Best Time to Visit Luxor

October to February

Months to avoid: June to August (extreme heat, 42-45°C, outdoor sightseeing becomes genuinely dangerous by 9am)

Recommended stay: 3-5 days

Plan Luxor for October to February. Give it 3-5 days. The window to avoid is June to August (extreme heat, 42-45°C, outdoor sightseeing becomes genuinely dangerous by 9am).

What the season gets you

• Valley of the Kings at 6am, before the first tour buses arrive, tomb paintings so vivid you forget they're original, not reconstructed
• Karnak's Hypostyle Hall is 134 columns packed together like a stone forest, no photo prepares you for standing inside it
• Hot air balloon over the West Bank at sunrise costs around 1,500 EGP (~$30) and gives you the West Bank necropolis spread below you in the early light