Luxor is one of the most widely-known cities not just in Egypt, but in the entire world. Home to the world’s largest open-air museums, Luxor provides with sightings of the century-old temples and the mummies in their original locations, besides letting visitors enjoy the serenity around the Nile river. If you are planning a 7 day Egypt trip, and are wondering if 3 days in Luxor is enough, then, yes, it is. Honestly, you can spend an extra day if your trip to Egypt is around 10 days, however, 3 days in Luxor is enough to capture everything that this ancient city has to offer.
3 Days In Luxor Itinerary
Every single day in this 3 days in Luxor itinerary is honestly going to blow your mind away, so be sure to enjoy every moment to the fullest!
Day 1: Explore the Valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens
Start your trip to Luxor by visiting the greatest and largest open-air museums, the Valley of the Kings, that’s located on the west bank of Nile river. Over here and at the Valley of the Queens that you will visit today, are kept the mummies of ancient Kings and Queens of Egypt in their tombs. Tickets are required to enter the area. The ticket covers the entrance fee to the tombs that are open, but separate tickets are required to view the tombs of Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Rameses V and VI, and they are quite expensive comparably.
While the cost of sightseeing in Egypt is highest in Luxor, read our detailed article to know how much does it cost to visit Egypt. Plan to spend 3-4 hours exploring the tombs at a leisure pace. There’s going to be a bit of walk in the desert, so dress comfortably.
Next, head to the Valley of the Queens, which is located just 10 minutes away from the Valley of the Kings. While this may not be as famous as the Valley of the Kings, they carry equal historical significance. Tickets are required to enter, and a separate ticket is required to visit the tomb of Queen Nefertari. Plan to spend around 2 hours here, before heading back to the east bank of Nile river, where your hotel is most likely located.
Day 2: Visit Luxor Temple and Karnak Temple
The entire city of Luxor is actually built around the Luxor temple, so the temple is pretty much centrally located in Luxor. The temple grounds by itself aren’t massive, so you can easily explore the area in under 2 hours. Tickets are required to enter the grounds. The unique thing about the Luxor Temple is that it looks very different during the night, with all the lights that are turned on in the evening. So, you can consider visiting this later during the evening as well.
Now, the Karnak Temple is located very close to the Luxor Temple, and you have two ways by which you can get there. You can take a cab to the Karnak Temple which is a 5 minute drive. Or, you can walk through the Avenue of Sphinxes, which is a 1.7 mile pathway that connects both the temples. This pathway consists of human-headed sphinxes along the entire path between the temples. Tickets are required to enter the Karnak Temple. This temple’s complex is huge, so plan to spend at least 3 hours here.
They also conduct a Sound & Light Show at the Karnak Temple in the evenings, for which tickets must be booked in advance as they are always sold out.
Day 3: Hot air balloon ride and souvenir shopping
As you start wrapping up your 3 days in Luxor trip, one of the greatest experiences in Luxor is to view the temples from thousands of feet above the ground in a hot air balloon, and watch them at sunrise! There are several tour operators that provide this experience, so we recommend you pick one that provides for rides with smaller group sizes (more expensive).
The balloon ride is an early-morning tour since you will get to see the temples during sunrise. The tour operators generally include pick-up and drop-off services, and the complete experience lasts around 3 hours.
For the rest of the day, visit the local markets near the Luxor Temple to pick up some souvenirs for your friends and family. Or, you can consider visiting Luxor Temple or Karnak Temple during the evening and capture their magic under the lights.
Plan your trip to Egypt
Now that you know how to spend 3 days in Luxor, its time to start planning your vacation! Besides Luxor, there’s tons of attractions in Egypt across Cairo and Aswan, so here are some articles that will be helpful in putting together your trip to Egypt.
- How to enjoy a lush vacation in Egypt for 7 days
- The best time to visit Egypt
- How much does it cost to visit Egypt
- Essential things to know before traveling to Egypt
If you are looking for a custom and relaxed itinerary for your dream vacation in Egypt that includes 3 days in Luxor, email us and we can help you with that!