Private Luxor tour: Valley of the Kings, Karnak & Luxor Temple

Two banks of Luxor in one day: from royal tombs to temple walls

An 8-hour private tour of Luxor's East and West Banks with a guide, starting from your hotel. You visit the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple. Private transportation and bottled water are included. Entry fees and lunch are optional add-ons. The guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, German and one additional language.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Valley of the Kings2h · entry included
2. Temple of Hatshepsut2h · entry included
3. Colossi of Memnon1h · entry included
4. Karnak Temple1h 30m · entry included
5. Luxor Temple1h 30m · entry included

Explore Luxor East and West Banks

• Transfer to West Bank
• Visit Valley of the Kings
• Visit Temple of Queen Hatshepsut
• Visit Colossi of Memnon
• Transfer to East Bank
• Visit Karnak Temple
• Visit Luxor Temple
• Return to hotel

The experience

How do you see both sides of Luxor without spending two separate days? This tour covers the West Bank's burial grounds and mortuary temples in the morning, then crosses to the East Bank's standing temples in the afternoon. You're picked up from your hotel and driven in a private air-conditioned vehicle to the Valley of the Kings first, where the tombs of Tutmosis I, Tutmosis III, Tutankhamun, Ramesses VI, Mrenptah and Amenhotep II lie carved into the rock. The guide walks you through the valley and explains the architecture and burial practices that made this site a royal necropolis for centuries.

From there you move to the Temple of Hatshepsut, the mortuary temple built by the female pharaoh who ruled Egypt for roughly 20 years during the 18th Dynasty around 1490–1469 B.C. The temple rises in terraces against the cliffs, and the guide points out how it differs from the tombs you've just seen. A short stop at the Colossi of Memnon follows. Two massive stone figures that are all that remain of Amenhotep III's mortuary temple. Then you cross the Nile to the East Bank.

On the East Bank, Karnak Temple comes first. It's the largest religious complex in ancient Egypt, dedicated to the god Amon, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu. The scale of the columns and pylons can be overwhelming. The guide helps you read the carved walls and understand the layout. You finish at Luxor Temple, built by Amenhotep III in the 18th Dynasty and completed by Ramesses II in the 19th. By late afternoon you're driven back to your hotel. The whole route is private (no group waits, no shared stops), and the guide is yours alone to ask questions.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle for the full 8 hours.
• hotel pickup and return.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• a guide in your choice of English, Spanish, Italian, German or the fifth language.
• all service charges and taxes.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00 and 08:00

Book up to4h before

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

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, German, Italian and Arabic

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish, German, Italian 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 14 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by KEMO TOURS OPERATED BY EMO TOURS Swiss GmbH

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see both the West Bank's royal tombs and the East Bank's standing temples in a single day without coordinating separate visits or joining a group. The private vehicle and guide are yours alone, so you set the pace and ask as many questions as you want.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

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

Can children come?

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

What exactly is in the Valley of the Kings that I'll actually see?

The Valley of the Kings holds the tombs of multiple pharaohs carved into the rock. You'll visit the burial chambers of Tutmosis I, Tutmosis III, Tutankhamun, Ramesses VI, Mrenptah and Amenhotep II. The guide explains the architecture and the burial practices that made this valley the royal necropolis for centuries.

Do I need to pay extra for entry to each temple?

Entry fees to the Valley of the Kings, Temple of Hatshepsut, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple are optional add-ons at checkout. You can choose to include them or arrange them separately.

Is lunch included, or do I need to bring my own food?

Lunch is optional and can be added at checkout. The tour includes bottled water, but food is not part of the base package.

How much time do I spend at each site?

The tour runs 8 hours total and covers five major sites across both banks of the Nile. The guide paces the stops to fit the full itinerary, but the exact time at each location depends on your questions and interests.