Luxor: Hot Air Balloon Ride & Valley of the Kings Day Tour

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/34

Duration10h 50m

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN · AR

PickupAt your hotel

Sunrise balloon over Luxor then ancient tombs and temples all day

You’ll start your day floating above Luxor at sunrise in a hot air balloon, then explore ancient tombs in the Valley of the Kings with an Egyptologist guide. Walk among pharaoh statues at Karnak Temple and see Queen Hatshepsut’s cliffside sanctuary. Expect moments of quiet wonder—and maybe a laugh or two—before heading back full of stories.

10h 50m

Step-by-step itinerary

Hot air balloon and Luxor sightseeing

Sunrise hot air balloon ride
Check out and start West Bank tour
Visit 3 tombs in Valley of the Kings
See Tomb of Ramses III
See Tomb of Ramesses IX
See Tomb of Merneptah
Optional visit Tomb of Tutankhamun
Visit Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
See Colossi of Memnon
Visit Karnak Temple complex
Walk Avenue of Sphinxes
See Obelisk of Thutmose I
Visit Luxor Temple

The Experience

I didn’t really sleep the night before — too wound up thinking about floating over Luxor at dawn. Turns out, you don’t need coffee when you’re standing in a field before sunrise, watching flames fill a hot air balloon. The air smelled faintly like burnt sugar from the fuel, and our pilot grinned as we clambered into the basket. When we lifted off, it was dead quiet except for a few birds and someone’s nervous laugh (maybe mine). The Valley of the Kings looked unreal from up there — patchwork earth and shadows where pharaohs still sleep. I kept blinking to make sure it wasn’t just a dream.

After landing (a bit bumpier than I expected), we met our guide, Ahmed. He had this dry sense of humor — he called the Colossi of Memnon “the original Egyptian bouncers.” We drove through Luxor’s West Bank in an air-conditioned van, which was honestly a relief because by 8am it was already heating up. At the Valley of the Kings, Ahmed helped us pick which tombs to enter (I went for Ramses III and Merneptah; Tutankhamun’s was extra but worth it if you’re into that sort of thing). The walls inside were still bright with color — blues and ochres that somehow survived centuries underground. It smelled a little dusty but not musty, more like sun-baked stone than anything else.

I tried to pronounce “Hatshepsut” correctly at her temple — Ahmed laughed and said even locals argue about it. The place itself is wild: terraces cut right into pink cliffs, with stray cats napping in the shade. Lunch came just when I needed it (rice, grilled chicken, lots of bread), and I remember being surprised how good tomatoes taste here. Afterward we saw Karnak Temple’s columns — so many you lose count — and finally Luxor Temple as evening crept in. My legs were tired but my head was buzzing with stories about gods turning into animals or kings who ruled at age ten.

Looking back now, I can still feel that weird mix of awe and calm from drifting over those tombs at sunrise. If you want one day in Luxor that feels like several lifetimes packed together — this is probably it.

What’s included

Your day includes early morning hotel pickup for a sunrise hot air balloon ride above Luxor’s West Bank, followed by guided visits to key sites like Valley of the Kings (with entry to three tombs), Queen Hatshepsut’s temple, Karnak Temple, Colossi of Memnon, lunch at a local restaurant, all ground transport by air-conditioned vehicle throughout Luxor’s East and West Banks—and finally drop-off back at your hotel when your head is spinning with history.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelers

Operated by Luxor Travels