Backpacking in Luxor

After spending 5 days in Cairo, we headed inland to explore more of Egypt. This guide is to give you tips on train travel and what to see when you arrive in Luxor

Catching the train to Luxor

We used the Egyptian Railway for our trip from Cairo to Luxor. On arrival at the train station they have a big departures sign in English/Arabic showing you which platform your train will depart. Be wary though as our train to Luxor didn’t have a platform number, so we went to the information booth and showed them our ticket. They advised the platform number and which direction it was in. The train carriages are numbered in Arabic, so try to learn or download the Arabic numbers so you can find your way to the right carriage. The seat numbers are in English. We booked our tickets online and paid USD14 for first class seats on the 12 noon train. The first class carriage on the day time train is not the nicest experience being one of the only foreigners in our carriage, we were stared at pretty much the whole journey. The carriage is not clean, very dusty so just keep this in mind when booking your tickets. However we caught the overnight train back to Cairo and we were on the sleeper train which was clean and comfortable, they also provide you with dinner and breakfast. Definitely a nicer experience then the day time train.

How to travel around Luxor

If travelling around Luxor from your hotel or from your Nile Cruise boat to the temples. Taxis are your only option if you haven’t pre booked tours. Taxis around Luxor itself are 150 Egyptian Pounds one way, try to negotiate the price down if you can. Before you get in the taxi make sure the price is agreed upon and you are talking the correct currency you want to pay in, as they will try to scam you for more money as you’re a tourist. If travelling out to the West Bank you will be looking at around 250 Egyptian Pounds one way. There a plenty of taxis at the main tourist sites so you don’t need to worry about having the drivers wait for you while you visit.

Which temple to see in Luxor

If staying along the Nile River you will be able to walk to Luxor Temple. This is the closest temple in downtown Luxor. The tickets are 160 Egyptian Pounds per adult, if you can arrive as soon as it opens you will be able to get some great photos with no crowds. If you are deciding on which Temple to visit in Luxor, Karnak Temple is the biggest one of the two and has lot more to see compared to the smaller Luxor Temple. You will find Karnak Temple alot busier as well as more tour coaches visit here. Tickets for Karnak Temple are 200 Egyptian Pounds per adult.

Visiting Valley of the Kings

When your in Luxor, without a doubt make sure to visit the West Bank to see the Valley of the Kings. This ancient burial site is amazing to see from the the huge cliffs which surround the valley to the carved out tombs underground where many kings were buried. The ticket is 240 Egyptian Pounds which includes access to 3 tombs. You can select 3 tombs to enter from a list they show you. We went with Tombs 8, 11 and 14 and we paid extra for Rasmus VI Tomb of 100 Egyptian Pounds per adult. Once you purchase your tickets they will try to get you to pay to go on a small train up to the entrance of the Tomb, however we just walked to the entrance only took about 10 minutes and isn’t steep at all.

On entrance they will check bags for cameras and if you haven’t purchase the photography pass they will ask you to leave you camera at the check in desk. You are able to take photos with your phone around the outside of the tombs, however in most Tombs they do no allow photos to be taken. There is a cafe inside the site if you want to buy any drinks or snacks but they will be expensive. If planning on going to Valley of the Kings, make sure to arrive as soon as it opens to beat the tour buses. Walk to the most popular tombs first so you can enter them without the crowds, as the tombs can get very busy and have lines to enter them.

If you plan on catching a taxi to or from the Valley of the Kings the going rate was 250 Egyptian Pounds one way and there are taxis you can pick up once you finish to take you back if you prefer the driver not wait for you.