Egypt Luxor Tours
EN

Luxor & beyondLuxor tours · full day

Luxor day tours — both banks in one day

A Luxor day tour crosses the Nile once — tombs and Hatshepsut in the cool morning, Karnak after lunch. Shared seats start at about $30, but entry tickets often add about $35 more, so read the "includes" line first.

Shared full day
from about $30
Private full day
from about $68 per person
Entry tickets
about 1,790 EGP (~$35)
Time needed
about 8 hours

Updated October 21, 2026

The terraced mortuary temple of Hatshepsut below the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari
The terraced mortuary temple of Hatshepsut below the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari Photo: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0

The short answer

  1. Best overallFull-Day Shared Tour to West and East Banks4.62,233 reviewsfrom $30GetYourGuide

    The most-reviewed Luxor day tour on any platform, with an Egyptologist and both banks in about eight hours. Entry tickets are extra, so add roughly $35 a head.

  2. Best valueFrom Luxor: Guided Tour to East or West Banks with Lunch4.6757 reviewsfrom $56GetYourGuide

    Costs more on paper, but entry tickets and lunch are in the price — once you add those to a $30 tour, the gap mostly disappears.

  3. Best privateWest & East Banks & Tut's Tomb Private Full-Day Tour4.8264 reviewsfrom $80GetYourGuide

    Your own car and guide for the whole day, with Tutankhamun's tomb named in the itinerary. For two people it costs well under twice the shared price.

  4. Skip it ifYou're staying on the Red Sea

    These tours start from Luxor hotels. From Hurghada or Makadi, book a trip with the long road transfer built in.

What does a Luxor day tour of both banks include?

A Luxor day tour covers the two halves of ancient Thebes in about eight hours. The morning goes to the West Bank — the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon — and the afternoon to Karnak on the East Bank, with Luxor Temple added on longer days. The sights barely change between operators. What changes is the group, whether tickets and lunch are in the price, and how early you leave.

Format Price on the platforms Duration Group Tickets included? Pickup Best for
Shared full day from about $30 about 8 h shared minibus usually not East Bank hotels First visit on a budget
Shared with tickets & lunch from about $56 5–7 h shared yes, plus lunch Luxor hotels No cash, no surprises
Private full day from about $68 per person about 8 h your party only varies by listing hotel or cruise boat Couples, families, your own pace
Private with Tut's tomb from about $80 per person about 8 h your party only listed in itinerary hotel or cruise boat Seeing Tutankhamun's tomb
Two days, private from about $210 per person 2 days your party only yes hotel Seeing everything without rushing

The most-booked full-day Luxor 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.

What a full day in Luxor looks like

Most itineraries follow the same order, because the West Bank is cooler and quieter early and the East Bank temples stay open later. The times below are typical of what the listings describe; your voucher gives the real pickup time.

A typical full day of both banks
  1. Hotel or cruise-boat pickup on the East Bank; drive across the Nile bridge
  2. Valley of the Kings: about two hours, three tombs on the standard ticket
  3. Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari: about 45 minutes
  4. Colossi of Memnon: a 10–15 minute roadside photo stop
  5. Lunch on the West Bank (on listings that include it), or a stop at an alabaster workshop
  6. Back across the river to Karnak: about two hours in the temple complex
  7. Luxor Temple on longer tours; otherwise drop-off at your hotel

The shopping stop is the part people complain about most. If you'd rather skip the alabaster or papyrus "factory", say so to the guide at the start of the day — it's usually not a problem.

How much do the entry tickets add?

This is where a $30 tour stops being a $30 tour. Official prices for foreign adults, as listed by the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities on 21 October 2026, converted at about 52 EGP to the dollar:

Site Adult Student About
Valley of the Kings (3 tombs) 750 EGP 375 EGP $14
Temple of Hatshepsut 440 EGP 220 EGP $8.50
Karnak (incl. Open Air Museum) 600 EGP 300 EGP $11.50
Luxor Temple 500 EGP 250 EGP $9.50
Tomb of Tutankhamun (extra) 700 EGP 350 EGP $13.50

The Colossi of Memnon stand by the road and don't need a ticket. The Valley of the Kings also has a small round-trip tram fare (about 20 EGP) from the visitor center to the tombs. So the usual three-site day costs about 1,790 EGP ($35) in tickets, about 2,290 EGP ($44) with Luxor Temple, and about 2,990 EGP (~$58) with Tutankhamun.

Shared, private, with lunch or two days?

Shared suits most first-timers. The most-reviewed listing has more than 2,200 reviews, and the guide is an Egyptologist whatever the group size. The trade-off is a fixed schedule and the occasional wait for late passengers.

With tickets and lunch looks dearer but often isn't. Add about $35 in tickets and a restaurant lunch to a $30 tour and you're close to the price of the inclusive one, without handling payments at every gate.

Private is better value in Luxor than in most cities, because drivers and guides are relatively inexpensive. You choose the start time — the single biggest advantage in the Valley of the Kings, where an early arrival means shorter lines at the tomb entrances. Several private listings bundle extras, such as a felucca hour at sunset or Tutankhamun's tomb.

Two days is the comfortable version: one morning per bank, with time for the Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu or Luxor Temple after dark. If you have two days, you could also book the banks separately as West Bank and Karnak and Luxor Temple half days, and keep one early morning free for a sunrise balloon flight.

Same trip, different desksBoth banks in one day, shared
  1. GetYourGuideFull-Day Shared Tour to West and East Banks4.62,233 reviewsfrom $30Check dates
  2. HeadoutFrom Luxor: Full-Day All-Inclusive Tour to Luxor West & East Banks with Transfers, Optional Tickets and Lunch4.7129 reviewsfrom $30Check dates
  3. TiqetsGuided Day Tour to West and East BanksNew listingfrom $113Check dates
The Colossi of Memnon — the only stop of the day without a ticket
The Colossi of Memnon — the only stop of the day without a ticket Photo: MusikAnimal, CC BY-SA 4.0

Is one day enough for Luxor?

For the headline sights, yes. One well-run day shows you the royal tombs, the best-known temple of a female pharaoh and the largest temple complex in Egypt. Two days let you add Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Queens and a museum without watching the clock. Three let you add a day trip to Dendera and Abydos.

Coming from the Red Sea or Cairo, the arithmetic is different: the hours on the road eat into the time on site, and the day starts before dawn. See Luxor from Hurghada and Luxor from Cairo for those versions, which are priced with the transfer built in.

Questions travellers ask

Can you see Luxor in one day?

You can see the highlights — the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple, the Colossi of Memnon and Karnak — in about eight hours with a guide. What you can't do in one day is linger. Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Queens, Medinet Habu and the museums need a second day, which is why many people split the banks over two mornings.

How much does a full-day Luxor tour cost?

On the platforms, shared full days start at about $30 and private full days at about $68–105 per person. Most cheaper listings exclude entry tickets, which for the standard four sites come to about 2,290 EGP (roughly $44) at October 2026 prices, or about 1,790 EGP (~$35) if the tour skips Luxor Temple. Tutankhamun's tomb is 700 EGP more.

Are entry tickets included in Luxor day tours?

Sometimes. Some listings include all entry fees, some sell them as an option, and the cheapest usually leave them out. Read the "includes" section before comparing prices. If tickets aren't included, you pay at each site — the windows take bank cards, so don't plan on paying in cash. Our tickets guide lists every official price.

Is a private Luxor tour worth it?

For two or more people, often yes. In Luxor, private full days start at about $68 per person, so a couple pays only a little more than two shared seats plus extras. You choose the start time, which matters for beating the coach groups to the Valley of the Kings, and you skip waiting for latecomers. See our private tours guide for the per-head math.

What time do Luxor day tours start?

Most full-day tours collect you from your East Bank hotel early in the morning, often around 7:00, so you reach the Valley of the Kings before the main crowds and the heat. Your voucher gives the exact time. The Valley of the Kings opens at 6:00, and in winter the last entry is at 4:00 pm, so very late starts don't work.

Do Luxor tours pick up from Nile cruise boats?

Many do, because most cruise boats moor on the East Bank near the hotels. Check the pickup area in the listing and give the boat's name when you book. If you're staying on the West Bank, ask before booking — some tours only collect from the East Bank and charge extra for anywhere else.

Sources and checks

  1. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Valley of the Kings (tickets and hours) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  2. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Karnak (tickets and hours) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  3. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Temple of Hatshepsut (tickets) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  4. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Luxor Temple (tickets and hours) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  5. Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Tomb of Tutankhamun (tickets) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  6. Egymonuments official booking site — Valley of the Kings seasonal last-entry times — checked 21 Oct 2026
  7. Earth Trekkers — Valley of the Kings guide (tram fare, card payment, updated July 2026) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  8. Egypt Independent — bank-card-only ticket machines in the Valley of the Kings — checked 21 Oct 2026
  9. Arab Finance — USD/EGP bank rates, October 2026 — checked 21 Oct 2026
  10. Headout — full-day West & East Banks listing (inclusions, cancellation) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  11. GetYourGuide — Luxor activity feed (prices, ratings, review counts) — checked 21 Oct 2026

Read next