Luxor Day Trip from Hurghada: Valley of Kings & Nile Felucca

One Day, Five Temples: How to See Luxor Without Leaving Hurghada

You're picked up from your Hurghada hotel before dawn and driven to Luxor, where you spend the day exploring the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Karnak, and the Colossi of Memnon with a private Egyptologist guide. Lunch at a local restaurant and a peaceful felucca sail on the Nile break up the temple visits. All entry tickets, transport, and the guide are included. You return to Hurghada by early evening.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each4 stops

1. Valley of the KingsEntry included2h
2. Temple of HatshepsutEntry included1h
3. Colossi of Memnon10m
4. Karnak TempleEntry included2h

Luxor day trip from Hurghada

• Early morning hotel pickup
• Drive to Luxor in air-conditioned vehicle
• Visit Valley of the Kings tombs
• Explore Temple of Hatshepsut
• Photo stop at Colossi of Memnon
• Enjoy traditional lunch at local restaurant
• Relax on Nile felucca ride
• Discover Karnak Temple complex
• Drive back to Hurghada

The experience

What would it feel like to stand inside a pharaoh's tomb, then float down the Nile the same afternoon? That's the pull of this Luxor day trip from Hurghada. The idea that you don't have to choose between the Red Sea and ancient Egypt. The day starts early, around 4 or 5am depending on your hotel, with pickup in a private air-conditioned vehicle. It's a long drive to Luxor, roughly 280 kilometers, but the road is straightforward and your guide meets you on arrival to walk you through what you're about to see. Most people sleep part of the way, which is fine. You'll need the energy for what comes next.

The Valley of the Kings hits first, and it's the reason most people book this tour. You walk into actual tombs where pharaohs were buried thousands of years ago: the walls still hold their colors, the hieroglyphics still tell their stories, and your Egyptologist guide explains what you're looking at instead of you squinting at a placard. After that comes the Temple of Hatshepsut, which rises in three terraces against the desert cliffs and looks nothing like the other temples you'll see that day. Then the Colossi of Memnon, two 18-meter statues standing alone in the fields, which you photograph and move on from. Lunch is at a local restaurant around midday, and it's a proper meal, not a rushed tourist plate: the kind of food people in Luxor actually eat. After that, the felucca ride on the Nile is the thing that stays with you. It's a wooden sailboat, no engine, just wind and water and the sound of the sail. You sit there for an hour or so, and the pace of everything slows down.

Karnak Temple comes last, in the afternoon when the light is starting to change. It's the largest religious complex ever built, and the Great Hypostyle Hall alone (rows of massive columns stretching into shadow) makes you understand why people traveled here for thousands of years to worship. By the time you head back to Hurghada, you've covered five major sites and a Nile ride in a single day. The return drive is quieter. You'll arrive back at your hotel around 6 or 7pm, depending on traffic and how far your hotel is from the city center.

A few practical things: your guide is an expert in Egyptian history, not just someone who knows the route. The vehicle is private, so it's you and whoever you're traveling with, plus the driver and guide. You need to send copies of your passport and hotel room number via WhatsApp before the tour. This is required for the travel permits. If you're leaving very early, ask your hotel the night before to prepare a breakfast box. Bottled water is included throughout the day, which matters in the heat.

What’s included

Your day includes private air-conditioned vehicle pickup and drop-off from your Hurghada hotel, an expert Egyptologist guide, entry tickets to the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, and Karnak Temple, a traditional lunch at a local restaurant, a felucca sail on the Nile, and bottled water throughout the day.

Options for this experience

4 options

Private day tour of LuxorGuide in 7 languages · 05:00Includes pickup

Add the Tomb of Ramses V & VI (KV9)Guide in 7 languages · 05:00Luxor and Ramses V & VI Tomb: private Luxor tour that includes the KV9 Tomb entrance ticket. Pickup is included

Add Tutankhamun's TombGuide in 7 languages · 05:00Luxor and King Tut's Tomb: private Luxor tour that includes the entrance ticket to Tutankhamun's Tomb. Pickup is included

King Tut and Ramses V & VI (KV9)Guide in 7 languages · 05:00Luxor and 2 special tombs: private Luxor tour that includes entrance tickets to Tutankhamun and Ramses V & VI (KV9). Pickup is included

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

Before you book

Lasts 12h–16h, runs every day at 05:00, from US$ 149 per person, with live guides in 7 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 05:00

Book up to11h before

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Child (6 to 10 years) · Infant (under 6)

GroupPrivate

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

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended with heart problems

Operated by Legacy Tour

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to see Luxor's major temples and tombs in one day without arranging separate transport, permits, and tickets yourself: the private vehicle and guide handle the logistics, which is what makes a 12-hour day feel manageable instead of chaotic.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 10 years); Infant (under 6).

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

How long is the drive from Hurghada to Luxor?

Approximately 280 kilometers, usually 4–5 hours depending on traffic. You'll be picked up early morning and return to your hotel by 6–7pm.

What's included in the tour price?

Private air-conditioned transport, all entry tickets to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, and Karnak Temple, a traditional lunch, a felucca ride on the Nile, bottled water, and hotel pickup and drop-off.

Do I need a visa or travel permit for this tour?

You'll need to provide clear copies of your passport and hotel room number via WhatsApp before the tour. This is required for the travel permits to visit Luxor.

What time does the tour start?

Pickup time depends on your hotel location and distance from Luxor. The exact time will be confirmed the day before your tour.

Is there time for breakfast?

If you're leaving very early, ask your hotel reception the evening before to prepare a breakfast box for you.

How many sites do we visit?

Five main sites: the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple, plus a felucca ride on the Nile and lunch at a local restaurant.

Can I do this tour if I have health concerns?

The tour is not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health due to the length and heat. Discuss any concerns with your hotel or the tour operator before booking.

What should I bring?

Sun protection (hat, sunscreen, sunglasses), comfortable walking shoes, light clothing, and a camera. Bottled water is provided.