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Day trips from Luxor — north to Dendera, south to Abu Simbel

The best day trips from Luxor follow the Nile — north to Dendera and Abydos, south to Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan. Tours start at about $65 for Dendera alone and reach about $194 for the 15-hour run to Abu Simbel.

Nearest temple
Dendera, about 1 h north
Day trip tours
from about $65
Longest day
Abu Simbel, about 15 h
Most-reviewed
686 reviews, ★4.6

Updated October 21, 2026

The great pylon of the Temple of Horus at Edfu
The great pylon of the Temple of Horus at Edfu Photo: Marc Ryckaert, CC BY-SA 4.0

The short answer

  1. Best overallLuxor Day Tour to Dendara and Abydos Temples4.6206 reviewsfrom $140GetYourGuide

    Dendera and Abydos in one ten-hour day — two of Egypt's finest temples, with far fewer visitors than Luxor's. Rated 4.6 from 206 reviews.

  2. Most flexibleFrom Luxor: Edfu, Kom Ombo, Aswan Private All-Inclusive Tour4.7199 reviewsfrom $193GetYourGuide

    Edfu and Kom Ombo on the way to Aswan, with Aswan's sights at the end. Ideal if you're moving south anyway — you see three places and change cities in one day.

  3. Best privateAbu Simbel Temple Private Guided Day Trip with Lunch4.6686 reviewsfrom $194GetYourGuide

    Abu Simbel by private car from Luxor, the most-reviewed day trip on this page. A very long day; worth it only if you won't be in Aswan.

  4. Skip it ifYou have only one or two days in Luxor

    Spend them on the two banks first. Day trips make sense from day three.

Which day trips from Luxor are worth it?

Day trips from Luxor go along the river, and the choice is really north or south. North are Dendera, about an hour away, and Abydos, about three; together they make the best single day out of Luxor. South are Edfu and Kom Ombo, on the road to Aswan, best done one way as you move on. Abu Simbel is possible from Luxor, but it's a 15-hour day.

Day trip Distance from Luxor Day length on tours Tours from Best for
Dendera only about 60–65 km, about 1 h about 5 h about $65 A half day, with a felucca on return
Dendera & Abydos Abydos about 160–170 km, about 3 h 10–11 h about $94 private The best temple day north of Luxor
Edfu & Kom Ombo, back to Luxor Edfu about 100–110 km; Kom Ombo about 65–70 km further about 8 h about $125 Seeing both without changing hotel
Edfu, Kom Ombo & Aswan, one way Aswan about 210–245 km about 10 h about $193 private Moving on to Aswan
Aswan sights (High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk, Philae) starts in Aswan about 4 h about $70 private After the transfer south
Abu Simbel about 280 km beyond Aswan about 15 h about $194 private People who won't stay in Aswan

Day trips from Luxor, most-reviewed first

US-dollar prices come from each platform's own feed and were checked on October 21, 2026. Dates and group size change them — the booking page has the final price.

What do the temple tickets cost?

Official prices for a foreign adult, as listed by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on 21 October 2026, converted at about 52 EGP to the dollar. Students pay half.

Site Adult About Opening hours
Dendera (Temple of Hathor) 300 EGP $6 7:00–17:00 daily
Dendera crypts / roof panorama 100 EGP each $2 with main ticket
Abydos (Temple of Seti I) 260 EGP* $5 check locally
Edfu (Temple of Horus) 550 EGP $10.50 7:00–17:00 (from 6:00 some days)
Kom Ombo 450 EGP $8.50 7:00–21:00 daily
Philae 550 EGP $10.50 7:00–16:00 daily
Unfinished Obelisk, Aswan 220 EGP $4 7:00–16:00 daily
Abu Simbel 750 EGP $14.50 6:00–17:00 daily

*Abydos is not on the ministry's website; the price is from a traveler guide verified in December 2025. Abu Simbel costs 1,200 EGP on 22 February and 22 October, the two Sun Festival days. Kom Ombo's late closing makes it a good last stop on a southbound day.

North: Dendera and Abydos

Dendera's Temple of Hathor is one of the most complete temples in Egypt, with Hathor-headed columns and an astronomical ceiling. Abydos holds the Temple of Seti I, with some of the finest raised reliefs of the New Kingdom and the famous list of earlier kings. Most tours drive to Abydos first and stop at Dendera on the way back, for about six hours of driving in total. A shorter option is Dendera alone with a felucca ride, about five hours; there's also a full-day Nile cruise to Dendera with lunch on board. Our Dendera and Abydos guide covers both in detail.

South: Edfu, Kom Ombo and Aswan

Edfu's Temple of Horus is about 100–110 km south of Luxor and one of the best-preserved temples of the Ptolemaic period. Kom Ombo, about 65–70 km further, is a double temple shared by the crocodile god Sobek and a falcon god. Aswan is about 47 km beyond that.

You can go there and back from Luxor in about eight hours, but the better use of the drive is one way: Luxor in the morning, Edfu and Kom Ombo on the way, Aswan by evening. If you'd rather float than drive, a Nile cruise between Aswan and Luxor stops at the same temples over three or four nights.

Kom Ombo, the double temple of Sobek and Haroeris above the Nile
Kom Ombo, the double temple of Sobek and Haroeris above the Nile Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0
A typical one-way day, Luxor to Aswan
  1. Pickup at your Luxor hotel or cruise boat
  2. Temple of Horus at Edfu: about 1.5 hours
  3. Kom Ombo: about an hour
  4. Lunch on the road (on all-inclusive listings)
  5. Aswan: High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk or Philae, depending on the listing
  6. Drop-off at your Aswan hotel or cruise boat

Times are approximate and depend on the route the driver takes. The desert highway is quicker; the road along the east bank is slower but passes closer to the temples.

Abu Simbel from Luxor

The two temples of Ramesses II stand about 280 km south of Aswan, so from Luxor the round trip covers roughly 1,000 km. The private listings run about 15 hours, leaving before dawn. All tourist vehicles on the Abu Simbel road pass through security checkpoints, and drivers time the day around them. If you can spend a night in Aswan, do the trip from there instead — see Abu Simbel from Luxor for both options.

Tour, private driver or DIY?

Way to go $ per person Hours on the road Hours on site Flexibility
Tour with guide (Dendera & Abydos) from about $94–140 about 6 about 3–4 Low to medium: set route
Private tour, one way to Aswan from about $193 about 4–5 about 4–5 Medium: stops agreed in advance
Private car, no guide (Luxor–Aswan transfer) from about $80 3–5 only as agreed High, if stops are agreed
DIY by train + local taxi tickets plus low local fares 1–2 per leg plus waits as long as you like High, but slow and fiddly

Questions travellers ask

What are the best day trips from Luxor?

Dendera and Abydos to the north is the classic, with two outstanding temples in about ten hours. Edfu and Kom Ombo to the south is the other, and works best as a one-way trip ending in Aswan. Abu Simbel is possible as a 15-hour private day, but it's far easier from Aswan. For a half day, Dendera alone takes about five hours.

How far is Aswan from Luxor?

About 210–245 km by road, depending on the route. The desert highway takes just over three hours without stops; the slower road along the east bank of the Nile, which passes Kom Ombo and Edfu, takes about four and a half. Trains take about three to four hours.

Can you do Abu Simbel as a day trip from Luxor?

Yes, but it's a long one — about 15 hours on the private listings, because Abu Simbel is roughly 280 km beyond Aswan. Most of the day is spent in a car. If your plans include Aswan, see Abu Simbel from there instead; our Abu Simbel from Luxor page compares both.

Are day trips from Luxor safe?

Day trips run on routes used by tourist vehicles every day. Expect several police checkpoints, and on some routes a police escort for tourist vehicles; drivers and guides handle these in Arabic. The bigger risk is fatigue, so pick a car with air conditioning and a driver who doesn't rush.

Do day trips from Luxor include entry tickets?

It depends on the listing. Some say "all-inclusive" and cover tickets and lunch; others charge them separately at the temples. Official prices in October 2026 range from 260 EGP at Abydos to 750 EGP at Abu Simbel for a foreign adult, so check before comparing tour prices.

Sources and checks

  1. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Temple of Dendera (tickets and hours) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  2. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Edfu Temple (tickets and hours) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  3. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Kom Ombo Temple (tickets and hours) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  4. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Philae (tickets and hours) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  5. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — The Unfinished Obelisk (tickets and hours) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  6. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Abu Simbel (tickets, hours, Sun Festival prices) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  7. Earth Trekkers — Dendera and Abydos day trip from Luxor (distances, Abydos ticket, updated Dec 2025) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  8. Earth Trekkers — Driving between Aswan and Luxor via Kom Ombo, Edfu and Esna (updated Dec 2025) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  9. Wikivoyage — Edfu (distance from Luxor, station to temple) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  10. Wikivoyage — Dendera (train from Luxor to Qena) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  11. Solo Backpacker — Aswan to Abu Simbel (distance, checkpoints, updated May 2026) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  12. Rome2Rio — Luxor to Aswan by train — checked 21 Oct 2026
  13. Arab Finance — USD/EGP bank rates, October 2026 — checked 21 Oct 2026
  14. GetYourGuide — Luxor day trips (prices, ratings, review counts) — checked 21 Oct 2026

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