A standard Nile cruise gives you Luxor’s headline sites: Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. That is a lot of Egypt. But most ships spend a night or two moored in Luxor, and there are free afternoons, early mornings and evenings in that time that the cruise programme does not fill.
This guide covers the Luxor excursions that are worth adding, whether you are on a cruise or staying in a Luxor hotel, and how each one fits into a typical cruise schedule.
The sunrise hot air balloon
If you add only one thing in Luxor, it is usually this. Balloons lift off from the West Bank at first light, when the air is calm, and drift over the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Ramesseum, the sugar cane fields and the Nile with the Theban hills behind. Time in the air is usually around 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the wind, and you are back on board for breakfast.
Two things to know. Flights only go ahead when the authorities allow it on the morning, so a weather cancellation is possible. And the pickup is before dawn, so it works best on a morning when your cruise has no early excursion. See the Luxor Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride.
The quieter West Bank
Cruise programmes cover the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut, and stop there. But the West Bank has a whole second day of sites with deep colour and very few crowds. Medinet Habu, the temple of Ramesses III, has some of the best-preserved painted reliefs in Luxor. Deir el-Medina, the village of the craftsmen who built the royal tombs, has small tombs that rival the royal ones. And the Valley of the Queens and the Ramesseum complete the morning.
See the Luxor Hidden West Bank Tour, and read our guides to Medinet Habu and Deir el Medina before you go.
Dendera and Abydos
North of Luxor stand two of the most beautiful temples in Egypt, and most visitors never see them. The Temple of Seti I at Abydos has some of the finest carving in the country and the Abydos King List. The Temple of Hathor at Dendera is one of the most complete temples anywhere, with a painted ceiling, rooftop chapels and a relief of Cleopatra on the rear wall. It is a full day, as Abydos is around three hours by road, so it suits a free day before or after your cruise rather than a cruise afternoon. See the Dendera and Abydos Day Tour.
Karnak by night
The Karnak Sound and Light Show begins as a walk through the temple after dark, with lights picking out the avenue of sphinxes, the pylons and the Hypostyle Hall while the narration follows you. It ends with a seated section beside the Sacred Lake. If you have seen Karnak by day, the night show feels like a different place. It is an easy evening on a cruise night in Luxor. See the Karnak Sound and Light Show.
A felucca at sunset
Your cruise ship is comfortable, but it is not the same as being on the water in a felucca, a small wooden sailing boat that sits close to the river and moves only with the wind. A late-afternoon sail upriver to Banana Island, as the light turns gold over the West Bank hills, is one of the simplest pleasures in Luxor. See the Luxor Sunset Felucca Ride and Banana Island.
The two museums on the Corniche
On a hot afternoon, the Luxor Museum and the Mummification Museum are the best use of an hour or two. The Luxor Museum is small and beautifully lit, with statues found around Thebes, including the cache discovered beneath Luxor Temple in 1989. The Mummification Museum explains how the ancient Egyptians preserved the dead. Both are on the Corniche where most cruise ships moor. See the Luxor Museum and Mummification Museum Tour, or read our Luxor Museum guide.
Dinner with a West Bank family
For something completely different from temples, spend an afternoon in a village home on the West Bank, cooking home-style dishes with the family and then sitting down together to eat. It is the side of Luxor you never see from a cruise deck. See Cook and Dine with a Family on Luxor’s West Bank.
How to fit extras into a cruise schedule
Every cruise programme is a little different, so check yours first. As a rough guide, most ships that start in Luxor spend the first afternoon on the East Bank and the next morning on the West Bank before sailing. That leaves the first evening for Karnak by night, the early morning before the West Bank for the balloon, and sometimes a free afternoon for a felucca or the museums. If you are staying in a Luxor hotel instead, our full-day East and West Bank tour covers the essentials in one day, and the extras above fill the next.
All of these excursions are private and quoted on request. Tell us your ship and dates, and we will plan pickups around your cruise programme. Browse all our Egypt day tours, or ask us for a plan.
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