Luxor

Every city on earth has an old quarter. Luxor is an old quarter. The modern city, the corniche, the hotels, the markets, is a kind of afterthought grafted onto a place that was already ancient when Caesar arrived. Stand at the edge of the Nile at dusk and the Avenue of the Sphinxes stretches south toward Karnak for three kilometres, and you realise that what the pharaohs built here was not just a temple complex but a city of the gods, a permanent statement carved in sandstone about the nature of power and eternity.

Luxor sits on the east bank of the Nile in Upper Egypt (confusingly, “Upper” means south in this context, further upriver). This was Thebes, the capital of the New Kingdom pharaohs, the seat of Amun’s worship, and for centuries the wealthiest city on earth. The ruins that remain are still extraordinary: 64 known royal tombs, two colossal temple complexes, more than 500 nobles’ tombs, and enough carved inscriptions to keep Egyptologists busy for another century.

Three to five days is the right amount of time. Less is not enough; more than five days and you start to develop temple fatigue, which is a real condition.

Crossing Between Banks

Luxor’s attractions split between the east bank (Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Luxor Museum) and the west bank (Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Hatshepsut’s temple, and everything else). The cheapest crossing is the local ferry from the corniche, a few Egyptian pounds each way, runs frequently. Taxis and guides will try to steer you toward private boats at ten times the price. Take the local ferry.

On the west bank, the logic of transport matters. Hiring a driver for half or a full day is more efficient than joining a tour group, and you can negotiate the price directly. Expect to pay around 200-300 EGP for a half-day private taxi and driver. Some travellers hire bicycles for the west bank, which works well in the cooler months (October to February) but is miserable in summer.

Tickets and Passes

Individual site entry fees have risen significantly as Egypt’s government has moved to raise tourism revenue. As of 2026:

Valley of the Kings: 450 EGP (about $9) for the standard ticket covering three tombs. The tomb of Tutankhamun costs an additional 300 EGP. The tomb of Seti I, arguably the finest painted tomb in the valley, costs 500 EGP extra and is worth every pound.

Karnak Temple Complex: 300 EGP. Luxor Temple: 250 EGP. Hatshepsut’s Temple (Deir el-Bahari): 200 EGP.

If you are spending more than two full days at sites, the Luxor Pass at $130 for adults (or $70 for under-30s with a student ID) becomes cost-effective and saves you standing in ticket queues. The Premium Luxor Pass also covers the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens, which has been restored to astonishing condition and is worth the premium if you have any interest in New Kingdom art.

No photography is allowed inside the Valley of the Kings. This is strictly enforced. Most other sites allow free photography.

What to Prioritise

The Valley of the Kings is the anchor of any west bank day, but the trick is knowing which tombs to choose. Your general entry covers three; pick carefully. KV9 (Ramesses VI) has one of the most completely decorated ceilings in the valley, astronomical scenes in deep blue, yellow and red that explain the journey of the sun through the underworld. KV11 (Ramesses III) is enormous and detailed. The tomb of Seti I (KV17), if you pay the supplement, is the finest thing in the valley, painted with a precision and artistry that feels closer to the Sistine Chapel than to ancient Egypt. The crowds go to Tutankhamun’s tomb because of its fame; the tomb itself is relatively modest, though seeing his mummy (it remains in situ) is genuinely affecting.

Medinet Habu is the west bank’s most underrated site, routinely skipped by visitors who run out of time after the Valley of the Kings. The mortuary temple of Ramesses III is vast, better preserved than Karnak in several respects, and usually nearly empty. The outer walls carry detailed battle reliefs showing Ramesses III’s campaigns against the Sea Peoples, the mysterious confederation of migrants who destabilised the eastern Mediterranean around 1177 BC. These reliefs are one of the only visual records of who the Sea Peoples were. Budget at least 90 minutes.

The Tombs of the Nobles contain over 500 tombs of courtiers and officials, and most guidebooks bury them in a footnote. This is wrong. Because nobles’ tombs did not interest grave robbers the way royal tombs did, they tend to be better preserved, and the painting style is different: intimate, detailed, full of scenes from daily life, fishing, farming, feasting, musicians at banquets. The tomb of Nakht (TT52) and the tomb of Menna (TT69) are among the best. Entry is 150 EGP. You will likely have them almost to yourself.

Karnak on the east bank requires a full morning. It is the largest religious complex ever built, 247 acres, and walking through the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns, each one taller than a four-storey building, remains one of those experiences that is genuinely difficult to describe. The Avenue of the Sphinxes connects Karnak to Luxor Temple three kilometres south; the whole axis was used for the annual Opet Festival procession, when the statues of the gods were carried from Karnak to Luxor amid huge public celebration.

Luxor Temple is best visited at dusk, when the illuminations come on. The current entrance fee grants access for the full day. It opens until 9pm most nights.

Hot Air Balloon

Sunrise over the west bank from a balloon, with Karnak lit gold on the opposite bank and the Valley of the Kings in shadow below, is the kind of thing people post on social media but which genuinely lives up to the picture. Flights cost $80-$150 per person depending on the operator; the reputable companies (Hod Hod Soliman, Sindbad Balloons) are licensed by Egypt’s Civil Aviation Authority. You are up before 5am for a 5:30am launch. The flight lasts 30-60 minutes depending on conditions. The experience is complete by 8:30am, which means you still have a full day for sites.

Where to Eat

Sofra Restaurant on Mohammed Farid Street is the east bank’s most reliable bet for Egyptian home cooking, kofta, grilled chicken, fatta (bread, rice, and braised meat in a tomato broth), all served in a traditional house setting. Cooking classes are available for those who want to go further.

Al-Sahaby Lane near Luxor Temple has rooftop terrace seating with views of the temple and the Avenue of the Sphinxes. The setting is better than any single dish, but the Egyptian meze and grilled meats are solid.

On the west bank, Nubian House is run by a Nubian couple who cook without a fixed menu, you tell them what you want, they make it, and it tastes like someone’s home. Getting there requires knowing where it is, which your driver will.

Local staples worth ordering anywhere: koshari (lentils, rice, pasta, tomato sauce, fried onions, cheap, filling, properly Egyptian), ta’ameya (Egyptian falafel made with fava beans rather than chickpeas), and fresh-squeezed sugarcane juice from street vendors along the corniche.

Where to Stay

Sofitel Winter Palace is the answer if budget is not the constraint. It opened in 1886, Churchill and Agatha Christie have both stayed here, and the gardens facing the Nile remain extraordinary. It is genuinely a special hotel in a way that most five-star properties are not.

For mid-range travellers, the Sonesta St. George Hotel Luxor has a rooftop pool, a good location on the east bank corniche, and Nile views from the better rooms. Around $100-130 per night in high season.

Budget accommodation clusters along Television Street and around the train station. For the west bank specifically, small guesthouses near the ferry landing are convenient and cheap; staying on the west bank lets you be at the Valley of the Kings before the day-tripper buses arrive.

Practical Notes

Best months: October through March. April starts to get hot; May through September is genuinely punishing (40+ Celsius). Winter evenings are cool, bring a layer.

Arabic is the language; English is widely spoken in tourist contexts. The Egyptian pound is the currency. ATMs are available on the corniche and near Karnak. Tips (baksheesh) are expected for most small services; have small notes available.

From Cairo, the sleeper train (Alexandria-Luxor service) is one of the better travel experiences in Egypt: overnight, affordable, and you wake up in Luxor. The Abela Egyptian Railways first-class cabins are basic but functional. Book through the Egyptian National Railways website or through your hotel. Flying from Cairo takes an hour, with multiple daily departures.