Getting to Luxor and the Valley of the Kings

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

Luxor sits on the Nile in Upper Egypt. The city and most hotels are on the East Bank, while the Valley of the Kings lies in the hills on the West Bank, about 17 km by road from the centre. Visitors arrive by air, by road from the Red Sea, by train or boat from Cairo and Aswan, and many come on a day trip from a beach hotel.

Flying into Luxor

Luxor International Airport lies about 6 km east of the city. Its main year-round routes go to Cairo, flown by Egyptair and Air Cairo, and in winter it also receives seasonal flights from Europe. From the terminal to the valley is about 19 km by road, about 23 minutes without traffic. Several private tours offer pickup at the airport, which lets you go straight to the West Bank after an early landing.

Before you fly, check the visa rules for your passport. The UK and German foreign offices list a visa on arrival for 30 USD, and the UK government says it is paid in cash at the airport counter before passport control and is valid for up to 30 days. An e-visa is the alternative: the Ministry of Interior asks for the application at least seven days before departure on visa2egypt.gov.eg. Your passport should be valid for at least six months after arrival. Reports about a fee rise from January 2027 have not been confirmed by a government source, so check the amount again before a trip next year. Children need their own passport.

There is no limit on bringing foreign currency into Egypt, but amounts above 10,000 USD have to be declared. The UK government gives a limit of 5,000 EGP for Egyptian pounds carried in or out, so plan to get most of your pounds once you are in Egypt.

From Hurghada, Makadi Bay and Marsa Alam

Hurghada lies about 295 km from Luxor by road. Route planners give a little under four hours without stops; in practice tours allow about four hours each way, with police checkpoints on the desert road. Reviews describe pickups between 3:00 and 5:00 and a return to the hotel in the evening, and one from October 2026 mentions waiting 40 minutes so that vehicles could cross the desert together in the dark. The German Foreign Office warns that the accident risk on Egyptian roads is very high and advises against driving at night, which is worth keeping in mind before hiring a car for this route.

From Marsa Alam the distance is about 360 km, roughly four hours and twenty minutes. Marsa Alam International Airport, 60 km north of the town, takes mainly European flights. Pickup areas vary by tour: one shared trip only collects north of the airport, while private tours cover the coast from El Gouna to Port Ghalib, with a surcharge for the far ends. The day trips from Hurghada page compares the tours in detail, and a two-day version with a night in Luxor takes the pressure off the return drive.

From Cairo

Cairo is about 640 km from Luxor by road, more than seven hours without stops, so most travellers fly or take the train. Sleeper trains run between Cairo and Upper Egypt. The sources disagree on which company sells the tickets to foreign travellers, and the German Foreign Office describes the railway as dated and notes that foreigners pay separate fares, often in foreign currency. Check the current timetable and operator when you book.

If your trip starts in Cairo, visitgreatpyramids.com is our guide to the pyramids of Giza.

By Nile cruise

Most Nile cruises sail between Luxor and Aswan, so many visitors arrive in Luxor by boat at the start or end of a cruise and visit the West Bank as part of the programme. The Nile cruise page covers the routes.

Safety on the way

The UK government advises against all but essential travel to most of the Western Desert, but lists Luxor and the Valley of the Kings, and the road from Baris to Luxor, as exceptions. It also warns that terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Egypt. The German Foreign Office does not name Luxor separately in its partial travel warning and describes the overall situation as stable and calm, with a nationwide risk of attacks. Read both before you travel. Once you have arrived, getting around Luxor explains the ferries, taxis and how to cross to the West Bank.