Both banks in a day
Luxor East and West Bank Private Day Tour
Tombs and Hatshepsut in the morning, Karnak and Luxor Temple in the afternoon light.
Full day · about 8 hours · Luxor · Private
- Nothing is booked until you accept a written quote
- A Deluxe Travel Egypt brand: read the reviews
- Duration
- Full day · about 8 hours
- On the road
- Short drives and one Nile crossing
- At the sites
- Most of the 8 hours
- Format
- Private
- Pace
- Active
Before you choose
Is this the right tour for you?
This Luxor East and West Bank private tour covers ancient Thebes on both sides of the Nile in one day, in the order that works: the necropolis in the cool morning, the great temples in the afternoon.
Your Egyptologist collects you from your hotel or Nile cruise and crosses to the West Bank. In the Valley of the Kings you enter three royal tombs, their painted walls meant to guide the king through the night to rebirth. Then come the Colossi of Memnon, the twin statues of Amenhotep III, and the terraced temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari.
After crossing back to the East Bank, you walk the Karnak temple complex, the largest religious site built in ancient Egypt, where the columns of the Hypostyle Hall dwarf everyone beneath them. The day ends at Luxor Temple in the late-afternoon light, a temple that has layers of Pharaonic, Roman and Islamic history built one upon another.
The vehicle and guide are private, so the day moves at your pace. It is a full day on foot in the sun; with more time, split it across two mornings.
Our advice
The right way to see Luxor in a day, and far better than the long road trip from the Red Sea. Two mornings are better still.
Consider instead: With two days in Luxor, take the West Bank morning tour one day and explore Karnak at leisure the next.
7 stops
How the day runs
Morning
Pickup
From your hotel or Nile cruise in Luxor.
Morning
Valley of the Kings
Three royal tombs, where kings prepared for eternity out of sight, in hills sacred to Hathor, Mistress of the West.
Valley of the Kings: The royal cemetery of the New Kingdom, cut into a dry valley beneath a pyramid-shaped peak.
Morning
Colossi of Memnon
The twin statues of Amenhotep III: the gatekeepers of a temple that has otherwise gone.
Morning
Temple of Hatshepsut
The terraced temple at Deir el-Bahari, the last stop before you cross the river.
Temple of Hatshepsut: Hatshepsut's terraced temple against the cliffs, facing Karnak across the river.
Afternoon
Karnak Temple
The Avenue of Sphinxes, the Hypostyle Hall, the sacred lake and obelisks. Across the river the story changes: this is where kings spoke to the gods. By the end of Ramesses III's reign, its god Amun held three-quarters of all the land Egypt's temples owned.
Karnak: Not a temple. A temple city.
Late afternoon
Luxor Temple
The temple of royal renewal, with its Roman and Islamic layers. It ends the day because it was the end of the god's own journey: every year, in the Opet Festival, Amun travelled here from Karnak to renew the power of the king.
Luxor Temple: The temple the god came to visit.
Late afternoon
Return
Back to your hotel or boat.
The details
What is included
Highlights
- Three royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings
- The Colossi of Memnon and Hatshepsut's temple
- The Hypostyle Hall at Karnak
- Luxor Temple in the late afternoon
Included
- Hotel or cruise pickup and drop-off in Luxor
- Private air-conditioned vehicle
- Professional Egyptologist guide
- Entry fees to all listed monuments
- Taxes and service charges
Not included
- Tips
- Travel insurance
- Food, drinks and souvenirs
Places you visit
- Valley of the Kings
- Colossi of Memnon
- Temple of Hatshepsut
- Karnak Temple
- Luxor Temple
- Group
- Private: your party only
- Transport
- Private air-conditioned vehicle
- Departure
- Morning pickup
- Meeting point
- Your Luxor hotel or Nile cruise
- Guide languages
- English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
- Best time to go
- October to April; in summer, split the two banks over two mornings
- Entrance tickets
- Included: all monuments listed
- Optional extras
- Tomb of Tutankhamun and other special tombs
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour for a full refund.
- Your price
- Set in your written quote for your party, dates and pickup, with the payment and cancellation terms.
Add to the day
Experiences nearby
Local tips matched to this route
Complete this day
We place these around the tour’s real timing. Anything that cannot fit cleanly stays an untimed request until we confirm it.
Karnak and the West Bank
A photoshoot in Luxor's temples
A photographer who knows Karnak's columns and quieter corners, and the hours when the light comes through them.
Late afternoon · About 2 hours. At opening time or in the last hours before closing.
We confirm the photographer and their portfolio, temple permissions, the edited set and the delivery date.
Add as a request
Photo: Djehouty, CC BY-SA 4.0
Questions
Before you ask
Is one day enough for Luxor?
It covers the essential sites. It is a long day on foot, and two mornings are more comfortable, especially from May to September.
Is Tutankhamun's tomb included?
No. The standard Valley of the Kings ticket covers three tombs; Tutankhamun's tomb needs an extra ticket.
How much does it cost for my group?
Prices are per person and fall as the group grows: 1 person $150; 2–4 people $100 each; 5–7 people $85 each; 8–10 people $75 each. All prices are in US dollars.
What should I wear?
Light, modest clothing and comfortable walking shoes. Shoulders and knees covered is the safe choice at every site; bring a hat, sunscreen and water.
Pairs well with
Tours that go with this one
Deluxe Trips Egypt
Ask for this tour, for your dates.
Send your dates and party size here. We reply with a written quote: the price for your party, what is included and the terms. Nothing is booked until you accept it.
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Photography credits (6)
Hamerani, CC BY-SA 4.0; Zezinho68, CC BY-SA 4.0; Djehouty, CC BY-SA 4.0; Marc Ryckaert (MJJR), CC BY 3.0; Ovedc, CC BY-SA 4.0; Hamerani, CC BY-SA 4.0
