Last Updated: October 1, 2022
There’s something special about Luxor. Stretched out either side of the River Nile in Egypt, it’s often called the worlds largest open air museum.
And this nickname is well deserved, due to the ridiculous amount of Ancient Egyptian Sites that you can see in and around this great city. You can just be walking down the street and pass by huge monuments, without so much as a blink from the locals (it’s the norm for them).
Even kids will be mesmerized by some of the staggering sites in Luxor. And with the additional bonuses of delicious local cuisine, great weather all year round and friendly people, it’s a great place to head to immerse yourself in Egyptian culture. And a must of a stop off on any Egyptian Itinerary.
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Best Time to visit Luxor with Kids
Luxor (and Egypt in general) is blessed with dry weather pretty much all year round. Because of this you can visit Luxor any time of the year and thoroughly enjoy it. But the main thing to note is the temperature variance throughout the year.
In the Summer months (June to August) it get’s very hot, often getting over 40 degrees Celsius. So this can make sightseeing and general activities a bit tiring at times. But, if you can stand the heat, it’s still doable.
The winter (December to February) is a bit chilly at times, but only really cold in the night. The day time will still be in the twenties most of the time, sometimes dropping a little below. But at night it can get down below 10 degrees on some occasions. As the buildings aren’t really designed for heat insulation, you’ll need a good few blankets at night time and maybe an electric heater or two!
The months either side of winter and summer are arguably the best times to go. With high, but manageable temperatures in the day and lovely warm weather in the evenings.
Getting to Luxor with Kids
Luxor is one of the biggest cities in Egypt and as such has lot’s of transport options. So getting there is fairly painless.
If you’re flying, then Luxor has it’s own international airport and serves plenty of domestic flights and a reasonable amount of international flights in and out. However, they do seem to be a bit pricier than some of the other destinations in Egypt that you can fly into.
So it’s sometimes cheaper, and not too much of an additional pain, to fly into one of the other major airports. Such as Hurghada to the east or Cairo to the north. You can then make your way to Luxor from there.
Luxor has a major train station and is accessible from most of the areas you might be coming from up and down the Nile. You can reach it in about 3+ hours from Aswan in the South or 10+ hours from Cairo from the north. The latter sounds like a long journey and it is! It can be even longer with delays. But the trains are reasonably comfortable so if you can handle the long journey time the trains are a good way to go.
Coaches are also abundant for serving Luxor. Coming in from Hurghada, for example, is easily done by coach. Go Bus is a great choice to get you here. It’s also a good alternative from Cairo or the other major cities if you don’t fancy the train.
And Private Drivers and Tours are in ready supply if you want to take this option to get too and explore the city.
You can read some more detail on getting to Luxor and getting around Egypt generally on our separate post.
Getting Around Luxor with Kids
Once you’ve arrived, it’s time to find your feet. First thing to note is that Luxor is split in two. With the West Bank and the East Bank on either sides of the River Nile. We’ll talk more about the two areas below. But, for now, all you need to know is that for getting across the river from one side to the other you have a couple of options.
First option is to take a private motorboat across the water. You’ll find plenty of people offering to take you across down by the docks. They’ll also probably try to sell you a little tour and offer to take you to temples as well. But if you just want to get across let them know. You normally need to pay around 25 EGP a boat for the crossing.
The other option by boat is to head to the passenger ferry that the locals use. Here it is 5 EGP per person for tourists and 2 EGP for locals. The passenger ferry leaves when it’s full. So you might have to wait a while when it’s quiet. But it’s a really pleasant way to travel and the cost is fixed so no haggling is necessary.
It’s also great fun to watch people running and jumping onto the boat when it is departing so they don’t have to wait for the next one. We were even one of the jumpees on one day (I only just made it!), do as the locals do eh?
If you want to drive from one bank to the other, there is a bridge. But it is about a 20 minute south of the city centre. So you need to drive down, cross over and drive back up. So it will add about 40 minutes onto your journey if you go this route.
Once you are on either side of the river, you need to decide how to manoeuvre around each segment.
Taxis are plentiful. People will shout ‘taxi’ at you everywhere you go, so you will rarely struggle to find one. The official taxi’s are blue and white and quite large being able to fit 7 people in usually. You will have to agree a cost up front with mot taxis.
On the East Bank you will also have lots of horse and carriages trying to win your business, some what annoyingly at times.
Tuk-Tuks are also knocking about and are a good way to get around some of the more narrow areas.
Microbuses are the locals way to get around. You’ll see these white mini-buses, usually with a red strip don the side and the doors open, driving around. Wave them down, shout your destination and if the bus is going there they will wave you in. Once in, it’s usually about 2EGP per person wherever you are going. Pass the money forward to the driver and then get off at your stop. This works better for main destinations rather than a specific hotel, as the bus will only do major routes.
Staying in Luxor with Kids
As mentioned above, Luxor is split into two main areas of the Wet Banks and the East Bank of the River Nile. So you will first need to decide which side of the river you want to stay on, as they are quite different.
The East Bank is the most popular choice for staying and where the majority of hotels and hostels are located. This is essentially the main area of Luxor. It has some mod-cons you would expect like a McDonalds and lots of shops and markets. So it can be a more convenient choice than the less commercialised West Bank. However, because it is the main tourist area, it is where you will experience most hassle from people trying to sell tours, taxis, food etc.
The West Bank is a stark contrast, especially the deeper you go. Whilst right next to the Nile you will still see some reasonably sized hotels and maybe still get a bit of hassle, it is much milder compared to the East Bank.
And if you go deeper into the West Bank away from the Nile you will find peace and calmness in a more village lifestyle. With dirt track roads and farmer’s fields to wander around.
In terms of sightseeing, both have something to offer. Luxor and Karnak Temples are on the East, with Valley of the Kings and Queens on the West, to name some of the big ones. So chances are you will need to be on both sides at some point for your sightseeing. So don’t let this bear to much on your decision.
We think the West Bank definitely wins overall. We loved the West Bank and found so many friendly people there that just love to engage with the tourists.
Once you have picked a side it’s then a case of using the usual tools to find your stay, Booking.com and Airbnb have a good selection of choices.
Most accommodation is very cheap. Hostels and Hotels are the obvious choice, but there are some really nice apartments, that are really great value for money.
Eating in Luxor with Kids
The selection is wide for places and what to eat in Luxor.
The East Bank has the most on offer in terms of restaurants and more commercial eats. The West Bank still has plenty to offer though with hotel restaurants down by the Nile and other ones dotted about the villages.
Try the more authentic places as well. Small cafes can offer up some delicious Arabian dishes like ful or shakshuka.
And you will also get plenty of falafel stands around the city. You need to try a falafel sandwich. They’re delicious and a great choice on the go.
The West Bank is generally a bit cheaper than the East Bank, although neither area is likely to cost a lot unless you’re eating out in the fancy restaurants every night.
Hotel restaurants are the only places where you can usually get alcohol legitimately. Although you might be able to get it on the sly from other establishments.
Things to do in Luxor with Kids
There is a lot to fill your time in Luxor. The Valley of the Kings is probably the most famous site. Over on the West Bank, it’s a collection of Ancient Egyptian Tombs where you can wander in and out of the various ones open for the public.
Then stand in awe at the ancient architecture and artwork present in what is a wide variety of styles from tomb to tomb.
Valley of the Queens is right next door. With tombs of the queens and princess from ancient Egypt. The most famous being Queen Nefertiti’s tomb which some consider the most beautiful tomb of all, including the kings.
Staying on the West Bank there is also the Temple of Hatshepsut, Tombs of the Nobles, Colossi of Memnon and many more.
If you want to get a birds eye view of all these sites at once the you can take a hot air balloon ride. Which is probably one of the best things to do in Luxor with kids.
On the other side of the Nile on the East Bank there is the Luxor Temple and the staggering Karnak Temple Complex. You can also walk between the two, down the long stretch of the Avenue of Sphinx.
As there is so much to do in Luxor we’ve got a sperate post on some of our favourites so head there next if you want some ideas of what to do with the family in this Egyptian emerald of a city.