Luxor Day Tour: Sunrise Balloon, Valley of the Kings & Felucca

A private Egyptologist guide, two riverbanks and a sunset sail on the Nile

Drift over the West Bank at sunrise, then spend a private day with an Egyptologist among royal tombs, Karnak and Luxor Temple, ending with a felucca sail on the Nile at sunset. It is a private tour of Luxor, Egypt, where a hot air balloon ride, a guided tour of both banks and a sunset sailboat ride come together in one day.

Step-by-step itinerary

Luxor Balloon, Temples, and Felucca Tour

• Early morning hotel pickup
• Transfer to motorboat and cross to West Bank
• Enjoy 45-minute sunrise hot air balloon flight
• Meet guide at Colossi of Memnon
• Visit Valley of the Kings tombs
• Visit Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• Visit Karnak Temple complex
• Visit Avenue of Sphinxes and Obelisks
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Sunset felucca sail on the Nile
• Transfer back to hotel

Stops and time spent at each 15 stops

1. Luxor 30m
2. Colossi of Memnon 10m
3. Valley of the Kings 2h
4. Tomb of Ramases IX 25m
5. Tomb of Merneptah 25m
6. Tomb of Ramses III 25m
7. Tomb of Tutankhamun 25m
8. Temple of Hatshepsut 1h 30m
9. Karnak Temple 2h
10. Temple of Ramesses III, Karnak 10m
11. Obelisk of Queen Hapshetsut, 10m
12. Avenue of Sphinxes 10m
13. Obelisk of Thutmoses I 10m
14. Luxor Temple 1h 30m
15. Nile River Valley 1h

What’s included

• Private full-day tour of both Luxor banks.
• Bottled water.
• 35 to 60 minute hot air balloon ride.
• One-hour sunset felucca sail on the Nile.
• Hotel pickup and return.
• Flight certificate.
• Egyptologist guide and photographer.
• Air-conditioned luxury car.

Times

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• Every day 04:30 05:30

Information

Float over Luxor's West Bank at sunrise, then tour the Valley of the Kings and Karnak with a private Egyptologist, closing with a Nile sunset sail.

Group Private 5 similar group tours ›

Live guide English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Japanese Another language? ›

Meeting point and pickup Hotel pickup included. See the pickup points

Book up to 3h before

Ages Adult (10 to 90 years) · Child (6 to 9 years) · Under 6: can't be booked

Cancellation and refunds Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Good to know

Low physical effort Wheelchair accessible Accessible transport Stroller-friendly

More information The pickup points, the operator’s instructions and every other detail are in the full listing. See the full listing

Traveler reviews

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The experience

A motorboat carries you across the Nile before the balloon lifts you over the West Bank at sunrise, and the flight lasts somewhere between 35 and 60 minutes. The basket is shared with other passengers, but the rest of the day belongs to your group alone. Bottled water is part of the morning, and once you are back on land, the air-conditioned luxury car takes you on to the next stop.

Your Egyptologist meets you at the Colossi of Memnon, then leads you into the Valley of the Kings, where four royal tombs are open to you. The tomb of Ramesses III is the one to linger in: its walls are covered in painted reliefs, and its side rooms hold scenes of foreign tribute, pottery from the Aegean, royal weapons and the blind harpists that gave the tomb one of its nicknames. From there the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari rises against the cliffs, honoring the only woman who ever ruled Egypt as pharaoh. After crossing to the East Bank, Karnak unfolds in its vast halls, with the Hypostyle Hall of 134 columns and the Sacred Lake, and the Avenue of Sphinxes runs along the way. Luxor Temple closes the sightseeing, with granite statues of Ramses the Great.

As the afternoon softens, you board a traditional felucca and settle onto soft cushions. For an hour the boat drifts along the Nile while the sun sinks behind the hills of the West Bank. Along the banks you may spot children playing in the water, camels, donkeys, water buffalo and birds, and a photographer travels with the group to capture the moment.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 9 years). Children under 6 can't be included in the booking.

Is the hot air balloon ride shared with other people?

Yes, the balloon basket is shared, but the rest of the day is private to your group. The flight goes over the West Bank at sunrise and lasts 35 to 60 minutes.

Which tombs are visited in the Valley of the Kings?

Four royal tombs are visited, among them those of Ramesses III, Merneptah and Horemheb. The tomb of Ramesses III has painted sunken reliefs and secular scenes in its side rooms.

Will I see Karnak and Luxor Temple on the same day?

Yes, after crossing to the East Bank you visit Karnak, with its Hypostyle Hall of 134 columns, and Luxor Temple, with granite statues of Ramses the Great.

Is the felucca sail on the Nile at sunset?

Yes, it lasts one hour and ends as the sun sets behind the West Bank hills, with soft cushions to relax on.

Does the tour stop at the Temple of Hatshepsut?

Yes, it visits the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahari, the only woman ever to reign over Egypt as pharaoh.

What is the Avenue of Sphinxes at Karnak?

It is an avenue lined with sphinxes that once connected Karnak and Luxor Temple, with only a few hundred meters left today.

Operated by DrMo Tours Egypt. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.

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