Luxor Hot Air Balloon Tour: Valley of the Kings Sunrise

Sip coffee as you drift above Luxor’s temples in the early morning light.

A hot air balloon sunrise tour in Luxor starts with hotel or port pickup in the early morning, then transfers you by motorboat and bus to the launch site on the West Bank. You fly for 45 minutes over the Valley of the Kings and Temple of Hatshepsut as the sun rises, then return to your hotel or ship. The tour lasts three hours total and includes all ground transport, a hot air balloon ride, and complimentary coffee and tea during the flight. A live English-speaking guide accompanies the group. Children must be at least 12 years old.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hot air balloon sunrise tour

• Pick up from hotel or port
• Transfer to motorboat to West Bank
• Enjoy refreshing drink on boat
• Transfer to hot air balloon launch site
• 45-minute hot air balloon flight at sunrise
• Fly over Valley of the Kings and Temple of Hatshepsut
• Transfer back to hotel or ship

The experience

You're picked up from your Luxor hotel or Nile cruise ship before dawn and driven to a motorboat that crosses to the West Bank. The boat ride itself is part of the experience. You'll have coffee or tea while the desert comes into focus across the water. Once you land, a bus takes you to the balloon launch site, where the crew prepares the balloon while the sky begins to lighten.

The 45-minute flight happens right at sunrise, so you're airborne as the light spreads across the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut comes into view below. From altitude, the scale of the ancient sites becomes clear in a way ground-level visits don't offer: the temple's colonnades, the valley's layout, the way the tombs are cut into the rock. The flight is smooth and quiet enough that you can hear the wind and the occasional call from the crew managing the balloon's descent.

After landing, you're transferred back to your hotel or ship, arriving by mid-morning. The whole outing takes three hours from pickup to drop-off. No experience with balloons is needed. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, though the early start is the main physical demand.

What’s included

• Hotel or port pickup and drop-off in Luxor.
• motorboat transfer to the West Bank.
• air-conditioned bus transport to and from the launch site.
• 45-minute hot air balloon flight at sunrise over the Valley of the Kings and Temple of Hatshepsut.
• complimentary coffee and tea during the flight.
• live English-speaking guide.

Before you book

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

Book up to3h before

AgesAdult (12 to 98 years) · Under 12: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 18 pickup points.

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

Low physical effortStroller-friendly

Operated by Otto Travel

Is this one for you?If you're staying at a Luxor hotel or on a Nile cruise ship without your own transport, this tour solves the logistics of reaching the balloon launch site before dawn. The pickup and all transfers are arranged, so you only need to be ready at your door in the early morning.

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Top questions

What time does the hot air balloon tour start?

The tour begins very early in the morning with pickup from your hotel or cruise ship, timed so you're airborne at sunrise. The entire experience, including transfers, lasts three hours.

What will I see during the 45-minute balloon flight?

The flight takes you over the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut as the sun rises. From the balloon, you see the scale and layout of these ancient sites from above, including the temple's colonnades and the tombs cut into the rock face.

Are hotel and port pickups really included?

Yes. The tour includes pickup and drop-off from your Luxor hotel or Nile cruise ship, plus all ground transfers by air-conditioned bus and motorboat to and from the launch site on the West Bank.

Is there a minimum age for the balloon ride?

Children must be at least 12 years old to fly. The tour is suitable for all fitness levels, though the early morning start is the main physical demand.

What's included during the flight?

Complimentary coffee and tea are served during the balloon ride. The flight itself lasts 45 minutes and includes a live English-speaking guide with the group.