Luxor Travel Guide: Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the West Bank

By Panda Travel Egypt 2026-10-27 2 min read

Luxor needs two days: one on the East Bank for Karnak and Luxor Temple, one on the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut. What to see, in what order.

Luxor needs at least two days. Spend one on the East Bank at the Temples of Karnak and Luxor Temple, joined by the Avenue of Sphinxes, and one on the West Bank at the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. Visit the West Bank early in the morning, before the heat.

This Luxor travel guide splits the city the way the Nile does. The East Bank is the city of the living: Karnak and Luxor Temple. The West Bank is the city of the dead: the Valley of the Kings and the temples built for the pharaohs' afterlife. Two days covers both; these programmes include Luxor.

The East Bank

The Temples of Karnak

The largest temple complex of ancient Egypt, built over some 2,000 years. The Great Hypostyle Hall alone has 134 columns. Allow two to three hours.

Luxor Temple and the Avenue of Sphinxes

Best at dusk, when the colonnade is lit. The Avenue of Sphinxes runs almost three kilometres between Luxor Temple and Karnak.

The West Bank

The Valley of the Kings

The burial valley of the New Kingdom pharaohs. The standard ticket includes three tombs; Tutankhamun's tomb is a separate ticket.

The Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon

Hatshepsut's temple rises in three terraces against the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari. The two seated Colossi of Memnon are on the road back to the river.

More to see in Luxor

A hot-air balloon at sunrise over the West Bank, the temples and the fields below.
The Valley of the Queens, where the wives and children of the pharaohs were buried.
Medinet Habu, the mortuary temple of Ramesses III, with some of the best-preserved painted reliefs on the West Bank.
The Luxor Museum, small and well lit, on the Corniche.
Dendera, the Temple of Hathor, about an hour north by road.

Practical tips

Go early. The West Bank opens at dawn and is at its best, and coolest, in the first hours.
Bring water and a hat. There is little shade in the Valley of the Kings.
Photography. Photos are allowed at the temples; inside the tombs, check the rules on your ticket.
A guide makes the difference. The reliefs and inscriptions tell the stories; an Egyptologist reads them with you.

How to fit Luxor into a trip

With Cairo: 5 Days Trip to Egypt- Cairo and Luxor: fly from Cairo in about an hour.
On the Nile: a cruise to Aswan starts here. See the Luxor to Aswan Nile cruise, day by day.
As part of a classic tour: Classic Egypt tours spend one or two days in Luxor.

Go early: the West Bank is best at sunrise, and from May to September the afternoons are very hot. See the best time to visit Egypt.

Cover: The Hypostyle Hall at Karnak. Photo: Diego Delso / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Plan 5 Days Trip to Egypt- Cairo and Luxor

Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We reply with the programme day by day, and its price.

Get the Price

#Cairo #Luxor #Temples #Valley of the Kings

Frequently asked

How many days do you need in Luxor?

Two days: one for the East Bank temples and one for the West Bank tombs. A third day allows a hot-air balloon at sunrise, Dendera, or a slower pace.

Is Tutankhamun’s tomb worth it?

It is small, but it is the most famous tomb in the Valley of the Kings and Tutankhamun’s mummy is still inside. It needs a separate ticket from the standard entry.

Can you see Luxor on a Nile cruise?

Yes. Cruises between Luxor and Aswan spend their first day or two in Luxor and visit both banks with a guide.