Three days is enough to see Luxor's great monuments without exhausting yourself, provided you respect the climate. The plan below puts the big sights at the cool ends of the day, keeps the hot middle for rest and food, and leaves room to swap days if wind cancels a balloon flight or you want a gentler pace.
Day one: the East Bank
Start at Karnak Temple when the gates open, head straight for the Great Hypostyle Hall before the tour groups arrive, then work back past the obelisks and the sacred lake. Plan on three hours or a little more. Return to your hotel for lunch and a rest, then visit the Luxor Museum if you want an air-conditioned hour of context. At dusk, walk through Luxor Temple while it is floodlit, and finish with dinner on the Corniche or in a rooftop restaurant near the temple. If you prefer an evening spectacle to a quiet dinner, the Karnak sound and light show is a good alternative, though it works best on a night when you have already seen the temple by day.
Day two: the West Bank
This is the day for an early start. If you want a hot-air balloon flight, book it for the first morning you can, so that a cancellation for wind can be rescheduled on day three. After landing, or from about opening time if you skip the balloon, visit the Valley of the Kings, where your ticket usually covers three tombs, then continue to Hatshepsut's terraced temple at Deir el-Bahari and pause for photographs at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back. Many travellers add Medinet Habu in the afternoon, which is calm, spacious and decorated with some of the best reliefs in Egypt. End the day on the water with a felucca sail or a trip to Banana Island at sunset, which is the best possible way to cool down.
Day three: choose your own adventure
By now you will know what interests you. Lovers of painted tombs should spend the morning at the Tombs of the Nobles, Deir el-Medina and the Valley of the Queens, where Nefertari's tomb is the highlight if you decide to buy the extra ticket. Temple enthusiasts can take a half-day trip to Dendera, with its Hathor-headed columns and astronomical ceilings. If you would rather slow down, sleep late, visit the Mummification Museum or walk the souk, then take a late afternoon felucca. Travellers continuing to Aswan can instead use this day for a road trip or cruise stage that stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo.
Where to stay
The East Bank puts you close to Luxor Temple, restaurants and the Corniche, while the West Bank is quieter and closer to the tombs and the balloon launch sites. If you want to walk to dinner and see Luxor Temple at night, a hotel near the Corniche is ideal. If your priority is peace and an easy dawn start, a West Bank courtyard hotel is hard to beat. Larger Nile resorts suit families who want a pool after each outing.
Practical tips
Carry cash in Egyptian pounds for tickets, tips and small purchases, because many sites still prefer it and foreign visitors pay a higher rate than locals. Take water everywhere, wear a hat and sunscreen and choose shoes with grip for uneven paving. Many tombs are small and warm, so light clothing helps. Photography rules vary from site to site and tomb to tomb, and flash is never allowed on painted surfaces, so ask before you use a camera. Agree taxi and carriage fares before you set off and expect a few persistent offers around the main gates, which a polite but firm refusal usually settles.
If the weather or your energy changes
Keep one block of the plan flexible. Winds can cancel a balloon flight, a sandstorm or a poor night's sleep can make a dawn start unappealing, and some tombs are closed on any given day. Because the East Bank and West Bank sights are independent, you can swap days without losing anything. A good habit is to book the one fixed item, such as the balloon, first, and to leave the rest as walk-up or same-day arrangements through your hotel. Travellers with children can drop the second tomb or the museum and add a river trip instead, which usually restores everyone's mood.
Making it flexible
If you only have two days, combine the first two and drop the museum and the evening spectacle. If you have four, add Dendera or the Tombs of the Nobles as their own half days and leave an afternoon free. Whatever you choose, the rhythm of early start, long lunch and a late outing will keep you fresh, and it is the same rhythm that Luxor's own residents follow through the hotter months.
