Best things to do in Luxor-Egypt

Luxor city dubbed the “World’s Greatest Open-Air Museum,” and it is the treasure trove of ancient wonders, vibrant culture, and breathtaking landscapes. Nestled along the Nile River, this iconic Egyptian city was once the ancient capital of Thebes, and today it offers travelers a mesmerizing blend of history, adventure, and relaxation. Whether you’re a history buff, an adrenaline seeker, or a culture enthusiast, here’s your ultimate guide to the best things to do in Luxor.

Visiting temples of Luxor

Luxor city in Egypt is known for having many temples, but you should visit the most important and famous ones:

  • Karnak Temple Complex:
    It is one of the largest temples in the ancient world. Its construction began during the period (1919-1875 BC) and was expanded by many kings. Its area is 40 acres, and it is characterized by huge gates, large tall columns, and beautiful statues of kings. It was considered a center of rule and worship in ancient Egypt, and a symbol of the power of the pharaohs and their historical heritage.

  • Luxor Temple:

    is a major historical monument located in the west bank of Luxor city, built in 1300 BC by Ramesses II, It contains massive gates, a large hypostyle hall, statues of Ramesses II, and wall reliefs. It was a center of government and worship and a symbol of power and wealth in ancient Egypt, and is a World Heritage Site..
  • Temple of Queen Hatshepsut:

    It was built during her reign and is located in the west of Luxor. It is distinguished by its unique architectural design and wonderful artistic decorations. It is considered an important landmark in Egyptian history as it highlights the role of women in governance and construction. The temple attracts visitors from all over the world to enjoy the beauty of the design and drawings that tell stories from ancient Egyptian history. Visiting the Temple of Hatshepsut provides a wonderful opportunity to explore the history of ancient Egypt and learn about the ancient Egyptian civilization.

Visiting the Valley of the Kings

One of the best things to do in Luxor is to visit The Valley of the Kings and it is one of the most famous landmarks in Luxor, where the kings of ancient Egypt were buried, It has 64 tombs and the ticket’s price is 750 Egyptian Pounds or 15$ (at the time of writing this article), When you buy a Valley of the Kings ticket, you are allowed to visit only 3 tombs, Here are the most visited tombs:

  • Ramesses IV (4)
  • Merneptah
  • Ramses III (3)
  • Ramses I (1)
  • Tawosret
  • Thutmose IV (4)
  • Ramses IX (9)

There are also another beautiful and unique tombs, but to visit them you need to buy special tickets, such as Seti I (1) which costs 2,000 Egyptian pounds or 40$ , Tutankhamun which costs 700 pounds or 14$ , and Ramses 6 which costs 220 pounds or 5$.

Visiting Luxor Museums

In Luxor there are two museums:

  • Luxor Museum:

The Luxor Museum stands out as a modern alternative to Cairo’s vast Egyptian Museum, offering a thoughtfully curated collection of artifacts unearthed in and around Luxor (ancient Thebes), The ticket price cost 400 Egyptian Pounds or 8$ . Here’s what makes it a must-visit:
Key Highlights:
Royal Relics & Statuary:
See the granite statues of pharaohs like Amenhotep III and the crocodile god Sobek, rescued from Luxor Temple’s hidden cache (discovered in 1989).
Marvel at the restored wall of Akhenaten, the “heretic pharaoh,” showcasing his unique artistic style.
Treasures from Tutankhamun’s Tomb:
View rare items like the gold-plated cow’s head goddess Hathor and funerary objects linked to the boy king.
The Mummy Room: Though most royal mummies now reside in Cairo, the museum once displayed two well-preserved mummies from the Deir el-Bahari cache (temporarily exhibited here).
Modern Presentation: Unlike crowded museums, Luxor Museum’s minimalist design and bilingual labels (Arabic/English) let artifacts shine. Highlights include New Kingdom weaponry, jewelry, and a reconstructed chapel of Thutmose III.

  • Mummification Museum:

The Mummification Museum in Luxor is considered one of the most important Egyptian museums specializing in the history of mummification. It contains exhibits explaining the mummification process in ancient Egypt, It was built in 1997 and covers an area of ​​about 1,200 square meters, It contains 215 pieces, which are human mummies and animals such as monkeys and cats, as well as mummified crocodiles and wall engravings explaining the mummification process, The ticket price is 220 Egyptian Pounds or 5$ .
Here’s what makes it unique:
Key Highlights:
Tools & Techniques of Embalming: See authentic mummification tools like bronze hooks, scalpels, and jars used to remove organs, Learn about the 70-day mummification process, from brain extraction (via the nose) to dehydration with Natron salt.
Canopic Jars & Organ Preservation: Marvel at intricately carved canopic jars (dedicated to gods like Hapy and Duamutef) that stored lungs, liver, stomach, and intestines.
Animal Mummies: Discover mummified crocodiles, cats, falcons and animals sacred to deities like Sobek, Bastet, and Horus.
The Mummy of Masaharta: A highlight is the well-preserved mummy of Masaharta, a High Priest of Amun from the 21st Dynasty, displayed in a climate-controlled case.
Religious Context: Explore how mummification tied into beliefs about the afterlife, with exhibits on Osiris (god of resurrection) and Anubis (god of embalming).

Fly in a Hot Air Balloon

The hot air balloon ride’s experience is one of the best things to do in Luxor.
Luxor city has a wonderful geography where the Nile River merges with green spaces and is surrounded by the Mountains and the golden desert sands, This experience will enable you to see all of that from above, as well as some temples and archaeological sites, It’s a wonderful adventure that 95% of Luxor’s visitors try when they come to visit Luxor and you shouldn’t miss it.

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Strolling around the markets

There are two types of markets in Luxor

  • The popular market: It has all kinds of vegetables, fruits and fresh meat, as well as electrical appliances, construction materials and paint shops. It is somewhat unsuitable for tourists (because it is very practical), and the majority of those who frequent it are Egyptian citizens to meet their daily household needs.
  • The tourist market (Luxor Souk): and it is a destination for many visitors because it contains all the Pharaonic souvenirs, local heritage gifts, stones, statues, papyrus paintings, oil perfumes, wooden medals, and hand-made copper utensils. It also contains some comfortable cafes where you can hear oriental music mixed with the voices of passersby in the market of different nationalities.

Taking felucca or motorboat ride on the Nile River

Taking felucca or motorboat ride on the Nile River considered one of the best activities to do in Luxor:-

  • Felucca: Felucca is a sailing boat that does not have an engine and relies on sails to sail. You can rent it from the Nile Corniche in Luxor in front of Winer Palace Hotel and take a tour of the Nile River and see the city’s landmarks from a different angle from the middle of the river, where you can see the Luxor Mountains located on the western bank of Luxor, as well as the beautiful Luxor hotels, Luxor Temple, also you can see the Great Church (Michael Angel Church‬) on the eastern bank of the Nile River, and see the tall minarets of the mosques on both banks.
  • Motorboat: you can do the same previous Nile tour by it, but at a faster speed. It is very suitable if you want to go to (Banana Island), which is an island located on the west bank of Luxor, about 2 kilometers away from the Winter Palace Hotel, and it is a large area planted with bananas. It has a mini zoo that contains two or three crocodiles, a small number of wolves, foxes, and monkeys. The official dish of the island is the banana dish.

Horse and camel riding experience in the West Bank

One of the best things to do in Luxor’s Western Bank is Horse riding in nature is a beautiful thing that helps you clear your mind from psychological pressures and work pressures, especially if you do this with friends or family members, as it can become a comedy show if you are not good at horse riding or if you are with your favorite friends 😁. You can also try Camel Riding which is something unusual for many visitors because camels mostly live in hot countries and are raised in Arab and African countries in abundance.

Enjoying restaurants and the Egyptian food and dishes

  • Trying popular dishes such as Koshari which is one of the most famous Egyptian dishes and consists of pasta, rice, black lentils, fried onions, tomato sauce and frying, Koshari is considered a low-cost dish and i recommend
  • also you can try Carven Vegetables and Meat and Grilled Food the Egyptian way
  • Fish may not be much different from what you may have tried before, but Nile fish has a special taste in Egypt, especially Luxor and Aswan, the most famous of which are tilapia, samoos

Cycling and exploring the city and the Corniche

One of the most enjoyable things to do in Luxor is riding a bike, especially around Luxor Temple area and the Corniche Street which parallel to the Nile River.

A photo session

A photo session to make memories that last years and years, the best places to take pictures are Abu El-Hagag Square in the early morning while feeding the free pigeons and Hatshepsut Temple because of it’s location and Entrance to Luxor Temple and from outside at El Cornish street also taking pictures in front of winter palace where the sailboats docking and the view of Luxor mountains in the western bank.

Booking a Nile Cruise Trip

One of the best things to do in Luxor is to book a Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan or vice versa, where you can book a 4-night accommodation from Luxor to Aswan, or 3 nights from Aswan to Luxor, or 7 nights if you planning for a long trip, The Nile Cruises usually dock in each city in their way to visit it’s most important Landmarks, you will enjoy the nature and watching life around the Nile valley with all of it’s houses, animals, mountains and islands.
and It is a amazing experience that reveals to you many facts about Upper Egypt, life there, its ancient history, and also the temples.

Enjoying cafes and hookah (Shisha)

One of the best things to do in Luxor at night is to find a good cafe and smoke Shisha, in Luxor there are too many nice cafes where you can sit and smoke Shisha with different flavors and soft drinks and watch Luxor’s night life and passersby and listen to calm classical music or enjoy the views that the cafe overlooks, here are some places I like and i can recommend to you:
El Saltana Cafe https://maps.app.goo.gl/8e4pyvQr5vPNp1jp8
Marine Luxor Cafe https://maps.app.goo.gl/jCabkH2dY3ePYDFP8
Umm Kulthum Cafe https://maps.app.goo.gl/eLiQYhiaS5V6NWa28
Bab Sharq https://maps.app.goo.gl/mNCbD3nRWtTiUZy18
Metropolitan Restaurant & Cafe https://maps.app.goo.gl/uVXejGnezRWenPZ5A
Aboudi Cafe https://maps.app.goo.gl/X4KeuyoHqLB2TNjP7

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