Top Things To See In Luxor

Although Cairo’s breathtaking bucket-list sites make it the most visited city in Egypt, Luxor is another must-visit destination. Rich with ancient archeological wonders, like 4,070 year old Temple of Karnak, which is the largest religious building in the world, and the mysterious ornate tombs of centuries-old Pharaohs and Queens, Luxor has plenty of intoxicating things to see.

Located on the Nile, a little over 300 miles (500 km) south of Cairo, it’s also relatively easy to visit independently.

About Luxor (Ancient Thebes)

During the Old Kingdom (2,575-2,150 BC), when the Pyramids of Giza were built, Memphis was Egypt’s capital, while Luxor was its administrative center. Things started to change as local governors began gaining power. Over time, rule in Egypt became decentralized and Pharaohs lost control.

Around 2,055 BC, Mentuhotep II conquered his rivals, reunited Egypt, and established the 11th dynasty in Luxor (known as Thebes at the time). He brought stability to the region, ushering in the Middle Kingdom (2,050-1550 BC) and New Kingdom eras (1,570-1,544 BC). Pharaohs ruled again, using their power to build Luxor’s impressive temples and tombs. Today, Luxor, which means ‘palaces’ in Arabic, and its archeological ruins are an UNESCO World Heritage site.

Top Things To See In Luxor

The Nile divides Luxor, splitting sites between its east and west sides.

Things to See In Luxor: East Side of the Nile

The main sites east of the Nile are the Temple of Karnak, Temple of Luxor, Road of Sphinxes, and Luxor Museum.

Temple Of Karnak

Started in 2,050 BC, and added to by successive Pharaohs, the Temple of Karnak is not only important because it’s the oldest of the two temples here, but also because it’s been influenced by more pharaohs. It was in continuous use for almost 2,000 years, until the Romans took it over.

Also known as the Temple of Amun, it was considered the point of contact between Amun, the supreme ruler of the universe, and Pharaoh, the supreme ruler of earth.

At 200 acres, it’s the world’s largest religious building. The property is vast and wandering the open-air-museum of its grounds, you feel a bit like an archeologist discovering treasures.

At night there’s a historical light and sound show, that people seem to either love or hate. If you attend, check which night/time is in English.

Temple of Luxor

The Temple of Luxor is about a 30-40 minute walk south of Karnak and sits on the bank of the Nile.

Built around 1,400 BC by 18th Dynasty Amenhotep III, it was added to by later pharaohs like Tutankhamen and Ramesses II (Ramesses the Great). There’s also a shrine to Alexander the Great in the temple, who claimed to be crowned here.

Unlike other temples, the Temple of Luxor was not devoted to a god or pharaoh, but dedicated to ‘Royal Ka’. ‘Ka’ means soul or life force, while ‘Royal Ka’ is the right of pharaoh rule, passing from one pharaoh to the next after death.

Once painted in bright colors, scenes of battle conquests were on the exterior walls, and images of worship and offerings to the gods were on the inside. The facade also originally had two obelisk, the missing one is in La Place de la Concorde in France (which seems to me should come back).

Spectacularly lit at night, the statues seem to come to life. Arriving late afternoon, and staying until dusk, when the lights are turned on, is ideal.

Road of Sphinxes

Also known as Al-Kabbash road, the Road of Sphinxes is a 1.8 mile (3 km) road that linked the Temple of Karnak and Temple of Luxor. It was once lined with over 1,300 sphinxes.

Its main use was a processional walkway for the annual festival of Opet, which celebrated the marriage of deities Amun and Mut.

The road is under renovation. When finished, you will be able to walk it from one Karnak to Luxor.

Other East Side Sites & Activities

Luxor Museum

The Luxor Museum is located between the Temples of Luxor and Karnak. The most interesting artifacts include Tutankhamun’s tomb and the uncovered mummies of Ahmose I and Ramesses I (realize that if you’re squeamish, you’ll never be able to unsee this).

El-Souk

There is also a small souk in Luxor, called El-Souk. It’s charming from the outside, but being the only tourist there, I received way too much attention. It was harmless, but uncomfortable, so I left. It’s worth a quick stop for the cultural perspective.

Things To See in Luxor: West Side of the Nile

The tombs and mortuary temple are on the west side of the Nile. This was done so the pharaoh‘s soul could join the descent of the sun, before its eternal journey around the world.

If you you want to explore all the sites, it will take you 2-3 days, or select a few and do it in a day or two.

Valley of the Kings

The Valley of the Kings is one of the top things to see in Luxor. Its tombs date back to 1,500-1,100, BC. To date, 63 tombs have been found here, 26 for Kings.

Only select tombs are open to the public and you can visit 3 with the standard entrance fee. The tombs of Tutankhamun (300 EGP), Ramesses V and VI (100), and Seti I (1,000 EGP) have extra fees.

Phone photos are free, but real cameras require an additional charge ticket (no flash allowed to to preserve the tomb). Guards are known, however, to accept bribes, or backsheesh. They’re also known to confiscate cameras, so ask or be super stealthy. Honestly, I think sometimes facts shift based on who you talk to and how many people are there (except the part about the flash).

Valley of the Queens

The highlight of the Valley of the Queens, which contains the tombs of the wives of over 75 Pharaohs, is Queen Nefertari’s tomb. She was the beloved wife of Ramesses II, who also built the smaller (yet massive) temple at Abu Simbel in her honor.

The entrance fee includes access to 3 tombs, not including Nefertari’s. Hers, which is supposedly one of the most beautiful things to see in Luxor, also has the biggest price tag at 1400 EGP (about $90 USD).

Valley of the Nobles

Hundreds of tombs are here for the people that served the pharaohs. Not visited as often, the tombs here are interesting as they depict scenes of everyday life, rather than the religious scenes of the pharaohs tombs.

Two suggested tombs include Ramose and Sennefer.

Valley of the Artisans

This valley contains the excavated remains of the village of artisans who worked at the Valley of the Kings. Like the Valley of the Nobles, it is less visited, but the scenes of their everyday life painted in the tombs are fascinating.

Temple & Mortuary of Hatshepsut

Although there are several temples and tombs at this site, the most important is of Hatshepsut, who reigned in the 18th Dynasty. Often depicted in male clothes with the beard of a pharaoh, she was the second documented female Pharaoh.

Sadly, this was the site of a terrorist attack in 1997 with over 60 killed, mostly tourists. :’(

Temple & Mortuary of Ramesses III (Medinet Habu)

Medinet Habu, built in 1,490 BC, was the mortuary temple of 20th Dynasty Ramesses III. The outer wall (pylon) depicts scenes of Ramesses III defeating the Lybians, which was once painted in brilliant colors.

This temple is so well preserved, some of the original color remains on the interior. If you only have time for one temple on the west side, this would be a good choice.

The Colossi of Memnon

These mammoth statues are the only remains of what was once the massive mortuary temple of 18th Dynasty Pharaoh Amenhotep III.

Other Mortuary Temples on the West Side of the Nile

There are also two smaller mortuary temples on the west side. The Temple of Ramesses II (Ramesseum) and the Temple of Seti I.

Other Activities on Luxor’s West Side

Hot Air Balloon Rides

If you want to see the Luxor’s UNESCO Heritage site from above, book a hot air balloon ride.

Alabaster Artisans

If you’re interested in souvenirs, stop at an alabaster shop where delicate vases are hand-carved from Stone. It’s an interesting stop as the process is amazing, but expect pressure to buy.

Travel Logistics & Details

The Luxor Pass

There are definitely a lot of things to see, and if you plan to visit all the sites, or even most, look into the Luxor Pass. It’s $100 for adults and is valid for 5 days ($50 for student under 30). The Luxor Express Pass is $200 ($100 for students) with visits to the tombs of Seti I and Nefertari included. To see if it’s right for you, check the latest entrance fees.

Purchase it at the Antiquities Administration Office, or ticket booths at Karnak and Valley of the Kings. You need your passport, a photo copy of it, and an extra passport photo. You can only purchase with US cash or Euros. Verify this with your hotel as things in Egypt change a lot.

Note that even if the sites you want to visit are close to the amount of the pass, it’s worth it to save time buying tickets.

Getting To Luxor

There are two main options to get to Luxor from Cairo.

Fly

Air is fastest, with daily 1 hour flights. It’s also less expensive than the car in the sleeper train.

Train

The train ride is about 10 hours. Unfortunately, they don’t want tourists on the day train, so it’s difficult to book, making the overnight train most common. Tourists cannot currently buy a day train ticket at the ticket window.

There are two overnight options; the deluxe sleeper, with a private room and bathroom, or an ordinary seat. I chose the ordinary seat. Although I was concerned about safety (I was the only tourist on the train and a solo female), the seat was comfortable and nobody bothered me.

The locals were super helpful to me. They helped me find the right train, which was quite confusing. I did get some contradictory directions, so asked as many people as could understand me and went with the majority. When my train finally arrived, some of the people I had asked earlier walked up to assure me it was the right train, melting my heart.

As online booking options become more popular, you can try booking the day train online. I’ve also read that you can just board the train, take a seat and pay when the ticket man walks through. You may need to move your seat, or if it’s fully booked, stand. It makes no sense that you can buy the ticket on the train, but not at the ticket window, but this is Egypt. See Seat 61 for more details on buying tickets.

Cruise

There are ‘long cruise’ options from Cairo to Aswan, where you can opt to get off in Luxor. However, they’re expensive and include sightseeing in Cairo, and not much in between.

Getting Around Luxor

East Side: On the east side of Luxor, the top things to see are relatively close, so you can walk, take a taxi, or rent a bicycle.

West Side: The sites on the west side are a little more dispersed, so walking would be challenging. Especially in the heat. Other options include booking a taxi, renting a bicycle, or being super adventurous and renting a donkey! You can also book tours through your hotel, Viator, or Trip Advisor.

Ferry: To get across the Nile, there’s an inexpensive ferry that runs when its full, or negotiate a ride with one of the many boats along the bank. You can even bring your rented bicycle across.

Lodging In Luxor

If you want to splurge on a nice western style hotel, you can do so affordably. Not that I don’t like nice hotels, but I prefer to stay in local areas where I can experience the culture. And to ensure my tourist dollars went back to locals, I stayed in a hostel owned and run by locals.

Mine was really basic, but at $4 USD/night, I was happy with a private room and hot water. They also provided a lot of blankets as with evening temps dipping to 40 F, and no heat, it was cold in December! The guys running the hostel were super nice and really went out of their way to help me.

Most rooms are on the east side of the Nile, as are most of the restaurants, but there are some rooms on the west side too.

Solo Travel in Luxor

I felt safe walking around, taking normal safety precautions and being aware of my surroundings. Of course, you need to be smart and try to blend in as much as possible. This is also a culture that dresses modestly, so it’s ideal to follow this and avoid unnecessary attention, covering arms, legs, and chest with loose fitting clothing. It’s also best not to dress in flashy clothes or carry valuables.

One thing to note is that Luxor is known as the hassle capital of Egypt, and it definitely lives up to its name. This town lives off tourism, which has been down for years, so everyone will try to sell you something and be unbelievably persistent.

Annoying as it is, it’s part of the culture. After the first day, my hostel advised walking with headphones on and the music turned up. Although I felt I was being rude, it worked!

Note: Tourism is down due to past terrorism, so thoroughly research the most up-to-date situation before making plans. If you’re a US citizen, sign up for the STEP program to be alerted if issues arise. If you’re not a US citizen, see if your country offers something similar.

Summary

As you can see, Luxor has a lot to offer and there are a ton of cool historical things to see. In addition to the sites, try to spend some time walking the town to experience its culture

To learn more about other places to visit in Egypt, see my posts on Cairo, the Pyramids, the temples and sites around Aswan, the must-visit Temple of Abu Simbel, and Alexandria. And to help you plan your trip to Egypt, see my Egypt Travel Guide.

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