2 days in Luxor

Day by day

1. Day 1: Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple

   Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings and Temple of Hatshepsut, then Luxor souq in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Karnak Temple

      The Great Hypostyle Hall, with 134 towering columns carved with reliefs, is the highlight, along with the obelisk of Hatshepsut and the sacred lake.

   2. Late morning

      Luxor Temple

      A mosque, the Abu al-Haggag, still sits on top of the ancient walls, and the temple is floodlit after dark.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Ful medames

      Street carts and small cafés around the souq and station in the morning.

   4. Afternoon

      Valley of the Kings

      The standard ticket covers three tombs from those open on a rotating basis, with painted corridors descending deep into the hill; Tutankhamun's tomb and the finest tombs such as Seti I and Ramesses VI need extra tickets.

   5. Late afternoon

      Temple of Hatshepsut

      Reliefs show her trading expedition to the land of Punt, and the setting is among the most striking in Egypt.

   6. Evening

      Luxor souq

      Haggle with a smile and walk away if the price does not suit; the same items are sold at many stalls.

2. Day 2: Colossi of Memnon and Sunrise hot-air balloon flight

   Colossi of Memnon, Sunrise hot-air balloon flight, Avenue of Sphinxes and Medinet Habu, then Sunrise balloon flight in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Colossi of Memnon

      They stand in fields beside the main road to the West Bank sites, and excavations behind them continue to reveal more statues.

   2. Late morning

      Sunrise hot-air balloon flight

      Pick-ups are typically well before sunrise, and flights depend on wind.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Ta'ameya

      Sandwich shops around the souq and Television Street.

   4. Afternoon

      Avenue of Sphinxes

      After decades of excavation it reopened in 2021 and can be walked from the Luxor Temple end.

   5. Late afternoon

      Medinet Habu

      It is usually much quieter than the Valley of the Kings.

   6. Evening

      Sunrise balloon flight

      Watch the sun rise over the Nile valley from a balloon floating above the temples and fields of the West Bank.

Before you go

• Valley of the Kings: Extra tickets for individual tombs are sold at the site's ticket office; which tombs are open changes, so check on the day.
• Sunrise hot-air balloon flight: Book a day or more ahead in winter, when flights are most popular.

If it rains

• Swap in Luxor Museum (East Bank Corniche): Visit in the heat of the afternoon, when outdoor sites are punishing.
• Swap in Mummification Museum (East Bank Corniche): Older children usually enjoy it; it takes under an hour and pairs well with Luxor Temple nearby.
• Swap in Howard Carter's House (West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat): Stop on the way to or from the Valley of the Kings; it is on the same road.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 13–16 hours of visiting over 2 days, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 10.5 hours in December to 13.7 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Walking. Luxor Temple, the Luxor Museum, the Mummification Museum and the souq are all within walking distance along the Corniche on the East Bank.

More or fewer days

• One day in Luxor
• 3 days in Luxor
• 5 days in Luxor

Questions travellers ask