Luxor: Valley of Kings & Karnak Temple Full Day with Egyptologist

Five Temples in One Day: Luxor's West and East Banks with an Egyptologist

You're picked up from your hotel and spend the full day moving between the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple, and Luxor Temple with a professional Egyptologist guide who speaks English. Lunch at a local restaurant is included, as is all transport between sites. You return to your hotel in the late afternoon.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each5 stops

1. Valley of the Kings1h
2. Temple of Hatshepsut1h
3. Colossi of Memnon30m
4. Karnak Temple2h
5. Luxor Temple1h

Explore Luxor West and East Banks

• Pick up from hotel with group
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• See Colossi of Memnon
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Explore Karnak Temple
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Transfer back to hotel

The experience

Your guide is already waiting at your hotel when the morning starts. You'll join a small group and head straight to the west bank, where the Valley of the Kings sits in the desert across from the modern city. This is where pharaohs were buried: tombs carved into rock cliffs, some of them still holding secrets. The Valley itself is vast and quiet, and your Egyptologist guide walks you through the history as you move between the entrances, explaining the layout and the dynasties that chose this place as their final resting ground. It takes time to absorb, and the guide doesn't rush it.

After the Valley, you move to the Temple of Hatshepsut, which rises in three massive terraces from the desert floor and into the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari. It's one of those structures that stops you mid-step. The scale is real, and the architecture is deliberate in a way that photographs don't quite capture. Then comes a shorter stop at the Colossi of Memnon, two enormous statues that once guarded the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III. By mid-morning you're already at a local restaurant for lunch, which gives you a break before the afternoon temples and a chance to sit with what you've seen so far.

The east bank holds Karnak Temple, the largest religious complex in ancient Egypt and dedicated to the Theban triad: Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. It's dense with columns, courtyards, and inscriptions, and your guide's knowledge makes the difference here. Without context, it's easy to walk through without understanding what you're looking at. Karnak Temple was built and rebuilt over centuries, so the layers of history are literally stacked on top of each other. After Karnak, you finish at Luxor Temple, built by Amenhotep III and completed by Ramses II. It sits closer to the modern city and feels more intimate than Karnak, though no less impressive. Hotel drop-off happens in the late afternoon, and you'll have covered both banks and five major sites in a single day.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off on the east bank, a professional English-speaking Egyptologist guide for the full duration, lunch at a local restaurant, and entry to the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple, and Luxor Temple. All taxes and service charges are covered.

Options for this experience

2 options

With English Guide08:00 and 09:30Includes pickup

Guide available in another languageGuide in Spanish, French or German · 08:00 and 09:30Includes pickup

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

Before you book

Lasts 7h, runs every day at 08:00 and 09:30, from US$ 43 per person, with live guides in 5 languages and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00 and 09:30

Book up toStart time

GroupUp to 25

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Arabic

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 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearby

Operated by Nice tours

Is this one for you?This works well if you want to see both the west and east bank temples in a single day without arranging your own transport, timing each stop, or navigating between sites: the guide and shared group handle all of that, and the fixed schedule fits everything into one afternoon and morning.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

How long is the full day tour?

Around 8 hours from pickup to drop-off, including travel time between sites and lunch.

What's included in the tour?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, an English-speaking Egyptologist guide, lunch at a local restaurant, and entry to all five temples and the Valley of the Kings.

Will I be in a group or private tour?

You'll be in a small group with other travelers. Hotel pickup is shared.

Is the pace fast or relaxed?

The tour covers five major sites in one day, so there's a steady pace. Your guide controls the time spent at each location, and lunch breaks the day in half.

Do I need to arrange my own transport between sites?

No. All transport is included. You travel with the group and guide between each temple and the Valley of the Kings.

What's the difference between the west and east banks?

The west bank holds the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, and the Colossi of Memnon. The east bank has Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple, closer to the modern city.

Can children go on this tour?

Yes. Infants and small children can use a pram or stroller, and the tour is suitable for all fitness levels.