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Luxor Tours & Things to Do in Luxor: Valley of the Kings, Karnak, West Bank
Two banks, one river. The east bank has Karnak and Luxor temples and the hotels; the west bank has the Valley of the Kings, the balloons and the sunsets. Two full days is the minimum; three is right. Our Luxor desk is on the Corniche, next to the Winter Palace.
How many days, and which bank
Day one on the west bank at 06:30 — tombs, Hatshepsut, the Colossi — then Karnak in the afternoon light of day two. A third day adds Dendera or Abydos. Stay east for the big hotels and the Corniche, west for guesthouses and a five-minute drive to the tombs.
Sites we guide daily
Each site has its own page with opening times, tickets and what our tours do there.
Ancient siteValley of the Kings
Ancient siteKarnak Temple
Ancient siteLuxor Temple
Ancient siteHatshepsut & Colossi
AdventureHot-air balloon
On the waterFelucca at sunset
Itineraries that stay two nights or more
♡8-Day Egypt Classic with Nile Cruise
♡10-Day Luxury Egypt with Dahabiya
♡3-Day Luxor East and West Bank
Book now♡Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut, private
Luxor, from the desk on the Corniche
Luxor is ancient Thebes: the largest concentration of monuments in Egypt, split by the Nile into an east bank of temples and a west bank of tombs. Our Luxor desk sits on the Corniche next to the Winter Palace and is staffed daily; five of our Egyptologists live on the west bank and know the tomb rotation week by week.
Every Nourbelle Luxor day enters the Valley of the Kings at 06:30, before the cruise coaches, and visits Karnak after 15:00 when the light is low and the halls are quiet. The hot-air balloon is booked with two vetted operators and cancelled in wind before take-off, never after.
Getting there
1 h flight from Cairo (several daily); 9 h sleeper train; or arrive by Nile cruise from Aswan.
Where to stay
East bank: Winter Palace, Hilton, Steigenberger. West bank: guesthouses with tomb views.
Tickets
Standard valley ticket admits three tombs; Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramesses V–VI are separate.
Seasons
October–March is ideal; April and May are hot but quiet; summer needs 06:00 starts.
Why see Luxor with us
What travellers say about Luxor with Nourbelle
Pulled live from Tripadvisor, filtered to Luxor.
A PhD guide makes the hypostyle hall a different place. Afternoon light, no crowds.
Balloon at 5am, then the valley at 6:30. By the time the coaches came we were at Hatshepsut.
Two days would have been a march. The Luxor desk moved our Karnak visit when the wind cancelled the balloon.
Planning Luxor
Luxor questions
How many days do I need in Luxor?
East bank or west bank hotel?
When do the sites open?
Is the balloon safe?
Can Luxor be done from a cruise?
Building a trip around Luxor? Tell us your dates and a Luxor-based planner replies within 24 hours.
Cruise, dahabiya, day tours or a full Egypt itinerary.