How to Spend 2 Days in Luxor, Egypt

From my experience visiting Egypt, spending two days in Luxor is just the right amount of time to see the highlights. This itinerary will include visiting both the East and West Banks and you can actually do that all in one day if you fancy! 

Luxor is sometimes called the “world’s greatest open-air museum” for good reason. The ancient city of Thebes, with its wonderfully preserved temples and the magical Nile River winding through its center, is just breathtaking. 

History of Luxor

The history of Luxor, which was formerly known as the city of Thebes, may be traced back to some time around 3,200 B.C. 

However, Thebes did not flourish until 2,134 B.C., during the 11th Dynasty, when Mentuhotep II brought peace and stability to the area. From then on, Thebes began to thrive as a city, eventually becoming the political and religious center of Ancient Egypt in 1,550 B.C. during the 18th Dynasty.

Several of the most well-known and significant pharaohs ruled over Luxor, and the majority of their tombs, monuments, and temples—including the tomb of the renowned Tutankhamun— are still present there today. 

This ancient city is definitely worth visiting and two days will give you the perfect amount of time to visit the main attractions. 

From Cairo, you can either take a train to Luxor or you can take a domestic flight to Luxor. Flights from Cairo to Luxor take about 1 hour and are generally less than $100. We had booked an 8 am flight out of Cairo, which meant we had an entire afternoon to explore Luxor at a leisurely pace.

Alternatively, if you are in Aswan and would like to travel north to Luxor, you can take a Nile cruise, fly to Luxor, or take a train. Personally, we took the Nile cruise from Luxor to Aswan after our two-day trip.

And, as you might have guessed, the West Bank is where you’ll visit mortuary templates that were dedicated to the dead (including the Valley of the Kings) since the sun sets in the West. 

Since you’ll be staying on the East Bank, it’s best to start by visiting it since you’ll already be on that side when you arrive. 

This way, you can spend the next day going to and exploring the West Bank. Plus, this will also give you the chance to take a hot air balloon ride to the other side (more on that later!). 

Our adventure in Luxor started with visiting Karnak Temple, which is only about a 10-minute drive from most hotels in the city. Karnak Temple is actually the 2nd most visited site in Egypt, second only to the pyramids in Giza! 

Karnak is the largest religious complex ever constructed and was developed over 1,500 years (starting around 2,000 BC). It’s dedicated to Amun, Mut, and Khonsu.

The Temple of Amun, which is dedicated to the king of the gods, is at the center of it all. There are also a number of smaller sanctuaries, chapels, and temples devoted to various other gods. 

We spent a couple of hours here, but you could easily spend an entire day if you wanted – Karnak Temple is HUGE! 

They also offer a light show here at night if that’s something you’re interested in.

During the course of an hour and a half, the Karnak Temple’s Sound and Light Show narrates the history of Thebes (Luxor) and highlights the lives of different pharaohs who helped build the temple complex.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of light shows, though. So, we did not do this.

The biggest expansion work, however, happened during the reign of Ramses II, another renowned builder of ancient Egypt.

We spent about 1 1/2 hours here – but again, if you enjoy taking photos and admiring such an incredible amount of history, you could easily spend a longer amount of time.

This is Egypt’s best-curated museum, open until 2 pm when it closes for lunch, and it houses a wealth of artifacts from the city’s tombs and temples.

The museum admission fee is 100 Egyptian Pounds (LE), and there is no need for a guide because the exhibits are neatly displayed and labeled.

The Luxor Museum is small but packed with treasures, and spending 2 hours or so wandering about here is a terrific way to spend a hot Egyptian lunchtime.

To begin, your admission ticket includes the viewing of a short video that explains some of the significant artifacts.

It’s worth noting that a photography license is required to take photos inside the museum.

The ferry costs 5 LE, and a motorboat will also cost 5 LE (or 1 LE per person if you’re in a group of 5 or more). 

If you’re in a time crunch, it’s better to take one of the motorboats, as they will leave immediately. (And the ferry will wait until it’s sufficiently full.)

However, our friends did do this and said it was a lovely experience. They hadn’t previously been on a hot air balloon, so they were very excited to try it out. 

They also said they were very happy they took the earliest flight possible, as they were able to watch the sunrise and beat the heat. 

Being on the later balloon flight that morning would have been way too hot, so I recommend booking a pre-dawn balloon flight if you’re interested.  

There are 63 tombs (that we know of) inside the Valley of the Kings. However, only a handful of them are open to the public (and they rotate which are open). 

Personally, we spent a couple of hours here and visited five tombs in total. 

Personally, we spent just about an hour in here, and part of this was getting snacks and refreshments at the visitor’s center too.

Despite their seemingly random location, they once served as guards at the entrance of the first pylon of the Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III. It was one of the largest temples ever built in Egypt.

Unfortunately, the temple’s position was too close to the Nile. When the Nile overflowed each year, it would fill the temple. The temple suffered considerable water damage as a result of the periodic flooding. 

The Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III is thought to have been in ruins by the 19th Dynasty. In 27 BC, there was an earthquake that made the damage even worse.

The final nail in the coffin was the total destruction of the temple caused by the looting of its stone and statues for other projects.

Where to Stay in Luxor

• Luxury: The Hilton Luxor Resort is one of the highest-rated hotels in Luxor. (And frankly, for what you get and what we’re used to paying in the US, I don’t think the prices are all that bad.)
• Middle of the Road: Aracan Eatabe Luxor Hotel is in a great location and is generally running very affordable prices.
• Budget: Located on the West Bank, Luxor Palace has some fantastic prices and views. These are also not hotel rooms – they’re full-on apartments!

If you’re headed to Egypt, you might want to read all my posts on Egypt to learn everything you need to know about this stunning country before you travel there!

You can also check out my entire packing list for Egypt as a woman or see my itinerary for how to spend 7 days in Egypt!

Other Travel Essentials

Travel Insurance

It’s a good idea, no matter where your adventure takes you, to have travel insurance. You never know what might happen! 

Whether you get sick before your trip and can’t go, or you become sick or injured while on your adventure – being covered with travel insurance is a must. 

Some credit card companies do provide this service (check with yours), or you can get a quote from companies such as Squaremouth to find the best plan for you and your adventure. This is the company I, personally, use. They are even recommended by Forbes!

I recommend getting a free travel quote to see if they’re the right fit for you.

Visa Requirements

Before you head to Egypt, check the visa requirements to figure out if your country requires a visa for traveling to Egypt. 

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