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Hot air balloons over the Temple of Hatshepsut

Egypt

Luxor

Karnak and Luxor Temple on the east bank, the Valley of the Kings across the Nile.

  • Typical stay: 2–4 days

Why ⁨Luxor⁩?

  1. Two river banks

    Two river banks

    Temples of the living east of the river, tombs of the dead west.

  2. A day of temples

    A day of temples

    Karnak at opening time, Luxor Temple late in the day.

  3. Valley of the Kings

    Valley of the Kings

    Painted tombs cut into the rock of the Valley of the Kings.

Before you go

  • Currency

    Egyptian Pound

  • Language

    Arabic

  • Time difference

    GMT+3

  • Plugs

    Type C, F

  • Getting around

    Ferry

  • Driving

    On the right

Best time to visit ⁨Luxor⁩

November to February

  • January

    Average high: 22°C

    Average low 9°C

    Coldest month

    1 day of rain

    Wettest month

    Best time to go

  • February

    Average high: 24°C

    Average low 10°C

    0 days of rain

    Best time to go

  • March

    Average high: 29°C

    Average low 14°C

    0 days of rain

    Good time to go

  • April

    Average high: 35°C

    Average low 19°C

    0 days of rain

  • May

    Average high: 39°C

    Average low 23°C

    0 days of rain

  • June

    Average high: 42°C

    Average low 27°C

    0 days of rain

  • July

    Average high: 42°C

    Average low 27°C

    0 days of rain

  • August

    Average high: 42°C

    Average low 28°C

    Warmest month

    0 days of rain

  • September

    Average high: 40°C

    Average low 26°C

    0 days of rain

  • October

    Average high: 36°C

    Average low 21°C

    0 days of rain

    Good time to go

  • November

    Average high: 29°C

    Average low 16°C

    0 days of rain

    Best time to go

  • December

    Average high: 25°C

    Average low 12°C

    0 days of rain

    Best time to go

Places in ⁨Luxor⁩

Compare flight tickets to ⁨Luxor⁩

Trip plans for ⁨Luxor⁩

Local tips

  • Insider tips

    1. Cross on the public ferry, not by road. It takes minutes, and the crossing is a highlight of the day.

    2. Three tombs read slowly beat six seen quickly: they are small, hot and crowded, and the paint is the point.

  • Customs and safety

    1. No site has shade and the valley is Egypt's hottest. Water, a hat and an early start are the itinerary.

  • Food and prayer

    1. Halal is the ordinary case, in hotels and town alike; cooking is plain Upper Egyptian: grills, bread, pulses, stews.

    2. Mosques are on both banks, and one stands inside the walls of Luxor Temple: the Abu Haggag mosque, still working.

Getting around ⁨Luxor⁩

  • Ferry

    A public ferry crosses the Nile between the east bank and the west. It takes foot passengers, not cars, and it is the cheapest and most ordinary way across.

    Recommended

  • Taxi

    How the west-bank sites are reached once you are across: they are spread over several kilometres of desert edge.

  • Walking

    The east-bank town is small and Luxor Temple is in the middle of it; Karnak is a walk up the corniche.

  • Train

    The national railway reaches Luxor from Cairo and Aswan, and the overnight service is the usual way to arrive from the north.

From the airport

  • LXR

    Luxor International Airport

    Taxi

Things to do in ⁨Luxor⁩

Tours, tickets and experiences.

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eSIM plans in ⁨Egypt⁩

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Continue your ⁨Egypt⁩ trip

About ⁨Luxor⁩

The river divides Luxor the way it divided Thebes. The east bank, where the sun rises, held the living city and its temples (Karnak and Luxor Temple are both there). The west bank, where it sets, held the dead: the Valley of the Kings, the mortuary temples and the workers' village are all on that side.

The sites are large and the ground is open. Karnak alone takes a morning if it is read rather than walked through, and the west bank is several separate places rather than one.

Photo credits

Photographs on this page, with their licences.

Data sources