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Overview
A private Luxor day trip from Hurghada covers about 290 km, roughly 4 hours each way by road. You are picked up from your hotel at about 5:00 AM and are back at about 7:00–8:00 PM. In between you visit Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon with an Egyptologist, and have lunch in Luxor. The price is 121 USD per person.
What you see on the Luxor day trip
The day follows the two banks of the Nile. On the East Bank you visit Karnak, the largest temple complex in Luxor. After lunch you cross to the West Bank, where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried. Both banks are part of the UNESCO-listed Ancient Thebes.
The Valley of the Kings has the painted royal tombs, the Temple of Hatshepsut stands against the cliffs at Deir el-Bahari, and the Colossi of Memnon are the last stop before the drive back. The step-by-step plan is in the itinerary below.
Is a Luxor day trip from Hurghada too long?
It is a long day: about 14 hours door to door, with around 8 hours spent in the car. The vehicle is private and air-conditioned, so you can rest on the road, and your Egyptologist adjusts the pace at the sites. If you prefer more time, the 2 day trip to Luxor from Hurghada gives you a night in Luxor. October to April is the mildest season; in summer the early start matters even more.
Other ways to see Luxor
If you are already staying in Luxor, see the East and West Banks of Luxor day tour. If you want to see more of the Nile from the Red Sea coast, look at our Nile cruise from Hurghada or the 5 night dahabiya Nile cruise. For ideas before you travel, read our guide to things to do in Luxor.
What to bring
Your passport (it may be needed at road checkpoints), comfortable walking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat. Bottled water is included.
Why Book Private with El Sultan?
Luxor from Hurghada is a long day, about 290 km each way. A private tour is what makes it comfortable.
- Your own vehicle and driver — roughly 4 hours each way, with no shared coach and no waiting for other passengers.
- A private Egyptologist — Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon explained in context, not just pointed at.
- Lunch in Luxor and clear timing — pickup around 5:00 AM and return around 7:00–8:00 PM, so you know the day before you book. The price is 121 USD per person.
- A slower option — if the long drive is too much in one day, our 2-day trip to Luxor from Hurghada splits it.
- A local team on WhatsApp — before, during and after your trip.
Book your Luxor day trip
Send us your hotel name and preferred date. We reply within 24 hours with availability and your exact pickup time.
Itinerary
Your driver meets you at your Hurghada hotel at about 5:00 AM. The distance to Luxor is about 290 km and the drive takes around 4 hours, with a comfort stop on the way. The vehicle is private and air-conditioned, so you can rest while the Eastern Desert gives way to the Nile Valley. Please bring your passport, because it may be needed at road checkpoints. The day then begins on the East Bank at Karnak with your Egyptologist.
Karnak is the largest temple complex in Luxor and part of the UNESCO-listed Ancient Thebes. Pharaohs added to it for about two thousand years, so every courtyard and gateway belongs to a different reign. Your Egyptologist leads you through the Hypostyle Hall with its forest of giant columns, past the obelisks and into the older sanctuary areas, and explains the reliefs and the cult of Amun. You set the pace: stop for photographs, ask questions and linger wherever the guide's explanations draw you in.
After Karnak you stop for lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor, included in the price. It is a seated meal away from the tour-bus crowds, with time to rest in the shade, drink some water and look through your photographs. Drinks ordered with the meal are not included. Dietary needs can be accommodated: tell us when you book if anyone in your group needs a special meal, and the restaurant will prepare for it before the afternoon on the West Bank begins.
From lunch you cross to the West Bank and drive to the Valley of the Kings, where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom were buried in tombs cut deep into the limestone. The standard ticket, included in your price, lets you enter three tombs, and your guide recommends the best-preserved ones open that day. Inside, you see painted corridors and burial chambers and learn how to read the scenes. Optional tickets for Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses V/VI are not included.
Next you visit the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, built against the limestone cliffs for one of Egypt's few female pharaohs. Its long ramps and colonnaded terraces rise in three levels, and the setting is as impressive as the architecture. Your Egyptologist explains who Hatshepsut was, how she ruled and what the reliefs of the expedition to Punt record. This is also a good place for photographs of the whole West Bank landscape, so allow yourself time to walk up and look back.
The last stop is the Colossi of Memnon, two seated statues of Amenhotep III that stand about 18 m high, including their base. They once guarded the entrance to his mortuary temple, which has almost disappeared. It is a short, easy stop for photographs and a final explanation from your guide. You leave Luxor before 4:00 PM and drive back to Hurghada, with a comfort stop on the way, reaching your hotel at about 7:00 to 8:00 PM, around 14 hours after pickup.
Included & Excluded
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver, with pickup from your Hurghada hotel
- English-speaking Egyptologist guide
- Entrance fees: Karnak Temple, Valley of the Kings (standard ticket, three tombs) and Temple of Hatshepsut
- Lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor
- Bottled water
- Service charges and taxes
Excluded
- Optional Valley of the Kings tomb tickets (Tutankhamun, Seti I, Ramses V/VI)
- Drinks at lunch
- Tips and personal expenses
- Egypt entry visa
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Luxor worth visiting from Hurghada for one day?
One day covers Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon. It is a long day, about 14 hours door to door. For a slower pace, see our 2 day trip to Luxor from Hurghada.
How far is Luxor from Hurghada?
About 290 km (180 miles). By private car the drive takes around 4 hours each way, with a comfort stop on the way.
What time does the day trip start and end?
Pickup is at about 5:00 AM from your Hurghada hotel. You leave Luxor before 4:00 PM and are back at your hotel at about 7:00–8:00 PM.
Is the tour private?
Yes. You have your own vehicle, driver and Egyptologist guide.
Which tombs are included in the Valley of the Kings?
The standard ticket covers three tombs open on the day, and your guide recommends the best preserved. Tickets for Tutankhamun, Seti I and Ramses V/VI are optional extras and are not included.
How do I get from Hurghada to Luxor?
By road with a private vehicle. The drive is about 290 km and takes around 4 hours each way. Your driver collects you from your Hurghada hotel.
What should I bring?
Your passport, comfortable walking shoes, sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat. Bottled water is included.
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