Luxor East Bank: Karnak and Luxor Temples Private Tour

Two temples, four hours, one driver who knows the stones

A private guided tour of Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple on Luxor's east bank, with hotel or cruise ship pickup and an air-conditioned vehicle throughout. The guide speaks English or Spanish and walks you through the temple complexes. You choose whether to add entry fees at checkout. Transport, water and expert commentary are included. The pace and stops are set so the day holds together without you building it.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each2 stops

1. Karnak Temple2h
2. Luxor Temple1h 30m

Visit Karnak and Luxor Temples

• Pickup from hotel or Nile Cruise
• Explore Karnak Temple Complex
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Return to hotel or Luxor airport

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your hotel or Nile cruise ship and heads straight to Karnak Temple, a sprawling complex of decayed temples, pylons and chapels that grew over centuries near Luxor. Your guide leads you through the majestic halls and sanctuaries dedicated to the Theban triad (Amun, Mut and Khonsu), and explains the architecture and hieroglyphs as you move through the site. The scale of Karnak is what makes a guide useful. Without one, the layout reads as rubble.

From Karnak, the air-conditioned vehicle takes you to Luxor Temple, built around 1400 BCE on the east bank of the Nile and known in ancient Egyptian as ipet resyt, "the southern sanctuary." This was one of two primary temples on the east bank. The other was Karnak itself. The temple's impressive architecture and carved hieroglyphs are the reason both sites anchor Luxor's ancient history, and seeing them in sequence (first the vast ceremonial complex, then the focused temple) shows how the two fit into the same religious landscape.

You can book this tour with transport only, or add the guide and entry fees at checkout. Either way, the vehicle is private, the water is included, and the return to your hotel or airport is part of the plan. Four hours is enough to walk both temples without rushing, though how much time you spend at each one depends on which option you choose and how your guide paces the stops.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle.
• hotel or cruise ship pickup and return.
• bottled water throughout.
• expert guide in English or Spanish (if you add the guide option).
• entry fees to both temples (if you add the entry option).

Options for this experience

3 options

Private car onlyGuide in English or Spanish · 5 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 15:30Pickup is included

Car + guideGuide in English or Spanish · 6 departure times: the first at 06:30, the last at 15:00Pickup is included

Vehicle, guide and entrance feesGuide in English or Spanish · 5 departure times: the first at 06:00, the last at 15:00Pickup is included

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

Information

Lasts 4h, runs every day, 9 start times, from US$ 15 per person, with a live guide in English and Spanish, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery day9 departure times: 06:00, 06:30, 07:00, 07:30, 08:30, 09:00, 14:30, 15:00 and 15:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (9 and older) · Infant (2 to 8 years)

GroupPrivate1 in a group ›

Live guideEnglish and SpanishOther languages ›

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 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPets welcome

Operated by Luxor Safe Tours & Taxi

Is this one for you?Choose the car-only option if you want to move between the temples without a guide's commentary, or add the guide and entry fees if you want the history explained and the temples' significance made clear. The private vehicle means you're not waiting for other travelers or following a fixed group schedule: your pace, your stops, your departure time.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Spanish.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Infant (2 to 8 years).

What exactly is Karnak Temple and why does it take so long to walk through?

Karnak Temple is a vast complex of decayed temples, pylons, chapels and other structures built over centuries near Luxor. It comprises multiple sanctuaries dedicated to Amun, Mut and Khonsu, with majestic halls and intricate carvings throughout. The size and layout are why a guide makes the difference, without one, the scattered ruins are hard to read as a coherent site.

Can I book this tour without paying for entry to the temples?

Yes. You can choose the car and driver only, or add the guide and entry fees at checkout. If you pick the car-only option, you'll still have private transport and bottled water, but you'll need to arrange entry separately or skip the temples entirely.

How long ago was Luxor Temple built and what made it important?

Luxor Temple was constructed around 1400 BCE during the 18th Dynasty of the New Kingdom. It was one of two primary temples on the east bank of the Nile (the other being Karnak), and served as a major center of worship in ancient Thebes, the city now called Luxor.

Does the tour include pickup from my hotel or cruise ship?

Yes. Pickup is included from your hotel in Luxor or from your Nile cruise ship. The tour ends with return to your hotel or Luxor airport, depending on where you started.