Things to do · Luxor · Egypt
17 best things to do in Luxor
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Luxor are Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple and Valley of the Kings. Of the 17 picks below, 2 are free, 3 work on a rainy day and 2 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- Karnak Temple
- Free sights
- 2
- Good on a rainy day
- Luxor Museum
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnak Temple | Karnak | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Luxor Temple | East Bank Corniche | 1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Valley of the Kings | West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat | 2–3 hours | Expensive |
| Temple of Hatshepsut | West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Colossi of Memnon | West Bank Gezira | 20 minutes | Free |
| Sunrise hot-air balloon flight | West Bank Gezira | About 3–4 hours including transfers | Expensive |
| Avenue of Sphinxes | East Bank Corniche | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Medinet Habu | West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Valley of the Queens | West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat | 1–1.5 hours | Expensive |
| Tombs of the Nobles | West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Deir el-Medina | West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Ramesseum | West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Luxor Museum | East Bank Corniche | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Mummification Museum | East Bank Corniche | 45 minutes | Low cost |
| Felucca sail at sunset | East Bank Corniche | 1–2 hours | Low cost |
| Howard Carter's House | West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat | 30–45 minutes | Low cost |
| Luxor souq | Souq and station area | 1 hour | Free |
The 17 best things to do
Historic site · Karnak
1.Karnak Temple
The largest religious complex of ancient Egypt grew over some 2,000 years as successive pharaohs added pylons, obelisks and chapels to the temple of Amun-Ra. The Great Hypostyle Hall, with 134 towering columns carved with reliefs, is the highlight, along with the obelisk of Hatshepsut and the sacred lake.
Arrive at opening time to see the Hypostyle Hall in low morning light before the tour groups and the heat arrive.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Historic site · East Bank Corniche
2.Luxor Temple
Built mainly by Amenhotep III and Ramesses II, this temple in the centre of town is fronted by colossal statues and a single obelisk; its twin stands in the Place de la Concorde in Paris. A mosque, the Abu al-Haggag, still sits on top of the ancient walls, and the temple is floodlit after dark.
Visit around sunset and stay as the floodlights come on; it is much cooler and the reliefs look dramatic under the lights.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- After dark
- Photo spot
- Architecture
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Historic site · West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat
3.Valley of the Kings
Pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried in rock-cut tombs in this desert valley for about 500 years. 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.
Go at opening time, and choose the extra ticket for Ramesses VI or Seti I if you can only add one; both have exceptionally well-preserved paintwork.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Extra tickets for individual tombs are sold at the site's ticket office; which tombs are open changes, so check on the day.
- Iconic
- History
- Art
Historic site · West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat
4.Temple of Hatshepsut
The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, one of ancient Egypt's few female pharaohs, rises in three colonnaded terraces against the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari. Reliefs show her trading expedition to the land of Punt, and the setting is among the most striking in Egypt.
Visit early or late in the day; the terraces have almost no shade and reflect the heat.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Landmark · West Bank Gezira
5.Colossi of Memnon
Two seated stone statues of Amenhotep III, each about 18 metres tall, are all that remains above ground of his vast mortuary temple. They stand in fields beside the main road to the West Bank sites, and excavations behind them continue to reveal more statues.
Stop on the way back from the tombs in the late afternoon, when the light on the statues is warmer and the tour buses have gone.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- History
- Photo spot
Experience · West Bank Gezira
6.Sunrise hot-air balloon flight
Dozens of balloons lift off from the West Bank at dawn and drift for about 45 minutes over the Colossi of Memnon, Hatshepsut's temple, farm villages and the Nile. Pick-ups are typically well before sunrise, and flights depend on wind.
Choose an established licensed operator and book for your first morning, leaving later days free in case wind cancels the flight.
- Time needed
- About 3–4 hours including transfers
- Cost
- Expensive
- Book ahead
- Book a day or more ahead in winter, when flights are most popular.
- Iconic
- Views
- Couples
- Photo spot
Historic site · East Bank Corniche
7.Avenue of Sphinxes
The ceremonial processional way linking Luxor Temple and Karnak runs for about 2.7 km, lined with rows of sphinxes, many restored. After decades of excavation it reopened in 2021 and can be walked from the Luxor Temple end.
Walk a section of the avenue in the early evening when it is cooler, starting from Luxor Temple.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Photo spot
- Outdoors
Historic site · West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat
8.Medinet Habu
The mortuary temple of Ramesses III has some of the best-preserved painted reliefs in Egypt, with colours still vivid on the ceilings and deeply carved scenes of battles against the Sea Peoples on the outer walls. It is usually much quieter than the Valley of the Kings.
Look up in the second court for original blue, red and yellow paint on the ceiling and column tops.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat
1.Valley of the Queens
Royal wives and princes of the New Kingdom were buried in this smaller valley. Its star is the tomb of Nefertari, wife of Ramesses II, whose painted walls are often called the finest in Egypt; it requires a separate, expensive ticket and visits are timed.
If Nefertari's tomb is open during your visit and the budget allows, it is worth the extra ticket for its colour alone.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Expensive
- History
- Art
Historic site · West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat
2.Tombs of the Nobles
On the hillside of Sheikh Abd el-Qurna, the tombs of officials, priests and scribes are decorated with scenes of everyday life — farming, banqueting, fishing and craftwork — rather than the religious texts of the royal tombs. They are small, colourful and rarely crowded.
Tickets are sold for groups of tombs; the tombs of Ramose and Rekhmire are among the most rewarding.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat
3.Deir el-Medina
The village of the craftsmen who dug and decorated the royal tombs survives as stone house foundations, a small Ptolemaic temple and the workers' own painted family tombs, decorated with the same skill they used for the pharaohs.
The tomb of Sennedjem has some of the brightest paintings on the West Bank.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Art
- Off the beaten path
Historic site · West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat
4.Ramesseum
The mortuary temple of Ramesses II includes the toppled fragments of a colossal granite statue that inspired Shelley's poem 'Ozymandias', alongside Osiride pillars and mud-brick storerooms. It sees far fewer visitors than the big sites.
Combine it with Medinet Habu in a half-day on the West Bank's quieter temples.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Photo spot
Museum · East Bank Corniche
5.Luxor Museum
This compact, well-lit museum on the Corniche displays statues and objects from Theban temples and tombs, including finds from Tutankhamun's tomb and a cache of statues discovered beneath Luxor Temple's court in 1989. It is small enough to see in an hour and air-conditioned.
Visit in the heat of the afternoon, when outdoor sites are punishing.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Art
- Rainy day
Museum · East Bank Corniche
6.Mummification Museum
A small museum below the Corniche explains how ancient Egyptians mummified people and animals, with tools, canopic jars, coffins and mummified animals including a crocodile and a cat.
Older children usually enjoy it; it takes under an hour and pairs well with Luxor Temple nearby.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- History
- Rainy day
Experience · East Bank Corniche
7.Felucca sail at sunset
Traditional wooden sailboats wait along the Corniche to take passengers out on the Nile for an hour or two, often to Banana Island upstream. At sunset the sky turns orange over the West Bank hills, and the only sound is the wind in the sail.
Agree the price, duration and destination with the captain before you board.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Couples
- Kids
- Views
- Outdoors
Historic site · West Bank Qurna and Al-Bairat
8.Howard Carter's House
The domed mud-brick house where the British archaeologist lived while searching for and excavating Tutankhamun's tomb stands near the road to the Valley of the Kings. It has been restored with his furniture, photographs and darkroom.
Stop on the way to or from the Valley of the Kings; it is on the same road.
- Time needed
- 30–45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Rainy day
Market · Souq and station area
9.Luxor souq
The covered tourist market runs inland from Luxor Temple, selling spices, scarves, galabiyas, alabaster and papyrus, with more local stalls of fruit, vegetables and household goods further in. It is liveliest in the evening.
Haggle with a smile and walk away if the price does not suit; the same items are sold at many stalls.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Free
- After dark
- Food
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Valley of the Kings, Medinet Habu, Valley of the Queens and Tombs of the Nobles |
| History | Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, Avenue of Sphinxes and Valley of the Kings |
| Views | Sunrise hot-air balloon flight and Felucca sail at sunset |
| Outdoors and nature | Avenue of Sphinxes and Felucca sail at sunset |
| Food and markets | Luxor souq |
| After dark | Luxor Temple and Luxor souq |
| With children | Mummification Museum and Felucca sail at sunset |
| On a rainy day | Luxor Museum, Mummification Museum and Howard Carter's House |
What to book ahead
- 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.
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Luxor?
Karnak Temple. The largest religious complex of ancient Egypt grew over some 2,000 years as successive pharaohs added pylons, obelisks and chapels to the temple of Amun-Ra.
+What can you do for free in Luxor?
Colossi of Memnon and Luxor souq. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Luxor when it rains?
Head indoors to Luxor Museum, Mummification Museum and Howard Carter's House.
+What is there to do in Luxor at night?
Luxor Temple and Luxor souq are best after dark.