Getting around Luxor and the West Bank

5 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Karnak, Luxor Temple, the museums and most hotels lie on the East Bank. The Valley of the Kings, the Valley of the Queens, Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahari, Medinet Habu and the Colossi of Memnon are on the West Bank, spread along the foot of the Theban hills. Getting across the river is easy. Getting from one West Bank site to the next is what needs planning.

Crossing the Nile

The public ferry links the two banks throughout the day, and one guide from 2026 counts a departure every 10 to 15 minutes. It is the cheapest way across and is paid in cash, so keep small Egyptian notes. Private motorboats wait at the landings too and cost more. No official fare list was available for this guide, so ask before boarding. A taxi can also take the road over the Luxor Bridge, which saves changing between boat and car.

Taxis and drivers

Taxis in Luxor have no meters. Agree the fare before you set off, and for a West Bank day agree which sites you want, how long the driver waits and when you return. A local portal suggests starting on the West Bank at about 7:00, which fits the 6:00 opening of the sites and the quieter early hours. The UK government warns that touts and scammers target foreign visitors in tourist areas and advises women travelling alone to take care when using taxis.

Ride-hailing apps are a grey area. One local portal wrote in June 2026 that Uber operates in Luxor and in October 2026 that it does not, recommending inDrive instead. The German Foreign Office recommends app-based services over taxis hailed on the street, where they are available.

Distances on the West Bank

From central Luxor to the Valley of the Kings is about 17 km by road, roughly 22 minutes without traffic. From Karnak it is about 12 km, and from Hatshepsut’s temple to the Colossi of Memnon about 4.5 km, or 11 minutes. The distances are short by car but too long to walk in the heat, and one guide to the West Bank advises against cycling because the route is long, hilly and hot.

A private tour solves the transport and the explanations at once. Some include the entry fees, others leave them to you; the comparison below shows which. Group tours collect from hotels and cruise ships on the East Bank. For the order of the sites, see our itineraries.

Inside the sites

In the Valley of the Kings a small electric tram carries visitors from the visitor centre up to the tombs in about three minutes. It has its own ticket, bought at a window next to the main entrance, and the walk is an alternative. Between the Valley of the Queens and Hatshepsut’s temple, one guide also mentions an electric buggy for a small fee. Details on tickets are on the tickets and opening hours page.

From the airport

Luxor International Airport lies about 6 km east of the city, on the East Bank. Taxis to and from the airport have no meters either, so agree the fare before loading the bags. Several private tours collect guests at the airport and go straight to the sites, which suits an early arrival: from the terminal to the Valley of the Kings is about 19 km by road, roughly 23 minutes without traffic.

Guides, touts and help

Around the landings and the entrances, people offer to guide you or show you something. One tour operator advises checking that a guide is licensed and not giving in to pressure from people without authorisation. Inside the tombs, attendants who offer photos or a look behind a barrier for a tip are breaking the rules. If something goes wrong, the tourist police answer on 126, and the ambulance number is 123, according to the UK and German foreign offices.

On the East Bank

Luxor Temple stands in the town centre. The Avenue of Sphinxes, 2.7 km long, connects it with Karnak and was opened to the public in November 2021. Horse carriages are another way to see the town: guided carriage rides go through the streets and the old souq. Agree the price and the length of the ride before you climb in.