Three days keeps the 2 day route intact and adds the actual village that built the Valley of the Kings, plus the noble tombs almost no West Bank taxi loop stops at. Want more? The 4 day version extends this same spine further rather than starting over. Day Focus 1 East Bank: Karnak, the Luxor Museum, Luxor Temple after dark 2 West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Colossi of Memnon 3 Deir el-Medina’s workers’ village, the Tombs of the Nobles, a bike loop Book these before you go

Two days is enough for Luxor’s essentials on both banks, East Bank temples on day one, West Bank tombs on day two, without touching Dendera, a cruise, or the dawn balloon. Got more time? The 3 day and 4 day versions extend this exact route rather than replacing it. Day Focus 1 East Bank: Karnak, the Luxor Museum, Luxor Temple after dark 2 West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Colossi of Memnon Book these before you go

Four days keeps the 3 day plan’s route intact and adds Aswan itself as a single long overland day, Philae, the High Dam, and the Unfinished Obelisk included. It’s a brutal way to see Aswan; our 5 day plan swaps this exact day for a far more comfortable overnight version instead. Book these before you go Book a sunrise balloon ride Reserve a Nile cruise from Luxor , the upgrade worth pricing if a 5th or 6th day opens up Book a day tour to Dendera and Abydos Search Aswan day tours from Luxor , bundles Philae, the High Dam, and a Nubian village stop Day Focus Travel time from Luxor 1 Dawn balloon, East Bank settle-in 0, launches from the West Bank airfield 2 Dendera and Abydos day trip 9-10 hours round trip 3 Edfu and Kom Ombo day trip 9-10 hours round trip 4 Aswan day trip: Philae, High Dam, Unfinished Obelisk 3-4 hours each way, 12-14 hours total Day 1: the balloon that starts before the day technically does Arrive in Luxor the evening before this itinerary starts; the balloon lifts off before sunrise, and flying in the same morning wastes the one slot you can’t rebook.

Five days swaps the 4 day plan’s brutal single-day Aswan dash for an overnight version instead, splitting Kom Ombo and Edfu across the drive down and the drive back. Six or seven days trade this loop for the Nile cruise instead, covered in our 6 day plan . Book these before you go Book a sunrise balloon ride Reserve a Nile cruise from Luxor , worth pricing once you’re already committing an overnight to Aswan Book a day tour to Dendera and Abydos Compare Aswan hotel rates , for the one night this trip spends off the Luxor-hotel spine Day Focus Travel time from Luxor 1 Dawn balloon, East Bank settle-in 0 2 Dendera and Abydos day trip 9-10 hours round trip 3 Drive to Aswan via Kom Ombo, overnight in Aswan 4-5 hours, one way 4 Full Aswan day, drive back via Edfu, overnight Luxor 4-5 hours, one way 5 Rest morning, wrap up in Luxor 0, in Luxor Day 1: the balloon that starts before the day technically does Arrive in Luxor the evening before this itinerary starts; the balloon lifts off before sunrise, and flying in the same morning wastes the one slot you can’t rebook.

Six days replaces the 5 day plan’s overland Aswan loop with the Nile cruise instead: once a cruise is on the table, it covers Edfu, Kom Ombo, and Aswan without anyone behind a wheel. Our 7 day plan adds one buffer day for the trip back. Book these before you go Book a sunrise balloon ride Reserve a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan , book the 3 night sailing for this exact plan Book a day tour to Dendera and Abydos Compare East Bank hotel rates , for the nights before you board Day Focus Travel time from Luxor 1 Dawn balloon, East Bank settle-in 0 2 Dendera and Abydos day trip 9-10 hours round trip 3 Board the Nile cruise, sail toward Esna 0, you’re on the boat 4 Esna Lock transit, Edfu stop, sail to Kom Ombo included in the cruise 5 Kom Ombo stop, arrive Aswan included in the cruise 6 Full Aswan day, disembark, fly out of Aswan included in the cruise Day 1: the balloon that starts before the day technically does Arrive in Luxor the evening before this itinerary starts; the balloon lifts off before sunrise, and flying in the same morning wastes the one slot you can’t rebook.

Three days from Luxor keeps the 2 day plan intact and adds a third gateway trip: Edfu and Kom Ombo, done here as a standalone drive rather than the cruise stops they usually are. Our 4 day plan extends this same spine with Aswan itself. Book these before you go Book a sunrise balloon ride , still the one booking that sells out first Reserve a Nile cruise from Luxor , worth pricing now against three separate long days Book a day tour to Dendera and Abydos Book a day trip to Edfu and Kom Ombo , the standalone version most travelers skip Day Focus Travel time from Luxor 1 Dawn balloon, East Bank settle-in 0, launches from the West Bank airfield 2 Dendera and Abydos day trip 9-10 hours round trip, mostly driving 3 Edfu and Kom Ombo day trip 9-10 hours round trip, mostly driving Day 1: the balloon that starts before the day technically does Arrive in Luxor the evening before this itinerary starts; the balloon lifts off before sunrise, and flying in the same morning wastes the one slot you can’t rebook.

Seven days keeps the 6 day plan’s exact spine and adds one buffer day back in Luxor, insurance against the one leg of this trip that’s genuinely unpredictable: the transfer or flight out of Aswan. Book these before you go Book a sunrise balloon ride Reserve a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan Book a day tour to Dendera and Abydos Compare East Bank hotel rates , for the nights before boarding and the buffer night after Day Focus Travel time from Luxor 1 Dawn balloon, East Bank settle-in 0 2 Dendera and Abydos day trip 9-10 hours round trip 3 Board the Nile cruise, sail toward Esna 0, you’re on the boat 4 Esna Lock transit, Edfu stop, sail to Kom Ombo included in the cruise 5 Kom Ombo stop, arrive Aswan included in the cruise 6 Full Aswan day, disembark included in the cruise 7 Transfer back to Luxor, buffer day, departure 3-4 hours overland Day 1: the balloon that starts before the day technically does Arrive in Luxor the evening before this itinerary starts; the balloon lifts off before sunrise, and flying in the same morning wastes the one slot you can’t rebook.

Two days from Luxor fits exactly one gateway trip: the dawn balloon on day one, then the long Dendera and Abydos drive on day two. Anyone with a third day should look at our 3 day plan instead; the Nile cruise and Aswan itself both need considerably longer than a weekend. Book these before you go Book a sunrise balloon ride , the one booking on this trip that actually sells out Reserve a Nile cruise from Luxor , worth locking in now if a longer trip is even a maybe Book a day tour to Dendera and Abydos , skips negotiating a private car for a 9-hour day Day Focus Travel time from Luxor 1 Dawn balloon, East Bank settle-in 0, launches from the West Bank airfield 2 Dendera and Abydos day trip 9-10 hours round trip, mostly driving Day 1: the balloon that starts before the day technically does Arrive in Luxor the evening before this itinerary starts; the balloon lifts off before sunrise, and flying in the same morning wastes the one slot you can’t rebook.

Luxor’s own monuments fill maybe three days before the temples start to blur together. Stay longer and the city turns into a launchpad instead: Dendera and Abydos down a lonely desert road, Edfu and Kom Ombo stacked along the river, a multi-night cruise south to Aswan, a hot air balloon that lifts off before the sun does, and Aswan itself, obelisk and all. Five trips, each one worth an extra night at an East Bank hotel.

Karnak and the Valley of the Kings are correctly famous; book both and keep moving. What most itineraries never reach is the actual village that built those royal tombs, a temple that kept more of its original paint than Karnak did, and a felucca sunset that costs less than a single site ticket. Seven low-crowd stops below, plus the one 2026 pricing quirk that trips up almost everyone: the Valley of the Kings “ticket” quoted online isn’t the number you’ll actually pay at the gate.

Four days keeps the 3 day route intact and adds the West Bank’s most colorful temple plus its most literary ruin, closing with a proper Nile sunset. The 5 day version extends this same spine further rather than starting over. Day Focus 1 East Bank: Karnak, the Luxor Museum, Luxor Temple after dark 2 West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Colossi of Memnon 3 Deir el-Medina’s workers’ village, the Tombs of the Nobles, a bike loop 4 Medinet Habu’s color, the Ramesseum, a sunset felucca Book these before you go

Five days keeps the 4 day route intact and adds the West Bank’s most restricted tomb plus a genuinely useful midday break. The 6 day version extends this same spine further rather than starting over. Day Focus 1 East Bank: Karnak, the Luxor Museum, Luxor Temple after dark 2 West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Colossi of Memnon 3 Deir el-Medina’s workers’ village, the Tombs of the Nobles, a bike loop 4 Medinet Habu’s color, the Ramesseum, a sunset felucca 5 The Valley of the Queens, Nefertari’s tomb, the Mummification Museum Book these before you go

Six days keeps the 5 day route intact and adds a genuinely slow day, dawn light on the West Bank, a souk browse, and the arithmetic that tells you whether the Luxor Pass was ever worth it. The 7 day version extends this same spine further rather than starting over. Day Focus 1 East Bank: Karnak, the Luxor Museum, Luxor Temple after dark 2 West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Colossi of Memnon 3 Deir el-Medina’s workers’ village, the Tombs of the Nobles, a bike loop 4 Medinet Habu’s color, the Ramesseum, a sunset felucca 5 The Valley of the Queens, Nefertari’s tomb, the Mummification Museum 6 A second dawn bike loop, the Luxor Souk, the Luxor Pass math Book these before you go

Luxor splits cleanly into two banks connected by nothing but a ferry, a bridge-adjacent road crossing, or a hired boat, and a surprising number of first-time visitors don’t grasp that until they’re stuck on the wrong side near closing time. The bigger surprise: the Valley of the Kings ticket everyone quotes online, EGP 750 (~$15), buys entry to roughly three tombs out of the eight to ten usually open on any given day, and neither Tutankhamun’s tomb nor Seti I’s is included in that price.

Seven days keeps the 6 day route intact and closes with Karnak lit up after dark, a genuinely different visit from the one you made on day one. If a week feels like too much city and not enough desert, our Luxor as a base guide covers Dendera, Abydos, and the Nile cruise south instead. Day Focus 1 East Bank: Karnak, the Luxor Museum, Luxor Temple after dark 2 West Bank: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s Temple, the Colossi of Memnon 3 Deir el-Medina’s workers’ village, the Tombs of the Nobles, a bike loop 4 Medinet Habu’s color, the Ramesseum, a sunset felucca 5 The Valley of the Queens, Nefertari’s tomb, the Mummification Museum 6 A second dawn bike loop, the Luxor Souk, the Luxor Pass math 7 Karnak’s Sound and Light Show, a last corniche evening Book these before you go