Sitting on the banks of the Nile, Luxor (from the arabic Al-Uqsur, “the fortifications”) should be the highlight of any trip to Egypt. Just like Rome, every corner of the city breathes History, from the necropolis on the West Bank of the Nile to the temples of Karnak and Luxor on the east side. Formerly known as Thebes (in greek) or Wase (in egyptian), this city was the capital of the Egyptian civilisation for centuries.
You’ll have to split your time here between the two margins of the river. The list of sites to visit is massive so be aware that, for example, our visit to the west bank of the Nile went almost from dawn til dusk – but we managed to see everything we wanted.
Consider buying yourself a Luxor Pass if you’re staying here for two days or more, as it should be worth it. It is a single ticket with which you can visit the archeological sites in the city. The pass is valid for 5 days and it is available in two modalities: standard and premium.
- With the Standard Luxor Pass (100$/90€, half-price for students) you can visit every site in Luxor except Seti I tomb (1000EGP, or 64$/56€) and Nefertari tomb (1400EGP, or 89$/78€);
- Premium Luxor Pass (200$/180€, half-price for students) allows you to visit those two tombs.
Our option was to buy the Standard Luxor Pass and, separately, the ticket to the tomb of Seti I.
Day 1: West Bank
We decided to start our visit of Luxor with the toughest part. The West Bank comprises countless temples and tombs, and the list keeps growing as years go by. As we’ve told you, this was a full day tour, so we brought some snacks we got the day before. Anyway, some archeological sites have occasional convenience stores before the entrance so you can always grab something quick to eat there.
We agreed to do a tour with a taxi driver for 400EGP, which we think is a fair price for the distance and time spent (Colossi of Memnon, Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Valley of the Queens, Medinat Habu, and the Tombs of the Nobles). Make sure to fix the price and the sites to visit before entering the taxi.
1.1) Colossi of Memnon
The Colossi of Memnon were probably built with pink granite from Aswan and represent King Amenhotep III looking East to the Nile River. You can do a quick stop here for a photograph as they are located just next to the road.
1.2) Valley of the Kings
The next stop was the Valley of the Kings, an astonishing collection of tombs from pharaohs and army generals. We had the Luxor Pass and the ticket to the Tomb of Seti I so we were allowed to visit every tomb which was open. Please note that due to conservation efforts, some tombs are randomly closed for some weeks/months. Our personal top 5 are:
- Ramesses V/VI (note: the extra 100EGP for this tomb is really a bargain as this is easily one of the best)
- Seti I
- Ramesses III
- Tausert/Seknakht
- Ramesses IV
The tomb of Tutankhamun has a lot of symbolism as it is probably one of the most valuable discoveries of the twentieth century. Yet there’s not so much to see inside apart from the mummy of King Tut himself, as the rest of the treasury stands in the Egyptian Museum. Probably you should skip this one unless you’re really curious about it or you have a Luxor Pass.
- Entrance ticket: 240EGP (includes only 3 tombs, if you want to visit more you have to buy another ticket)
- Tram ticket: 4EGP
- Tomb of Tutankhamun: 300EGP
- Tomb of Ramesses V/VI: 100EGP
- Tomb of Seti I: 1000EGP
1.3) Temple of Hatshepsut
After that, we went to the mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut, one of the most powerful female rulers of history. This temple does not resemble any other in Egypt, as it consists of three terraces, decorated with scenes from her reign and shrines to Anubis, Amun and Hathor, for example.
- Expected time of visit: 1 hour
- Entrance: 140EGP
1.4) Valley of the Queens
Smaller and comprising tombs which are generally more modest than its counterpart, the Valley of the Kings. Nevertheless, the Tomb of Nefertari (which we opted not to visit) is taken as the exception and one of the best in Luxor if you’re willing to pay the ticket. Our favourite free entrance tomb is the Tomb of Amunherkhepshef, a son of Ramesses III who died in his adolescence.
- Expected time of visit: 1 hour (excluding Nefertari’s tomb)
- Entrance ticket: 100EGP
- Nefertari’s tomb: 1400EGP
1.5) Tombs of the Nobles
Somewhat different from the royal tombs in what concerns the decoration of the walls. Their motifs are very different, depicting daily life: hunting and fishing scenes, or the production of metals and jewellery, for example. There are more than 400 scattered tombs but, after some research, we opted to visit the tombs of Sennofer and Ramose. Travel blogs often mention the tomb of Rekhmire as a favourite as well. Sennofer’s is arguably our top choice. After descending some steps underground, you may observe that it still preserves its vivid colours, just as if you were visiting it 3000 years ago.
- Entrance ticket: 40EGP
1.6) Medinat Habu
Medinat Habu, the ancient memorial temple of Ramesses III, is probably one of the most underrated sites on the west bank and definitely deserves a visit. Its structure resembles the temples of Edfu and Philae and glorifies the victories against the Libyans and the Hittites.
- Entrance ticket: 100EGP
Day 2: Karnak & Luxor Temples
We started this day later than usual. Covering the west bank on the first day is tiresome but allows you to face the other two days with a much more relaxing attitude.
2.1) Karnak Temple
Our plan was to visit the Temple of Karnak during the morning and the Luxor Temple at the afternoon. Make sure you arrive before 10am: after that, the complex with be crowded with families day-tripping from Hurghada.
Karnak was the only place in Egypt we gladly hired a certified guide. The temple is massive and has lots of segments built by different pharaohs, each with their own subtleties. The Great Hypostyle Hall, with its 134 columns, is the jewel of the crown. In this temple you can still find the very same ramps they used to move blocks up the hypostyle walls. Other curious things you’ll find inside Karnak walls include, for example: Alexander the Great depicted as a pharaoh inside a small temple (he in fact crowned himself pharaoh of Egypt on the temple of Amun in Siwa), and a segment which was used for centuries as a Christian Coptic Church (you may even see some medieval frescoes and a statue of a crucified Jesus Christ!). So, take your time here: you’ll need it!
- Entrance ticket: 200EGP
2.2) Luxor Temple
The afternoon was destined to Luxor Temple, after a lunch nearby. We luckily chose the Nefertiti’s Hotel Restaurant, which has a rooftop with exquisite views to the temple and the Nile.
Luxor Temple is also impressive but not as huge as Karnak. It has no sections dedicated to ancient gods, and it was probably used as a place for the coronation of pharaohs. The main feature is the obelisk standing high on the entrance before the statues of Ramesses II. There were supposed to be two obelisks but the other one is now at Place de la Concorde, Paris.
- Entrance ticket: 160EGP
Day 3: Museums and the Bazaar
3.1) Luxor Museum
This museum is much smaller than the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Nevertheless, you can find here a good collection of items retrieved from the archeological sites in Luxor, including some from the tomb of Tutankhamun. Open from 9:00am – 2:00pm and 5:00pm – 9:00pm.
- Approximate time of visit: 1,5 hours
- Entrance ticket: 160EGP
3.2) Museum of Mummification
A very small museum (the museum is actually a big room) where you can learn about the steps of the mummification process. Open from 9:00am – 2:00pm and 5:00pm – 9:00pm.
- Approximate time of visit: 30 minutes
- Entrance ticket: 100EGP
3.3) Bazaar
The museums should keep you occupied for the most part of the morning. Another place we would absolutely recommend for lunch would be the Sofra Restaurant (excellent Egyptian food and juices) near the train station.
We chose to spend some hours of this afternoon around the city centre and the bazaar, as we had a night bus to Cairo at the end of the day. You can see how we spent our time in Cairo by clicking here
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