Travel tips · Luxor · Egypt
Luxor travel tips: what to know before you go
The etiquette, money and practical details that make the first day easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Roland Unger, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Luxor is a small, conservative Upper Egyptian town whose economy depends heavily on tourism, so visitors receive both warm hospitality and intense sales pressure. Life on the West Bank remains rural, with sugarcane farming and village traditions alongside the monuments.
Key facts
- Language
- Arabic (Egyptian) and English
- Currency
- EGP
- Plugs
- Type C and F sockets, 220 V, 50 Hz
- Tap water
- Tap water is chlorinated, but visitors should drink bottled or filtered water.
- Emergency
- 122 police, 123 ambulance, 126 tourist police
Things to know
- Dress modestly in town and at sites: cover shoulders and knees, and women may want a scarf for mosques.
- Ask before photographing people, especially women and children in villages.
- A polite but firm 'la, shukran' (no, thank you) is the best response to touts and vendors.
- Use your right hand for eating and handing over money.
- During Ramadan, avoid eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight out of respect.
- Book Valley of the Kings ahead: Extra tickets for individual tombs are sold at the site's ticket office; which tombs are open changes, so check on the day.
- Book Sunrise hot-air balloon flight ahead: Book a day or more ahead in winter, when flights are most popular.
- Carry small notes for tips, ferry fares and snacks; change for large notes is often short.
Tipping
Tipping (baksheesh) is part of daily life: small notes for tomb guardians who show you something special, hotel porters and drivers. Add about 10% in restaurants if service is not included, and tip guides and cruise crews at the end of the trip.
Language
| Phrase | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Salam alaikum | Hello (peace be upon you) |
| Shukran | Thank you |
| La, shukran | No, thank you |
| Bikam? | How much? |
| Min fadlak | Please |
What to wear
Light, loose clothes that cover shoulders and knees are the most comfortable and respectful choice; add a hat, sunglasses and comfortable shoes for dusty, uneven sites.
Practical details
- Plugs and voltage
- Type C and F sockets, 220 V, 50 Hz
- Drinking water
- Tap water is chlorinated, but visitors should drink bottled or filtered water.
- Emergency number
- 122 police, 123 ambulance, 126 tourist police
- Phone and internet
- Local SIM cards from Vodafone, Orange, e& and WE are sold at the airport and in town and are registered with your passport; eSIMs are also widely available.
- Time zone
- Africa/Cairo
The most common issues are persistent touts, carriage drivers and unofficial 'guides' at sites and on the Corniche, plus disputes over unagreed prices. Heat and sun exposure are serious from April to September; carry water and avoid the midday sun.
Entry requirements
Visa and passport rules depend on your nationality and change often. Check Egypt's official government guidance and your own government's travel advice before booking.
Plan the trip
Questions travellers ask
+Do you tip in Luxor?
Tipping (baksheesh) is part of daily life: small notes for tomb guardians who show you something special, hotel porters and drivers. Add about 10% in restaurants if service is not included, and tip guides and cruise crews at the end of the trip.
+Can you drink the tap water in Luxor?
Tap water is chlorinated, but visitors should drink bottled or filtered water.
+What plugs are used in Luxor?
Type C and F sockets, 220 V, 50 Hz
+What language is spoken in Luxor?
Arabic (Egyptian) and English.