14 Unique Things to Do in Luxor: Complete 4-Day Itinerary

When we mention Egypt to travellers, the first thing that probably comes to mind is the Pyramids of Giza and Cairo. But here’s our take. We actually felt that Luxor was the most impressive part of Egypt. Not only will you find the biggest variety of temples, from towering columns that could fit an 8 story building to stunningly preserved coloured paintings in the Valley of the kings, but there is also a whole variety of other remarkable experiences like soaring high on a hot air balloon and sailing the Nile. Most visitors seem to treat Luxor just as a quick pitstop before embarking on a Nile Cruise, but we feel like rushing here is a mistake. We spent four days uncovering its secrets, and these are the 14 unforgettable experiences that made us fall in love with Luxor. To help complete this Luxor Travel Guide, we’ll also share how we recommend planning 4 days in Luxor, where to stay, and other essential tips to avoid the common tourist mistakes there.

Is Luxor Worth Visiting

Luxor is definitely worth visiting and was one of the most unforgettable parts of our Egypt trip.

Not only will you find the most architecturally impressive temples here, but the sheer concentration and variety of archeological sites is staggering. This is also where you get to experience sailing high above the Valley of the Kings on a hot air balloon, and is the starting point for one of the best experiences in Egypt, sailing down the nile.

Luxor was also far more relaxing to travel as compared to the chaos in Cairo. Because of that contrast, we structured our trip to include only a brief stop in Cairo at the start. After exploring Luxor and the Nile, we then headed back to Cairo for 3-4 more days, having already habituated to Egypt’s way of life. We then finished our trip with a 6 day trip to Siwa Oasis, and then relaxing on the beach in Sharm El Sheikh.

How Many Days to Visit Luxor

Most Egypt itineraries only include a quick one night stop in Luxor before boarding the Nile cruise and sailing South. However, we highly recommend spending at least two nights here, and ideally three, to properly experience the incredible temples surrounding the city.

In our opinion, Luxor has the greatest concentration of must-see archaeological sites in all of Egypt. Our original itinerary only included one full day and night before boarding our dahabiya, but after doing more research we extended our stay to three nights and we are so glad we did.

Trying to rush through Luxor in a single day is not only unrealistic, it also does not do these incredible sites justice. Giving yourself a little extra time allows you to explore the temples at a more relaxed pace and fully appreciate some of the most impressive historical sites in the country. 

One final thing to keep in mind is that visiting the temples in the middle of the day can be exhausting, not only because of the heat but also the crowds. Having more days to spread your visits between the early morning and late afternoon hours will make your experience far more comfortable and enjoyable.

14 Best things to do in Luxor

In our opinion, Luxor is where you’ll find some of the most unforgettable experiences in Egypt. Split between the East and West Banks of the Nile, this area is packed with some of the country’s most visually impressive archaeological sites, including the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, and many more.

We also recommend basing yourself in Luxor to explore the sites and experiences listed below before embarking on a Nile cruise or dahabiya. These sail further south along the Nile and give you access to additional temples (like Edfu Temple, Kom Ombo Temple, and Philae Temple) scattered along the river. Most cruises last between 3-5 days and was easily one of the best experiences we did in Egypt.

Rather than overwhelming you with long history lessons for every site (which are honestly much more interesting once you’re standing there in person), we’ll focus on what makes each place visually stand out. We’ll also share our personal review and rate each site out of 10 so you can quickly see which ones are truly worth prioritizing.

1) Luxor Temple

Luxor temple, located on the East Bank, is one of the most famous temples and perfectly combines many of Egypt’s most famous visuals in one site. Here you’ll find the entrance lined by sphinxes leading you to a gigantic entrance-way that defies the imagination.

Once you enter, you can experience columned chambers, towering obelisks, and several court chambers decorated with seated statues of Ramesses II roughly the size of a four story building. One of the most impressive sights here is also the obelisk which stands over 80 feet tall, which is higher than an eight story building! 

For us, Luxor Temple is not necessarily where you will find the most impressive columns, the largest statues, or the most vibrant coloured hieroglyphics. Instead, what blew us away was how it brings all of these elements together in one single place. 

Tips for Visiting Luxor Temple

Tip: This is one of the most visited temples in Luxor, so try to arrive right at opening time. We got there at 6 am and were able to experience the magic of standing among the towering columns and sphinxes at the entrance with only a handful of other visitors around. About an hour later, when we made our way back toward the entrance, it was already fully packed with tourists which made it much harder to fully appreciate the atmosphere.

2) Dendera Temple

Dendera Temple was without a doubt our favourite temple around Luxor. Located about an hour north of the city, it often gets overlooked on many Egypt itineraries, likely because it requires a bit of extra travel. But after seeing photos and doing some research, we knew immediately it was one we could not miss and it ended up being one of the biggest highlights of our time in the region.

What makes Dendera Temple so special is the incredible level of detail that has been preserved throughout the complex. The columns, ceilings, and walls are covered in intricate carvings and hieroglyphics, many of which still retain their vibrant colours. Walking inside the temple almost feels surreal because the artwork looks far more vivid than what you will see in many other temples around Egypt.

Much of this remarkable preservation is thanks to the fact that the temple was buried under sand for centuries. This layer of sand protected the carvings and paintings from wind, sun, and erosion, which allowed many of the original details and colours to survive remarkably well. For us, this was the best opportunities in Egypt to see what these temples may have looked like thousands of years ago when they were first constructed.

3) Karnak Temple

The Karnak Temple Complex, covering about 200 acres, is the largest religious site ever constructed in the world! To put it in perspective, it is larger than the Vatican City! This was our second favourite temple in Luxor, and is where you’ll find the largest and more impressive pillar structures in all of Egypt. 

Walking through the famous Great Hypostyle Hall, it’s truly hard to grasp how the Egyptians were able to build pillars so massive. There are 134 columns in total, covering over 5000 square meters (large enough to fit several basketball courts), where the biggest columns have a diameter of close to 12 feet and a height of over 70 feet! To give you a visual scale, this means the tallest columns are about as tall as a 7 story building, and wide enough that a dozen people can stand on the top.  

Tip: We ended up visiting Karnak Temple right after Luxor Temple. Even though it was later in the morning, much of the complex offers shade from the massive structures, which protected us from the later day heat. And since the site is so large, it doesn’t feel crowded as compared to Luxor Temple.

4) Sphynx Avenue

The Avenue of the Sphinxes is the ancient ceremonial road that once connected Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple. It stretches nearly 3 kilometers and was originally lined with over 1,000 sphinx statues, creating a monumental pathway used for religious processions between the two temples.

We only walked a short section of it ourselves since we were already tired after visiting Karnak Temple, and in the midday heat it was simply too hot to continue much farther. Even seeing a small portion of it, though, it gave us a sense of just how grand this ancient processional route once was. Explore a small section of it after visiting Karnak temple and you’ll understand what we mean.

5) Hot air balloon over Valley of the Kings

Flying in a hot air balloon over the Valley of the Kings gives you a whole new perspective on just how massive and vast the Egyptian empire once was. This is also one of the experiences in Luxor that you should not miss.

We had previously flown in a hot air balloon in Cappadocia, Turkey, and it was an incredibly memorable experience. To our surprise, the cost of a hot air balloon ride in Luxor is only around $80-100, compared to the one we did in Cappadocia which was closer to €200–250 per person. Getting a bird’s eye view of the temple complexes and the Valley of the Kings is truly an experience we will never forget.

Tip: We highly recommend booking the hot air balloon experience for your first morning in Luxor. Sometimes, due to rougher wind conditions, flights can be cancelled and pushed back by a day or two. This is exactly what happened to us, and fortunately we had three days in Luxor, which gave us the flexibility to reschedule.

Luxor Hot Air Balloon Tour Price

In 2025, we paid $60 per person for the before sunrise flight. However, it seems that prices have increased since then.

While some companies still advertise flights around $60, many of the more reputable operators now charge closer to $100 per person. Personally, we would recommend booking with one of the more established companies. This is a once in a lifetime experience, and when it comes to safety and the overall quality of the flight, it is worth paying a little extra.

Recommended Hot Air Balloon Company in Luxor

We booked our hot air balloon ride with King Tut Balloons and were very happy with the experience.

Pickup and drop off were punctual, and it we felt like we spent longer time in the air compared to many of the other balloon companies. They also have an excellent safety record, which was something we considered very important when choosing a company.

After researching several operators beforehand, they offered the best balance of price, safety, flight duration, and overall customer service. They are one of the most established ballooning companies in Luxor, and have a 4.9/5 rating on Google with over 1,800 reviews!

Alternatively, the second company we were considering to book with is this one with Hod Hod Soliman. 

6) Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world and served as the royal burial ground for Egypt’s most powerful pharaohs for nearly 500 years. Located on the West Bank of the Nile, this vast burial site was discovered deep within the desert hills and contains more than 60 known tombs carved directly into the rock, including the legendary tomb of Tutankhamun.

What makes Valley of the Kings Special

What made this place so special to us was descending into the tombs and walking past the walls covered in vibrant hieroglyphics and colourful paintings that have survived for more than 3000 years. During our time in Egypt, the artwork here and at Dendera Temple Complex were easily the most impressive. 

But beyond the depictions, another fascinating part of the experience was to see the massive quartzite sarcophagus of Tutankhamun. It stands 9 feet tall and weighs several tons, again challenging our understanding of how they could’ve achieved this thousands of years ago. 

Access to the Tombs in Valley of the Kings

Although more than 60 tombs have been discovered in the valley, the standard entrance ticket allows you to visit three of the tombs currently open to the public. Some of the most famous ones require an additional ticket, including the tombs of Tutankhamun, Ramesses V & Ramesses VI, and Seti I. 

Since access to the tombs is rotated periodically for conservation, the exact ones you will be able to visit will depend on which are open at the time of your visit.

Tips: Since the Valley of the Kings is located deep in the desert hills, it gets extremely hot by midday. You will also need to walk between the different tomb entrances, and even inside the burial chambers it can feel really stuffy and hot. The good news is that there’s a shuttle that runs from the parking lot to the main tomb area, which helps cut down on some of the walking. 

7) Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

The Temple of Hatshepsut is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Luxor and is likely a scene you’ve come across while researching Egypt. The temple, dedicated to the powerful queen who became pharaoh, is located deep within the dramatic desert valley on the West Bank and is built directly into the towering limestone cliffs behind it. 

What makes Temple of Hatshepsut Special

Unlike many Egyptian temples that are surrounded by city structures or enclosed courtyards, this temple is special because of how incredibly open it feels. The temple is designed across three massive terraces lined with elegant colonnades, and from the upper levels you get a sweeping view across the empty desert valley and rugged mountains.

This setting alone makes it stand out from other temples in Egypt and gives it a very different atmosphere. Standing there, it makes you wonder what other incredible structures are hidden below the sand and rocks of this vast valley.

Story of Hatshepsut

This is also one of the best places in Luxor to learn more about the fascinating story of Hatshepsut. After the death of her husband, she initially ruled as regent while the rightful heir son Thutmoses III was still a young child.

She declared herself pharaoh and ruled Egypt for over 20 years, even adopting male royal imagery including a false beard and kingly titles as you’ll see when you visit. She ruled successfully and boosted Egypt’s international diplomacy and trade, but once she passed, her son became pharaoh and was jealous of her, so decided to erase her image by defacing and destroying any statues or paintings depicting Hatshepsut.

The story becomes even more apparent once you are there and see the depictions. 

The temple combines perfectly with a visit to the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens in a single day since they are all located on the West Bank. For us, it is not necessarily a must visit in Luxor, but we were definitely glad we saw it. The Temple of Hatshepsut offers a completely different style of temple and adds a nice variety when exploring the nearby royal tombs.

8) Valley of the Queens

Valley of the Queens is located nearby Valley of the Kings and combines perfectly as part of the same day trip. It’s much smaller than Valley of the Kings and served as the burial site for the wives of the pharaohs, including the famous Queen Nefertari. 

A few things that made the experience here special was the noticeably smaller crowds and the chance to see a different side of the royal story through the tombs of the queens and princesses. One of the biggest highlights of the site is the tomb of Nefertari, which is often considered the most beautiful tomb in all of Egypt. Unfortunately, when we visited it was closed for conservation, so we didn’t get the chance to see it ourselves. 

Even so, we really enjoyed the quieter atmosphere in the Valley of the Queens. Several times we found ourselves standing inside a tomb with nobody else around, just quietly taking in the artwork which gave us a whole new appreciation of the beauty here.

So is it worth visiting if you’re already going to the Valley of the Kings? I think so! we thoroughly enjoyed it and if you get the chance to visit tomb of Nefertari, your experience will probably be even better than ours.

9) Colossi of Memnon

The Colossi of Memnon is something you’ll see along the way visiting the Valley of the Kings and Queens. Here are two massive stone statues that have stood guard over the west bank of the Nile for more than 3,400 years near Luxor. These towering figures once marked the entrance to the grand mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, which has mostly disappeared over time. 

It is impressive to see the scale of these massive statues, but they are not that well preserved as compared to the other statues you’ll see at Luxor Temple or Abu Simbel. But considering it is free to visit, and located along the way, you can make a quick 5-10 minute stop to admire it.

10) Abydos Temple

The Abydos Temple is located about 2.5 hours north of Luxor and is often paired with a visit to the Dendera Temple Complex on a day trip.

Built by Seti I, this temple, similar to Dendera Temple, is famous for its incredibly detailed carvings and well preserved reliefs. It is here that you’ll also find the Abydos King List, which shows a list of cartouches of 75 pharaohs and has helped historians piece together much of ancient Egypt’s timeline.

Unfortunately, we didn’t end up making it to Abydos Temple because we spent so much time exploring the Dendera Temple Complex, but it’s definitely high on our list when we get to return. If you have the extra time while visiting Luxor, Abydos is often considered one of the most impressive and historically significant temples in all of Egypt. The only challenge is the 2.5 hours distance from Luxor, making it a very long day trip.

11) Sail the Nile on the Dahabiya

One of the unmissable experiences in Egypt is getting to sail down the Nile. There are two main ways to do it: on a large cruise ship or on a small traditional Dahabiya. Both usually last between 3 to 5 days, but the experience between the two couldn’t be more different. 

Option 1: Big Nile Cruise Ship

The big cruise ships come with all the 5 star comforts you’d expect, from plush cabins and buffet dining halls to swimming pools, and sometimes even jacuzzis. It’s comfortable and well equipped, but you’ll also be sharing the journey with 200+ other passengers. They tend to be cheaper than the Traditional Dahabiya, and includes more modern amenities similar to other large cruise ships around the world.

If you want to take a look at the Big Nile Cruise Ship experience, you can check out this Luxury 5 Day Nile Cruise or this 4 days Nile Cruise.

Option 2 (Recommended): Traditional Dahabiya

A Dahabiya, on the other hand, offers an authentic and exclusive experience. It’s a traditional two level wooden sailboat, similar to what was once used in the time of the pharaohs, often decorated with classic Egyptian touches. You’ll be sailing with just 10 to 15 people onboard, which makes the whole experience feel peaceful and intimate. It also allows you to stop at smaller sites along the way, and experience the main temples far from the large crowds of the cruise ships. 

For us, the Dahabiya was hands down our favourite experience from our entire month in Egypt. If you want a full rundown of why we preferred the Dahabiya over a Nile Cruise, which Dahabiya we ended up choosing, and the full itinerary breakdown, we wrote a full Nile Dahabiya Cruise Review. 

12) Felucca ride on the Nile

If you don’t get a chance to sail on a Dahabiya, we’d highly recommend doing a short felucca ride on the Nile. Feluccas are small wooden sailboats powered purely by wind, and they give you a completely different perspective of Luxor and the river.

What we’d especially recommend is a sunset felucca cruise. There’s something pretty special about drifting along the Nile as the light softens, sipping on Egyptian tea while passing by the iconic landmarks along the riverbanks.

13) Mummification museum

The Mummification Museum in Luxor is a small but interesting stop that gives you a deeper look into one of ancient Egypt’s most intriguing practices. Unlike the grand temples and tombs, this museum focuses specifically on how mummification was done and why it was so important to Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife.

Inside, you’ll find everything from tools used in the embalming process to preserved organs, animal mummies, and even a beautifully displayed mummified priest. It’s a quick visit, but it adds a whole new layer of understanding to one of Egypt’s most famous practices, mummification.

14) Esna Temple

Esna Temple is one of those stops that often gets overlooked since it is located about an hour away from Luxor with not much other important sites to visit nearby. What makes it special though is how it feels almost hidden away, tucked below modern street level after years of silt buildup and restoration work. 

Inside, you’ll find an impressively well preserved hypostyle hall with towering columns covered in detailed carvings and vibrant astronomical ceiling reliefs that still retain traces of their original colours. It’s a quieter, more atmospheric temple visit compared to the bigger sites, and a great way to see just how much detail the ancient Egyptians packed into their sacred spaces.

Esna is located about an hour south of Luxor and is the starting point for the Dahabiya. Unfortunately on our tour, we didn’t have enough time to visit Esna before boarding the boat so that is another temple we’d love to visit next time! 

This post is part of our series about Egypt. If you want to learn more about the traveling in Egypt including itineraries, travel tips, recommended activities and more, check the guides below:

How to Visit Abu Simbel: Everything You Need to Know (2026) 

Is Siwa Oasis Worth Visiting? An Honest Review + Best Things to Do

Best Egypt Nile Cruise: Sailing on the Dahabiya Amoura

Where to Stay in Luxor

Luxor is separated by the Nile into the East and West Banks. If you are booking a tour for your trip through Egypt, most travel agencies will recommend for you to stay on the East Bank. Here is our opinion.

East Bank of Luxor

This is where you’ll find most of the luxury and large style hotels including the Steinberger Nile Palace (5 star hotel) and the Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa (5 Star hotel) , and where you’ll find the touristic centre. The East bank is also where you’ll find most of the famous temples including Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple, Mummification Museum, Avenue of Sphynxes. 

West Bank of Luxor

The West Bank on the other hand offers a far more local experience, further from crowds and the polished touristic centre catered for tourists.

If you’ve read our guides before, you’ll know that we often prefer staying and experiencing areas that reflect more the authentic culture and where we get to connect more with the locals. We ended up staying at Elphardous Oasis Hotel on the West Bank and really enjoyed our experience there.

Not only was the hotel very affordable and reflected the local architectural methods and style, but the guests were all locals. We even saw a local wedding there! The West bank is also where you’ll find the hot air balloon launch point, Valley of the Kings and Queens, and Hatshepsut Temple.

Hotel Recommendations for Luxor

There isn’t one right answer for the best place to stay in Luxor. If you prefer to be more central in the touristic zone and stay within the luxury hotels, then the East Bank is a better fit for you. If you prefer a more authentic experience, in a quieter and more local area where you can see the everyday life of Luxor, then we recommend the West Bank. 

Hotels on the East Bank

Both hotels are highly rated, luxurious, and offer all the comforts you would expect from an internationally recognized hotel brand. The best part is that five star hotels in Egypt cost only a fraction of what you would typically pay in North America or Europe, making this a tempting and potentially unmissable splurge.

Hotels on the West Bank

Both of these hotels are highly rated, affodable, and reflect the local architectural methods, making you truly feel like you are in a local village in Egypt.

4 Day Luxor Itinerary

Below, we’ll walk you through our 4 day Luxor itinerary so you can get a clear idea of how to structure your trip and plan which sites to include. If you’re short on time, these are the main experiences we would personally prioritize:

• Hot air balloon 
• Dendera Temple 
• Karnak temple 
• Valley of the kings 

Day 1 in Luxor

Hot Air Balloon + Valley of the Kings + Hatshepsut Temple + Valley of the queens

We recommend scheduling the hot air balloon experience on the first morning. If ever there are any cancellations, then you still have 2 additional days on which you can reschedule the trip. This is what happened to us and our flight was rescheduled the day after tomorrow. 

The hot air balloon ride starts right at sunrise, so you should be done by around 8:30pm. It is still nice and early in the morning so you can then remain on the West bank and visit Valley of the kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, and Valley of the Queens. This tour visits all three sites. You’ll probably be finished by around 2-3pm but will be tired after visiting these 3 sites.  

Day 2 in Luxor

Dendera Temple day trip ± Abydos temple

On the second day, you’ll be taking a day trip 1 hour outside of Luxor to visit Dendera Temple. This was our absolute favourite temple in Luxor so we headed there bright and early at 7am. The temple site is not too big, but to the surprise of our tour guide, we ended up staying there for close to 4 hours. I think we got in trouble with the driver who wasn’t expecting to need to wait for this long! For this reason, we highly recommend booking a private tour to Dendera Temple.

After Dendera Temple, you have the choice of driving even further to explore Abydos Temple. Since we already took up all our guided time at Dendera, we decided to skip Abydos.

If this is what you’re planning on doing, you will get to return to Luxor by around noon. With the rest of the day, you can walk around downtown Luxor, shop around (we have some crucial tips on shopping in Luxor in the Tips section below), or simply rest at your hotel pool during the hottest hours of the day. At night, you can always come back out for dinner or even go for the Karnak Temple night light show.

Day 3 in Luxor

Karnak temple ± Luxor temple

On your third day, you will explore Luxor’s two most famous temples: Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple.

Based on our experience, we would highly recommend visiting Luxor Temple right at 7am (opening time) and explore the temple before the tour buses arrive. We got there bright and early and enjoyed the temple with only a handful of other guests which made the experience that much more magical. By around 9am, the temple halls were packed shoulder to shoulder with tourists from the tour buses, and honestly, it’s hard to fully appreciate the site.

After visiting Luxor Temple, do a quick view of the Avenue of Sphynxes. The entire Avenue spans 3km but is pretty repetitive, so we would recommend simply walking the first 2-3 minutes and then turn back.

Then head on over to Karnak Temple. This is where you’ll find the most impressive and largest column chambers and was one of our favourite temples in all of Egypt. Since Karnak is considered one of the biggest temple complexes in the entire world, the crowds are more spread out and remains easy to enjoy despite the later hour. 

To explore both Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple, you can join this group tour. 

Day 4 in Luxor

Departure for the Dahabiya/Nile Cruise

On your final morning, if you have energy and time, you can still visit one final site before departing on the Nile Cruise. Early in the morning, you can visit the Mummification Museum, explore more of downtown Luxor, or if ever your hot air balloon flight was cancelled earlier, it can be rescheduled to today.

Where to Eat in Luxor

We can’t provide any specific restaurant recommendations in Luxor since we ate all our dinner meals at the restaurant of our Hotel Elphardous. It turns out that the cook there is amazing, and we enjoyed some of our favourite meals in all of Egypt during our stay there.

How to get to Luxor

There are three main ways to get to Luxor from Cairo:

• Flight (most convenient, takes 1 hour, costs around the same as train)
• Train (slow journey, 9-11 hours, costs around the same as the flight)
• Bus (9 hour journey, by far cheapest, less comfortable)

The first and most convenient is a domestic flight. it takes only about an hour and the cost is pretty much equivalent to or even cheaper than the second option, by train. Some travellers recommend going by sleeper train but the transit takes about 9-11 hours and the trains are known to be not the most modern nor comfortable. We considered this option but the price was even higher than the flight (100$ for train, and 80$ for flight), and the extra 11 hours gained from taking a flight would allow us to see more sites which to us, is priceless.

The final option is to travel by bus or car. The bus is the most budget friendly choice, usually costing around $10 to $15, but it also comes with a long ride of roughly 9 hours. There are no sleeper buses on this route, so you’ll be sitting in regular seats the entire way, which can end up feeling pretty uncomfortable by the end.

Overall, we would highly recommend taking a direct domestic 1 hour flight from Cairo to Luxor. Not only do you save a huge amount of time, it is also a lot more comfortable, and doesn’t cost any more than the train. 

Should you Join Tours in Luxor

Normally when we travel, we avoid tours and prefer exploring independently at our own pace. But in Egypt, we would genuinely recommend doing things a bit differently and joining a tour, or at least hiring a guide and driver like we did.

Not only does it make the experience a lot more meaningful, since someone can actually bring the rich history and stories to life, but it also helps you navigate the constant scams and touts around the sites.

Having a guide completely changed how we experienced each temple. The stories of the different gods, pharaohs, and myths were genuinely fascinating, and suddenly each place wasn’t just ruins anymore, but a window back in time that you could actually understand and appreciate. It was also pretty eye opening how quickly things changed the moment our guide wasn’t with us anymore. We were immediately surrounded by temple staff asking for tips or trying to sell things, which honestly felt quite uncomfortable.

Recommended Egypt Tour Company

There are individual day tours that you can join to visit Dendera Temple, Luxor Temple + Karnak Temple, and Valley of the Kings/Queens, or if you have the budget for it, it may be even better to simply hire your own driver and guide. We chose this option since we travel slowly and spend a lot of time appreciating the place through photography, so needing to follow a whole tour group was definitely a no go for us. 

Our guide during our entire stay in Luxor and the Dahabiya was Khaled. We loved our experience with him, he was enthusiastic, animated, and is an excellent storyteller. If you’re interested in booking with him, you can contact the Egypt Travel Specialist company we booked with, Oriental Tours Egypt (their website is really not that great, but I have worked with them and they really care tremendously for their clients, are honest, and take the time to make the trip perfect for you). 

Recommended Day Tours in Luxor

Alternatively, here are a few recommended day tour options that would align with our proposed itinerary:

If you will only be spending one day in Luxor:

If you’re short on time and want to see as many sites as possible, then we would recommend this Full-Day Luxor East and West Bank Tour. You will get to visit Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple, and Luxor temple all in one day.   

Tour for your first Day in Luxor

Hot Air balloon Ride and then half day tour to Valley of the Kings. However if you have the additional budget, I think it is highly worthwhile booking a private tour to see the Valley of the Kings and Queens. It is only a bit more expensive than a shared temple, but you will have the full flexibility of having your own guide and driver.  

Tour for your Second Day in Luxor

Take a private tour to Dendera Temple. Believe me, this temple is so beautiful that you’ll want to explore at your own pace rather than following a big tour group. 

Tour for your Third Day in Luxor

This tour with over 700 excellent reviews will bring you to Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple

Tips for traveling in Luxor

Most countries require a Visa to visit Egypt

First tip is getting into Egypt itself. Most nationalities will need a visa to enter, so make sure you apply for the official e-visa online through the government website. There are quite a few third party sites that pop up claiming to help you with the application, but many of them either overcharge you or are outright scams. To avoid any issues, always go directly through the official channel. This is the correct site to use for your visa: Egypt e-Visa Portal (visa2egypt.gov.eg)

There is the option of Visa on arrival for certain countries, but for us, we would rather ensure we have our visa ready before arrival to avoid any inconveniences.

Be careful shopping at the gold/cartouche/perfume shops

We were shopping for gold jewelry and a cartouche since arriving in Egypt. We first inquired in Cairo before exploring the options in Luxor. In our experience having visited several shops in Luxor, we feel Luxor is the worst option for shopping, especially at the shops the tour companies are affiliated with. 

We were first brought to the jewlery store New Scarab in Luxor and they quoted us 2000$ for a gold necklace that we were previously quoted like 200$ for. We understand there is a whole negotiating game when shopping in Egypt, but trying to charge 10x the price on a high ticket item like this was ridiculous. We stormed out and asked our tour guide to bring us to a local shop where we ended up buying the same necklace for 150$. 

The same applies to Perfume shops. They will do a whole performance for you and have you smell all the different kinds before presenting you with purchasing packages. Nan is very into perfume and oils and is familiar with normal pricing, but we were quoted over 20-30$ for a tiny bottle. They were already aware that we are travel bloggers and still quoted us that price so we can’t imagine what price they would quote for a group of tourists. 

Tipping is very much expected for almost everything

This is one of the aspects that we liked the least about Egypt. Tipping is expected for almost everything. Your driver, your guide, a staff helps you take a photo, someone helps with your luggage, someone helps you ask someone else a question…everyone expects a tip. 

The most challenging part though is that there doesn’t appear to be a standard for how much you should tip. We researched extensively online and some people will tip their guide 5-10$ per day, whereas others tipped 40-50$ per day. And to make matters even more challenging, the guides will also show they are expecting your tip, and some will even evaluate how much you give them. 

In any case, this is part of their culture, and we have learned to accept it, but it is something you need to be prepared for. 

Book hot air balloon first day

As we previously mentioned, we highly recommend booking your hot air balloon ride on your first full day in Luxor. In this way, if ever the weather is not good and the flight gets cancelled, you’ll have your subsequent days on which you can reschedule your flight. This is also what we did in Cappadocia while visiting Turkey and it really paid off, since our flight was also cancelled and rescheduled two days later.

Visit the temples very early

Luxor is one of the most popular and visited areas in Egypt. For this reason, we recommend visiting the temples and archeological sites right at opening hour. Not only will this allow you to avoid the crowds, but the temperature is also a lot more comfortable for outdoor exploration.

Don’t let the temple staff take your phone to take photos for you

This one is huge. At the temple sites, there will be ‘staff’ that approach you and offer to help you take photos, or open up a restricted passage for you. They are expecting a big tip for whatever they do for you. We personally saw some other tourists that allowed them to take photos for them and the results were really not great, and then they had to pay 5-10$ in tips for it.

Women should dress more modestly in Egypt

In general, the culture in Egypt is fairly conservative. There is also commonly unwanted attention given to women. So we would recommend dressing more modestly in Egypt, especially when visiting Temple sites. Try to cover your shoulders and legs at least down to the knees.

Prices are rarely listed, make sure to ask and verify before ordering

You will notice that prices at shops are almost never listed. This means the shop keeper can charge whatever they want. So make sure to ask them the price first, and don’t hesitate to inquire from a few shops before buying from one.

We love Mango smoothies in Egypt and the prices ranged drastically from a low of 50 EGP, to a high of 400 EGP. The prices are also almost always negotiable!

Where to go after Luxor

After spending a few days in Luxor, we highly recommend doing a nile cruise/Dahabiya for 3-5 days South to reach Aswan. From there, you can see the famous Abu Simble Temple. Alternatively, if you’re doing the route in reverse and starting in Aswan before sailing North on a Nile cruise to Luxor, then you can directly take a flight back to Cairo to see the Pyramids of Giza and the world famous Egyptian Museum.

Using WISE card in Egypt

When taking cash out of an ATM while abroad, you will most likely be charged both a foreign exchange fee and a foreign transaction fee by that country’s ATM. With my Canadian card, this can easily be 3-4$ + 2.75% + a markup on the exchange rate charged by my bank, and then another 3-5$ charged by the foreign ATM.

This can be really costly. For this reason, we recommend using WISE card which has only minimal fees and just about no foreign currency exchange markup. This helps me save at least 5-7$ every time I take out money from an ATM. If you want to see our full review of the card showing exactly how WISE can help you save, check out our WISE Travel card Review post.

Summary: 14 Best Things to do in Luxor

As you can see, Luxor is truly filled with some of the most amazing temples and archeological sites in all of Egypt. We loved the quieter pace here and the sheer variety and concentration of experiences. From flying in a hot air balloon, exploring temples, to sailing on a dahabiya, I think I’d have to say that Luxor was our favourite section of our Egypt Itinerary.

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