Trips and Sightseeing in and from Luxor

Sights to see. Brief summary of trips

This page lists trips available from Luxor. There are local agents selling trips like these all over Luxor. There are several along the Corniche on both sides of the Old Winter Palace and there are more amongst the hotels on the south side of town. European Package tour companies sell similar trips, but usually at much higher prices. For more detail see the 'Agents' page.

The prices listed are local agents' typical standard prices, in English pounds, taken from various agents' own printed price lists in November 2007. Prices vary not only according to local cost changes but also the exchange rate. Most prices are lower now than they were in 2006. You may be able to haggle down, especially if you do more than one trip or if you are in a big group.

Trip	Brief description	Typical local agency cost in £GBP per person (May 2008)	Length	Meals	Comments
West Bank - standard	Visit Hatshepsut's temple, the Colossi of Memnon and a few tombs in each of the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens. The standard price does not include Tutankhamun's tomb.	£22	Half day	None	Some of the most famous tombs. A half-day is a bit rushed. If there are several of you it is cheaper to hire a taxi (on either side of the river) and go on your own, or in your own private group, at your own pace. A taxi from the West Bank should cost about £10 (LE100) (per taxi, not per person) for about 4 hours. If you do it on your own you will also need to add the cost of entry tickets. All tombs close at 5pm.
Tutankhamun's Tomb and mummy	This is an 'add on', once you are at the Valley of the Kings. You pay extra for access to this small tomb where you can see the original decorated burial chamber and now also the mummy of Tutankhamun, which is in a temperature and humidity-controlled case in an antechamber.	£7 on top of entry to the Valley of the Kings (going up to LE100 -around £10 - in October 2008	About an extra 30 minutes depending on the queue	None	This new 'sight' is very popular so visitors are moved on quite quickly. The number of visitors allowed into the tomb will be limited to 200 in the morning and 200 in the afternoon. It is closed between noon and 2pm. It is due to close sometime in 2008 for restoration although it is not clear whether the antechamber with the mummy will close too.
West Bank - different	Less commonly visited tombs, temples and sights on the West Bank, such as the Valleys of the Nobles and the Workers, the temple at Medinet Habu and the site of the tomb builders' houses at Dier-El-Medina.	£20	Half day	None	There are group tours but get a local agent to arrange one privately for you. Tombs in the Valleys of the Nobles and the Workers (or artisans) are much less visited than those in the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, but also more awkward to get to and to get around. Wear sensible shoes. The temple at Medinet Habu has more colour than Luxor Temple.
East Bank	Luxor and Karnak Temples	£17	Half day	None	Both temples at once is too much, especially on a hot day. Better and cheaper to go by taxi to each temple on a different day and hire a guide privately.
Sound and light show	At Karnak Temple. Usually several showings each night in different languages.	£15	2 hours	None	Find out when the show is in your language. Go to the temple by taxi and get your ticket at the gate.
Hot air balloon	Balloon ride over the West Bank, usually at dawn. Usually lasts about an hour, but can be more, or less, depending on weather conditions and on air traffic control. Very occasionally they go over the Nile and land on the East Bank - depending on wind direction and air traffic control.	£28	3 hours total. 40-90 minutes in the air.	Possibly small breakfast	You can get it cheaper, especially if you are part of a group, but you could also pay close to £100. Shop around. "Breakfast' is usually a hot drink and biscuits on the motor boat crossing to the west bank before the flight.
Sea plane	An aerial tour of the Nile and the two banks	£60	about 20 minutes in the air	None	Different! The plane is moored behind a restaurant not far from the Hilton.
Horse, donkey or camel ride	Usually on the West Bank.	£5 per hour	1-2 hours	None	Usually includes a boat to the West Bank and a ride along the west bank of the Nile. Typically tourist. Alternatively, pay a bit more to hire a donkey with guide to take you somewhere more meaningful, such as up the hills behind the tombs and Hatshepsut's temple.
Felucca	Sail on the Nile. You can probably arrange to get dropped off at your hotel if it is along the Nile Bank.	£5	1 hour	None. They might make you a cup of tea.	Cheaper to arrange privately. Walk along the Nile and choose your boat and captain. See the article about feluccas on the 'Getting around' page
Fellah's tent	Go to a tent, not very far from town, in the grounds of the Mövenpick hotel, dress up, eat and drink.	£30	Evening	Evening meal and drinks	Luxor version of the inevitable package tour eat and drink evening.
Safari oasis	Start about 7am, visit New Baris and reach the Baris Oasis in time for lunch. Watch the sunset. Stay in your choice of tent or hotel and return the next morning.	£60	2 days	Full board	Not a sand dune desert safari, but a safari over mainly rocky terrain to a hot spring oasis and later watch the sun set.
Red Sea day trip	Coach or minibus, usually to Hurghada or Safaga. Some trips include a boat trip on the red sea, snorkeling etc.	£20	1 long day	Lunch	An early start, three hours travelling each way. A long day.
Red Sea overnight	Similar to the day trip, but the travelling is spread over 2 days and you get a good hotel - usually 5 star - for a night.	£60	2 days, 1 night	Two lunches	Less exhausting than the day trip for not much more money. A better bet if you want to go to the Red Sea and you don't mind losing 2 days in Luxor.
Aswan day trip	Coach or minibus to the dam, the obelisk, Philae Temple and the town.	£40	1 long day	Lunch	There may also be visits to temples along the way, usually Edfu and Kom Ombo. Does not include Abu Simbel. A very long day, much of it in the coach. May return by train.
Aswan and Abu Simbel	Adds a night and a visit to Abu Simbel to the Aswan Day trip.	£110	2 days, 1 night	Lunches	Same visits as the day trip. Overnight in Aswan at a good hotel. Extremely early start on the 2nd day (e.g. 3.30am) to get to Abu Simbel. Usually return from Aswan to Luxor by train.
Dendera and Abydos Temples	By coach or minibus	£30	1 day	Lunch	If you just want Dendera, try the cruise instead
Dendera cruise	Leaves from the back of the Iberotel (used to be called the Novotel).	£30	1 day	Lunch & tea	Worth going for the cruise even if you don't want to get off the boat to visit the temple. Full day. Leaves at about 7am and returns about 7 pm.
Short cruise	Lunch or dinner cruise on the Lotus Boat.	£15	4 hours	Lunch or dinner	Pleasant trip and reasonable food. A taster for the Dendera trip.
Nile cruise	Most durations and most standards of boat can be arranged. The Egyptian Hotels Association list 276 ships cruising the Nile between Aswan and Luxor, with another 86 in construction, so there is plenty of choice. About half of all Nile cruise ships are listed as 5 star. It takes a minimum of 2 days from Luxor to Aswan. If you book for less than about 6 days you usually go one way by cruise boat and the other by train.	Varies according to standard. Good 5* boats are typically £35 per person per day through local agents	Minimum 2 days / nights, usually 3 days, choose up to 7 days for return trip.	Full board	Go for the best standard of boat you can afford. Actual sailing time, including stops, is about a day, but because of the timings, you will need at least 2 nights on board. You are booking nights on the boat, not necessarily nights sailing. Some nights may be spent in Luxor and/or Aswan. Two nights is enough to get to Aswan and return by train or the other way around. An extra day and night gives you more time in Aswan or Luxor, not more cruising. There are temples along the route. You can usually specify a tour including or excluding temple visits. To cruise both ways on the same boat you probably need to book at least 6 nights. 2 days will be spent sailing (one each way). The other days you will be berthed in Luxor or Aswan.
Cairo by air	Visit the pyramids, sphinx, museum, mosque and bazaar	£100	1 day	Lunch	A bit rushed but a good introduction to Cairo. Entrance to the site of the pyramids is usually included, but to go inside any of them (different ones are open from time to time) is extra. There is usually time for shopping before you catch the evening flight back.
Cairo by train	Overnight train. Arrive early next morning and visit the same sights as the trip by air. Return by overnight train.	£55	2 nights 1 day	Lunch	You have a booked seat on the train - not a sleeper at this price. The train is comfortable and air conditioned but can get very cold. Take a jumper! There may be quite a few hours in the evening between the end of the guided part of the tour and being picked up to get the train. Be prepared to explore on your own or take a book.