By type of trip
Nile Cruises Luxor to Aswan: Routes, Boats and Prices
Classic Egypt Tours: Cairo, Luxor and Aswan Itineraries
Nile Cruise and Red Sea Holidays: Two-Week Egypt Trips
White Desert Tours from Cairo: Oases and Desert Camping
Short Breaks in Egypt: Three and Four Day Cairo Trips
Tailor-made Egypt Tours: Private Trips Built Around You
Luxor
The best time to visit Luxor is October to April. Daytime highs then run from about 23C in January to 35C in April. That lets you spend a full day at Karnak and the Valley of the Kings. November, February and March are the best balance of weather and price. From May to September Luxor reaches 39C to 41C, so sightseeing has to fit around dawn. Here is each month, plus the 2027 dates worth knowing.
October to April
May to September| October to April | May to September | |
|---|---|---|
| Daytime highs | About 23C in January up to 35C in April | About 38C to 41C |
| Valley of the Kings | Bearable at midday in midwinter | Start at first light, back indoors by late morning |
| Crowds | Busy, very busy in December and January | Quiet, as empty as it gets in summer |
| Prices | High to peak, mid in April and October | Low |
| Nile cruise deck | Warm by day, cold after sunset in winter | Hot. Shade and the pool matter |
| Best for | Full days of temples | Low prices and empty sites, for people who handle heat |
The short answer
Go between October and April. November, February and March give the best mix of weather and price. Summer suits only travellers who want empty temples and can start at dawn.
October to April is the best time to visit Luxor. Highs stay between about 23C and 35C. Karnak, Luxor Temple and the West Bank are open-air and mostly unshaded, so the temperature decides how much you see.
Within that window, November, February and March are our picks. November sits at about 28C. February is about 25C and misses the Christmas peak. March is about 29C, with low sun and green fields along the river.
December and January are the coolest months and the best for walking. They are also the busiest and the most expensive.
These are typical daytime highs from our month pages. Any single year can run a few degrees either way.
January about 23C. February 25C. March 29C. April 35C. This is the main season, cooling into midwinter and warming fast in April.
May about 39C. June, July and August 41C. September 38C. This is the hot season, when Luxor is hotter than Cairo by about 6C.
October about 34C. November 28C. December 24C. The season returns, and by November conditions are close to ideal.
Winter is the best weather in Luxor. At 23C to 25C you can walk Karnak in the morning and the West Bank in the afternoon. In January the Valley of the Kings is bearable even at midday.
It is also peak season. Christmas and New Year are the most expensive weeks of the year. Nile cruise cabins for January are usually gone by autumn, so book early.
Evenings are cold, especially on a cruise deck after sunset. Pack a warm layer. It is the most common packing mistake.
Ramadan in 2027 is expected from about 8 February to 8 or 9 March. The Ministry lists no separate Ramadan hours for Karnak, Luxor Temple or the Valley of the Kings.
March is one of the best months for Luxor. At about 29C a full morning on the West Bank is comfortable. Crowds stay busy, but prices come down from the winter peak.
April is the crossover. At about 35C you still see everything, but you start early and stop at midday. Crowds and prices ease after Easter.
Watch for the khamsin, a hot southerly wind that can bring sand for a day or two. It can arrive from late March and stays possible into April.
From May to September Luxor reaches 38C to 41C. That is hard work. The tombs in the Valley of the Kings have no airflow and hold the heat.
It still works if you change the shape of the day. Start at 5am, finish by ten or eleven, and spend the afternoon indoors or by a pool. Go back out for Luxor Temple after dark.
In return the temples are as quiet as they ever get, and prices are at their lowest. In August you may have parts of the Valley of the Kings almost to yourself.
Heat exhaustion is a real risk in summer. Carry more water than feels sensible and stay in the shade.
September is still hot at about 38C. The last ten days are much better than the first, and rates are often still at summer levels.
October drops to about 34C and gets busy. Prices rise through the month, so the first half is better value.
November is close to perfect at about 28C. Days are shorter, though. Start early on the West Bank and do not count on a long afternoon.
Balloons fly at dawn over the West Bank all through the season. They need calm mornings, and March gets them more often than most months.
The pilot controls height, not direction. Wind decides where you go and whether you fly at all. Book the balloon early in your stay, so a cancelled flight can move to another morning.
Winter dawns are cold in the basket. Wear a warm layer you can take off once the sun is up.
A total solar eclipse crosses Upper Egypt on Monday 2 August 2027. Luxor gets about six minutes of totality around 1pm. It is the one strong reason to be in Luxor in August. Rooms are scarce, so book now if you want to go.
The Abu Simbel sun festival falls on 22 February and 22 October. Abu Simbel is 280 km south of Aswan, so from Luxor it means travelling south first. In 2027 the February date falls in Ramadan.
The moulid of Abu al-Haggag fills the streets around Luxor Temple. Its date follows the Islamic calendar, so ask your guide what falls during your stay.
Eid al-Fitr is expected on 9 or 10 March 2027 and Eid al-Adha on 16 May. Both bring Egyptian families on holiday. Book trains and flights early around those dates.
Mostly yes. Cruises sail between Luxor and Aswan, through the same hot valley. So October to April is the main cruise season too.
We sell the tours of one Egyptian operator, Memphis Tours. The Nile Cruise from Luxor to Aswan runs five days from US$1,095 per person. Cairo and Luxor, five days without a boat, starts at US$1,480. Cairo, Luxor and a Nile Cruise, eight days, starts at US$2,135.
Our when to go on a Nile cruise guide covers water levels, deck life and which direction to sail.
November, February or March. Highs are about 28C, 25C and 29C. You can see the temples all day, and prices are below the Christmas peak.
June, July and August, all at about 41C by day. May and September are close behind, at 39C and 38C.
Yes, with 5am starts and afternoons indoors. The sites are quiet and prices are low. The Valley of the Kings tombs hold the heat, so go first thing.
For weather, yes. At about 24C it is ideal for temples. It is also the busiest and priciest month, with cold evenings. Book early and pack a warm layer.
May to September. Prices are at their lowest and the sites are quiet. Late September is the best value, because rates lag the cooling weather.
Monday 2 August 2027, with about six minutes of totality around 1pm local time. It is hot then, and rooms near Luxor are already scarce.
Yes. The Ministry lists no separate Ramadan hours for Karnak, Luxor Temple or the Valley of the Kings. Ramadan 2027 is expected from about 8 February to 8 or 9 March.
Two full days covers the East Bank and the West Bank. Three is the comfortable number, with time for the Valley of the Queens or the Luxor Museum.
Read the current US State Department and UK FCDO travel advice for Egypt before you book. Both are updated as things change.
Entry rules, opening hours, security advice and exchange rates all move. Check them at the source, not here.
Written and checked by the Nile Trip Guide editorial team · Last reviewed . Entry rules, prices and opening hours change — check anything critical against the official sources linked on this page.
Plan this trip
A real itinerary with real prices, usually within 24 hours. Nothing is booked and nothing is charged until you say yes.
5 days · Short break
Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then a flight south for one night in Luxor covering both banks, and a flight back. Five days, two cities, both domestic flights in the price and every day guided privately.
from US$1,480 / per person
5 days · Nile cruise
Four nights sailing south from Luxor to Aswan: Karnak and Luxor temples on the first afternoon, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo and Philae. Full board throughout, with sightseeing in a shared group of about fifteen.
from US$1,095 / per person
8 days · Classic Egypt
The route most people take first, at the length it was built for: Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then a flight to Luxor and four nights sailing down to Aswan.
from US$2,135 / per person
