the evening before this trip starts.

Five days is where the math flips. Swap the Edfu and Kom Ombo day trip from our 3 day and 4 day plans for a 3 night Nile cruise instead, since the boat covers the same two temples plus Aswan and the Esna Lock for close to the same money, minus the two exhausting driving days. Day one and two stay identical to the shorter plans: the balloon, then Dendera and Abydos.

Six days extends our 5 day cruise plan by one night, trading a rushed same-day Aswan visit for a proper one: Philae, the High Dam, and a Nubian village stop, instead of disembarking the moment the ship docks. Days one through three stay identical: the balloon, Dendera and Abydos, then boarding the cruise. Book these before you go: A sunrise balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings A Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan : book the 4 night version for this plan, not the 3 night A day tour to Dendera and Abydos Your East Bank hotel : for the two nights before you board and the transfer night after Day Focus Travel time from Luxor 1 Dawn balloon, East Bank base, book ahead 0 2 Dendera and Abydos day trip 9-10 hours round trip 3 Board the Nile cruise, sail toward Esna 0, you’re on the boat 4 Esna Lock transit, Edfu, sail to Kom Ombo included in the cruise 5 Kom Ombo, arrive Aswan: Philae, the High Dam included in the cruise 6 Extra Aswan morning: Nubian village, transfer back to Luxor 3-4 hours overland back Day 1: the dawn balloon and getting oriented Arrive in Luxor the evening before this trip starts.

Seven days is the full gateway list at a comfortable pace: the balloon and Dendera and Abydos from Luxor, a 4 night Nile cruise through the Esna Lock, Edfu, and Kom Ombo to Aswan, and a buffer day back in Luxor before you fly home instead of rushing straight to the airport. It’s the same spine as our 6 day plan with one day added at the end, not a different trip.

Luxor’s own temples are only half the reason to sleep here for a week. The other half sits within a few hours’ drive or a short cruise south: Dendera and Abydos, Edfu and Kom Ombo, a multi-night Nile cruise to Aswan, a pre-dawn hot air balloon over the West Bank, and Aswan itself with Philae and the High Dam. Five of those are worth booking before you land. The sixth, a single grinding overland dash to Aswan and back in one day, only earns its keep if two days is genuinely all you have.

Luxor is really two trips sharing one airport code: the East Bank’s working temples and the West Bank’s tombs, split by a river most visitors cross exactly once. Most guides either cram both banks into a rushed two days or list every named tomb as if the entry ticket covers it. It doesn’t. The Valley of the Kings’ base ticket buys three tombs from a rotating pool, not the famous ones, and every site in 2026 takes cards only, no cash.

Yes, but not at the price most guides quote you. The EGP 750 headline ticket everyone repeats is the general admission, and it buys three tombs from a rotating pool of eight to ten, not the famous names you actually came for. Tutankhamun and Seti I are separate tickets that stack on top, and a visitor who wants the general ticket plus both of those is paying closer to EGP 3,450 (~$69), not EGP 750.