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Karnak Sound & Light Show — times, tickets and transfers

The Sound and Light Show is the only way into Karnak after dark. The English show starts at 7 pm every night, the official ticket is $20, and a private car from your hotel adds about $20 more.

English show
7:00 pm nightly
Official ticket
$20 adult, $11 child
Length
about an hour
With transfers
from about $39

Updated October 21, 2026

Sphinxes along the processional way at Karnak Temple
Sphinxes along the processional way at Karnak Temple Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0

The short answer

  1. Best overallPrivate Sound & Light Show at Karnak with Transfers4.344 reviewsfrom $39GetYourGuide

    Private car from your hotel to the show and back, and the highest rating (4.3 from 44 reviews) of the listings with a meaningful number of reviews. Check whether the show ticket is in your option.

  2. Most comfortablePrivate Karnak Sound & Light Show with Entry Ticket3.510 reviewsfrom $40GetYourGuide

    Private transfer plus the entry ticket for the English show in one price. Only ten reviews so far, and they are mixed — mostly about the show itself.

  3. Best for photosSunset Felucca Ride, Sound & Light Show at Karnak Temple4.44 reviewsfrom $65GetYourGuide

    A sunset felucca on the Nile first, then Karnak lit up at night. A long evening of about five hours, with very few reviews yet.

  4. Skip it ifYou want time with the temple itself

    The show moves you along at its own pace. For the reliefs, visit Karnak by day — and go to Luxor Temple, which stays open after dark.

What is the Karnak Sound and Light Show?

The Karnak Sound and Light Show is an evening walk through Egypt's largest temple complex, lit in color while a recorded narration tells the story of Thebes and its pharaohs. Karnak closes to day visitors in the late afternoon, so the show is the only way to see it after dark. It is run by the Misr Company for Sound, Light and Tourism Development, which also stages the shows at the Giza Pyramids, Philae and Abu Simbel.

The format has two parts. First you walk slowly along the main axis — past the avenue of rams, through the pylons and into the Great Hypostyle Hall — stopping where the narration picks up. Then you take a seat in the stands by the Sacred Lake for the finale. The whole show lasts about an hour.

Karnak Sound and Light Show times and languages

The operator's published schedule is the same every night of the week:

Show Time Language Runs when
First show 7:00 pm English Every night
Second show 8:00 pm Other languages or Arabic, in rotation With at least five foreign visitors

The operator says the show is offered in 10 languages, but doesn't publish a fixed rota for the 8:00 pm slot, and notes that dates are subject to change. If you need a language other than English, ask the operator or your tour company before booking.

Tickets and tours compared

Option Price Duration Transfer Show ticket included? Best for
Official ticket at the gate or online $20 adult, $11 child 6–12 about 1 h no yes Staying near Karnak
Skip-the-line ticket (Headout) from about $28 about 1 h no yes Booking ahead in English
Private transfer to the show from about $39 per person about 2 h yes, private car check listing Hotels away from Karnak
Private transfer + entry ticket from about $40 per person about 3 h yes, private car yes One price, nothing to arrange
Online booking with guide service from about $50 per person about 2 h check listing check listing Comparing with the above
Sunset felucca + show from about $65 per person about 5 h yes check listing A full evening out

Karnak Sound and Light Show tickets and tours

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.

A caution on reviews: the listings here have far fewer reviews than Luxor's day tours, and ratings run from mediocre to good. The Headout ticket has only one review so far. Since the same show plays whichever platform you book through, compare the extras — transfer, ticket, how long the car waits — rather than the star rating.

A typical Sound and Light evening

The times below assume the 7:00 pm English show and a pickup from a hotel on the East Bank Corniche, about 2.5–3 km from Karnak. Your voucher gives the exact pickup time.

An evening at the Karnak Sound and Light Show
  1. Pickup at your hotel or cruise boat
  2. Arrive at Karnak; collect or buy tickets at the show entrance
  3. Show begins: the walk through the lit pylons and the Hypostyle Hall
  4. Seated finale in the stands by the Sacred Lake
  5. Show ends; back to the car
  6. Drop-off at your hotel, in time for a late dinner

What to bring and where to sit

Wear flat, closed shoes: the walking part crosses uneven stone and sand in low light. Bring a light layer from November to March, when the evenings turn cool, and water in summer, when they stay warm. Arrive 20–30 minutes before the start if you want a central seat by the Sacred Lake for the finale. Ask at the entrance before using a tripod, since they may not be allowed.

Luxor Temple after dark — open in the evening without a show
Luxor Temple after dark — open in the evening without a show Photo: Sandy Gamal, CC BY-SA 4.0

Sound and Light Show or Luxor Temple at night?

They are different evenings. The Sound and Light Show is a scripted experience in a temple you can't otherwise enter at night. Luxor Temple is simply open until 8:00 pm, floodlit, with no narration and no fixed route — you walk at your own pace, and a ticket costs 500 EGP (about $9.50). Many people do Luxor Temple one evening and the show another.

If you only have one evening, choose by what you want: the drama of Karnak, or the calm of Luxor Temple. To fill a second evening, a felucca at sunset and dinner on the Corniche make an easy pair; Luxor at night has more ideas. Karnak by day needs its own ticket, which is covered in our tickets guide.

Questions travellers ask

What time is the Karnak Sound and Light Show?

The official schedule from the show's operator lists an English show at 7:00 pm every day of the week and a second show at 8:00 pm in other languages or Arabic. The second show only runs with a minimum of five foreign visitors, and the operator notes that dates are subject to change. Check the schedule for your date before you go.

How much is the Sound and Light Show at Karnak?

The operator's own site lists $20 for an adult and $11 for a child aged 6 to 12. On the platforms, a skip-the-line ticket starts at about $28, and private tours with hotel transfers from about $39 per person. A sunset felucca combined with the show is from about $65. The show is not covered by the Luxor Pass or a Karnak day ticket.

What languages is the Karnak show in?

The operator says the show is available in 10 languages. English has a fixed nightly slot at 7:00 pm. The 8:00 pm show rotates other languages and Arabic, and runs only if at least five foreign visitors book it. If you need French, German, Italian or Spanish, contact the operator or your tour company for the language on your night.

How long is the Sound and Light Show?

About an hour, with most sources putting it between 60 and 75 minutes. The first part is a slow walk through the lit temple, stopping at points where the narration plays; the last part is seated in stands by the Sacred Lake. With hotel transfers, allow two to two and a half hours for the evening.

Is the Karnak Sound and Light Show worth it?

For the setting, yes; the script is a matter of taste. Seeing the pylons and the Hypostyle Hall floodlit is something no day visit offers, while the narration is a theatrical history lesson rather than a guided tour. Platform ratings for the show sit between about 3.5 and 4.3. Wear flat shoes for the uneven ground, and bring a layer — winter evenings are cool.

Do I need to book the Sound and Light Show in advance?

Not usually. Tickets are sold online on the operator's site and at the gate in the evening. Booking ahead makes sense in the busy winter months, if you need a particular language, or if you want a car to take you there and back. Arrive 20–30 minutes early either way — the central seats by the Sacred Lake fill first.

Sources and checks

  1. Sound & Light Egypt (Misr Company for Sound, Light and Tourism Development) — Karnak show schedule and prices — checked 21 Oct 2026
  2. Earth Trekkers — Luxor Pass and Cairo Pass (sound and light shows not included) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  3. Explore Luxor — Sound and Light Show in Karnak (format and route) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  4. Egypt Tours Plus — Karnak Temple Sound and Light Show (length, seating at the Sacred Lake) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  5. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Karnak day opening hours — checked 21 Oct 2026
  6. GetYourGuide — Luxor Sound and Light Show listings — checked 21 Oct 2026
  7. Headout — Karnak Sound & Light Show skip-the-line tickets — checked 21 Oct 2026

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