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15 Hours
Up to 2 days
1 people
English, Espanol, Francais, German, italian, Japanese, polish, Romanian, russian
A Luxor day trip from Hurghada by bus takes you to Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon in one day, with an Egyptologist guide, entrance tickets and lunch included for €65 per person. We pick you up from your hotel in Hurghada early in the morning, usually between 04:00 and 05:00, and bring you back in the evening, around 21:00 to 22:00. The drive is about 4 hours each way across the Eastern Desert, which leaves around 6 hours for sightseeing in Luxor. The trip runs every day, the guide speaks your language, and there is no prepayment: you pay on the day. Tutankhamun’s tomb, the Nile boat and Banana Island are optional extras, so you only pay for them if you want them.
This is a group excursion on a full-size, air-conditioned coach shared with guests from other hotels in Hurghada. That is what keeps the price at €65, and it also means pickup takes a little longer than in a minivan, because the coach stops at several hotels on the way out of town. The air conditioning runs all day, so bring a sweater for the early morning and the drive back.
If you prefer a smaller group with faster pickups, or a car and guide only for your family, see the [Luxor day trip from Hurghada by minivan] or the [private Luxor tour from Hurghada]. The sites you visit in Luxor are the same.
Times are approximate and depend on traffic, police checkpoints and the order of hotel pickups.
The coach picks you up at the time confirmed the day before and leaves Hurghada towards Safaga and then across the Eastern Desert.
The road passes through desert and then reaches the green fields of the Nile Valley near Qena. There is one comfort stop on the way where you can buy drinks and use the toilets, which cost a few Egyptian pounds.
You meet your guide and start with a guided tour of Karnak, followed by some free time for photos.
A traditional Egyptian lunch at a local restaurant is included. Drinks are paid separately. If you need a vegetarian meal, tell us when you book.
If you booked it and time allows, you can take a short motorboat ride on the Nile, with a stop at Banana Island. This is an extra and not part of the €65 price.
The coach crosses to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings with its three tombs, then the Temple of Hatshepsut, and finally a photo stop at the Colossi of Memnon.
Before leaving Luxor you stop at an alabaster or papyrus workshop, where you see how the stone is shaped and polished or how papyrus is made. Buying anything is up to you.
The coach leaves Luxor in the late afternoon, and you are back at your hotel usually between 21:00 and 22:00.
Many bus trips to Luxor run only on two or three days a week and offer an English-speaking guide, with other languages on request or for a minimum group size. This trip runs every day, and Egyptologist guides are available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Czech, Romanian and other languages. Tell us your language when you book and we confirm it together with your pickup time.
The standard ticket for the Valley of the Kings lets you enter three royal tombs. Which three are open changes on a rotation to protect the paintings, and your guide picks the best of those available on the day. Tutankhamun’s tomb is not part of this ticket. It is a separate ticket that you can buy at the entrance, paid by card only, and your guide tells you the current price on the day.
Is it worth it? The tomb is small compared with others in the valley, but the burial chamber has well-preserved wall paintings and the king’s mummy is still there. If Tutankhamun is the reason you are going to Luxor, buy the ticket. If you mainly want to see large decorated tombs, the three included in the standard ticket are usually bigger and more colourful.
Luxor Temple, in the centre of the city, is not on this itinerary either. It is a separate site from Karnak, and most day trips skip it for time.
Karnak is the largest temple complex of ancient Egypt, built and extended by pharaohs over about 2,000 years and dedicated mainly to the god Amun-Ra. Its best-known part is the Great Hypostyle Hall, a hall of 134 giant columns covered in carved reliefs. You also see the obelisks, the Sacred Lake and the large scarab statue. Your guide explains how the complex grew and what each part was used for.
The Valley of the Kings is where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried, in tombs cut deep into the desert hills. More than 60 tombs have been found here. You enter three of them with the standard ticket and see corridors and burial chambers painted with scenes from the journey of the king into the afterlife. Inside the tombs it is warm and the passages can be steep, so wear shoes with a good grip.
The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut, one of the few women who ruled Egypt as pharaoh, stands on three terraces against the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari. The reliefs tell the story of her divine birth and of her trading expedition to the land of Punt. There is little shade here, so a hat and water are useful.
The Colossi of Memnon are two seated statues of Amenhotep III, about 18 metres high, which once stood at the entrance of his temple. It is a short photo stop on the West Bank.
There are several ways to make the trip, and the right one depends on whether you want a guide and tickets sorted for you.
| Option | Time on the road | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| Group bus tour (this trip) | about 4 hours each way | hotel pickup, guide, tickets and lunch for one price |
| Public bus (for example Go Bus) | about 4 to 5 hours | transport to Luxor city only, no guide, tickets or hotel pickup |
| Private car with driver | about 3.5 to 4 hours | flexible times, but you pay for the car and organise the rest |
| Flight | not practical | there is no regular direct flight, only connections via Cairo |
| Train | not practical | there is no direct train from Hurghada to Luxor |
For a day trip, an organised bus tour is the most practical and cheapest option. Public buses leave too late in the morning to see both banks and return the same evening.
| Bus (this trip) | Small-group minivan | Private tour | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price | €65 | €75 | from 120 € | |
| Group | full coach | small group | only your party | |
| Days | every day | depends on the tour | any day | |
| Pickup | several hotels | fewer stops | direct from your hotel | |
| Schedule | fixed | fixed | flexible | |
| Best for | the lowest price | couples who want a smaller group | families and custom plans |
Yes, if you accept that it is a long day. You spend about 8 hours on the road and around 6 hours in Luxor, which is enough to see the main sites on both banks of the Nile with a guide. It is not enough for Luxor Temple, the Luxor Museum or a sunrise balloon flight. For those, choose a 2-day trip with a night in Luxor.
The most comfortable months are October to April, when Luxor is warm but not extreme. From June to September daytime temperatures often pass 40°C, the tour still runs, but you need plenty of water and sun protection, especially in the Valley of the Kings and at Hatshepsut.
Tourist coaches drive on the main road via Safaga and Qena, which has several police checkpoints, and you travel with your group and guide all day. Stay with the group, keep your passport with you, and check your government’s current travel advice for Egypt before you go.
Choose your date and number of people below, or send us your hotel name, room number and preferred date. We confirm availability, your guide’s language and the pickup time. No prepayment is needed, you pay on the day.
You can choose between two versions of this trip. The programme is the same: Karnak Temple, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Colossi of Memnon, lunch and the coach from your hotel. Only the royal necropolis is different.
| Valley of the Kings | Valley of the Queens | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | €65 | €60 |
| Who was buried there | the pharaohs of the New Kingdom | queens, princes and princesses of the 19th and 20th dynasties |
| Included in the ticket | 3 royal tombs | several tombs of queens and royal children |
| Extra ticket | Tutankhamun, Seti I, Ramesses VI | Nefertari |
| Best for | your first visit to Luxor | travellers who have already seen the Valley of the Kings or prefer a quieter site |
The tomb of Nefertari, the most famous in the Valley of the Queens, is not part of the standard ticket and needs a separate, more expensive ticket bought on site by card. Tell us which version you want when you book.
The trip costs €65 per adult. This includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Hurghada, the air-conditioned coach, an Egyptologist guide, entrance tickets to Karnak, the Valley of the Kings and the Temple of Hatshepsut, and lunch. With the Valley of the Queens instead of the Valley of the Kings, the price is €60. Extras such as Tutankhamun's tomb, the felucca and drinks are paid separately. There is no prepayment: you book now and pay on the day of the trip.
No. The standard Valley of the Kings ticket includes three tombs. Tutankhamun's tomb needs a separate ticket, bought at the entrance by card, and your guide tells you the current price on the day.
You can take a public bus to Luxor city, but it does not include a guide, entrance tickets or hotel pickup, and it leaves too late for a full day of sightseeing. The easier option is a group bus tour like this one, which picks you up from your hotel early in the morning and brings you back in the evening.
About 300 km by road, which takes around 4 hours each way including police checkpoints and a comfort stop.
Yes. In one day you see the main sites on both banks of the Nile with a guide. It is a long day of about 17 to 18 hours, so if you want to add Luxor Temple or a balloon flight, a 2-day trip is a better choice.
No. There is no compulsory shopping stop. On request, you can visit a papyrus workshop before the drive back and see how papyrus is made, and buying anything is up to you.
The trip runs every day. Egyptologist guides are available in English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Polish, Czech, Romanian and other languages, so tell us your language when you book. A felucca ride with a stop at Banana Island can be added as an optional extra if time allows.
Children are welcome with an adult. The early start and the long drive are the hardest part, so the trip works best for children who sleep well on the coach and are fine with walking in the heat.
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