Luxor Temple ticket office: prices, hours and how to visit

The student rate covers students up to age 30⁵, so bring your student card if you’re under that age.

Things to look out for:

• The entrance: seated colossi of the deified Ramesses II⁴ stand before the pylon, next to the obelisk at the entrance⁵.
• The Mosque of Abu Haggag: a small “hanging” mosque⁵ that sits on top of the ancient columns⁴, inside the temple.
• The layout: unlike most Egyptian temples, it doesn’t follow an east-west axis but faces towards Karnak¹.
• Roman traces: the Romans built a fort around the temple in the late third century AD¹.

The ancient Egyptians called it Ipet-resyt, the “Southern Sanctuary”¹. The temple was built around 1400 BC⁴, and its oldest evidence goes back to the Eighteenth Dynasty (c. 1550–1295 BC)¹.

Which god was Luxor Temple built for?

Luxor Temple wasn’t built for a single deity: unlike other Theban temples, it isn’t dedicated to a cult god or to a deified pharaoh after death⁴. Instead it hosted a great religious festival.

During the Opet Festival, the cult images of Amun, Mut and Khonsu were brought from their temples in Karnak¹ to Luxor Temple. That’s why the temple faces Karnak.

• By taxi: short trips within Luxor cost EGP 40–60⁷ (under US$1 to about US$1).
• On foot: the Corniche el-Nil runs along the east bank and links most of the major sights⁵.
• From Karnak: follow the Avenue of Sphinxes, which runs 2.7 km⁹ between the temples. Read up on walking the Avenue of Sphinxes before you go.
• From the West Bank: the local ferry (the National Ferry) crosses the Nile to a landing opposite Luxor Temple⁸.

Landmarks help you find your way. The Winter Palace Hotel stands just south of Luxor Temple¹⁰, buses for most major cities leave from behind Luxor Temple, and the older market covers several streets near the temple⁷.

• Karnak Temple: about 3 km⁵ north. It opens May–Sep 6AM–6PM, Oct–Apr 6AM–5PM⁵, closing earlier than Luxor Temple, so do Karnak first. The Karnak Temple visitor guide has the details.
• Luxor Museum: on the Corniche, about halfway between Luxor and Karnak temples⁵, with selected artefacts from the tomb of King Tut¹³.
• Museum of Mummification: also on the Corniche el-Nil on the East Bank⁵.

Across the river, the West Bank holds the major ruins, including the Valley of the Kings⁷. Take the ferry over and start with this guide to the Colossi of Memnon, or end the day with a felucca ride on the Nile. There’s more on things to do in Luxor on the hub page.