Luxor Governorate · Egypt
Where to stay in Luxor
Luxor is a city in Luxor Governorate, Egypt, home to about 202,000 people.
- Best months
- December to February
- Nearest airport
- LXR7 km · Luxor International Airport
- Currency
- EGPEgyptian pound
- Time zone
- Africa/Cairo
- Language
- Arabic
About
About Luxor
Luxor is a city in Upper Egypt. Luxor had a population of 284,952 in 2023, with an area of 43.0 km2 (16.6 sq mi) and is the capital of the Luxor Governorate.
The dynastic and religious capital of Middle Kingdom (circa 2050-1710 BCE) and New Kingdom (circa 1550-1080 BCE) Egypt, Luxor has much to offer the visitor, from vast temples, to ancient royal tombs, via spectacular desert and river scenery and a bustling modern life. Thebes, the world heritage listed old capital of Egypt, was on the west bank of the Nile at Luxor. Most of Luxor's ruins and tombs are there. The modern city of Luxor is on the east bank. This area has the train and bus stations, most of the hotels and restaurants, some museums, tourist shops and so on.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Luxor
Do
The Valley of the Kings is one of the most famous archaeological sites in Egypt and a major attraction in Luxor. The valley contains the tombs of many New Kingdom pharaohs, including Tutankhamun, Seti I, and Ramses VI. Most tombs feature colorful wall paintings and hieroglyphic inscriptions that have survived for thousands of years. Visitors are advised to arrive early in the morning, especially during summer, as temperatures can become extremely high by midday. A standard entrance ticket usually includes access to several tombs, while some special tombs require additional tickets. Photography policies may vary, so checking current regulations before entering is recommended.
- Pharaoh's Stables
- Hot air balloon rides
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Luxor to stay in
Although a relatively small city by Egyptian population standards, Luxor is quite extensive. It divides naturally into the areas on each side of the river Nile.
Luxor has an extremely wide variety of accommodation options, from camping and hostels, right up to 5-star luxury hotels like the Old Winter Palace Hotel which is of extreme opulence and has played host to both movie stars and heads of state. Luxor probably has the greatest seasonal variation in hotel rates in Egypt, with some hotels being up to 50% cheaper (or more) in the low season (summer). Others do not change their prices. Whilst the vast majority of accommodation options are to be found on the East Bank, an increasing number are to be found (and are being developed), however, on the more laid-back and isolated West Bank, close to the tombs and the Valley of the Kings.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Luxor
47 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata; the 40 best known are shown, by the number of Wikipedia editions that cover them. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Mandarin Oriental Winter Palace Mandarin Oriental | 1903 | 0.7 km |
| Iberotel Luxor | 1.1 km | |
| Jolie Ville Hotel & Spa Kings Island | 4.2 km | |
| Rezeiky Hotel Luxor | 1.7 km | |
| Sonesta St. George Hotel | 1.6 km | |
| Susanna Hotel | 0.5 km | |
| Villa Nile House Luxor | 1.3 km | |
| Al Baeirat Hotel | 2.7 km | |
| Al Hambra Hotel | 1.8 km | |
| Aracan Eatabe Luxor Hotel | 0.9 km | |
| Bob Marley House Sherief Hotel | 0.7 km | |
| Bob Marley Peace hotel | 0.3 km | |
| Boomerang Hotel | 0.3 km | |
| Cleopatra Hotel Luxor | 1.9 km | |
| Desert Paradise Lodge | 5.3 km | |
| Djorff Palace | 2.5 km | |
| El Gezira Garden Hotel Luxor | 1.4 km | |
| El Gezira Hotel | 1.5 km | |
| El Mesala Hotel | 1.3 km | |
| El Nakhil Hotel | 1.6 km | |
| Embrace Hotel | 2.0 km | |
| Emilio Hotel | 0.7 km | |
| Gaddis Hotel | 1.8 km | |
| Gîte Hôtel Gezira Louxor | 1.2 km | |
| Hilton Luxor Resort & Spa | 2019 | 3.9 km |
| Hotel Fontana Luxor | 0.6 km | |
| Hotel Sheherazade | 1.5 km | |
| Jewel of The Valley Howard Carter Hotel | 2.4 km | |
| Lotus Luxor Hotel | 1.6 km | |
| Luxor Guest House | 1.4 km | |
| Luxor Hotel | 1877 | 0.5 km |
| Nefertiti Hotel | 0.6 km | |
| New Memnon Hotel | 4.2 km | |
| Nile Castle | 1.3 km | |
| Nile Compound | 2.3 km | |
| Nour El Gourna | 4.9 km | |
| Nubian Oasis Hotel | 0.4 km | |
| Pavillon Winter Luxor | 0.6 km | |
| Philippe Hotel | 1.0 km | |
| Pyramids Luxor Hotel & SPA | 1.3 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Luxor
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Luxor are December to February. June is the warmest month, with average highs of 41 °C; October is the wettest, with about 1 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Luxor: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Luxor International Airport (LXR), about 6.8 km from the city centre in a straight line; Suhaj International Airport (HMB, 115 km) is also within reach.
Getting around
Uber doesn't work in Luxor, but its sister app Careem does. It takes card payments, and saves you having to explain your destination or negotiate with the driver. InDrive also works in Luxor. Luxor is brimming with rental shops for bikes and a great many hotels also hire out bicycles. Rental rates are about maximum 5USD (June 2025), depending on your bargaining skills, the relative demand on bikes that day and the quality of the bike in question. Check the tires and be wary of last minute inflating as they may deflate just as fast.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
LXR · Luxor International Airport
HMB · Suhaj International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Luxor
Eat
Luxor is a vegetarian's paradise with lots of fresh seasonal vegetables such as tomato and cucumber. A meal often begins with pita-bread and mezze such as baba ganoush or taboulé. Your main course may include meat or poultry, or regional dishes such as pigeon or rabbit. (To avoid an upset stomach, you may prefer to stick with the beef.) As with any heavily touristed area in Egypt, it is never hard to find reasonably well-executed Western food. Dairy products, such as yoghurt or gibna bayda cheese (like feta but creamier), might accompany your main meal. Finally, many good vegetarian desserts are available, though some might seem overly sweet to western tastes.
Drink
There is something of a social stigma attached to public drunkenness. Although Egyptians themselves sometimes choose to ignore this, for a foreigner to be drunk in public can give a bad impression. Most local pubs tend to be testosterone-filled hard-drinking dens where lone foreigners and especially lone women may feel uncomfortable. However, there are numerous places in Luxor to buy alcohol. Many restaurants, above the basic on the street places, sell lager and wine. They are generally made obvious by Stella signs outside or by having people drinking inside them.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Luxor: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Luxor?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Luxor are December to February. June is the warmest month, with average highs of 41 °C; October is the wettest, with about 1 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Luxor?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Luxor International Airport (LXR), about 6.8 km from the city centre in a straight line; Suhaj International Airport (HMB, 115 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Luxor?
Egyptian pound (EGP).
Nearby
Destinations near Luxor
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.