Dan & I visited Luxor, Egypt last year on our ten day trip to Egypt, and Luxor was the very first stop on our trip! Yep, unlike many visitors, we left Cairo for the end of our trip and instead, transferred directly to Luxor upon landing in Cairo from JFK on Air Egypt (which was a trip in and of itself…).
Egypt Air. An experience in itself.
Coming from the US and not being a huge Egyptian history person, I had heard of Luxor, but the primary purpose of my trip to Egypt was to see the Great Pyramids of Giza. Dan, on the other hand, LOVES Egyptian history and was totally familiar with Luxor and super excited to be visiting. We began our trip in Luxor over other cities, as we took a cruise down the Nile River to Aswan, which began in Luxor! If you are taking a Nile River cruise, there is a very good chance your cruise will start or end in Luxor, too. We arrived on a Sunday afternoon and left on Tuesday, with two nights in a hotel and two nights on our Nile River cruise ship. We enjoyed Luxor but next time, we will likely see Luxor on our own in a hotel, rather than on a cruise.
A similar cruise ship to ours, over looking the Temple of Luxor.
WHERE AND WHAT IS LUXOR, EGYPT
Luxor, Egypt is a city in in Southern Egypt (a/k/a Upper Egypt), which used to be the capital of Egypt and is loaded with ancient Egyptian history. And I’m talking ancient – pre pyramids. Many people skip Luxor in favor of only seeing Giza’s famous pyramids, but that is most certainly a mistake. Luxor is a mid-point between the cities of Cairo and Aswan, and its easily connected to both by Egypt Air Express.
Map of Egypt.
Luxor has a modern side, but its much less modern and much smaller than Cairo. Most of Luxor is old school and quite “Egyptian.” Expect to be thrown right into Egypt when landing in Luxor – lots of people wearing traditional dress, horse and buggy carriages alongside cars, Arabic spoken everywhere (although anyone in the tourist industry speaks English plus other languages), and not a ton of modern restaurants. Luxor is also loud, hot, and probably different than you imagined if its your first trip to Egypt. We very much enjoyed Luxor, but it can be a sensory overload if its your first trip here. Be prepared to feel out of your comfort zone, especially if this is your first time to the Middle East.
Typical restaurant set-up, complete with hookah.
Luxor does have an ex-pat population and a few establishments cater to those people, as well as tourists, serving upscale food and alcohol. Two popular such establishments are The Lantern Restaurant and the King’s Head Pub. Look these up if you feel out of place and need a taste of home. There are also a couple fast food chains, as well as Western foods served at Western hotels.
Really good Mozzarella Sticks at the Hilton.
WHAT WE DID IN LUXOR EGYPT
For touristic purposes, Luxor is divided into two parts by the Nile River – the East Bank and the West Bank. The East Bank home to Luxor “town,” as well as the famous Temples of Karnak and Luxor, in additional to the Luxor and Mummification museums. The West Bank, on the other hand, is where Luxor buried its famous dead and is home to many famous burial sites, including the (now empty) Tomb of King Tut in the Valley of the Kings. Definitely visit both the East and West Bank when in Luxor. In my opinion, a guide is helpful for touring both banks, but the East Bank is easier to do on your own. I would also note that sites in Luxor (and Egypt generally) have very few written explanations, and even fewer in English. A tour guide will be very helpful in touring these sites.
The East Bank of Luxor
The two biggest sites in the East Bank of Luxor are its temples, that of Karnak and Luxor. We visited both in 1 long temple day with our private tour guide. We first visited Karnak Temple early in the morning to beat the heat and the sun. For those unfamiliar, Karnak Temple known as Ipet-isu—or “most select of places”—by the ancient Egyptians, and was actually a city of temples dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. Construction at Karnak started over 4,000 years ago, and Karnak was in use or approximately 2000 years with over 30 Egyptian rulers making use of Karnak and adding or modifying it. Karnak is pretty awesome to see, but without a guide it will be overwhelming. The entirety of the temple is outside under the sun with little shade. Dress accordingly. There are restrooms and a small cafe selling chips, soda and ice cream in Karnak. Bring cash for this.
Avenue of Sphinx at Karnak Temple.
Karnak.
Us at Karnak.
After Karnak Temple, we moved on to Luxor Temple, which is smaller than Karnak and easier to visit. Its also just down the road from Karnak, right in the middle of tourist Luxor where the cruise ships dock. Like Karnak, Luxor is a very famous ancient Egyptian temple, this one built by Amenhotep III (1390-52 BC), completed by Tutankhamun (1336-27 BC) and Horemheb (1323-1295 BC), and added to by Rameses II (1279-13 BC). Our guide purchased our tickets and we explored for about an hour. The highlights of my visit were first, the twin to the Obelisk of Luxor in Paris (one of my favorites!) and the Avenue of the Sphinxes! And, the Avenue of the Sphinxes is literally a 3 km road lined with sphinxes that once connected the Temples of Luxor and Karnak! Rumor is that its being reopened to the public soon!
One of the Luxor Obelisks. The twin is in Paris!
The Parisian Luxor Obelisk.
Me in Luxor, Egypt.
Avenue of the Sphinxes, currently closed. Rumored to reopen soon!
The Sphinxes on the Avenue!
After our big day of exploring Luxor’s temples, we returned to Karnak Temple in the evening for the “Sound and Light Show,” which are a popular type of night show at Egypt’s popular sites (for example, there is 1 at the Great Pyramids and 1 at Abu Simbel). The “Sound and Light Show” was shown over the Sacred Lake and quite frankly, was very underwhelming. I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you go, be sure to go when your language is spoken.
The Karnak Temple Sound and Light Show!
We skipped both the Luxor Museum and the Mummification Museum in Luxor, saving our indoor museum visit for The Great Egyptian Museum in Cairo. We did, however, visit a Papyrus Museum in Luxor, which are totally tourist oriented and a bit of a trap. That being said, I am glad that we visited the papyrus store and I purchased two paintings at a reasonable price. Just be sure to confirm price and currency before agreeing to pay (they took credit card).
The West Bank of Luxor
Our second day “touring” in Luxor was on the West Bank, which is more spread out than the East and as such, you need a car to travel between sites. While I am certain may travelers rent a car and tour the West Bank without a guide, our guide was tremendously helpful in organizing and explaining our tour of the West Bank.
Our West Bank tour started very early in the morning to beat the heat (this is a main theme on Egypt vacations). The first stop on our West Bank tour was about a 45 minute drive from our cruise ship at the Colossi of Memnon. The Colossi of Memnon are two huge – 60 feet – statutes of Amenhotep III on the side of the road looking towards the Nile (and nothing else). These statutes were originally guardians of the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III, which was behind them. But that no more. Tourists now simply stop, take a picture, and move on to the next site. The Colossi of Memnon are the “first” site on the West Bank for many tourists. We stopped in the early morning before the crowds, and the small parking lot was already packed with big bus tours. We were still able to get in a picture, but GO EARLY. There were a some Egyptians selling hats, trinkets, and scarves in the parking lot. I bought a couple cute scarves at $2 each. Bring cash for this. Otherwise, the Colossi of Memnon are free. Plan to spend 15 – 20 minutes.
Colossi of Memnon.
After, we ventured further into the West Bank to the Temple of Hatshepsut. This temple is the very Instagrammable temple with 3 levels. You’ve most certainly seen it on IG, and it was my favorite of all the sites we visited in Luxor! Aside from being IG famous, this temple is the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, the famous and peaceful female ancient Egyptian ruler. Hatshepsut still has some beautifully restored paintings on its walls, but there is no real interior to see. Like those on the East Bank, Hatshepsut is right in the sun. A small cafe with restrooms is on site, and there is a little tram to drive visitors from the parking lot to the temple in the heat.
Temple of Hatshepsut.
Parking lot tram at the Temple of Hatshepsut.
Gorgeous colors.
More gorgeous colors. The blue with the starts represents something in connection with death. Light, I know.
Our final sightseeing stop in the West Bank was the Valley of the Kings, most well known as the home of King Tut’s tomb! However, the Valley of the Kings is not just for King Tut, instead it is a huge royal burial ground for many Egyptian kings and other powerful people from ancient Egypt. We were told there are approximately 60 known tombs in the Valley of the Kings, with many others that remain undiscovered. An entry ticket includes entrance to 3 of 8 tombs, of your choice. The tombs of Tutankhamun (King Tut), Ramesses V & VI, and Seti I are also available for visit for an extra fee. Also, photography in most of the temples (if allowed at all) is an extra fee. Buy all of these tickets upon entry to the park (again, why a guide is helpful).
Entry into the Valley of the Kings.
We choose to visit ________ at our guide’s request, and obviously that of King Tut! And surprisingly, King Tut’s was one of the smaller and most sparsely decorated tombs (everything found here was stolen or moved to the Great Egyptian Museum). While the tombs in the Valley of the Kings are a bit claustrophobic, they are nothing like the Great Pyramids. And while some have steep entryways that may not be accessible for everyone, not all do. Consult your guide for the easiest ones to visit if you are worried about that.
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WHERE WE STAYED IN LUXOR EGYPT
My research revealed three types of lodging in Luxor for the average tourist: Western chain hotels, local Egyptian hotels, or on a Nile River cruise ship. We split our time between the Hilton Luxor (2 nights) and a Nile River cruise ship (2 nights), starting with the Hilton Luxor. We ended up at the Hilton Luxor because we had a Hilton Resort credit that we needed to use, and the Hilton Luxor did not disappoint at all. Located right bank of the Nile River, the Hilton Luxor is a sprawling property outside of Luxor’s main tourist center (read, you’ll need to take a taxi into town) with multiple pools, a spa, several bars and restaurants. You could really spend a week here enjoying the property. As its a Western resort, tourists can where whatever, including beach attire, and alcohol is served throughout the property. I would also note that all Western hotels in Luxor (and Egypt generally) have hefty security on entering the property, including car an trunk inspections with under car mirrors and dogs. Don’t be alarmed.
Hilton Luxor.
View from our room.
Infinity pool Luxor.
Lounging.
Spa area at the Hilton Luxor.
Our next two nights were slightly different, on our cruise ship the Nile River Dolphin, which was parked with all off the other cruise ships (seriously, 4 -5 deep) near the Temple of Luxor. When we made our plans, we did not realize that staying on the ship in Luxor would mean eating and staying on a non-moving ship. While fine, we both felt like we were missing out on Luxor by staying on the ship. Plus, security was much less than at the Hilton Luxor. I would only recommend this option if you are on a traveling on a small budget.
Cruise ships lining the East Bank of Luxor.
View from our top deck.
While we did not stay at a local Egyptian hotel, there are many options. Generally, we found them to be more local but lacking some of the amenities of the Western chains. I would suggest going with a reputable hotel and confirming amenities that you may find necessary such as elevators or air conditioning. For example, Hotel Nefertiti is a reputable local hotel, but when we ate at its restaurant, there was no elevator needed to walk up several flights of stairs. Not ideal for all types of travelers.
Outside Hotel Nefertiti.
WHERE WE ATE AND DRANK IN LUXOR EGYPT
Before getting the food, let’s talk about booze, which I most certainly enjoy on vacation. Alcohol is not illegal in Egypt (as is often rumored) nor is it that difficult to find, but its not particularly popular amongst the locals. Rather, its mostly geared toward tourists and many local places simply do not serve alcohol. Your best bets for finding alcohol are Western hotels, which serve alcohol throughout the day without any judgment. Our hotel even offered a tasting of Egyptian wine. Yes, that is a thing! It was actually pretty good, and definitely not as bad as I expected!
Egyptian wine tasting. Highly recommended!
Aside from hotels, more Western oriented restaurants serve alcohol, sometimes only wine and beer. If alcohol is served, its usually advertised on the restaurant’s website. I found that and reviewing pictures on TripAdvisor to be a good resources as to who did and did not serve alcohol.
Drink list in Luxor.
Finally, tourists can only buy alcohol in Luxor (at least when I visited) outside of restaurants, hotels, and bars at duty free shops. Apparently there is at least one in Luxor proper, but the best place to buy alcohol in Luxor is at the Luxor airport duty free shop. Its recommended to purchase a few bottles at the airport duty free shop (passport required) and take them back to your hotel. We picked up some wine and blueberry vodka.
Blueberry vodka from the airport.
Moving on from the alcohol, on our first night in Luxory I made a dinner reservation at the Lantern, an Egyptian restaurant owned by ex-pats and popular with Westerners. I made a reservation before I left home. The Lantern did have a wine list and served totally amazing Egyptian food. We had a great time here, and The Lantern was a delicious introduction into Egyptian cuisine. I would recommend The Lantern to those wanting wine with your meal, those looking for an upscale Egyptian experience, and those in Egypt who are picky eaters. Lots of not-so-foreign options, as well as vegetarian dishes.
Dinner at The Lantern.
Our second dinner in Luxor was at a less Western, more casual spot: Al- Sahaby Lane. While certainly on the tourist circuit, Al- Sahaby Lane is popular with the locals and you will see a mix of both tourists and locals here. The menu is Egyptian, with some standard Western additions (picky eaters will find something to their liking).
Al- Sahaby Lane.
Our final night in Luxor was spent on board out Nile River cruise, so we had a buffet dinner on the ship. I most certainly regret this decision and would absolutely suggest that anyone in port in Luxor get out and patronize the local restaurants. Nile River Cruise ship food has a reputation for being bland and too Western, and for good reason. I wish we had known this before wasting our Monday night dinner! Side note – the cruise ship food was not bad and was totally edible, but Luxor restaurants are much better!
Cruise ship food – not terrible but not fantastic. You’ll do better eating off ship.
TIPS FOR TRAVELING TO LUXOR, EGYPT
My first tip is to hire a tour guide. They are not very expensive and there are plenty to choose from. We booked through Emo Tours Egypt in advance before we left, and our guide was excellent. While it is possible see Luxor on your own, touring with a guide is much less stressful and just easier than doing it on your own.
Luxor is safe but watch out for pick pockets and scams overcharging tourists. We almost were ripped off at a store selling “ceramics.” We were told the price was 450 Egyptian Pounds, but we were then charged in USD. We stood our ground and made the store give us a refund on the spot, but I’m sure that’s not always the case. Scams like this toward are not uncommon.
Clothing. While a tourist destination and at times quite hot, Luxor is a mostly Muslim city and locals dress conservatively. I’m talking pants and long sleeve shirts. As a tourist you won’t be expected to dress that conservatively, but I always kept my knees and shoulders covered. I would also note that some tourists don’t dress conservatively, but you don’t want to be that person.
Necessary items on your packing list and/or in your day bag: hand sanitizer, sunglasses, sunscreen, aloe, any hygeiene or medical products from home, tissues/toilet paper (day bag for sure), snacks if you are a picky eater, comfortable shoes, a hat to keep out the sun.
Western hotels and restaurants and tourist oriented stores accept major credit card, but most other places do not. Take out cash at the airport, your hotel, or at major banks in cities. ATMs are not easy to find outside of the cities. Also, despite promising otherwise, our cruise ship did not take cash on checkout.
STEAL OUR TRIP
Hilton Luxor:
The Lanter
Al- Sahaby Lane
Cruise
Sites
Nefertiti Hotel: