Medinet Habu, Egypt: Ramses III's temple, tickets and hours

• Who built it: Ramses III built his mortuary temple, also known as the Temple of Medinet Habu¹.
• What survives: the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III is the largest and best-preserved site at Medinet Habu, about 150 m² long.
• Why it’s admired: Egypt’s official monuments site calls it an architectural masterpiece¹ for its beauty and good state of preservation.
• The reliefs: they show the arrival and defeat of the Sea Peoples² in the reign of Ramses III.

1. 01

   Cross the Nile

   The blue local ferry to the West Bank costs foreigners EGP 20.

2. 02

   Buy your ticket

   Medinet Habu uses the central West Bank ticket office, on the left at the end of the straight main road from the ferry port. It takes cards only.

3. 03

   Reach the temple

   Wikivoyage puts Medinet Habu's ticket office 800 m northwest of the temple.

The West Bank’s sites are spread out⁵, so pick your transport with the rest of your day in mind:

• On foot: Medinet Habu is a 3.5 km⁵ walk from the ferry port area.
• Bicycle: hotels rent bikes for EGP 10–20 (under US$1), and shops beyond the West Bank ferry jetty for EGP 30–40⁵ (under US$1).
• Taxi: a round trip by taxi to the West Bank costs about EGP 200⁷ (about US$4), and a taxi for the day from the West Bank about EGP 500–1,000⁵ (about US$9–18), depending on haggling.
• Tuk-tuk: West Bank tuk-tuks charge a little less than standard taxis⁵.

On the East Bank, Egypt’s official tourism site rates Luxor and Karnak Temples¹² as the city’s most revered sites, and Karnak’s Hypostyle Hall roof rests on 134 columns¹³. Medinet Habu is the quieter West Bank temple to pair with them.

Several sights sit close enough to combine with Medinet Habu in one outing:

• Memorial temple of Ay and Horemheb: next door, north of Medinet Habu’s outer wall².
• Deir el-Medina workmen’s village: home to the artisans who built the tombs in the Valley of the Kings¹⁵. Wikivoyage’s budget hike of about 6 km⁵ starts at Medinet Habu, then takes in Deir el-Medina and the Tombs of the Nobles.
• Valley of the Queens tombs and tickets: one of the major ruins of the West Bank⁷, alongside the Valley of the Kings.
• Colossi of Memnon visitor guide: two huge stone statues of the 18th Dynasty pharaoh Amenhotep III⁵.
• Valley of the Kings guide: one of the most famous archaeological sites in Egypt⁷.
• Deir el-Shelwit: a Greco-Roman temple to Isis, 4 km² south of Medinet Habu.
• Malkata: a palace site in the desert south of Medinet Habu¹⁶.

For the East Bank temples and everything else, see Luxor’s other things to do.