If you have one day in Luxor, this is the one. It starts before five in the morning and finishes mid-afternoon, and in between it covers the balloon flight and every site the city is known for — the royal tombs and mortuary temples on the West Bank, then Karnak and Luxor Temple across the river.
It is a long day by design. Everything is timed so that the tombs are reached before the heat and the coaches, and Karnak is walked in the early afternoon when the light is at its best on the hypostyle hall.
Prefer to keep it to the morning? The Balloon + Valley of the Kings tour ends after lunch.
Itinerary
-
04:30–05:00Hotel pickup Private air-conditioned transfer
-
SunriseHot air balloon flight Over the West Bank and the Nile valley
-
08:00Valley of the Kings
-
09:30Temple of Hatshepsut
-
10:30Colossi of Memnon
-
11:00Cross the Nile Over to the East Bank
-
11:30Lunch
-
12:30Karnak Temple
-
14:00Luxor Temple
-
15:00Return to hotel
What’s included
- Private transportation
- Sunrise hot air balloon flight
- Professional Egyptologist guide
- Entrance tickets to the listed sites
- Lunch
- Bottled water
- Flight certificate
- Hotel or Nile cruise pickup and return
What you will see from the balloon
On a normal morning the balloon drifts within sight of Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Nile River, Colossi of Memnon, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple — the exact route depends on the wind, which is what makes every flight different.
Questions about this tour
Hotel pickup is usually between 4:00 and 4:30 AM, and the balloon lifts off right at sunrise — roughly 5:30 AM in summer and 6:30 AM in winter. Exact times shift with the season, so we confirm your pickup the evening before your flight.
The flight itself lasts 35 to 45 minutes in the air. Allow around 3 to 3.5 hours door to door, including hotel pickup, the safety briefing, inflation, the flight, the landing celebration and the drive back to your hotel or Nile cruise.
Prices start at $65 per person for the standard sunrise flight, $125 for the balloon-plus-Luxor-tour package and $180 for the premium small-basket experience. Booking direct with us includes hotel transfers, insurance, a flight certificate and refreshments, with no booking fee.
Yes. Every flight is operated under the regulations of the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority by licensed commercial balloon pilots, with fully insured passengers, modern equipment inspected before each flight, and a strict no-fly rule whenever wind or visibility falls outside safe limits.
Wear comfortable closed shoes, long trousers and a light jacket or fleece — early mornings in Luxor are cool even in summer, and layers come off once the sun rises. Bring a hat, sunglasses and your camera; the basket has room for it.
October to April offers the most comfortable temperatures and the highest number of flyable mornings. Balloons fly year round in Luxor, and summer flights take off earlier when the air is coolest and calmest.
