Luxor Day Trip from Marsa Alam: Valley of Kings & Karnak

Four Temples in One Day: Luxor from the Red Sea

You're driven from Marsa Alam to Luxor for a full day exploring four major temples: the Valley of the Kings with its royal tombs, the cliff-side Temple of Hatshepsut, the towering Colossi of Memnon, and Karnak Temple's vast column hall. Your private guide speaks multiple languages, lunch is included, and the air-conditioned vehicle handles the inland drive so you can focus on what you're seeing. Entry fees are separate, and you'll want to budget for tips.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each4 stops

1. Valley of the KingsEntry included2h
2. Temple of HatshepsutEntry included1h
3. Colossi of Memnon5m
4. Karnak TempleEntry included2h

Explore Luxor's West Bank and Karnak Temple

• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Tour Temple of Hatshepsut
• Stop at Colossi of Memnon
• Have lunch in Luxor
• Explore Karnak Temple Complex

The experience

The pickup was supposed to be at seven, but your driver texts at 6:45 saying he's already outside. That's the first sign this day is going to move faster than you expected. A private day trip from Marsa Alam to Luxor sounds ambitious on paper. You're driving inland from the coast, crossing into a different Egypt entirely, one where the Nile runs through desert and every stone tells a story that's thousands of years old. The drive takes a few hours, but the air-conditioned minivan makes it bearable, and your Egyptologist guide starts talking almost immediately, filling the silence with the names of pharaohs and the logic of why temples were built where they are.

By mid-morning you're standing in the Valley of the Kings, and the scale of it hits differently than any photo prepares you for. More than 60 tombs are carved into these rock faces: Tutankhamun's among them, discovered in 1922 and still the most famous find in archaeology. You walk into the darkness of a royal burial chamber, past hieroglyphs painted in colors that shouldn't have survived 3,400 years but somehow did, and your guide explains the journey to the afterlife the way the ancient Egyptians imagined it. Then you're back in the sun, moving to the Temple of Hatshepsut, a female pharaoh's mortuary temple built into cliffs at Deir el-Bahari: the only female temple in Egypt, your guide reminds you, and the architecture proves she built it to last. A quick stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two statues 18 meters high that once guarded a temple now gone, gives you five minutes to photograph them properly before lunch.

Lunch happens at a restaurant in Luxor proper, and the food is straightforward. Nothing fancy, but real, and you eat it sitting down instead of standing in the heat. After that comes Karnak Temple, the largest temple complex in the ancient world, built over more than 2,000 years by successive pharaohs. The Great Hypostyle Hall alone has 134 columns, and walking through them you understand why ancient Egyptians wanted to build something that would make you feel small. Your guide points out the sacred avenue, explains which pharaoh added which pylon, and by the time you're walking back to the car, you've seen more of Luxor's archaeology than most people do in a week.

The drive back to Marsa Alam takes the same few hours, but you're quieter now, processing. Entry fees to the sites aren't included in the price, that's something to budget separately, and tipping your driver and guide is expected. But the private car, the guide who speaks your language, the lunch, the timing that keeps you moving without rushing: all of that is arranged. You don't have to figure out transport, negotiate with touts, or stand in lines wondering if you're in the right one.

What’s included

Your day includes private transportation in an air-conditioned minivan or car, a private Egyptologist guide fluent in your chosen language, lunch at a restaurant in Luxor, and visits to all four major sites: the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, and Karnak Temple. Entry fees to each site are paid separately, as are tips for your driver and guide.

Options for this experience

3 options

Car, guide and lunch includedGuide in English · 04:00, 04:01, 04:02 and 04:05Tour includes only the car, guide and lunch, without tickets; pickup is included

Car+Guide+Tickets+lunchGuide in English · 04:00, 04:01, 04:02 and 04:05Includes car, guide, tickets and lunch; pickup is included

Different languageGuide in 4 languages · 04:00, 04:01, 04:02 and 04:05Available in French, German or Italian; pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Lasts 9h–12h, runs every day, 4 start times, from US$ 109.28 per person, with live guides in 5 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 04:00, 04:01, 04:02 and 04:05

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 to 75 years) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Luxor Egypt Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Luxor's main temples in a single day without arranging your own transport, hiring a guide separately, or navigating the sites alone: the private setup and fixed itinerary let you focus on what you're seeing instead of logistics.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

How long is the drive from Marsa Alam to Luxor?

The drive is a few hours each way. The tour is a full day, so you leave early morning and return in the evening.

What's included and what costs extra?

Included: private car or minivan, Egyptologist guide, lunch, and air-conditioned transport. Not included: entry fees to the temples and tombs, and tips for the driver and guide.

Can I choose which temples to visit, or is it all four?

The itinerary covers all four sites: Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, and Karnak Temple. The tour is designed as a full-day package hitting all of them.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The vehicle and all temple areas are wheelchair accessible, and the tour is designed to accommodate visitors with mobility needs.

What should I bring or wear?

Bring sunscreen, a hat, and plenty of water. Wear comfortable walking shoes and light clothing. The sites involve walking on uneven ground and climbing some stairs, so moderate fitness helps.

Can I do this tour if I'm staying in Marsa Alam?

Yes. The tour is specifically designed for visitors based in Marsa Alam on the Red Sea coast, with private pickup and return to your hotel.