Luxor Day Trip from Hurghada: Karnak & Valley of the Kings

Four ancient temples and the royal tombs in a single day across the Nile.

A fourteen-hour day trip from Hurghada to Luxor with a German-speaking Egyptologist guide, visiting Karnak Temple on the east bank and three major sites on the west bank: the Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon and the Temple of Hatshepsut. Hotel pickup begins around 5 a.m., the drive takes about four hours through the Nile valley, and the group stays under eight people. All entry fees, lunch and return transport are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Karnak Temple2h · entry included
2. Valley of the Kings2h · entry included
3. Colossi of Memnon10m · entry included
4. Temple of Hatshepsut1h · entry included

Luxor temples and Valley of the Kings

• Pick up from Hurghada early morning
• Drive to Luxor through Nile valley
• Visit Karnak Temple complex
• See Colossi of Memnon statues
• Lunch break
• Explore Valley of the Kings tombs
• Visit Temple of Hatshepsut
• Return to Hurghada hotel

The experience

The day starts before dawn with pickup from your hotel in Hurghada around 5 a.m. in an air-conditioned small bus. Your Egyptologist guide travels with you for the four-hour drive through farmland and villages along the Nile valley, answering questions about the landscape and what you'll see. The group stays small, a maximum of eight people, so the pace stays manageable and the guide can focus on what interests you most.

Karnak Temple is your first stop, the largest temple complex in Egypt, built on the east bank of the Nile over more than a thousand years. You walk through the massive columned hall, past pylons and obelisks, and see the sacred lake, 120 by 77 meters, fed by groundwater and built south of the central temple. The temple complex spreads across three walled areas: the Amun precinct, the Month area and the Courage area, with the oldest visible remains dating to the 12th dynasty.

After lunch, you cross to the west bank and the Valley of the Kings, where over 70 rock-cut tombs hold the rulers of Egypt's New Kingdom. You visit three burial chambers. Only a portion of the graves are open at any time due to conservation work. The valley is where Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered largely intact in 1922. From there, you see the Colossi of Memnon (two 18-meter limestone statues of King Amenophis III facing the Nile) before finishing at the Temple of Hatshepsut, the best-preserved temple on the west bank, built entirely of limestone for the female pharaoh of the 18th dynasty. The return journey to Hurghada starts around 4 p.m.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup around 5 a.m. and return transport to Hurghada.
• private air-conditioned bus for a small group of up to eight people.
• Egyptologist guide speaking German, English, Spanish or French.
• entry to Karnak Temple, three burial chambers in the Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon and the Temple of Hatshepsut.
• lunch.
• all local taxes and service charges.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 04:30 and 05:00

Book up to10h before

AgesAdult (11 to 65 years) · Senior (66 and older) · Child (3 to 10 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and German

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Zakharious Tours

Is this one for you?Choose this tour if you want both the East Bank temples and West Bank royal tombs covered in one day with an Egyptologist guide who connects the sites' stories, rather than piecing together separate visits or relying on a general guide.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and German.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 10 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the drive from Hurghada to Luxor?

The drive takes about four hours each way through the Nile valley, so you spend roughly eight hours traveling and six hours at the sites.

What is Karnak Temple and why is it the first stop?

Karnak Temple is the largest temple complex in Egypt, built over more than a thousand years on the east bank of the Nile. It opens early and sits closest to where you arrive, so the day begins there with the columned hall, pylons, obelisks and the sacred lake before crossing to the west bank sites.

How many tombs do you visit in the Valley of the Kings?

You visit three burial chambers in the Valley of the Kings. Only a portion of the 70-plus tombs are open to visitors at any time because some are closed for conservation work.

What does the price include?

Hotel pickup in Hurghada, all transportation in an air-conditioned bus, the Egyptologist guide, entry to Karnak Temple, three Valley of the Kings tombs, the Colossi of Memnon and the Temple of Hatshepsut, lunch and all local taxes are included.