6 Days in Luxor: The First-Timer Itinerary

Six days covers both banks at an easy pace with a genuine rest day built in: the East and West Bank essentials first, Medinet Habu and the Nobles, Deir el-Medina and an optional Seti I splurge, a slower fifth day for Nefertari and the tombs everyone skips, then a sixth day that ends with Karnak lit up for the Sound & Light Show. Shorter or the full week? See the 5-day or 7-day itinerary.

Book these before you go

  • Hotel: compare East Bank corniche rates on Booking.com before Dec-Feb peak pricing hits
  • A West Bank guide or driver: book a Valley of the Kings tour on GetYourGuide rather than negotiating cold at the ferry landing
  • A sunset felucca: search current boats on Viator and fix the price before you board
Day Focus
Day 1 Karnak Temple, Luxor Museum, Luxor Temple lit at night
Day 2 Valley of the Kings, Colossi of Memnon, Hatshepsut’s Temple, sunset felucca
Day 3 Medinet Habu, Valley of the Queens, Tombs of the Nobles, Mummification Museum
Day 4 Deir el-Medina, optional Seti I tomb, the Ramesseum, Karnak Open-Air Museum
Day 5 Extra Valley of the Kings tombs, Nefertari’s tomb, souk, second felucca sunset
Day 6 Leisure morning, souk, Karnak Sound & Light Show

Day 1: East Bank First Look

Morning (6:00 am - 10:00 am)

  • Karnak Temple at opening, EGP 600, before the coach groups fill the Hypostyle Hall’s 134 columns
  • Walk a stretch of the Avenue of Sphinxes, the 2.7km processional walkway reopened in 2021, running from Karnak toward Luxor Temple

Midday (10:30 am - 1:00 pm)

  • Luxor Museum, EGP 400, a compact, air-conditioned break with a genuinely strong artifact collection
  • Lunch on the corniche, expect EGP 300-500 for a Nile view, or step one block back for a EGP 150-250 local spot

Afternoon (1:00 pm - 4:00 pm)

  • Retreat to your hotel through the worst of the heat, this isn’t a wasted afternoon, it’s how you survive the rest of the trip

Evening (5:00 pm - 9:00 pm)

  • Luxor Temple after dark, EGP 500, the best-lit night site in Luxor and one most day-trippers skip entirely
  • Dinner and a stroll along the corniche

Day 2: West Bank Essentials

Morning (6:00 am - 11:30 am)

  • Cross the Nile early, the local ferry runs roughly EGP 5-10 for foreigners, or arrange a private motorboat for speed
  • Valley of the Kings, EGP 750 general ticket covering 3 tombs from a rotating pool, not the marquee ones by default, check current rotation on the official Valley of the Kings site
  • Colossi of Memnon, free, a quick roadside stop on the way to Hatshepsut

Midday (11:30 am - 1:30 pm)

  • Hatshepsut’s Temple (Deir el-Bahari), EGP 440, the three-tiered colonnade built into the cliff face, our Hatshepsut visitor guide covers tickets and timing in full

Afternoon (1:30 pm - 4:00 pm)

  • Lunch near the West Bank ferry landing, then cross back before the afternoon heat peaks

Evening (5:00 pm - 8:00 pm)

  • A sunset felucca ride, fix the total price and duration before you board
  • Dinner on the East Bank

Day 3: Medinet Habu and the Nobles

Morning (7:00 am - 11:00 am)

  • Back to the West Bank for Medinet Habu, EGP 200, the mortuary temple of Ramesses III and the most underrated site on this side of the river
  • Valley of the Queens general ticket, roughly EGP 180-220, skip Nefertari’s tomb today, it’s coming on Day 5 instead

Midday (11:00 am - 1:00 pm)

  • Tombs of the Nobles, better preserved than the royal tombs since grave robbers ignored them, with intimate scenes of daily life, fishing, feasting, musicians at banquets

Afternoon (1:00 pm - 4:00 pm)

  • Lunch and a break from the heat near the West Bank ferry, then cross back east

Evening (5:00 pm - 8:00 pm)

  • Mummification Museum on the corniche, EGP 220, a manageable indoor stop before dinner
  • Dinner and an early night

Day 4: Deir el-Medina and the Ramesseum

Morning (7:00 am - 11:00 am)

  • Deir el-Medina, the workers’ village that built the royal tombs, small and genuinely worth the detour
  • Optional: return to the Valley of the Kings for the separate Seti I (KV17) ticket, EGP 2,000, the single most expensive tomb in Egypt and arguably the finest painted interior in the valley

Midday (11:00 am - 1:00 pm)

  • The Ramesseum, Ramesses II’s mortuary temple, fewer crowds than Karnak at a fraction of the entry price

Afternoon (1:00 pm - 4:00 pm)

  • Rest, pool, or laundry, whatever keeps you upright for the pace ahead

Evening (5:00 pm - 9:00 pm)

  • Karnak’s Open-Air Museum, included in Karnak’s main ticket, reconstructed chapels most first-time visitors walk straight past
  • Dinner and a look at the Luxor souk for handicrafts, haggling expected

Day 5: A Slower Second Look

Morning (7:00 am - 11:00 am)

  • Return to the Valley of the Kings for Ramesses V/VI (KV9), EGP 220, one of the best-preserved astronomical ceilings in the valley, plus Ay’s tomb, EGP 200, for a fourth interior
  • Nefertari’s tomb in the Valley of the Queens, EGP 1,500-2,500, confirm it’s open same-day before you build the morning around it, visits are capped and timed to roughly 10-15 minutes

Midday (11:00 am - 1:00 pm)

  • Lunch on the West Bank, then cross back at an easy pace

Afternoon (1:00 pm - 4:00 pm)

  • Free time for the souk, a second pass through the Luxor Museum, or another pool afternoon

Evening (5:00 pm - 8:00 pm)

  • A second felucca sunset or a quiet corniche dinner, you’ve earned the slow evening

Day 6: Leisure and the Sound & Light Show

Morning (8:00 am - 12:00 pm)

  • A genuinely open morning, sleep in, revisit whichever East Bank site you rushed on Day 1, or extend breakfast

Midday (12:00 pm - 2:00 pm)

  • Souk shopping, haggling is expected and part of the experience, not an inconvenience

Afternoon (2:00 pm - 5:00 pm)

  • Rest before the evening, the show below runs close to 90 minutes on your feet in heat that lingers after sunset

Evening (6:00 pm - 9:00 pm)

  • Karnak Sound & Light Show, a separate ticket from day entry, booked through tour operators or soundandlight.show , roughly 75-90 minutes ending at the Sacred Lake
  • Dinner on the corniche

Where to Stay

Base yourself on the East Bank corniche or downtown, walkable to Karnak and Luxor Temple with easy ferry access for the West Bank at dawn. Our Luxor guide covers neighborhoods, price bands, and the hotel-rate booking link in more depth.

Things to Know

  • Sites are card-only in 2026, cash is not accepted at Karnak or the West Bank gates, bring a working Visa or Mastercard
  • Baksheesh (EGP 5-20) is a constant low-level expectation, keep small EGP notes on hand
  • Confirm current entrance fees, and same-day Nefertari access, on Explore Luxor

Transportation

  • Luxor International Airport (LXR) sits roughly 20 minutes from East Bank hotels, taxi only, agree the fare before you get in, expect EGP 150-250
  • Around town, negotiate every taxi and caleche fare as a total price for the whole group, never per person, before you board

Tips

  • Caleche drivers and felucca captains both run the same trick, claiming the quoted price was per person or that the wind died mid-ride, state the total upfront and don’t renegotiate
  • Book the Sound & Light Show a day ahead in peak season, seating fills and the walk back from the Sacred Lake in the dark is easier with a driver already arranged

A licensed guide for a half day, roughly EGP 400-600, pays for itself across all three West Bank days, the tombs carry almost no on-site signage explaining what you’re looking at. Check egymonuments.com for official schedule changes before you lock in the Sound & Light Show night.