Luxor Day Trip from Hurghada: Karnak, Valley of Kings & Temples

The desert crossing that actually works: Luxor's four temples in one day from Hurghada

You get picked up from your Hurghada hotel early, driven across the desert in an air-conditioned minivan, and guided through Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, and the Colossi of Memnon with an Egyptologist who explains what you're looking at. Lunch and drinks are included, and the driver brings you back to your hotel by evening, so you skip arranging your own transport and tickets across the desert.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Valley of the Kings2h
2. Temple of Hatshepsut1h
3. Colossi of Memnon20m

Full day Luxor tour from Hurghada

• Pick up from hotel in Hurghada
• Drive to Luxor by minivan
• Visit Karnak Temple complex
• Enjoy lunch at local restaurant
• Cross Nile to Valley of the Kings
• Visit Hatshepsut Temple
• See Colossi of Memnon statues
• Drive back to hotel in Hurghada

The experience

The minivan was supposed to leave at 6:30am, but the driver was still loading water bottles at 6:45. Not a disaster. Just the kind of small delay that happens when you're crossing the desert from Hurghada to Luxor with a group of strangers and an Egyptologist guide who's checking his phone for traffic updates on the road ahead. Once we actually left, though, the air conditioning kicked in hard, and the two-hour drive gave you time to actually wake up instead of sprinting straight into temples. By the time we pulled up to Karnak, the morning light was hitting the columns at exactly the angle that made them look less like ruins and more like something still standing.

Karnak Temple is the kind of place where the scale doesn't register until you're standing inside it. The hypostyle hall (rows of massive stone columns that go back and back and back) is where the guide's voice starts to matter. Ours walked us through the layout, pointing out the carvings that told the story of pharaohs and gods, and suddenly the stones weren't just old. They were a record. After that, lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor came as a relief, not fancy, but real food and a chance to sit while someone brought you tea or coffee and you could actually think about what you'd just seen instead of rushing to the next stop.

The afternoon split between three more sites. Valley of the Kings sits across the Nile, and the tombs inside (including Tutankhamun's, the only one found intact back in 1922) are decorated in a way that makes you understand why archaeologists spent decades digging here. Hatshepsut Temple, built by Egypt's only female pharaoh who ruled for over 18 years, has a completely different look: terraced and open, carved into the cliff face itself. Then the Colossi of Memnon, two massive statues of Pharaoh Amenhotep III standing in front of what's left of his mortuary temple, mark the end of the day. By the time the driver turned the minivan back toward Hurghada, you'd moved through four different temples and crossed the Nile twice, and the whole thing had taken about 12 hours but never felt rushed.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and return transport from Hurghada in an air-conditioned minivan, a private English-speaking Egyptologist guide, entry to Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, and the Colossi of Memnon, lunch at a local restaurant, and mineral water plus tea or coffee during the meal.

Options for this experience

2 options

Includes a car and a tour guide.Guide in 5 languages · 05:00 and 06:00Lasts 12 hours. Tickets and lunch are not included. Travel is in a luxury vehicle, and pickup is included.

VIP Private Car-Guide-TicketsGuide in 5 languages · 05:00 and 06:00Lasts 12 hours. Includes lunch, a luxury car, and pickup.

You pick the guide language when booking.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 05:00 and 06:00

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (13 to 90 years) · Child (6 to 12 years) · Under 6: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Chinese

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Chinese

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 yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats available

Operated by Love Egypt Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Luxor's main temples without arranging a taxi across the desert, buying separate tickets, or timing the sites yourself: the fixed itinerary and included guide handle all three, and the small group size means you're not herded through with fifty other people.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 12 years). Under 6: they can't be included in the booking.

How long is the full day trip from Hurghada to Luxor?

Around 12 hours total, including the two-hour drive each way, time at each temple, and lunch.

What temples do you visit on this Luxor day trip?

Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, and the Colossi of Memnon.

Is lunch included in the Luxor tour from Hurghada?

Yes, lunch at a local restaurant is included, plus tea or coffee and mineral water.

Do you need your own transport to get from Hurghada to Luxor?

No, hotel pickup and all transfers by air-conditioned minivan are included.

Can you visit Tutankhamun's tomb in Valley of the Kings?

Yes, Valley of the Kings includes access to multiple royal tombs, including Tutankhamun's, which was found intact in 1922.

Is this tour suitable for people with mobility issues?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, though walking between sites and inside temples is involved.