Valley of the Kings TourLuxor Day Trip from Hurghada with Tutankhamun's Tomb
This Luxor day trip from Hurghada is one of the few listings that puts the Tutankhamun tomb inside the ticket price. Ranco Travel Egypt runs it as a small group capped at 9 people in an air-conditioned van, with hotel pickup at about 6:00 AM from six Red Sea resorts. The day covers the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, the Colossi of Memnon and a sit-down lunch in Luxor. It costs $93 per person and carries a 4.9 rating from 2,581 reviews on GetYourGuide. This page breaks down what the price covers, how the long day actually runs, and who should book something else instead. You can also compare every Valley of the Kings tour on the site before you commit.
About This Tour
Ranco Travel Egypt runs a full-day trip from the Red Sea resorts to Luxor in an air-conditioned deluxe van. The group visits Karnak Temple, the Colossi of Memnon and the Valley of the Kings with three tombs from those open, plus the Tutankhamun tomb, which the listing includes in the price. Lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor is included and the group is limited to 9 participants.
The drive is about 4 hours each way along the Safaga to Qena road, so this is a long day with an early start. Pickup is at approximately 6:00 AM and the supplier confirms the exact time the day before, around 1:00 PM. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before departure.
$93 per person, down from a listed $98, booked through GetYourGuide
1 day, with about 4 hours on the road each way
Hotel pickup at approximately 6:00 AM from Hurghada, Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh, El-Gouna, Soma Bay and Safaga. The exact time is confirmed the day before around 1:00 PM
Small group limited to 9 participants with a live tour guide. Guided in German, Finnish, English, French, Russian or Italian
Valley of the Kings (three tombs plus Tutankhamun's tomb), Karnak Temple, the Colossi of Memnon, and a photo stop outside Luxor Temple
Included in the price, including the Tutankhamun tomb ticket
Included at a local restaurant in Luxor, about 1 hour on the itinerary
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, with reserve now and pay later
Check Dates and Availability
Pickup runs daily from six resorts along the Red Sea coast. Check the calendar for your date and the supplier will confirm your exact pickup time the day before.
Quick answer Price, tickets and what to expect
This Luxor day trip from Hurghada costs $93 per person, with entry tickets and the Tutankhamun tomb included, hotel pickup at about 6:00 AM and a group capped at 9. The drive is roughly 4 hours each way, so expect a very long day.
Key takeaways
- Entry tickets and Tutankhamun's tomb are in the price, unlike several cheaper Hurghada listings, see the full price breakdown
- The day runs pickup to drop-off with about 2 hours at the Valley of the Kings and 2.5 hours at Karnak, follow the stop-by-stop plan
- Not fit for everyone. Read who should skip it before booking
- Want the cheapest Hurghada day instead? Compare the bus day trip with tickets paid extra
What the Price Actually Covers
This is one of the few Hurghada day trips where the tickets are inside the price rather than an option at checkout. The table below splits what the $93 covers from what you may still pay on the day, using the listing and the official Egyptian pound ticket prices for reference.
What Is Included
The listing includes hotel pickup and drop-off from six resorts, transport by air-conditioned deluxe vehicle, a professional guide, entry tickets to the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple and the Colossi of Memnon, entry to the Tutankhamun tomb, lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor, and snacks and water. The listed price is $93 per person.
The two figures matter for comparison. The official Valley of the Kings general ticket alone is EGP 750 for a foreign adult, and the Tutankhamun tomb KV62 is another EGP 700 on top for anyone buying separately. Karnak is EGP 600. Those official prices are never added to the tour price here, they just show why a tickets-included listing looks expensive next to a $45 base fare that leaves entrance fees to pay on the spot.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Tour price | $93 per person | Listed at $98 before discount, per person on GetYourGuide |
| Hotel pickup and drop-off | Yes | Hurghada, Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh, El-Gouna, Soma Bay and Safaga. The listing also names pickup service for North Safaga, Magic Life Kalawy, Coral Garden and Coral Sun |
| Entry tickets | Yes | Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Official general ticket EGP 750 for foreign adults |
| Tutankhamun tomb | Yes | Official separate ticket EGP 700, here it is included |
| Lunch | Yes | Local restaurant in Luxor, about 1 hour on the itinerary |
| Snacks and water | Yes | Eat breakfast before the 6:00 AM pickup |
| Nile cruise | No | Listed as an extra fee |
| Luxor Temple photo stop | Optional, extra fee | 10-minute stop outside the temple, tagged optional with an extra fee on the itinerary |
| Alabaster factory stop | On the itinerary | 30-minute shopping stop, nothing to pay unless you buy |
What You May Pay on the Day
One reviewer notes that the tomb of Ramses V and VI costs extra. That tomb, KV9, has its own official ticket of EGP 220, which is separate from the general ticket in the same way as Tutankhamun's. If you want it, carry a card, because the Valley of the Kings ticket office no longer takes cash.
Tips are not mentioned in the listing. The Luxor Temple photo stop and the Nile visit are both tagged optional with an extra fee.
Sources: Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Valley of the Kings, Wikipedia
The steep painted corridor of the tomb of Ramesses V and VI, KV9. Photo: Fabio Achili, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing's itinerary starts with a 6:00 AM pickup and gives no return time. Here is the sequence with the stated times and durations.
Pickup and the Road Out
The van collects you at approximately 6:00 AM from your hotel in Hurghada, Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh, El-Gouna, Soma Bay or Safaga. The supplier calls the day before, around 1:00 PM, to confirm the time and your hotel and room number. The road runs about 4 hours inland through Safaga and Qena.
Eat breakfast before pickup, the listing is firm on that.
Karnak Temple, 2.5 Hours
The listing opens on the East Bank at Karnak, described as the largest place of worship ever built and raised over some 2,000 years. The Great Hypostyle Hall holds 134 columns, the 12 central ones standing 21 metres high. Karnak is open daily from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
There is more context in the Karnak Temple guide.
Lunch, 1 Hour
A sit-down lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor is included and sits between the East Bank and the West Bank stops.
Colossi of Memnon, 30 Minutes
On the West Bank the group stops at the two seated statues of Amenhotep III, about 18 metres high including their bases and roughly 720 tons each. An earthquake in 27 BC broke the northern figure. There is no entrance fee at this site.
More detail in the Colossi of Memnon guide.
Valley of the Kings, 2 Hours Plus 20 Minutes in KV62
The general ticket covers three tombs of your choice from those open that day. The tombs open in rotation and some close for renovation, so nobody can promise which names you will see. The guide explains the decoration outside, because guides are not permitted to lecture inside the tombs.
Then the group enters KV62, the tomb Howard Carter found on 4 November 1922, for a stated 20 minutes. Tutankhamun's mummy still lies there in a glass case, though his treasures now sit in the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza. The tombs are reached by an electric tram from the visitor centre, listed at EGP 20 round trip.
Read the Tutankhamun's tomb guide before you go.
Shopping, the Optional Stops and the Drive Back
The itinerary adds a 30-minute stop at the Memphis Alabaster Factory, which is a shopping stop, so treat it as one. A 10-minute photo stop outside Luxor Temple is optional with an extra fee, and a 30-minute Nile visit is also optional with an extra fee. Then it is about 4 hours back to your hotel in Hurghada, with no stated return time.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing looks simple, but the shape of the day excludes a fair number of travellers. Check these limits before you book.
Anyone Who Cannot Face a Very Long Day
The road alone is about 4 hours each way, on top of the stated stop times. The 6:00 AM pickup is not optional. If the long road puts you off, the cheapest alternative from Hurghada is the small-group bus day trip at $18.22, which has the same road problem and lists mandatory transport taxes and entrance fees of €60 per adult on its lowest option.
The most reviewed Hurghada alternative is the small-group trip with entry options at $45 and 4,018 reviews.
Travellers with Limited Mobility
The listing states no wheelchair access and no difficulty rating. The trams and the Karnak halls add more walking. If you need a shorter, flatter day, a private West Bank trip such as the private Valley of the Kings four-hour tour from Luxor keeps the day tight.
Anyone Who Hates the Heat
Luxor's mean daily maximum reaches 41.4 C in July and 41.2 C in August, and the record is 50.0 C. From May to September you will walk into the tombs from that heat even though the rock stays cooler inside. Winter months from October to April are the comfortable ones.
Travellers Who Want a Slow, Deep Visit
Twenty minutes in Tutankhamun's tomb and 2 hours for the whole valley is a sprint. If you would rather spend the night near the sites, the private West Bank day from Luxor covering kings and queens gives you a start from Luxor instead of the coast. The trade-offs of the route itself are in the Luxor day trip from Hurghada overview.
Tickets, Heat and the Rest of Your Day
If you skip the tour and do it yourself from Luxor, here is what the official tickets and hours look like, and what fits around a day like this.
The Official Tickets
The Valley of the Kings general ticket costs EGP 750 for foreign adults and EGP 375 for students, and it covers three tombs from those open. Extras sit on top: EGP 700 for Tutankhamun's tomb KV62, EGP 2,000 for Seti I's tomb KV17, EGP 220 for the tomb of Ramesses V and VI (KV9) and EGP 200 for the tomb of Ay in the West Valley. Cash is no longer accepted at the valley, payment is by card at the ticket office or online.
Full figures are in the Valley of the Kings tickets guide.
Hours and the Early Start
The Ministry lists the valley as open daily from 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM, though some sources give 4:00 PM in winter, so check on the day. Karnak opens 6:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Luxor Temple 6:00 AM to 8:00 PM, which makes Luxor Temple the one major site open into the evening. Peak crowds at the valley fall between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.
Independent visitors should arrive by 8:00 AM.
What Fits Around a Day Like This
If you stay in Luxor instead, a dawn Luxor hot air balloon flight over the West Bank pairs naturally with a morning in the valley. The Temple of Hatshepsut sits under 5 miles from the valley and is best at opening or just before closing to dodge the heat. Luxor Temple, open to 8:00 PM, is the easy evening add-on.
For the full DIY picture, start from the Valley of the Kings tours from Luxor.
The Day, Step by Step
Clock times are only stated for the pickup, so the rest is ordered as the listing gives it.
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6:00 AM
Hotel pickup
Pickup at approximately 6:00 AM from Hurghada, Makadi, Sahl Hasheesh, El-Gouna, Soma Bay or Safaga, confirmed the day before around 1:00 PM. Eat breakfast first.
-
After about 4 hours
Arrive in Luxor
The van drives through Safaga and Qena to reach the East Bank.
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Morning
Karnak Temple, 2.5 hours
A guided visit taking in the Great Hypostyle Hall and its 134 columns at the largest temple complex in Egypt.
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Midday
Lunch, 1 hour
Lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor, included in the price.
-
Afternoon
Colossi of Memnon, 30 minutes
A West Bank stop at the two 18-metre statues of Amenhotep III.
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Afternoon
Valley of the Kings, 2 hours
Three tombs on the general ticket, chosen from those open that day, then 20 minutes inside Tutankhamun's tomb KV62.
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Late afternoon
Optional stops and the road back
A 30-minute alabaster factory shopping stop, an optional 10-minute photo stop outside Luxor Temple and an optional Nile visit, both with an extra fee, then about 4 hours back to your hotel.
Pros and Cons
The honest balance for this listing against the other Hurghada days.
What we genuinely like
- Entry tickets and the Tutankhamun tomb are included in the $93, which most cheaper Hurghada listings do not do
- Small group limited to 9 participants, not a 50-seat coach
- Lunch, snacks and water are included, so no midday food spend
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before and reserve now, pay later
- 4.9 rating across 2,581 verified GetYourGuide bookings
The honest downsides
- About 4 hours each way on the Safaga to Qena road, so this is a very long day
- Pickup at approximately 6:00 AM, confirmed only the day before around 1:00 PM
- The 30-minute alabaster factory stop is a shopping stop, and the Luxor Temple photo stop and Nile visit carry extra fees
- A reviewer reports the tomb of Ramses V and VI costs extra on the day, its official ticket is EGP 220
- Only 2 hours at the Valley of the Kings and 20 minutes in Tutankhamun's tomb
- No stated return time, so plan nothing else for that evening
Who it's NOT for: Not for travellers with limited mobility or anyone who wants more than 2 hours in the valley, book the private West Bank day from Luxor instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does this Luxor day trip from Hurghada include the Tutankhamun tomb?
Yes, the listing includes entry tickets and entry to Tutankhamun's tomb in the $93 price, unlike listings where it is an add-on. The separate official ticket is EGP 700, see the Tutankhamun's tomb guide.
What time is the pickup from Hurghada?
Pickup is at approximately 6:00 AM, and the supplier confirms the exact time, your name and your hotel room the day before around 1:00 PM. Details are in the about this tour section.
Which tombs will I see in the Valley of the Kings?
The general ticket covers three tombs of your choice from those open that day, and the tombs open in rotation, so no tour can name them in advance. The listing also includes KV62. The ticket rules are explained in the tickets guide.
How long is the drive from Hurghada to Luxor?
The listing gives about 4 hours each way for the road route through Safaga and Qena. The route trade-offs are in the Luxor day trip from Hurghada overview.
Is there a cheaper Hurghada day trip to Luxor?
Yes, the small-group bus day trip lists from $18.22, but its lowest option adds mandatory transport taxes and entrance fees of €60 per adult, so compare totals rather than base prices.
Can the guide explain the tombs inside?
No, guides are not permitted to lecture inside the tombs, so the explanation happens outside the entrance. How the visit works is covered in the day breakdown.
What happens if the tour is cancelled?
You can cancel free up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund, and the booking runs on reserve now, pay later terms through GetYourGuide. Compare terms across every Valley of the Kings tour before booking.
What Travelers Said
it was very lovely, we had a lot of fun our guide Christine was very kind and explained everything in detail. Would definitely recommend!
Christine Isaac was the perfect tour guide, her knowledge was very big. Very good. Thank you.
It was an incredible day trip, and the guide was great. Thank you very much. He was very kind and very funny. We had a really good day.
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