Luxor Day Trip from Sharm El Sheikh by Plane
A dawn flight, and by mid-morning you’re standing in the valley where pharaohs prepared for eternity.
Karnak took 2,000 years and thirty dynasties to complete; the tomb paint in the Valley of the Kings is still bright after three millennia. No screen can stand in for being there — and from Sharm, “there” is one short flight away.
Best for: History lovers, bucket-list travellers, curious families
You came to Sharm El Sheikh for the sea. But far to the south-west, across the desert, lies the city the ancient Egyptians called Waset, homeland of the gods — the greatest concentration of monuments the ancient world ever built. You could spend your whole holiday wondering about it. Or you could give it one day: a dawn flight, and Luxor is yours before the morning heat.
In Luxor your Egyptologist walks you into Karnak’s Great Hypostyle Hall, a forest of 134 columns with the tallest rising over 20 metres, every surface carved with the names of kings. Then the Valley of the Kings, where you descend into rock-cut royal tombs whose painted walls are still vivid after three thousand years. Between the stories and the stone, hours pass without you noticing.
This is where “old” gets recalibrated. These temples were already ancient when Rome was a village; Hatshepsut built her terraces a thousand years before the Parthenon. Standing at the Colossi of Memnon — two giants that have watched the Nile for 3,400 years — you are not looking at history behind glass. You are inside it, in the actual place, on an ordinary day of your holiday.
After lunch at a local restaurant you fly back over the desert and are at your hotel by evening. Flights, entrance fees, lunch and every transfer are arranged door to door, so the only thing you carry home is the day itself — the one you’ll still be telling people about long after the tan has faded.
In Luxor your Egyptologist walks you into Karnak’s Great Hypostyle Hall, a forest of 134 columns with the tallest rising over 20 metres, every surface carved with the names of kings. Then the Valley of the Kings, where you descend into rock-cut royal tombs whose painted walls are still vivid after three thousand years. Between the stories and the stone, hours pass without you noticing.
This is where “old” gets recalibrated. These temples were already ancient when Rome was a village; Hatshepsut built her terraces a thousand years before the Parthenon. Standing at the Colossi of Memnon — two giants that have watched the Nile for 3,400 years — you are not looking at history behind glass. You are inside it, in the actual place, on an ordinary day of your holiday.
After lunch at a local restaurant you fly back over the desert and are at your hotel by evening. Flights, entrance fees, lunch and every transfer are arranged door to door, so the only thing you carry home is the day itself — the one you’ll still be telling people about long after the tan has faded.
- Descend into painted royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, their colours intact after 3,000 years
- Walk Karnak’s Great Hypostyle Hall — 134 columns, the tallest rising over 20 metres
- Stand on the grand terraces Hatshepsut built a millennium before the Parthenon
- Meet the Colossi of Memnon, twin giants guarding the Nile’s west bank for 3,400 years
- Fly both ways from Sharm — no overnight bus — with flights, entrance fees and lunch included
- A licensed Egyptologist guide turns every stone into a story
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Sharm El Sheikh
- Round-trip flight tickets Sharm El Sheikh – Luxor
- Licensed Egyptologist guide (English, German, Arabic or Russian included; French, Italian, Spanish, Polish, Chinese or Turkish available at checkout)
- Entrance fees to Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Air-conditioned vehicle with a professional licensed driver in Luxor
- Soft drinks during the tour
- Egypt entry visa (approx. $30 USD, available online or on arrival)
- Drinks at the restaurant
- Entry ticket to Tutankhamun’s tomb
- Boat ride on the Nile
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2OptionalIs this tour available from your hotel or accommodation?
We offer free pickup and drop-off from hotels and accommodations across Sharm El Sheikh. Check yours below.
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Brilliant. Flying from Sharm to see the Valley of the Kings and Karnak was a highlight of our trip. Adel could not have been better. Highly recommend.
Perfect day. Flew from Sharm, explored the Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Hatshepsut's temple. Adel was brilliant and it was all so easy.
Ancient Luxor in one comfortable day. Flying meant we arrived fresh and had loads of time at the temples and tombs. Adel was superb and the lunch lovely.
Absolutely incredible. The flight from Sharm was easy, the Valley of the Kings mind-blowing and Karnak vast. Adel was fantastic. Highly recommend.
The best way to see Luxor from Sharm. Quick flight, the tombs of the Valley of the Kings, and the towering columns of Karnak. Adel made the history come alive. Highly recommend.
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