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Ramesseum, Luxor: tickets, hours and how to get there

Last checked: October 2026

Osiride pillar statues in front of a stone portico at the Ramesseum
Osiride pillar statues in front of a stone portico at the Ramesseum
Ramesseum on Google Maps

Ramesseum

Photo: Google Maps
Type
Historical place
Address
Al Qarna, Luxor Governorate 1341711
Area
Qurna (West Bank)
Entry fee
The Ministry lists Ramesseum tickets for foreigners at EGP 220 for adults and EGP 110 for students.3Egyptian visitors pay EGP 20 for adults and EGP 10 for students at the Ramesseum.6
Google rating
4.7 (960 reviews) on Google Maps, checked October 2026
Opening hours on Google Maps, checked October 2026
DayHours
Monday
06:00–17:00
Tuesday
06:00–17:00
Wednesday
06:00–17:00
Thursday
06:00–17:00
Friday
06:00–17:00
Saturday
06:00–17:00
Sunday
06:00–17:00

The temple of Ramesses II

What is the Ramesseum famous for?

The Ramesseum is famous for its fallen “Ozymandias” colossus of Ramesses II, which would rise 19 m1 above the ground if it still stood. The temple itself was built as a sandstone funerary temple6.

Fallen colossus: 19 m if upright1

Why the ruins matter more than their state suggests:

  • A template for later kings: the temple served as a model for temples later built by other kings6.
  • The builder: Ramesses II is often regarded as the greatest and most powerful pharaoh of the New Kingdom, and his 66-year7 rule is the longest recorded reign of any pharaoh.
  • The city behind it: Thebes was the city of the god Amun and Egypt’s capital in the Middle and New Kingdoms8.
  • The name: the complex between Qurna and the desert has been called the Ramesseum since the 19th century7.
Osiride pillars of Ramesses II beside the toppled granite colossus at the Ramesseum
Osiride pillars of Ramesses II beside the toppled granite colossus at the Ramesseum

Ferry, then wheels

How do you get to the Ramesseum from Luxor?

Cross the Nile on the local ferry, then take a taxi or minibus about 5 km2 from the West Bank landing. The temple sits in the Theban Necropolis1, so the last stretch is a short walk from the ticket booth.

About 5 km from the ferry landing2

  1. Cross the Nile

    Take the blue local ferry from the landing opposite Luxor Temple. Foreigners pay EGP 20.

  2. Ride to the ticket office

    Taxis and minibuses run from the ferry villages of Gazirat el-Bairat and Gazirat er-Ramla, about 5 km from the temple.

  3. Buy your ticket

    The temple uses the central West Bank ticket office, on the left at the end of the straight main road from the ferry port.

  4. Walk to the temple

    From the ticket booth the road reaches the temple after about 1,100 m, on the south side of the road.

Ways to cover the ride, by price:

  • Taxi from the East Bank: a round trip to the West Bank costs about EGP 2009 (about US$4).
  • Taxi for the day: hiring one on the West Bank costs EGP 500–1,00010 (about US$9–18), depending on how well you haggle.
  • Tuk-tuk: West Bank tuk-tuks charge a little less than standard taxis10.
  • Minibus: the cheapest option, and it can drop you near the ticket booth2.

Before you go

Tickets and opening hours

Foreign adults: EGP 2203

Google Maps lists the temple open Monday to Sunday, 06:00–17:005 (checked October 2026). The official site also gives a 6AM opening, while German Wikivoyage lists 8AM–5PM2, so check on the day if you plan a very early start.

Ramesseum tickets and the ferry

TicketAdultChild
Ramesseum, foreign visitors
EGP 220
Students EGP 110
Ramesseum, Egyptian visitors
EGP 20
Students EGP 10
Local ferry across the Nile (foreigners)
EGP 20
–

egymonuments.gov.eg (official); Wikivoyage

Other ways to see it

Children, tours and balloon views

There’s no official word on access or facilities at the site, but one tour operator gives age rules. Luxor and Aswan Travel, a licensed operator, says its private day tour to the Ramesseum, Medinet Habu and the Tombs of the Nobles is suitable for all ages12.

What that tour charges, in its own words:

  • Adults: from US$95 per person in a group of 6 or more, rising to US$175 for one traveller12.
  • Young children: children up to 5 go free12.
  • Older children: ages 6 to 11 pay half price12.

From the air is another way to see it. Egypt Independent reports that Luxor’s balloon flight passes over the Ramesseum, the temple of Amenhotep II and the tombs of the Valley of the Kings13.

Fallen granite pieces of the Ramesses II colossus, including a giant foot, at the Ramesseum
Fallen granite pieces of the Ramesses II colossus, including a giant foot, at the Ramesseum

Make a day of it

Nearby sights on the West Bank

The nearest sight with a stated distance is Deir el-Medina: its Hathor temple is just under 900 m2 from the Ramesseum. Most other West Bank sites share the same central ticket office, which makes a combined day easy.

Deir el-Medina: just under 900 m2

West Bank sights near the Ramesseum
SightWhy goForeign adult ticketWhere to buy
Deir el-Medina
Village of the artisans who built the royal tombs
–
Central West Bank office
Medinet Habu
A stop on the budget walking route
EGP 230
Central West Bank office
Tombs of the Nobles
Most visited west bank cemetery; hill above has views over the Ramesseum
–
Central West Bank office
Colossi of Memnon
Huge stone statues of Amenhotep III
Free from the roadside
No ticket needed
Hatshepsut temple
Faces Karnak, Amun's main sanctuary, across the Nile
EGP 440
Its own ticket office
Valley of the Kings
One of Egypt's most famous archaeological sites
–
Its own ticket office

Wikipedia; Wikivoyage; egymonuments.gov.eg (official)

Walkers can follow a 6 km10 budget route past Medinet Habu, Deir el-Medina and the Tombs of the Nobles. Read up on the Deir el-Medina workers’ village, check tickets and hours at Medinet Habu, or get more on the Valley of the Kings before you go.

Ramesses II’s Great Wife Nefertari lies in tomb QV6614 in the Valley of the Queens, though other sources say the tomb is currently closed15.

The Ramesseum's columns and pillars standing at the edge of the desert below the Theban hills
The Ramesseum's columns and pillars standing at the edge of the desert below the Theban hills

Both banks

Fitting the temple into your Luxor days

The River Nile splits Luxor into the East Bank and the West Bank15. The West Bank holds the major ruins, including the Valley of the Kings, while the East Bank has the city, Luxor Temple and the Temple of Karnak9.

Questions people ask

Where is Ramesses II's mummy today?

On display at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in Cairo.

How tall was Ramesses II?

Wikipedia gives his mummy's height as about 1.7 metres.

Was Ramesses II the pharaoh of the Exodus?

That's a popular picture, but scholars dispute it.

How many wives did Ramesses II have?

Wikipedia counts 8 Great Royal Wives; National Geographic says only 2, Nefertari and Isetnofret, had prominent roles.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Pexels. Authors and licences: image credits

Checked against 20 sources · last checked October 2026
  1. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  2. Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
  3. egymonuments.gov.eg (official) · checked October 2026
  4. Central Bank of Egypt (official, via Frankfurter) · checked October 2026
  5. Google Maps listings via DataForSEO · checked October 2026
  6. egymonuments.gov.eg (official) · checked October 2026
  7. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  8. whc.unesco.org (official) · checked October 2026
  9. Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
  10. Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
  11. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  12. Luxor and Aswan Travel (operator) · checked October 2026
  13. Egypt Independent (news) · checked October 2026
  14. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  15. Experience Egypt (official) · checked October 2026
  16. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  17. egymonuments.gov.eg (official) · checked October 2026
  18. egymonuments.gov.eg (official) · checked October 2026
  19. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  20. National Geographic (news) · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 23 October 2026
  • First written