Luxor Day Trip from Sharm el Sheikh by Plane: Four Temples

Ancient temples and a royal necropolis in a single day, reached by plane instead of a long drive

A private full-day tour from Sharm el Sheikh to Luxor by flight, visiting the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon and Karnak Temple complex with a qualified Egyptologist guide, private driver, lunch and return flights. The flight cuts travel time in half, letting you see four major sites across both banks of the Nile without an overnight stay.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each4 stops

1. Valley of the Kings2h
2. Temple of Hatshepsut2h
3. Colossi of MemnonEntry included15m
4. Karnak Temple2h

Full day tour of Luxor highlights

• Fly from Sharm El Sheikh to Luxor
• Visit the Valley of the Kings
• Explore local lifestyle and handcrafts on West Bank
• Lunch break on East Bank
• Visit the Temple of Hatshepsut
• See the Colossi of Memnon
• Tour the Karnak Temples
• Fly back to Sharm El Sheikh
• Transfer to hotel

The experience

The flight from Sharm el Sheikh to Luxor takes under two hours each way, which means you land with most of the day ahead. Your Egyptologist guide meets you at Luxor airport and drives you straight to the West Bank, where the Valley of the Kings holds more than 62 tombs cut into the hillside by pharaohs of the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties, including the tomb of Tutankhamun, whose discovery made the valley famous worldwide. You walk among the burial chambers and then spend time on the West Bank learning about local life and handcrafts before breaking for lunch at a local restaurant on the East Bank.

The afternoon takes you to three more monuments. The Temple of Hatshepsut rises from the mountainside where the queen built her mortuary temple in the 15th century BC. The Colossi of Memnon are two colossal statues that stand alone as the last remnants of an older temple nearby. Then you reach Karnak Temple complex, the second-largest religious complex in the world, built over centuries by different pharaohs. Its hypostyle hall contains 134 columns built by Ramses II, and inside stands Egypt's tallest obelisk, erected by Hatshepsut. You finish at Luxor airport for the evening flight back to Sharm el Sheikh, where a driver meets you for the transfer to your hotel.

A private tour means your guide adjusts the pace to your questions and interests. The operator offers the tour in English, German, Arabic or Russian. Hotel or port pickup is included, so you don't arrange transport to the airport. The full day runs roughly 16 hours from pickup to drop-off, but the flight eliminates the grinding road time that makes a ground-based Luxor trip a two-day commitment.

What’s included

• Round-trip flights from Sharm el Sheikh to Luxor.
• qualified Egyptologist guide.
• private licensed driver for all tours in Luxor.
• hotel or port pickup and drop-off with door-to-door transfers.
• lunch at a local restaurant.

Options for this experience

2 options

With small groupGuide in 4 languages · 04:30Includes bus pickup

Full-day private tour to Luxor from Sharm El Sheikh by airGuide in 4 languages · 04:30Pickup is included

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

Information

Lasts 16h 15m, runs Wednesday at 04:30, from US$ 295 per person, with a live guide in English, German, Arabic and Russian, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesWednesdayDeparts at 04:304 on other days ›

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (2 to 11 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, German, Arabic and Russian

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. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Etro tours

Is this one for you?Choose the private option if you want the guide's full attention and the flexibility to linger at any temple. Pick the small-group version if you'd rather share the cost and meet other travelers. Either way, the flight makes four major sites reachable in a single day without an overnight stay.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, German, Arabic and Russian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 11 years); Infant (under 2): 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.

What exactly is inside the Valley of the Kings that I'll see?

The Valley of the Kings contains more than 62 tombs carved into the hillside by pharaohs of the 18th, 19th and 20th dynasties. You walk among the burial chambers, including the famous tomb of Tutankhamun, whose discovery in the early 20th century made the valley known worldwide.

How does the Temple of Hatshepsut differ from the other temples on this tour?

The Temple of Hatshepsut is cut directly into the mountainside rather than built outward from the ground, and it was constructed as a mortuary temple for the queen in the 15th century BC. It's one of the most visually distinctive temples in Egypt because of how it rises from the rock face.

What is the Karnak Temple complex, and why is it on the tour?

Karnak Temple is the second-largest religious complex in the world, built over many centuries by successive pharaohs. It contains the hypostyle hall with 134 columns built by Ramses II (the largest columned hall in the world), and holds Egypt's tallest obelisk, erected by Hatshepsut.

How much time do I spend flying versus sightseeing?

The flights take roughly two hours each way, leaving you most of the day for the four sites. The full tour runs about 16 hours from hotel pickup to drop-off, but the plane eliminates the eight to ten hours of driving a ground-based Luxor trip would require.