Luxor & Valley of the Kings (Luxor (Ancient Thebes), Karnak, Valley of the Kings & Dendera) Travel Guide 2026

Highlights & What to See in Luxor & Valley of the Kings

• Valley of the Kings (West Bank) — Standard ticket (E£750 + E£20 electric taf-taf tram) includes 3 royal tombs (don't miss Ramesses IV, Ramesses III & Merenptah); add the breathtaking vaulted astronomical tomb of Seti I (E£2,000), Ramesses V & VI (E£220), and Tutankhamun (E£700)—or unlock every single open tomb with the Luxor Premium Pass ($250)!
• Karnak Temple Complex & Avenue of Sphinxes — Walk among the 134 towering sandstone columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall at 06:30 opening (E£600).
• Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut (Deir el-Bahari) & Valley of the Queens (Tomb of Nefertari) — Three colonnaded limestone terraces built into sheer desert cliffs (E£440).
• Medinet Habu (Temple of Ramesses III) & Deir el-Medina (Artisans' Village) — The deepest carvings and best-preserved original blue-and-gold ceiling paint in all of Egypt!
• Sunrise Hot-Air Balloon Over the West Bank & Sunset Nile Felucca — Drift above Hatshepsut's temple and the Ramesseum as the sun rises over the Eastern Desert ($65–$95).

Transit & Getting There

Connect to Luxor & Valley of the Kings via Luxor & Valley of the Kings Central Station (Egyptian National Railways (ENR) Talgo High-Speed Day Trains (Cairo–Alexandria–Luxor) & Abela Egypt Sleeping Trains (#86/#87)) and local transit using Cairo Pass.