Marsa Alam to Luxor Private Tour: Valley of the Kings & Karnak

Four ancient temples, three royal tombs, and a horse carriage ride through Luxor in one day

A private day tour from Marsa Alam to Luxor with a professional Egyptologist guide, hotel pickup and return, and air-conditioned transport. Cross the Nile to explore the Valley of the Kings with three tombs, visit the Temple of Hatshepsut rising from the desert plain, see the Colossi of Memnon, and end at Karnak Temple, the world's largest ancient religious site. You set the pace at each location and can customize the stops to match your interests.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Valley of the Kings2h
2. Temple of Hatshepsut2h
3. Colossi of Memnon30m
4. Karnak Temple2h · entry included

Full day Luxor private tour from Marsa Alam

• Pickup from Marsa Alam hotel at 5:00 am
• Travel to Luxor arriving around 9:00 am
• Cross Nile to West Bank with private guide
• Visit Valley of the Kings and explore three tombs
• Visit Temple of Hatshepsut terraces
• See Colossi of Memnon statues
• Lunch at local restaurant in Luxor
• Horse carriage city tour in Luxor
• Visit Karnak Temple complex
• Optional shopping at Luxor souq
• Return to Marsa Alam hotel by 9:00 pm

The experience

How do you fit Luxor's greatest monuments into a single day from Marsa Alam without feeling rushed? The answer is a private guide, a dedicated driver, and a 17-hour itinerary that starts before dawn. Your hotel pickup happens at 5:00 am. The drive to Luxor takes four hours in an air-conditioned vehicle. You arrive around 9:00 am with the day still ahead of you.

Once in Luxor, you cross the Nile to the West Bank, where your Egyptologist guide leads you through three tombs in the Valley of the Kings. From there you move to the Temple of Hatshepsut, built in three terraces that rise from the desert plain and merge into the limestone cliffs of the Theban Mountain. The Colossi of Memnon (two quartzite statues of King Amenhotep III standing 18 meters high) come next. After lunch at a local restaurant, you ride through central Luxor by horse carriage to see how the city moves beyond the monuments. The day ends at Karnak Temple, the world's largest ancient religious site. If time allows, you can browse Luxor's souq or swap one temple for another. The itinerary bends to what you want to see. Your driver picks you up at 5:00 pm for the return to Marsa Alam, arriving by 9:00 pm.

The guide speaks English and can also conduct the tour in Spanish, Italian, French or German. A bottle of mineral water is included. Entry fees to the temples and tombs, lunch, and tips are not included in the base package. You choose whether to add entry fees at checkout or arrange them separately.

What’s included

• Professional Egyptologist guide in English (or Spanish, Italian, French, or German).
• all transfers by air-conditioned vehicle with a qualified driver.
• hotel pickup at 5:00 am and return by 9:00 pm.
• one bottle of mineral water.

Options for this experience

3 options

Car with driver onlyGuide in 5 languages · 05:00Car with driver only; includes pickup

Car and guide onlyGuide in 5 languages · 05:00Car and guide only; pickup is included

Car, guide and entry feesGuide in 5 languages · 05:00Car, guide and entry fees; pickup is included

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 dayDeparts at 05:00

Book up to3h before

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

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German and Italian

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 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Luxor Private Day Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're staying in Marsa Alam and want a full day covering Luxor's major temples and tombs with a private guide who adjusts the pace and stops to match what interests you most.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

Can children come?

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

What's inside the tombs in the Valley of the Kings?

The Valley of the Kings holds the burial chambers of pharaohs and nobles carved into the rock. Your guide takes you into three of these tombs to see the painted walls, hieroglyphics, and the layout of the burial chambers themselves. Each tomb is different. The guide explains what you're looking at as you move through them.

Is the Temple of Hatshepsut hard to walk around?

The Temple of Hatshepsut is built on three levels connected by two wide ramps. You walk up the ramps and across the terraces to explore the temple. The source notes the tour suits all physical fitness levels, though the desert heat and the climb do require some mobility.

Can I skip one of the temples if I'm not interested?

Yes. The itinerary is flexible, and you can customize it to match your interests. If you'd rather spend more time in the souq, visit Luxor Temple instead of Karnak, or focus on fewer sites, your guide will adjust the plan.

How long do I spend at each site?

The description emphasizes ample free time at each location so you can explore at your leisure. The exact time depends on what you want to see and how your guide paces the day, but the tour is built around giving you room to linger rather than rushing through.

What does the horse carriage ride show you?

The horse carriage tour through central Luxor offers a glimpse into authentic Egyptian life beyond the temples. You see how the city functions day-to-day and get a different perspective on Luxor than you'd have from a car window.