Private Luxor Day Trip from Hurghada: Sunrise Hot Air Balloon

You float over the Nile at sunrise, then walk inside ancient royal tombs.

A private Luxor day trip from Hurghada combining a sunrise hot air balloon flight with a full day of guided sightseeing at Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon and Karnak Temple. Your private Egyptologist guide leads you through the tombs and temples while your own driver handles the 4.5-hour drive each way, with lunch and a felucca ride on the Nile included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Luxor hot air balloon and cultural tour

• Pickup from hotel in Hurghada
• Drive to Luxor with breakfast stop
• Sunrise hot air balloon flight over Nile Valley
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Lunch at Howard Carter House restaurant
• Visit Temple of Hatshepsut
• Visit Karnak Temple
• Drive back to Hurghada

Stops and time spent at each 7 stops

1. Hurghada 10m
2. Hurghada 5h
3. Valley of the Kings Entry included 2h
4. Luxor 1h
5. Temple of Hatshepsut Entry included 2h
6. Karnak Temple Entry included 2h
7. Luxor 4h

What’s included

• Sunrise hot air balloon flight over the Nile Valley.
• private transfers from your Hurghada hotel to Luxor and back.
• a specialized Egyptologist guide in English, German or French.
• entry tickets to Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon and Karnak Temple.
• lunch at Howard Carter House restaurant.
• a felucca boat ride on the Nile.

Times

• Every day No fixed time

Information

Fly over the Nile Valley at sunrise, then explore Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut and Karnak Temple with an Egyptologist guide, finishing with a felucca sail.

Group Private 1 similar group tour ›

Live guide English, French and German Another language? ›

Meeting point and pickup Hotel pickup included. See the pickup points

Book up to 4h before

Ages Adult (12 to 90 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3)

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

Good to know

Low physical effort Infant seats available

More information The pickup points, the operator’s instructions and every other detail are in the full listing. See the full listing

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The experience

Your driver picks you up from your Hurghada hotel before dawn and drives you to Luxor over 4.5 hours. After breakfast at a local restaurant, you're taken to the balloon launch site where you float above the Nile Valley as the sun rises: the flight lasts about an hour and gives you a view of the river, farmland and desert that most visitors never see. Your Egyptologist guide meets you after landing and stays with you for the rest of the day.

The Valley of the Kings is where you spend your morning. Three royal tombs are open to visitors, and your guide walks you through the painted chambers and explains the hieroglyphics and the burial practices of the New Kingdom rulers who were buried here between roughly 1550 and 1069 BC. Tutankhamun's largely intact tomb, discovered in 1922, is among the sites you can enter. After the tombs you have lunch at Howard Carter House restaurant with an open buffet of Egyptian mezze, grilled meats and salads. Drinks are available for purchase.

The afternoon takes you to Temple of Hatshepsut, a limestone mortuary temple from the 18th Dynasty that stands out for its unusual architecture and was built over 15 years on the west bank of the Nile. You then visit Karnak Temple, the largest ancient religious complex in Egypt, where you walk through the Hypostyle Hall's forest of towering columns, see the obelisks and follow the Avenue of Sphinxes. Before the drive back to Hurghada, you take a felucca ride on the Nile: a traditional wooden sailboat. The return journey takes another 4.5 hours, and you're back at your hotel the same evening.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and German.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3).

How long is the hot air balloon flight over Luxor?

The balloon flight lasts approximately one hour and takes off at sunrise, giving you views of the Nile Valley, farmland and desert from above before your guide meets you to begin the day's sightseeing.

How many tombs can you enter in the Valley of the Kings?

You can visit three royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, including Tutankhamun's tomb, which was discovered largely intact in 1922 and contains painted chambers with hieroglyphics from the New Kingdom period.

What is included in the lunch at Howard Carter House?

Lunch is an open buffet with Egyptian mezze, grilled meats and salads. Drinks are not included and can be purchased separately at the restaurant.

What is a felucca and when do you ride one?

A felucca is a traditional wooden sailboat on the Nile. You take a felucca ride in the late afternoon after visiting Karnak Temple and before the drive back to Hurghada.

Which hotels in Hurghada does the pickup cover?

Private pickup is included from any hotel in Hurghada, El Gouna, Makadi Bay, Sahl Hasheesh, Soma Bay or Safaga, as well as from Airbnb hostels in those areas.

Operated by Hurghada to go. Explorevia does not run this tour: we compare it with similar options, and you book it with our booking partner.

Prices and times updated today