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See dates on GetYourGuideColossi of Memnon, Egypt: what they are and how to visit
Colossi of Memnon
Photo: Google Maps- Type
- Historical landmark
- Address
- Al Bairat, Al Qarna, Luxor Governorate 1341703
- Area
- Qurna (West Bank)
- Entry fee
- The Colossi of Memnon are free to see from the roadside.1
- Google rating
- 4.6 (11,871 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026
- On the map
- Open in Google Maps
Google Maps lists no opening hours
Amenhotep III's gatekeepers
What the Colossi of Memnon are
The Colossi of Memnon are the stone gatekeepers of Amenhotep III’s memorial temple, which now lies in ruins behind them.
18 m (60 ft) tall3
- Who they show: the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III1, who ruled from about 1391 to about 1353 BC2.
- How big they are: the statues reach 18 m (60 ft)3 in height.
- What they were for: they were first built to stand guard at the entrance to his memorial temple3.
- Where they stand: at the front of his ruined mortuary temple, the largest temple in the Theban Necropolis3.
Restored statues in the news
Arab News reported that Egypt revealed two restored colossal statues of Amenhotep III in Luxor on Sunday 14 December 20254.
The dawn legend
Do the Colossi of Memnon still sing?
No. The sound stopped, probably because of the weight of the rebuilt upper tiers3, so the statues stay silent today.
Last reliable record: AD 1963
Ancient visitors said the northern statue ‘sang’ within an hour or two of sunrise, usually right at dawn3. Here’s how the story runs:
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| 27 BC3 | An earthquake did further damage to the statues |
| AD 1963 | The last reliable record of the sound |
| Today | The statues no longer sing3 |
Crossing to the West Bank
How do you get to the Colossi of Memnon from Luxor?
Cross the Nile to the West Bank by local ferry or taxi, then follow the main road inland: the Colossi stand beside it, just before the archaeological area1.
Local ferry: EGP 205
-
Take the local ferry
The blue local ferry runs from a landing opposite Luxor Temple; foreigners pay EGP 20.
-
Head inland on the main road
From the ferry port you pass green farmland, then reach the Colossi of Memnon.
-
Carry on for temple tickets
The main West Bank ticket office is on the left at the end of the straight main road from the ferry port.
Prefer not to juggle ferries? A round trip by taxi to the West Bank costs about EGP 2005 (about US$4). The West Bank’s archaeological sites are spread out1, so a taxi helps if you’re adding temples further on.
For your map app, Google Maps gives the address as Al Bairat, Al Qarna, Luxor Governorate 13417037.
What you pay
Entry fee and tickets
Free from the roadside1
The Colossi of Memnon cost nothing: they’re free to see from the roadside1 (checked October 2026). The temples nearby do charge foreigners.
Entry fees at and near the Colossi
| Ticket | Adult |
|---|---|
| Colossi of Memnon (roadside) | Free |
| Medinet Habu (foreigners) | EGP 230 |
| Ramesseum (foreigners) | EGP 220 |
Wikivoyage; egymonuments.gov.eg (official)
Students pay EGP 1108 (about US$2) at Medinet Habu and EGP 1109 (about US$2) at the Ramesseum.
Beating the heat
When to go
Go in the cooler months and early in the day, when the roadside has no shade to speak of and the heat hasn’t built up.
Best: November to early March5
Next stops
Nearby sites on the West Bank
The Colossi sit on the way to the bigger West Bank temples, so it’s easy to carry on to one of these:
Medinet Habu: 3.5 km walk from the ferry1
- Medinet Habu: the mortuary temple of Ramesses III, a 3.5 km1 walk from the ferry port area. Read up on visiting Medinet Habu from Luxor.
- Ramesseum: the mortuary temple of Ramses II, at Gurna1. See the Ramesseum, papyri and visit guide.
- Valley of the Kings: one of the most famous archaeological sites in Egypt5. Start with the Valley of the Kings tomb guide.
Back across the river, Egypt’s official tourism site calls Luxor and Karnak Temples11 the most revered sites in Luxor. Plan a visit to Karnak Temple on the East Bank, and read the history of the Luxor obelisks before you go.
Arriving on a Nile boat? The Egypt river cruise itinerary breakdown shows how the Luxor days fit together. For everything else, browse more things to do on both banks.
Guided option
Seeing the Colossi on a tour
A shared day tour saves you sorting out ferries and taxis on your own. The card below shows what the tour covers and what you pay.
Questions people ask
Where is Amenhotep III buried?
In tomb WV22, in the Western Valley of the Valley of the Kings.
Where is the mummy of Amenhotep III now?
It was moved in antiquity to the KV35 cache, found by Victor Loret in 1898, and is now in the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization.
How far is Luxor from Cairo?
About 670 km: roughly 10 hours by train or about 1 hour by air.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Pexels. Authors and licences: image credits
Checked against 11 sources · last checked October 2026
- Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- Arab News (news) · checked October 2026
- Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
- Central Bank of Egypt (official, via Frankfurter) · checked October 2026
- Google Maps listings via DataForSEO · checked October 2026
- egymonuments.gov.eg (official) · checked October 2026
- egymonuments.gov.eg (official) · checked October 2026
- Wikipedia · checked October 2026
- Experience Egypt (official) · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 23 October 2026
- First written
