Luxor
Ancient Thebes on both banks of the Nile: temples standing in the streets of the modern town, the royal tombs across the river, and a runway open at every hour.
- Arrival
- Luxor International · LXR
- To the city
- About 15 minutes to Karnak by car
- Private jets
- Airport of entry at LXR, open 24 hours
- Best time
- November to March
The city
The living bank and the dead.
Thebes kept its temples on the east bank of the Nile and its royal tombs on the west. Karnak and Luxor Temple stand inside the town, joined by an avenue of sphinxes 2.7 kilometres long; across the water lie the Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens and the terraces of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahri, all on the World Heritage List since 1979.
Winter is the season: from November to March the afternoons run from 22 to 29 °C, and it almost never rains. The Winter Palace, where the press waited for news of Tutankhamun in 1922, is closed for restoration and is due to reopen in July 2027 under Mandarin Oriental.
- Karnak A hypostyle hall of 134 columns in sixteen rows, raised mostly under Seti I and Ramesses II.
- Valley of the Kings Some sixty-five tombs cut into the west-bank hills over nearly five centuries, among them Tutankhamun's, opened by Howard Carter in November 1922.
- Balloons at dawn Luxor has been the one place in Egypt to fly by hot-air balloon since 1988, drifting over the west bank at first light.
Arriving
Open to the hour, all year.
Luxor International lies just east of the town, about fifteen minutes from Karnak, with a 3,000-metre runway and a tower that never closes.
- Tel Aviv 1 h 20
- Riyadh 2 h 10
- Dubai 3 h 15
- Nairobi 4 h 15
- New York 12 h 30 long-range jet
When to go
November to March.
A desert climate with barely a millimetre of rain in a year. November to March brings clear afternoons of 22 to 29 °C; by April the highs reach 34 °C, and from May to September they stay near 40 °C.
- 22° J 0
- 24° F 0
- 29° M 0
- 34° A 0
- 38° M 1
- 40° J 0
- 40° J 0
- 39° A 0
- 38° S 0
- 34° O 1
- 28° N 0
- 24° D 0
Where to stay
Among the palms of the west bank.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
Where to dine
Dinner on the west bank.
No MICHELIN Guide covers Egypt, and the 1886 at the Winter Palace is closed while the hotel is restored. Al Moudira’s restaurant is listed by Relais & Châteaux and serves hotel residents only.
- Al Moudira Restaurant Relais & Châteaux Creative Al Moudira Hotel, west bank; hotel residents only
Elsewhere in Egypt
More reasons to come.
Flying to Luxor?
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A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.