Half-Day Luxor Tour: Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut Temple

Four hours, three millennia: what fits in a morning in Luxor

A half-day guided tour of Luxor's west bank takes you through the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon with a qualified Egyptologist guide in English or your choice of five languages. Hotel pickup and return are included, along with entry to the Colossi. The guide is live and speaks on-site, so the history connects to what you're standing in front of. You can book as a solo traveler or with a private car and guide, and add an extra language speaker for a set fee if your group needs one.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Valley of the Kings3h
2. Temple of Hatshepsut1h
3. Colossi of Memnon20m

Explore Luxor's ancient sites

• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Tour Temple of Hatshepsut
• See Colossi of Memnon statues

The experience

The morning starts with pickup from your hotel and a drive to the west bank, where the Valley of the Kings opens up: a necropolis of royal tombs carved into sandstone cliffs during the New Kingdom. Your guide walks you through the temple complex, pointing out courtyards, statues and the granite figure of Amenhotep III, plus the tombs of pharaohs and their families. The scale and the precision of what's survived thousands of years becomes real when you're standing in front of it, not reading about it later.

From there, the tour moves to the Temple of Hatshepsut, built in the 15th century BC by Egypt's first female pharaoh and dedicated to the sun god Amun. The temple rises in three terraced levels with pillared halls, a hypostyle hall and a chapel to Hathar, all carved with statues and reliefs of deities. The size and the detail work (the way the temple sits against the cliffs) is what makes it one of the most photographed monuments in Egypt. A stop at the Colossi of Memnon comes next: two 60-foot sandstone statues of Amenhotep III that have stood on the west bank since 1350 BC, originally guarding the entrance to his mortuary temple before an earthquake in 27 BC destroyed the temple around them.

The whole route runs four to six hours depending on how long your guide spends at each site and how many questions you ask. You travel in a modern air-conditioned vehicle, and the driver handles all the navigation: no renting a car, no figuring out which road leads where. Entry to the Colossi is free. The other sites charge admission that you pay on arrival. If you're traveling alone, you join a shared guide. If you're booking a private car and guide, the group stays just your party.

What’s included

• Egyptologist guide in English, Spanish, Italian, French or one of two additional languages.
• hotel pickup and return.
• all transfers in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• entry to the Colossi of Memnon.
• all service charges and taxes.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private car with a tour guideGuide in 6 languages · 6 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 13:00Includes pickup

Solo TravelerGuide in 6 languages · 6 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 13:00Includes 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 day6 departure times: the first at 07:00, the last at 13:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on siteUS$ 20

Prices and times updated 5 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Etro tours

Is this one for you?Choose the shared guide if you're joining other travelers. Pick the private option if your group wants to set your own pace and skip sites that don't interest you.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Russian.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What exactly is inside the Valley of the Kings that I'll see on the tour?

The Valley of the Kings is a necropolis of royal tombs and a temple complex built during the New Kingdom. You'll walk through courtyards, past statues including a seated granite figure of Amenhotep III, and see the tombs of pharaohs and their families, including Queen Tiye. The temple itself (built during the reign of Amenhotep III in the eighteenth dynasty) contains an intricate network of courtyards, statues and columns that show how the ancient Egyptians built for eternity.

How long does the tour actually take, and does that include travel time?

The tour runs four to six hours total, which includes the drive from your hotel, time at each of the three main sites, and the return journey. How long you spend at each location depends on your guide's pacing and how many questions come up. There's no fixed schedule that rushes you through.

Is the Temple of Hatshepsut difficult to walk through, or is it accessible?

The Temple of Hatshepsut is built on three terraced levels with pillared halls and chapels, so there is walking and some uneven surfaces. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, and the site is wheelchair accessible with accessible transportation options available. Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller, and public transportation options are nearby if you need an alternative.

What's included in the price, and what do I pay separately?

The tour includes a qualified, fully licensed Egyptologist guide; pickup and return from your hotel; all transfers in a modern air-conditioned vehicle; entry to the Colossi of Memnon; and all service charges and taxes. Entrance fees to the Valley of the Kings and Temple of Hatshepsut are paid on arrival at each site. Tipping is not included.