Luxor 7-Day Itinerary: Abydos, Dendera, Edfu and Aswan

How should you spend 7 days in Luxor?

Spend days 1–2 on the East Bank, days 3–4 on the West Bank in two unhurried halves, and day 5 on Abydos and Dendera. On day 6 drive south through Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo to Aswan, and use day 7 for Philae before taking the train back to Luxor or flying home from Aswan.

A week turns Luxor from a highlights trip into a journey along the Upper Nile. The extra days buy two things the 3-day itinerary cannot: time for the West Bank’s quieter temples without rushing, and the distant temples at Abydos, Dendera, Edfu and Kom Ombo, each a long drive from the city.

Prices and last-entry times are the adult foreign-visitor figures on the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities’ official ticket platform, egymonuments.com, checked on 16 October 2026. Transport notes rely on Experience Egypt and the FCDO; we did not travel this route for the page.

Base yourself on the East Bank for nights 1–5 (see where to stay in Luxor), spend night 6 in Aswan, and read best time to visit Luxor before committing to long road days in summer.

What does a week in Luxor look like day by day?

The week alternates demanding mornings with lighter afternoons. Two East Bank days and two West Bank days come first, then one long northern day trip and a southern road trip to Aswan. You change hotels only once, on day 6, and day 7 ends with a train back to Luxor or a flight.

The table lists the anchor sites, the transport and the last-entry time that should drive each day. Days 5 and 6 are the long ones; keep the afternoon of day 4 free so you start them rested.

If you prefer to sail, a Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan can replace days 6 and 7; the cruise section below sets out the trade-offs.

How is the 7-day plan different from the 3-day plan?

The 3-day plan compresses each bank into one morning and offers Dendera as an option. The 7-day plan splits the West Bank across two days, makes Abydos and Dendera a full day, and adds the Esna–Edfu–Kom Ombo road and Aswan. It needs a driver for two long days and one hotel change.

That makes transport the main booking task. Arrange a licensed driver or tour for days 5 and 6, and decide early whether day 7 ends with an Egyptian National Railways train back to Luxor or a flight home from Aswan. Experience Egypt says train seats can be reserved up to seven days ahead.

Site tickets work as on a short trip: egymonuments.com sells dated, non-refundable tickets and accepts Visa and Mastercard online, at counters and at kiosks. Buy each day’s tickets once its plan is fixed. The table covers the sites this plan adds beyond Luxor.

Days 1–2: how do you see the East Bank properly?

Arrive and visit Luxor Temple at dusk on day 1, when it stays open until 20:00. On day 2, give Karnak the whole morning from 06:00, including the Mut and Khonsu temples, then see the Luxor Museum in its evening session and finish at the Karnak Sound and Light show.

A gentle first evening suits an arrival day. Luxor Temple costs EGP 500, with last entry at 19:00. If you land after dark, see it on the evening of day 2 instead and move the Luxor Museum to its morning session, straight after Karnak.

On day 2, Karnak’s EGP 600 ticket covers the main temple and open-air museum, and the Mut precinct is EGP 200 more (MoTA). The Ministry lists the Khonsu Temple in the south-west corner of the Amun precinct at 06:00–17:00, and the sacred lake, where priests purified themselves, is still there to see (MoTA). If you are in Luxor on 21 December, the Ministry marks the annual solar alignment along Karnak’s main axis that morning, an event that drew thousands of visitors in 2024 (MoTA).

In the evening, the Luxor Museum reopens at 17:00 (last entry 20:00 in winter, 19:00 in summer; EGP 400), and the Karnak Sound and Light show starts at 20:00 in English, with a 21:00 show in other languages when at least five foreign visitors book. The Mummification Museum also has an evening session, with last entry at 19:00.

Days 3–4: how do you split the West Bank?

Make day 3 the royal day: the Valley of the Kings at 06:00, Hatshepsut’s temple and Howard Carter’s house. Give day 4 to temples and queens: Medinet Habu, the Valley of the Queens and the Ramesseum. Splitting them keeps each morning under five hours and frees the afternoons from the heat.

On day 3, the Valley of the Kings (EGP 750) is worth one paid extra on a week-long trip: Seti I’s tomb at EGP 2,000 (MoTA) or Tutankhamun’s at EGP 700 (MoTA). Hatshepsut Temple (EGP 440) follows, and Howard Carter’s house (EGP 220) is a short final stop.

Day 4 starts at Medinet Habu (EGP 220), continues to the Valley of the Queens (EGP 220) and finishes at the Ramesseum (EGP 220). All three open at 06:00 and admit visitors until 16:00 in winter and 17:00 in summer.

The Ministry’s electric cars run inside the Valley of the Kings and at Deir el-Bahari (MoTA); elsewhere, a driver who waits between sites is the practical choice. Keep the afternoon of day 4 for rest and packing before two long road days.

Day 5: how do you visit Abydos and Dendera in one day?

Leave Luxor at dawn with a driver, go to Abydos first and visit Dendera on the way back. Both temples open at 07:00 and admit visitors until 16:00, so reach Abydos by mid-morning and Dendera by early afternoon. Tickets cost EGP 260 for Abydos and EGP 300 for Dendera.

The order matters because both sites stop admitting visitors at 16:00 (Abydos; Dendera). Abydos, in Sohag governorate, is the further of the two; Dendera, in Qena governorate, is closer to Luxor, so seeing it second shortens the drive home. In Ramadan, Abydos opens 09:00–15:00.

At Dendera, the Ministry sells extra EGP 100 tickets for the roof panorama and for the serdab, or crypts (MoTA). The Temple of Seti I at Abydos is the reason to make the long drive, so allow at least two hours there and eat a proper breakfast before leaving.

Check the route before you book. The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the area west of the Nile Valley, with exceptions that include Luxor and Qina. Abydos sits at the valley’s western edge in Sohag, which the exceptions do not name, so check the FCDO map and your insurer’s terms first.

Day 6: how do you travel from Luxor to Aswan via Edfu and Kom Ombo?

Hire a driver for a one-way day south. Stop at Esna’s temple first, then the Temple of Horus at Edfu before its 16:00 last entry, and reach Kom Ombo late in the afternoon, when it stays open until 20:00. Sleep in Aswan. Tickets for the three temples total EGP 1,200.

Esna Temple (EGP 200) opens at 07:00, with last entry at 16:00 on Saturday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday and longer hours, to 18:00, on Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. It is the shortest stop of the day.

The Temple of Horus at Edfu costs EGP 550 and opens at 07:00, or 06:00 on Sundays and Wednesdays, with last entry at 16:00. Kom Ombo Temple (EGP 450) keeps unusually long hours, from 07:00 to a 20:00 last entry, which makes it the right final stop as the light softens.

Road travel is the main risk on this day. The FCDO says road accidents are common because of variable conditions and dangerous driving, advises avoiding driving outside main cities at night and requires seatbelts for drivers and front-seat passengers. Aim to reach Aswan before dark.

Day 7: what should you see in Aswan, and how do you get back?

Take the boat to Philae for its 07:00 opening, then see the Unfinished Obelisk; both stop admitting visitors at 15:00. Add the Nubia Museum if time allows. Then take an Egyptian National Railways train back to Luxor, a sleeper north to Cairo, or a domestic flight from Aswan.

Philae Temple costs EGP 550 and the Unfinished Obelisk EGP 220, both with last entry at 15:00. The Nubia Museum (EGP 400) admits visitors 09:00–16:00 and adds a Thursday and Friday evening session until 20:00.

For the onward leg, Experience Egypt describes air-conditioned trains between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, sleeper cars with two-bed cabins and a dining car, and reservations up to seven days ahead. Tickets are sold through Egyptian National Railways’ online portal; sleeper bookings are handled by Abela Trains, where the old Watania sleeping-train website now redirects. The FCDO notes there have been fatal train collisions and derailments in Egypt.

Flying is quicker: Experience Egypt describes most domestic flights as about 60 minutes. To add Abu Simbel, plan an extra night; its standard ticket is EGP 822, rising to EGP 1,272 on the 22 February and 22 October sun-alignment days (egymonuments.com).

Should a Nile cruise replace part of the week?

A cruise suits travellers who prefer one cabin to two road days. Experience Egypt says most ships sail between Luxor and Aswan on three- to seven-night trips, and dahabiyas offer a smaller, private option. The trade-offs are less control over when you reach each temple and the FCDO’s warning about safety standards on some boats.

Experience Egypt describes three- to seven-night Nile cruises between Luxor and Aswan, with luxury dahabiyas also running between the two cities; its cruising page adds that a private dahabiya can be chartered to stop at quieter places along the river.

The FCDO warns that overcrowding and poor safety standards have caused accidents on Nile cruises and advises booking excursions through approved agents or tour operators. Ask which company runs the boat, check the cancellation terms and confirm that your insurance covers the sailing dates.

If you take a cruise, keep days 1–4 as written, then board for the sail south in place of the road day. Compare listings on cabin deck, included excursions and the final total, including fees, before you pay.

Who should change this week, and when?

From May to September, when Luxor and Aswan average highs of 39°C to 41°C, shorten days 5 and 6 or spread them over more days. Visitors in Ramadan should allow for Abydos’s shorter 09:00–15:00 hours. Travellers who dislike long drives should take the cruise option or fly to Aswan.

The Egyptian Meteorological Authority’s 1981–2010 averages give Aswan highs of 41.2°C in June and 41.4°C in July, almost identical to Luxor’s (WMO), so heading south brings no relief in summer. In winter Aswan’s nights are milder: its January average low is 8.8°C, against 5.9°C in Luxor.

For entry rules and the rest of Egypt, see Egypt visa on arrival, the Cairo 7-day itinerary and, if a flight lets you down, Egypt flight delay compensation. Things to do in Luxor suggests swaps if a site is closed.