Luxor

Luxor, in Upper (South) Egypt and on the banks of the river Nile, is the site of ancient Thebes. It was the dynastic and religious capital of the Middle and New Kingdoms of Pharaonic times. Nowadays the city is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations and the best places to stay in Luxor provide style, comfort and a great base for enjoying this fascinating city.

Modern Luxor which is also known as the world’s greatest open air museum. It contains the ruins of the temples of Karnak and Luxor. The valley of the Kings and the Valley of the Queens, ancient burial grounds, lie nearby - these are where the ritual burials of the Pharaohs took place.

However, there's much more to Luxor than museums and archaeology. The desert and river scenery is dramatically beautiful. The city bustles with life and there are a raft of excellent places to eat, drink and shop. There are two main souks where you can browse and practise your haggling skills. There are boat trips down the Nile and transport is cheap and plentiful whether by taxi, train, bicycle, motor bike or horse drawn caleche.

WHAT NOT TO MISS

There are so many things to see and do that it can be difficult to narrow down the options, but here's our pick of the things that you'd be mad to miss:

• The Valley of the Kings/Queens
• Temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor
• Medinet Habu - the memorial temple to Ramesses III
• The Ramesseum Temple - the memorial to Ramesses II, situated on Luxor's West Bank
• Deir El Medina is an ancient Egyptian workers' village, situated just south of the Valley of the Kings, and is the remains of where the creators of the stunning tombs lived.
• Luxor Museum of Mummification offers a fascinating insight into this extraordinary practice.
• A trip down the Nile on a traditional felucca.

Our pick of the best places to stay in Luxor are centrally located properties that are ideal bases for exploring this bucket-list destination.

For Dreamy Luxury

• Al Moudira Hotel is a very lovely boutique hotel on the west bank of the Nile. Its gorgeous rooms all have four poster beds and are filled with antique furniture. There is an a la carte restaurant and evening jazz. Swimming pool and Spa also. A honeymoon favorite!

For an apartment

• If you think that you'd prefer a self catering option, then check out the wide range available with our online partner, Booking.com.

Travel Information

• Luxor has a hot desert climate - it is one of the hottest, driest and sunniest cities in the world. So if you want to avoid the searing heat of the summer months, we recommend you plan to visit from September through to April (but remember that Christmas, New Year and Easter are always popular and expensive). Temperature highs during these months range from the mid 20s to the mid 30s Celcius.
• Luxor International airport is about 6 kilometres from the centre of the city. It is best to use either one of the transfer companies or an airport taxi to get into town.
• The train station has excellent links - North to Cairo and South to Aswan.
• For those wanting to hire a car, we recommend our partner, Rentalcars.

Still not sure which to book?

• Browse our lisf of all the best places to stay in Luxor,
• expand your search to include all our Egypt recommendations,
• or contact a friendly guru for advice.