What to see in Luxor in two days

Luxor stands on the site of ancient Thebes, the religious capital of Egypt for much of the New Kingdom. Within a few kilometres it packs in temples, royal tombs and villages that still live off the river. Two well-planned days are enough to see the essentials without rushing, as long as you understand how the city is laid out and get up early on the day you cross the Nile.

How Luxor is laid out: two banks, two worlds

The Nile splits Luxor into two halves that have had very different roles since antiquity. The east bank, where the sun rises, was the city of the living: the great temples to Amun, the palaces and everyday life. Today it holds the modern town, the Corniche, most hotels and the souk.

The west bank, where the sun sets, is where the ancient Egyptians buried their dead. This is the Theban necropolis, a landscape of limestone hills and sugar cane fields scattered with tombs and mortuary temples.

• East bank: Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Avenue of Sphinxes that links them, plus the Luxor Museum.
• West bank: the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, the Colossi of Memnon, Medinet Habu and the Valley of the Queens.

Giving each bank its own day is the simplest way to plan. You avoid crossing back and forth, and the sites on each side sit fairly close together.

Day 1: the east bank

Start at Karnak as soon as it opens, while there is still shade between the columns. It is not one temple but a vast complex that was built and extended over roughly two thousand years. The highlight is the Great Hypostyle Hall, with 134 massive columns covered in carvings, along with the obelisks of Thutmose I and Hatshepsut. Allow two to three hours to walk it properly, including the sacred lake.

From Karnak, the Avenue of Sphinxes runs for almost three kilometres to Luxor Temple. This ancient processional way was restored and reopened to visitors a few years ago, and walking even part of it gives you a feel for the scale of the old city. Around midday, take a break: the heat is strong for most of the year, so it is a good time for lunch and a rest at the hotel.

In the afternoon, the Luxor Museum is small, well laid out and full of pieces found locally. End the day at Luxor Temple, right in the centre of town. At sunset and under floodlights, the courtyard of Ramesses II, the obelisk still standing at the entrance (its twin is in the Place de la Concorde in Paris) and the colonnade of Amenhotep III look quite different. Opening hours for each temple vary by season [verify].

Day 2: the west bank, with an early start

Day two starts early, ideally leaving your hotel around six or seven. There is very little shade on the west bank, and by mid-morning the sun is already beating down on the rock. Arriving at opening time also means fewer people inside the tombs.

Head first to the Valley of the Kings, where the pharaohs of the New Kingdom had their tombs cut into the hillside. The walls still hold vivid colours and texts meant to guide the king through the afterlife. A short drive away is the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, its terraces rising in steps at the foot of the cliffs. It was built for one of the few women who ruled as pharaoh.

If you still have energy, continue to Medinet Habu, the mortuary temple of Ramesses III, with well-preserved reliefs and fewer visitors than the bigger names. The Valley of the Queens, where queens and royal children were buried, is another option. On the way back to the river, stop for a few minutes at the Colossi of Memnon, two seated statues of Amenhotep III that once guarded the entrance to his temple, now almost entirely gone. They stand right by the road and take only a moment to see.

Getting across the river

There are a few ways to cross. The public ferry runs across the Nile near Luxor Temple and is a cheap, local option. Motorboats also leave from several landings along the Corniche and drop you on the other side in a few minutes; agree on the fare before you board.

By road, you cross on the bridge a few kilometres south of town. This is the usual route if you are travelling by car or with a guide, since the distances between tombs and temples on the west bank are too long to walk comfortably.

Tickets and which tombs are open

Each archaeological site has its own ticket, sold at the gate or at official ticket offices, and prices change often [verify]. In the Valley of the Kings, the standard ticket covers a limited number of tombs, while some, such as Tutankhamun and Seti I, need a separate ticket [verify].

The open tombs rotate to protect the paintings from humidity and the wear caused by visitors. That means you cannot know far in advance which ones you will see; check the list at the entrance on the day [verify]. In the Valley of the Queens, the tomb of Nefertari usually has its own limited-access ticket [verify].

Hot-air balloon at dawn: an option

Balloon flights take off from the west bank before sunrise and drift over the necropolis, the fields and the river. If it appeals to you, it fits neatly into the morning of day two, since you will already be on the right side of the river and can carry on with your visits after landing.

Flights depend on the wind and on that day's permissions, and they are cancelled fairly often. Look into the operator carefully, ask what happens if the flight is called off, and make your own decision. It is an optional extra, not something you need in order to experience Luxor.

Where to eat

On the east bank you will find restaurants with terraces on the Corniche and rooftops looking across the Nile to the west bank hills, especially around Luxor Temple. Near the souk, simple local places serve koshari, ful, taameya (the Egyptian take on falafel made with fava beans) and fiteer, a flaky layered pastry that comes sweet or savoury.

The west bank has plenty of family-run restaurants, often in houses with a garden, serving chicken, vegetable stews, rice and freshly baked bread. They make a good lunch stop after the tombs. Stick to bottled water and keep a spare bottle in the car on your west bank day.