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Luxor hotels

What's On?                     Overview                     Prepare                     Highlights 

Hotels in Luxor provide an extremely wide variety of accommodation options, from basic budget hotels to luxury hotels that are extreme in their opulence.   Most are to be found on the East Bank of the city, but there is some hotel development underway on the more easy-going yet isolated West Bank.  These latter Luxor hotels offer closer proximity to the archaeological sites where the ancient capital of Egypt, Thebes, once existed, however you are restricted in accessing the city itself due to the river.

river scenery and spectacular desert vistas all on offer.... 

Luxor is fairly small by Egyptian standards, but is nevertheless the premier destination in Upper Egypt.  With vast temples at Karnak, ancient royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings and Queens, river scenery and spectacular desert vistas all on offer, this city both modern and ancient is genuinely fantastic.  As well as its own sights, Luxor is a great base from which to see Dendera and the unbelievably well-preserved  Ptolemaic Temple of Hathor, and many Luxor hotels offer day trips to do just that.

It is important to note that hotel touts should be ignored at all costs and that you should use a map or directions to locate your hotel.  Cheap hotels in Luxor are best found by using our hotel price comparison service, before booking in advance and obtaining clear transfer directions to the hotel of your choice.

 

Overview

Overview

Straddling the Nile, Luxor is part bustling modern city and part monument to a time when Egypt ruled the world. The astounding temples and tombs of the Theban escarpment dominate the West Bank and the massive complex at Karnak lies just to the north of the city.

See

Spend the day in the spectacular temple complex at Karnak and marvel at its scale. See relics of the pharaohs in Luxor Museum and discover the gruesome secrets of embalming in the Mummification Museum. Across the river in Thebes, cherry-pick from the many splendid tombs in the Valley of the Kings.
New

For a change from pharaonic ruins, take a two-day jeep safari to the oasis at Kharga for a taste of desert life and the chance to explore the Christian cemeteries at nearby Bhagawat.
Spend

Brave the hustlers in Luxor's souks to discover silk, jewellery, hubble-bubble pipes and embroidered dresses at knock-down prices – haggle hard for your bargain. Alabaster figurines from the workshops of the West Bank and clay cooking pots called tagens make great souvenirs. Pick up pastries and fruit for picnics on the hoof.
Get Out

Sip champagne as Luxor's ancient sights spread out below you on an early-morning balloon flight or experience the desert sunset first-hand on horseback. Tour companies organise evening trips into the desert to meet local nomads and indulge in traditional dining and dancing in tents perched on the banks of the river Nile.
Culture

Nightly son et lumière extravaganzas at Karnak retell the legends of Ancient Egypt. Several hotels lay on shows complete with belly dancers, snake charmers and traditional music. To get out into the desert at night, buy tickets for the barbecue and horse-riding shows at riding schools on the West Bank.
Eat & Drink

Luxor caters for visitors with a range of international cuisines. On the East Bank there are many hotel restaurants and a few Egyptian cafés in which to sample mezzes and kofte. Across the river on the West Bank, several restaurants serve local specialities like pigeon and thick, spicy lentil soup. Alcohol is rarely served outside hotels.
New Perspective

In late afternoon, spot the pillars, tombs and temples scattered in the lunar landscape of Thebes and the monumental figures of Karnak as you drift down river on-board a felucca. Watch the sun slip down over the Nile as the sailing boat glides back to Luxor.

Prepare

Prepare

Bring a sun hat, a pair of walking shoes and a well-informed guide to the land of the pharaohs. Get into bargaining mode for trips to the souks.

Luxor Year

Get fit to join in the Luxor Marathon, held on the West Bank in February. Dig deep into your pocket to take advantage of August's countrywide Tourism and Shopping Festival or don ancient Egyptian costume to tie the knot during Karnak's Pharaonic Wedding Festival in October. Three weeks before Ramadan, experience ancient stick dancing, daring Arabian horse riding and traditional music during the Moulid of Abu al-Haggag, Luxor's primary religious festival.
Public Holidays

New Year's Day, Birth of the Prophet (varies), Coptic Easter (varies, Mar-Apr), Sham an-Nessim (Coptic public holiday, 1st Mon after Coptic Easter), Labour Day (1 May), Liberation Day (18 Jun), Revolution Day (23 Jul), First Day of Ramadan (varies), Armed Forces Day (6 Oct), End of Ramadan (varies), Suez Victory Day (24 Oct), Great Feast (marks the time of the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca, varies), Victory Day (23 Dec), Islamic New Year (varies).
Weather

Luxor's climate is consistently hot and dry, with rainfall averaging out at precisely zero in most years. From May until late September the temperature hovers around 40 degrees Celsius, making sightseeing exhausting in the middle of the day. Temperatures are a little lower for the rest of the year, with December and January showing a very pleasant low of 20 degrees – an ideal time to visit.
Electricity

240V AC, 50 Hz, two-pin plugs are standard.
Dialling Code

+20 (national), (0) 95 + seven-figure number (Luxor).
Money

Egyptian pound (EGP) is the currency.
GMT

GMT +2 (+3 in summertime).
Luxor Tourist Info

Egyptian Tourist Authority website

Fit In

Women should dress modestly to avoid unwanted male attention; skimpy T-shirts and tiny shorts are also considered disrespectful when exploring religious sites. Both sexes should take loose fitting, long-sleeved cotton or linen clothes to protect against the heat, while mineral water is de rigueur for temple exploration.

Highlights

Highlights

The area around Luxor has been described as the world's largest open-air museum. Its fabulous architectural riches are mobbed by visitors all year around.

Just north of Luxor's East Bank, among the spiritual wonders of gigantic Karnak lies the sprawling Amun Temple and its Great Hypostyle Hall – bigger than St Peter's in Rome. Back in town, see Luxor Temple illuminated by night, when its eerie reflection sparkles back off the waters of the Nile.

Cross the river to Thebes to discover tombs embedded in the cliffs and covered in hieroglyphics in the arid Valley of the Kings, as well as the Ramesseum, a vast monument to the ego of Ramses II. Sidetrack to Deir al-Medina to see the village of the craftsmen who built the tombs of ancient Egypt's royal dynasties.
Sightseeing Tips

Rise early when visiting Karnak and the West Bank sites to dodge the crowds and avoid the scorching midday sun. Don't hope to see every tomb in the Valley of the Kings, but make sure you catch Tutankhamun and the Colossi of Memnon. Take plenty of small change to give out as baksheesh to helpful mosque and museum attendants.

Content provided by Frommer's Unlimited © 2009, Whatsonwhen Limited.