Private Luxor Valley of the Kings Tour: 4 Royal Tombs in One Day

Walk inside four tombs with an Egyptologist reading hieroglyphics; big buses stop at gate

You're picked up from your Luxor hotel and spend seven hours visiting the Valley of the Kings (four royal tombs), Temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple Complex, and Luxor Temple, with a licensed Egyptologist guide explaining each site and lunch included. Hotel drop-off happens at the end of the day, so you don't arrange transport or worry about timing between sites.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Luxor East and West Banks

• Hotel pickup in Luxor
• Visit Valley of the Kings tombs
• Explore Tomb of Ramses IV
• Explore Tomb of Ramses III
• Explore Tomb of Merneptah
• Optional visit to Tomb of Tutankhamun
• Visit Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• See Colossi of Memnon statues
• Visit Karnak Temple Complex
• Walk Avenue of Sphinxes
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Return to hotel

The Experience

How do you fit the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple, and Karnak into a single afternoon without feeling rushed? A private Luxor tour with an Egyptologist guide handles the logistics—pickup from your hotel, the driving between sites, the lunch break—so you're free to actually stand in front of these places and absorb them. The tour runs about seven hours and covers both banks of the Nile, moving through an air-conditioned vehicle between stops. You'll see four royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, including the burial chambers of Ramses III, Ramses IV, Merneptah, and King Tutankhamun, each one decorated with different scenes from the Book of the Dead and the Litany of Ra.

The West Bank starts early at the Valley of the Kings, where the tombs are carved into limestone cliffs and the walls still hold their color—the ceiling in Ramses IV's tomb shows the goddess Nut swallowing the sun, painted in blues and whites that haven't faded much in three thousand years. After the tombs, you move to the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, the mortuary temple of Egypt's only female pharaoh, built into a cliff face in three terraced levels. Then comes the Colossi of Memnon, two massive seated statues of King Amenhotep III that stand alone in a field and mark the edge of the necropolis. Your guide will explain what you're looking at—the symbolism, the construction, the history—rather than leaving you to guess.

The East Bank brings you to Karnak Temple, a complex so large it took centuries to build. The Hypostyle Hall alone has 134 columns, and walking through them feels like moving through a stone forest. The Avenue of Sphinxes once connected Karnak to Luxor Temple, a three-kilometer stretch that's now mostly excavated but still impressive in sections. Luxor Temple sits on the riverbank and is smaller than Karnak but more intact, with granite statues of Ramses II still standing at the entrance. Lunch is included somewhere in the middle of the day, giving you a break before the final temple visits.

The tour is private, meaning it's just you and your guide (or your group if you're traveling with others), not a bus full of strangers. Your guide is a licensed Egyptologist, which matters—they can read the hieroglyphics on the walls and explain why certain scenes appear in certain tombs. Entrance fees to individual sites are not included in the price, so budget for those separately. The Tomb of Tutankhamun costs an additional 300 Egyptian pounds if you want to see the young king's mummy. Gratuities for the guide are recommended but not required.

What’s included

• Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Luxor, private transport in an air-conditioned vehicle, a licensed Egyptologist guide for the full seven hours, and lunch at a local restaurant.
• Entrance fees to the Valley of the Kings, temples, and other sites are not included and must be paid on arrival.
• The optional Tomb of Tutankhamun entrance fee (300 EGP) is separate.

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Luxor Travels

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see the major sites on both banks of Luxor without arranging your own transport, timing, or hiring a guide—the private format and included lunch mean you spend the day looking at ancient Egypt rather than organizing logistics.

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Top questions

What tombs do you actually enter in the Valley of the Kings?

You explore four royal tombs: Ramses III, Ramses IV, Merneptah, and King Tutankhamun (though Tutankhamun's tomb requires a separate 300 EGP fee). Your guide chooses based on what's open that day.

How long is the tour and what time does it start?

The tour is approximately seven hours. Pickup happens from your hotel in Luxor or the harbor, but the exact start time depends on your hotel location and the operator's schedule.

Is lunch included?

Yes, lunch is included in the tour price. Entrance fees to the sites are not included and must be paid separately.

Do I need to be fit to do this tour?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels. However, the Valley of the Kings involves walking in heat and some uneven terrain, so comfortable shoes and sun protection are essential.

Is the guide really an Egyptologist?

Yes, the guide is a licensed Egyptologist, so they can explain the hieroglyphics, mythology, and historical context of each site in detail.

Can I skip any of the sites?

The itinerary is set to cover the main highlights of both banks. Your guide will allow free time at each site to explore at your own pace, but the route itself is fixed.

What's the difference between this and a group tour?

This is a private tour, meaning you have your own guide and vehicle rather than sharing with a large group. It's more flexible and personalized.

Is the Tomb of Tutankhamun worth the extra 300 EGP?

That depends on your interest. Tutankhamun's tomb is the most famous and contains his mummy, but it's smaller than other royal tombs and the extra fee is separate from the tour price.