West bank, then Karnak
- Start
- At the crossing as early after first light as you can manage — earlier than feels reasonable
- Finish
- Leaving Karnak at closing, or later if you add Luxor Temple after dark
- Cross to the west bank
Build half an hour into the plan, more if you are waiting for the ferry
Choose the passenger ferry or a road transfer to suit your starting point, luggage and access needs. Confirm the crossing and arrange onward transport on the west bank.
2–3 hours
Choose the tombs for their decoration and the route you can manage. Check which are open and what each ticket includes; you can visit fewer tombs than your ticket allows.
1–1.5 hours
The temple lies beyond the ridge from the valley. Its approach and terraces are largely exposed, so choose a cooler visiting period when hours allow and adapt to the day’s conditions.
- Colossi of MemnonOptional
15–30 minutes
On the road out. It needs no detour at all, and the field behind the statues is an active excavation rather than an empty one.
- Cross back, eat, and stop moving
Two to three hours, and treat that as part of the itinerary rather than a gap in it
Leave a proper break between the west-bank visits and Karnak. If you are still tired afterwards, shorten the afternoon or finish for the day.
2–3 hours
From the western entrance, the main axis leads through buildings from different periods. The sequence is not strictly newest to oldest. The Hypostyle Hall (a roofed hall supported by rows of columns) can be the focus of a shorter visit; continue east only if time, access and energy allow.
- Luxor Temple after darkOptional
1–1.5 hours
An optional final visit if the temple is open and you still want to continue. Check the return route to your accommodation; not every east-bank hotel is within walking distance.