Luxor has much to offer the traveller, from vast temples, to ancient royal tombs, spectacular desert and river scenery and a bustling modern life.

Luxor is a city in Upper (southern) Egypt and the capital of Luxor Governorate. As the site of the ancient Egyptian city of Thebes, Luxor has frequently been characterised as the “world’s greatest open air museum”, the ruins of the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor standing within the modern city. Immediately opposite, across the Nile River, lie the monuments, temples and tombs on the West Bank Necropolis, which include the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens. Thousands of tourists arrive each year to visit these monuments, and their presence represents a large part of the economic basis for the modern city. As a result, Luxor represents an excellent base for touring Upper Egypt, and is a popular holiday destination, both in its own right and as a starting or finishing point for Nile cruises.

Built on the site of the ancient city of Thebes, Luxor is one of Egypt’s premier travel destinations. The dynastic and religious capital of Middle Kingdom and New Kingdom Egypt, Luxor has much to offer the traveller, from vast temples, to ancient royal tombs, spectacular desert and river scenery and a bustling modern life. People have been visiting the magnificent monuments of Luxor, Karnak, Hatshepsut and Ramses III for thousands of years. Feluccas, old barges and luxury hotel ships cruise to and from Cairo and Aswan.

One time-honoured delightful way to visit the east bank of Luxor, especially at night-time, is by calèche, or horse-drawn carriage.

When to travel to Luxor

Winter is the best time to travel to Luxor between the months of November and March, this is also the high season and prices would reflect this. Summer is unbearably hot and dusty and temperatures can reach up to 50 degrees.