Luxor West Bank tour: Valley of the Kings, Medinet Habu & more

Four major temples and royal tombs in a single day on the West Bank

A full-day guided tour of Luxor's West Bank takes you through the Valley of the Kings, where your guide selects the three best-preserved royal tombs to enter. Then to Hatshepsut Temple, the Colossi of Memnon, Medinet Habu (the largest temple complex after Karnak), and the Valley of the Nobles, where 400 tombs of officials and clergy reveal everyday life in ancient Egypt through their painted walls. Hotel pickup, lunch at a local restaurant, bottled water and an air-conditioned vehicle are included. A professional Egyptologist guide speaks English or Arabic.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Valley of the Kings2h · entry included
2. Temple of Hatshepsut1h · entry included
3. Colossi of Memnon30m · entry included
4. Medinet Habu1h · entry included
5. Valley of the Nobles2h · entry included

West Bank Temples and Tombs Tour

• Pickup from hotel or Nile Cruise
• Transfer to the west bank
• Visit the Valley of the Kings tombs
• Visit Hatshepsut Temple
• Visit Colossi of Memnon
• Visit Medinet Habu Temple
• Visit Valley of the Nobles tombs
• Enjoy lunch at local restaurant

The experience

The tour starts with early-morning pickup from your Luxor hotel or Nile cruise ship, then heads across to the West Bank. Your first stop is the Valley of the Kings, where your guide recommends which three royal tombs to visit based on their condition and the colors still visible on the interior walls after thousands of years. The painted reliefs and hieroglyphics in these tombs survive better than in many other sites because of how the valley's geology has protected them.

From there you move through Hatshepsut Temple, built by the female pharaoh who ruled Egypt alone for twenty years, then to the Colossi of Memnon. Two massive stone statues that are all that remain of King Amenophis III's funerary temple. Medinet Habu comes next, the funerary temple of Ramses III and the second-largest archaeological complex in Luxor after Karnak. The scale and detail of its reliefs set it apart from many other temples in the region. The final stop is the Valley of the Nobles, where about 400 tombs of senior officials, military commanders and clergy members are clustered together. Unlike royal tombs, these are decorated mostly with paintings rather than carved reliefs, and they show what daily life looked like for Egypt's upper classes more than three thousand years ago.

Lunch happens at a local restaurant in Luxor partway through the day. The tour runs 10 to 15 hours depending on how long you spend at each site and how the guide paces the stops. You travel in an air-conditioned vehicle with bottled water provided throughout.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle with hotel or cruise ship pickup.
• a qualified professional Egyptologist guide in English or Arabic.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• lunch at a local restaurant.
• all entry fees and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 07:00

Book up to8h before

AgesAdult (11 and older) · Under 11: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Luxor Private Trips

Is this one for you?The 10- to 15-hour commitment covers five major sites in one day, which works if you want to see the breadth of the West Bank without splitting the visit across multiple days, but leaves little time for other activities in Luxor itself.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English and Arabic.

How many tombs do I actually get to enter in the Valley of the Kings?

Your guide selects the three best-preserved royal tombs for you to visit based on their condition and the quality of the wall paintings and reliefs still visible inside. This keeps the visit focused on the sites most worth your time rather than rushing through many tombs.

What makes Medinet Habu different from the other temples on this tour?

Medinet Habu is the funerary temple of Ramses III and the largest archaeological site in Luxor after Karnak. It stands out for the scale and detail of its reliefs and for being one of the best-preserved temple complexes from the New Kingdom.

What will I learn from the Valley of the Nobles that I won't see in the royal tombs?

The Valley of the Nobles holds about 400 tombs of officials, governors, military commanders and clergy members. These tombs are decorated with paintings rather than carved reliefs, and the scenes show everyday activities (work, family life, food and entertainment) that reveal how Egypt's upper classes actually lived more than three thousand years ago.

Is there time for lunch, and where do we eat?

Yes, lunch is included at a local restaurant in Luxor during the tour. The timing fits naturally into the day's stops so you're not rushed.

Do I need to be in good physical condition for this tour?

The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels. However, it is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnant travelers, as the day involves walking between sites and climbing in and out of tombs.