Most travelers need two to three full days in Luxor: one for the East Bank (Karnak and Luxor Temple), one for the West Bank (Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple), and a third if you want the Mummification Museum, a balloon ride, or simply a slower pace instead of two back-to-back full-day sites.
Key takeaways
- Karnak Temple opens at 06:00 with last entry at 16:00 year-round — arriving at opening avoids both the heat and the coach-tour crowds.
- Foreign adult admission is EGP 600 for Karnak, EGP 500 for Luxor Temple, and EGP 750 for the Valley of the Kings — budget roughly EGP 1,850 per adult for the three headline sites alone, before any add-ons.
- Some individual tombs inside the Valley of the Kings, including Tutankhamun's, carry an extra ticket beyond general admission — confirm which tombs are open and their current pricing at the gate or with your guide, since this changes more often than the general admission rate.
- Two nights covers the East and West Banks comfortably; a third night is for the Mummification Museum, Medinet Habu, or simply not rushing the West Bank in one morning.
- Most Nile cruise itineraries already include a Luxor stop with guided Karnak and West Bank visits — if you're arriving by cruise, you may need less separate hotel time in Luxor than an independent visit would.
A two-day plan
| Day | Side | Main stops |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | East Bank | Karnak Temple (morning, at opening), Luxor Temple (late afternoon/evening) |
| Day 2 | West Bank | Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon |
Karnak is best done at opening — it's the largest temple complex in Egypt, and the crowds that arrive by mid-morning coach tours make the Hypostyle Hall a very different experience than an early visit does. Luxor Temple, by contrast, is small enough for a late afternoon or evening visit and is lit after dark, which many travelers prefer to a second morning temple.
The West Bank day is more physically demanding: the Valley of the Kings involves walking between tombs in open sun with little shade, and Hatshepsut's temple is a similarly exposed site. Starting this day early matters even more than for Karnak. Note that published ticket prices for Hatshepsut's temple currently differ between Egypt's two official ticketing sources, so check the current rate when booking rather than relying on a fixed figure here.
If you have a third day, the Mummification Museum (EGP 220 for foreign adults) is a short, low-effort addition near the East Bank corniche, and Medinet Habu is a quieter, less-visited alternative on the West Bank for travelers who've already done the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut. A third day is also simply useful as a buffer against Luxor's heat, particularly outside the winter months.
For a full trip that includes Luxor, see our Luxor destination guide or the sample 5-day Cairo and Luxor itinerary, which lays out how a Luxor stop typically fits alongside Cairo.