Egypt Lovely Tours · Luxor
A private guide and driver take you to the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon, and have you back at your hotel by lunch. Pick it for the early start: the first car in the valley at 6 am beats both the heat and the coaches.
This is the short version of the West Bank, and on review score the best-loved: 5.0 from 474 reviews. A private car and an English-speaking Egyptologist collect you in Luxor. The plan gives 2 hours in the Valley of the Kings, 2 hours at Hatshepsut's temple and 20 minutes at the Colossi of Memnon. That is twice the time at the temple most full-day tours allow.
Read the price carefully. The from-price of $11 is per person for the largest group on the cheapest option, which is a car without tickets. The listing says the tour "can be booked with or without entrance tickets, depending on the option you select". If you take the no-ticket option, budget the official gate prices on top: EGP 440 for Hatshepsut (the Ministry price list) and EGP 750 for the Valley of the Kings with three tombs (the official Valley of the Kings page). That is about $23 at about EGP 52 to the dollar. A Spanish-speaking guide and airport pickup cost extra.
Guests write about the guides by name, which is a good sign, and several mention an alabaster or replica workshop on the way. It is short and you don't have to buy. The real limit is the scope: no Medinat Habu, no workers' village, no Valley of the Queens. If you want those, the full-day private tour costs little more.
The guide confirms the time by message. Choose the earliest slot from May to September.
The guide briefs you outside each tomb and helps you buy any extra tickets. Three tombs are on the standard ticket.
Many guides stop at an alabaster workshop between sites. It's optional; say so if you'd rather skip it.
Time to climb all three terraces and see the Punt reliefs and the Osiride statues with the guide.
A photo stop at the two statues, then back to your hotel around midday.
★★★★★Our half-day tour started right at 5:30 AM when Ammar (our guide) and our driver picked us up at our hotel to head to the West Bank. Thanks to the early start, we were the very first people to enter the Valley of the Kings right at 6:00 AM [...]
★★★★★Hany Yassen was an outstanding tour guide. [...] He also told me which tombs to go to and worth the extra money and what was not which made me happy. Then he took me to an amazing place where Egyptians make Alabaster.
★★★★★He was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and informative, sharing the history and important details in an engaging way while also being very considerate of the heat and making sure we weren’t standing in the sun for too long.
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Not at that price. The from-price is the car-and-guide option for the largest group. Choose the option with entrance fees when you book, or pay at the gate: EGP 440 for Hatshepsut's temple and EGP 750 for the Valley of the Kings (three tombs) per foreign adult.
4 to 5 hours. The plan gives 2 hours in the Valley of the Kings, 2 hours at Hatshepsut's temple and 20 minutes at the Colossi of Memnon, plus the drives.
Yes, if you buy the extra ticket at the Valley of the Kings: EGP 700 per foreign adult on the official Ministry page. It is not in any option of this tour.
Yes. Only your group, with your own driver and guide. The price per person drops as the group grows.
Ready to book
Hatshepsut's temple, three royal tombs and the Colossi of Memnon in a morning, with a private guide and an air-conditioned car.
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