Luxor Day Trip from Aswan: Valley of the Kings & Karnak

This Luxor day trip from Aswan packs the highlights of ancient Thebes into one long private day. You leave Aswan at 7:00 am and return in the evening, about 13 hours later, with a guide, entry fees and lunch included.

What you will see

On the West Bank you visit the Valley of the Kings, where pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried in tombs cut deep into the hills and decorated with religious texts. Nearby stands the terraced Temple of Queen Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, built against a sheer cliff, and the Colossi of Memnon, two huge seated statues of Amenhotep III.

On the East Bank, Karnak Temple is a vast complex dedicated mainly to the god Amun, famous for its Great Hypostyle Hall and its forest of giant columns. You finish at Luxor Temple, in the centre of the modern city.

Good to know

• Hotel pickup and return in Aswan, all transfers in a modern air-conditioned vehicle.
• English-speaking guide, entry fees to the listed sites and lunch at a local restaurant.
• The drive between Aswan and Luxor takes several hours each way, so it is a long day.
• Entry to some special tombs inside the Valley of the Kings requires an extra ticket.

If you only have a base in Aswan, this Luxor day trip is the way to see the Valley of the Kings and Karnak without changing hotels.