Luxor (Arabic: الأقصر, pronounced in Egyptian Arabic: lo’Sor) is the premier travel destination in Upper (southern) Egypt and the Nile Valley.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Although a relatively small city by Egyptian population standards, Luxor is quite extensive. It divides naturally into the areas on each side of the river Nile.
The dynastic and religious capital of Middle Kingdom (circa 2050-1710 BCE) and New Kingdom (circa 1550-1080 BCE) Egypt, Luxor has much to offer the visitor, from vast temples, to ancient royal tombs, via spectacular desert and river scenery and a bustling modern life. Thebes, the world heritage listed old capital of Egypt, was on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor. Most of Luxor's ruins and tombs are there. The modern city of Luxor is on the east bank. This area has the train and bus stations, most of the hotels and restaurants, some museums, tourist shops and so on.
Uber doesn't work in Luxor, but its sister app Careem does. It takes card payments, and saves you having to explain your destination or negotiate with the driver. InDrive also works in Luxor. Luxor is brimming with rental shops for bikes and a great many hotels also hire out bicycles. Rental rates are about maximum 5USD (June 2025), depending on your bargaining skills, the relative demand on bikes that day and the quality of the bike in question. Check the tires and be wary of last minute inflating as they may deflate just as fast. It is normal to be asked to leave behind your passport, drivers licence or student ID card as a deposit.
East Bank of Luxor: The temple complex of Luxor The temple complex of Karnak Luxor and Mummification museums West Bank of Luxor: The Valley of the Kings Medinet Habu The Tombs of the Nobles The Ramesseum Temple Deir el-Bahari of Queen Hatshepsut Colossi of Memnon Malkata Hot Air Balloon Rides
The Valley of the Kings is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Egypt and a major attraction in Luxor. The valley contains the tombs of many New Kingdom pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses VI. Most tombs feature colorful wall paintings and hieroglyphic inscriptions that have survived for thousands of years. Visitors are advised to arrive early in the morning, especially during summer, as temperatures can become extremely high by midday. A standard entrance ticket usually includes access to several tombs, while some special tombs require additional tickets.
Luxor is a vegetarian's paradise with lots of fresh seasonal vegetables such as tomato and cucumber. A meal often begins with pita-bread and mezze such as baba ganoush or taboulé. Your main course may include meat or poultry, or regional dishes such as pigeon or rabbit. (To avoid an upset stomach, you may prefer to stick with the beef.) As with any heavily touristed area in Egypt, it is never hard to find reasonably well-executed Western food. Dairy products, such as yoghurt or gibna bayda cheese (like feta but creamier), might accompany your main meal. Finally, many good vegetarian desserts are available, though some might seem overly sweet to western tastes.
There is something of a social stigma attached to public drunkenness. Although Egyptians themselves sometimes choose to ignore this, for a foreigner to be drunk in public can give a bad impression. Most local pubs tend to be testosterone-filled hard-drinking dens where lone foreigners and especially lone women may feel uncomfortable. However, there are numerous places in Luxor to buy alcohol. Many restaurants, above the basic on the street places, sell lager and wine.
Stay alert – For those not on fully organised tours, touts can make sight seeing very frustrating. (Although they tend not to stray into the actual temples.) However within temples, one must contend with the government tour guides. The guides are legitimate government workers, but also extremely aggressive about "guiding you" and then demanding a tip. Rule of thumb: If anyone shows you anything, for any amount of time, they will want a tip. It may be worthwhile to give a small tip upfront while asking to "self tour". It is wise to know which accommodation you are heading to and where, or just pre-book accommodation.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €6 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Jul, Luxor typically sees ~42°C daytime highs and 0 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-07-25. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.
stayonomy