Plenty of people reach Luxor having already walked the Valley of the Kings on a previous trip. This package keeps the balloon and swaps the tombs for the two great East Bank temples.
Karnak is the reason to book it. From the basket it is a rectangle of pylons across the river; on the ground it is a hundred and thirty-four columns you have to walk between to believe. Luxor Temple, a short drive south, is smaller, later, and sits in the middle of the modern town.
If it is your first time in Luxor, take the West Bank tour instead — or the Best of Luxor package, which covers both banks.
Plan your flight
- Karnak Temple Guide: What to See on Balloon Day (or the Day After)
- Hot Air Balloon Requirements in Luxor: Age, Weight Limit, Pregnancy and Health
- What to Wear on a Hot Air Balloon Ride in Luxor (Month by Month)
- Luxor Balloon Flight Cancelled? Why It Happens and What Comes Next
- Is Hot Air Ballooning in Luxor Safe? How the Egyptian System Actually Works
Itinerary
-
Before sunriseHotel pickup
-
SunriseHot air balloon flight Over the West Bank, landing back near the river
-
Karnak Temple The largest religious complex ever built, with your Egyptologist
-
Local lunch
-
Luxor Temple In the middle of the modern city
-
OptionalSunset visit Luxor Temple again after dark, when the columns are lit
-
Hotel drop-off
What’s included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- Sunrise hot air balloon flight
- Egyptologist guide
- Karnak Temple
- Luxor Temple
- Local lunch
- Air-conditioned transport
- Flight certificate
- Optional evening return to Luxor Temple
What you will see from the balloon
On a normal morning the balloon drifts within sight of Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, Colossi of Memnon, Nile River, 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.
