Luxor East Bank temples tour: Karnak, Luxor Temple & museum

Two massive temples and a museum of pharaonic artifacts in a single morning or afternoon

An East Bank tour in Luxor visits Karnak Temple Complex, Luxor Temple, and Luxor Museum with an Egyptologist guide, private air-conditioned vehicle, and hotel pickup included. The tour covers the vast open-air religious complex at Karnak (built over centuries from the Middle Kingdom through the Ptolemaic Period), then moves to Luxor Temple, where scenes on the walls document ancient Egyptian festivals, before finishing at the museum's collection of statues, tools, and artifacts spanning pharaonic, Christian, and Islamic periods. Bottled water is provided. Entrance fees are separate.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Karnak Temple2h
2. Luxor Templepassing by
3. Luxor Museum1h

Visit East Bank Temples and Museum

• Visit Karnak Temple Complex
• Tour Luxor Temple and Abu Al-Haggag Mosque
• Explore Luxor Museum
• Return to hotel in Luxor

The experience

Karnak Temple Complex opens the day. It's a vast open-air museum spread across decayed temples, chapels, pylons and other structures built over more than a thousand years, starting under Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom and continuing into the Ptolemaic Period. The complex was dedicated to the Theban triad (Amon, his consort Mut, and their son Khonsu), and the scale of what remains gives a sense of how central this site was to ancient Egyptian worship. Your Egyptologist guide walks you through the layout and the history written into the stones.

Luxor Temple comes next, smaller and more intact than Karnak but equally layered with time. The inner sanctuary was built by King Amenhotep III. The outer sections by King Ramses II. The walls carry scenes of the ipt rset festival, one of the major celebrations held inside the temple. A mosque called Abu Al-Haggag sits on the temple's ruins (built on the remains of a church that had itself been built inside the temple) a physical record of how the site shifted through different faiths. Chapels at the rear, added by King Thutmosis III and Alexander the Great, extend the timeline further.

The museum closes the loop. Luxor Museum holds statues, weapons, tools and objects from the pharaonic, Christian and Islamic periods, giving context to what you've seen in the temples. Your guide then returns you to your hotel. The whole day runs five to seven hours. You choose whether to add meals during the tour at checkout. Water is included. An air-conditioned vehicle and driver handle the transport between sites, and a Tourism Police Permission is arranged as part of the booking.

What’s included

• Egyptologist guide in English or German.
• private air-conditioned vehicle with driver.
• hotel pickup and return.
• bottled mineral water.
• Tourism Police Permission arranged.

Options for this experience

2 options

VehicleUp to 10 per booking · Guide in English or German · 22 departure times: the first at 05:30, the last at 16:00Pickup included in limousine or Hiace

Adventure day tour to the East BankUp to 12 per booking · Guide in English or German · 22 departure times: the first at 05:30, the last at 16:00Includes pickup

You pick the guide language when booking.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day22 departure times: the first at 05:30, the last at 16:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 to 70 years) · Youth (6 to 11 years) · Child (2 to 5 years) · Infant (under 2): free

GroupPrivate

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

Prices and times updated 6 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effort

Operated by Ra Egypt Tour Guide

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you need all three major East Bank temples (Karnak, Luxor Temple, and the museum) in one morning or afternoon with a private vehicle and Egyptologist guide handling the logistics and pacing.

Traveler reviews

4.87★★★★★★★★★★

15 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and German.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 11 years); Child (2 to 5 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 is Karnak Temple Complex and why is it on this tour?

Karnak Temple Complex is the second-largest ancient religious site in the world, built over more than a thousand years starting in the Middle Kingdom. It's a vast open-air museum of temples, chapels and pylons dedicated to the Theban triad of gods, and the scale and age of what remains make it a centerpiece of any East Bank visit.

Can I add meals to this tour, or is food on my own?

Meals and beverages during the tour are optional. You choose at checkout whether to include them. Bottled mineral water is provided either way.

What does Luxor Museum actually contain?

Luxor Museum holds statues, weapons, tools and other objects from three periods: pharaonic Egypt, the Christian era, and the Islamic period. It gives context to the temples you've visited earlier in the day.

Is hotel pickup included, or do I meet the guide somewhere?

Hotel pickup in Luxor is included in this tour. Your guide and driver collect you from your hotel and return you there at the end of the day.

Do entrance fees to the temples and museum come with this tour?

Entrance fees to Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple and Luxor Museum are not included and are paid separately. The tour includes the guide, vehicle, driver, water and hotel pickup.