Whatever your Egypt itinerary may look like, there is no way around planning a stop in Luxor. But how many days in Luxor, Egypt, are actually enough to see all there is to see.
After visiting Luxor twice, these are our two cents on the ideal time to stay in Luxor. In this article, you’ll find out how many days to stay in Luxor, what to do during your stay and where to stay to make the best of your time.
Key Takeaways
- Plan to spend at least 2 to 3 days in Luxor to explore both the East Bank and West Bank comfortably without rushing.
- Start your visit on the East Bank with must-see attractions like Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, and the Avenue of Sphinxes, all within walking distance.
- Dedicate a full day to the West Bank to visit special tombs in the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, Colossi of Memnon, and Medinet Habu Temple for a magical experience.
- Consider adding a hot air balloon ride at sunrise or a relaxing felucca sail at sunset to enhance your travel style and enjoy Luxor’s beautifully illuminated sites away from other tourists.
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The Best Places to Stay in Luxor According to Your Length of Stay
For your stay in Luxor, you will have to decide between Luxor’s East Bank and West Bank. We stayed on both sides of the Nile and these are the hotels we can vouch for:
| East Bank | Iberotel Luxor | from $ 53 per night | Click here for rates. |
| West Bank | Jewel Howard Carter | from $ 35 per night | Click here for rates. |
How to Get to Luxor, Egypt
Plan your route to Luxor along one of these modes of transport: train, bus, cruise ship, taxi or plane. Let us break down which modes of transport to take and why:
- Train: Train travel is super popular in Egypt as it takes you down the country right along the Nile river. A train ride from Cairo to Luxor takes around 12 hours, making it a great overnight option. But watch out: Foreigners pay much more for train tickets than Egyptians, often more than $ 100.
- Bus: Bus travel in Egypt is seriously underrated. Contrary to the Egyptian Railways Services, buses don’t charge tourists extra. Also, there are much faster, only taking around 9 hours, and cost around $ 20, even for Business Class services. We had the best experiences travelling with GoBus.
- Cruise Ship: Travelling onboard of a Nile Cruise has some serious upsides. For example, you won’t have to worry too much about where to sleep, where to eat and where to go. On the downside, you won’t be able to plan your time in Luxor flexible as most cruises are headed for Aswan.
- Taxi: Taxi transfers from Cairo to Luxor take you from the doorstep of your hotel in Cairo to the doorstep of your hotel in Luxor within just 7 hours. For the best prices, try requesting an intercity trip on the InDrive ridesharing app.
- Plane: There are daily direct flights operating between Cairo International Airport (CAI) and Luxor International Airport (LXR). Plane tickets on this route go for a little more than $ 120 per person and direction, and the pure flight time is just one hour.
Need more information planning your route? We already published a detailed transfer guide from Cairo to Luxor. Check it out!
How Many Days in Luxor, Egypt, are Enough? At least 2, if not 3.
Luxor once served as the Egyptian capital when it was still called Thebes. It has seen many dynasties come and go with its first rise to fame happening well over 4,000 years ago. Therefore, it should not come as a surprise that there is a lot to see in Luxor. And by a lot, we mean A LOT.
The city of Luxor extends beyond both banks of the Nile, but its two parts are only connected by two bridges in the far north and south of the city, and a cruise connection.
So, generally, when exploring Luxor, you will most likely spend your full day on either side of the Nile.
On the East Bank of the Nile, you can find most of the actual city of Luxor. When taking a train, bus or plane, you will arrive to Luxor on the East Bank. Here, you can find most hotels, shops, and restaurants, along with the Luxor Temple, Karnak Temple and the museums of Luxor.
On the West Bank of the Nile, you can find more hotels lining the Nile River, but much less infrastructure beyond. On this side of the Nile River, there are most of the archaeological sites such as the Valley of the King, the Hatshepsut Temple, the Colossi of Memnon and the Valley of the Queens.
You should spent at least 2 days in Luxor, dividing them between the East Bank and the West Bank.
Extend by one day to break up your exploring on the East Bank by temples and museums. If you still have energy left in your tank, consider staying 4 days in Luxor for a day trip to Qena or Esna.
Day 1: The East Bank of the Nile
Start exploring Luxor on the East Bank of the Nile. As this is the side of the Nile River you will arrive on, it’s best to get started here as well. Whether you are starting early morning from your hotel, or arriving by overnight train or overnight bus, this first day is quite easy on you.
Luxor Temple
The main sites on Luxor’s East Bank extend from Luxor Temple to Karnak Temple, which are connected to each other by the Sphinx Avenue. The Luxor Temple is the more southern of the two and, most likely, closer to your hotel. Start your day here and work your way up north via the Sphinx Avenue. The entrance fee to the Luxor Temple is 500 EGP for each foreign adult.
Sphinx Alley
Connecting the Luxor Temple and the Karnak Temple, the Sphinx Avenue is a roughly 2-mile footpath leading from the Luxor Temple up to the Karnak Temple. It earns it name from the countless Sphinx statuettes lining it on the left and the right. In ancient times, there would have been processions on the Sphinx Avenue. Today, it is the fastest way for you to get from one temple to the other.
Karnak Temple
Once you have completed your sweaty walk to the Karnak Temple, you’ll get to explore what we believe is the more impressive of the two temples on the temple complex. One highlight of the Karnak Temple is the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 130+ columns that often feature on travel pics. The entrance fee to the Karnak is 600 EGP per foreign adult.
Overall, you should set aside some 4 to 5 hours for this first day of exploring the impressive temple complex of Luxor. In entrance fees you will spend 1,100 EGP on the Karnak and Luxor Temples. There is no extra cost for the Sphinx Avenue.
Day 2: The West Bank of the Nile
Your second day in Luxor is where the magic happens. Rise early as this will be the day you venture across the Nile and into the desert. But seriously, this is an intense day o f exploring. Make sure to get enough rest beforehand and bring along a bottled water and snacks.
The Temple of Hatshepsut
The first major site on the Luxor’s West Bank of the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut. The Temple of Hatshepsut was constructed at the behest of Pharaoh, or Queen, Hatshepsut and is generally one of the more impressive temples in Egypt thanks to extensive restoration efforts. The entrance fee is 440 EGP per foreign adult.
The Colossi of Memnon
On your drive from the Hatshepsut Temple to the Valley of the Kings, you will pass Colossi of Memnon. This is a fairly short stops, but nonetheless worth it. The Colossi of Memnon are two massive statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III. that have stood in this very place for almost 2,500 years. Visiting the Colossi of Memnon by itself is completely free.
The Valley of the Kings
Without a shadow of a doubt, the Valley of the Kings is the site most travelers come to Luxor for in the first place. Located deeper in the desert, this arid valley houses more than 60 royal tombs, the most well-known of them being the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Today, only his mummy remains in the tomb. General admission to the Kings’ Valley is 750 EGP per foreign adult, granting access to three tombs.
A full day trip of the West Bank takes around eight hours. Start early to avoid the brunt of the heat, hire a driver for smooth transfers in-between sites and bring along water and snacks to avoid paying inflated prices at the sites. In entrance fees you will pay at least 1,190 EGP, plus additional charges.
Day 3: Museum Day in Luxor
Doing all of the East Bank of the Nile in just one day is simply too much considering that you will already be investing so much energy on your West Bank day trip. Therefore, we recommend leaving the museums on the East Bank for the third day.
Hot Air Ballon Ride
If you are not too exhausted already, you should get up early on the third day to go on a Hot Air Balling Ride. Hot Air Balloon Rides usually start early morning, giving you a chance to see the sunrise, plus all of the city’s most popular sites from a completely different perspective. If you do a good job researching, you can find fights from as little as $ 50 per person, like this balloon ride experience on GetYourGuide.
Luxor Museum
The East Bank offers several interesting museums that help you consolidate all of your learning from Luxor’s temples and tombs. The best museum in Luxor is the Luxor Museum which gives a rather broad overview of the city’s history along with some stunning displays of mummies and sarcophagi. The entrance fee is set at 400 EGP per foreign adult.
Mummification Museum
Even more impressively, the Mummification Museum in Luxor provides a deep dive into the art of mummification, explaining the whole process step by step and displaying mummies of not only humans, but also animals, such as cats, crocodiles and monkeys, that were mummified and buried alongside the rulers. This small museum is a must at 220 EGP per foreign adult.
For your museum day in Luxor, you should set aside some 4 to 5 hours. This gives you plenty of time to sleep in and to dine at one of Luxor’s rooftop restaurants in the evening. In museum fees you should expect to pay 620 EGP.
Bonus: Day Trips from Luxor
If you have some more time to spare after your first 3 days in Luxor, it is worth considering to stay another night in order to venture out of the city’s limits. Both to the north and the south of the city, there are interesting temples that are worth a day trip of their own.
Temple of Dendera, Qena
Just one hour north of Luxor, in the modern-day city of Qena, you can find the ancient Dendera Temple. Possibly older than 4,200 years, the Dander temple complex had its biggest importance during the Middle Kingdom and the Ptolemaic era. Today, it sticks out thanks to its well-preserved Hathor Temple. The general admission to the temple complex is 300 EGP per foreign adult.
Temple of Khnum, Esna
One and a half hours to the south of Luxor City, you can find the so-called Temple of Khnum in the modern-day city of Esna. This temple its seriously underrated and a great stop for anyone who enjoys temple paintings. This 3,500 year-old temple is renowned for its paintings that are in an even better state than the ones in Karnak Temple. The entry fee to the temple is 150 EGP per foreign adult.
Where to Stay in Luxor, Egypt
However many days you decide to spend in Luxor, your hotel choice makes all the difference. Your hotel’s location dictates how much time you will spend walking and in taxis, so choose wisely.
These are the best hotels in Luxor, on the East Bank and the West Bank:
- Luxor’s East Bank: We learned the hard way that the East Bank is the better place to stay in Luxor. It is located on the side of the side where all the transport hubs, restaurants and shops are, plus the Karnak and Luxor temples. For a good hotel with a central location, check out the Iberotel Luxor.
- Luxor’s West Bank: The West Bank makes for a quieter and secluded stay in Luxor, that might make more sense to those who are looking to spend more time in the city. Along the Nile , you can find plenty of affordable and great hotels. We stayed at the Jewel Howard Carter Hotel -and we loved it.
| Iberotel Luxor | central location, good breakfast and pool | from $ 53 per night | Click here for rates. |
| Jewel Howard Carter | quiet stay, breathtaking views and pool | from $ 35 per night | Click here for rates. |
The Bottom Line
For a balanced itinerary, you should plan to stay in Luxor for 3 days. If you spend 3 days in Luxor, you can wrap up the West Bank within one day and split up the East Bank between two more relaxed days of exploring.
If you are in a time crunch, however, spending 2 days in Luxor is also possible. Just make sure to not plan more than two major sites per day to save some energy for the rest of your Egypt trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far does $100 go in Egypt?
Depending on the acitvities you choose and the hotels you stay in, you can easily travel Egypt on $ 50 per day. During our first trip to Egypt we even spent significantly less than that. Keeping this in mind, $ 100 in Egypt should last you at least 2 days including hotels.
Is it better to stay in Luxor or Cairo?
On your Egypt trip, you should go to both Cairo (and Giza) and Luxor. Both cities are extremely important to the history of Ancient Egypt and many hours apart. In fact, we believe that you should spent up to 4 days in Luxor to make the most of it.
