# Visiting Luxor responsibly Source: https://luxor101.com/plan/responsible-travel Language: en How do I visit without damaging the monuments or being a nuisance to the people who live here? # Visiting Luxor responsibly Leave the monuments as you found them: do not touch painted surfaces, cross barriers or buy objects offered as antiquities. Ask before photographing people, respect places of worship and private land, and agree prices before accepting services. Support local businesses where you can, while keeping your own boundaries. Luxor is someone’s home as well as somewhere you have come to explore. ## Before you go Look closely without touching. Painted plaster, carved stone and mud brick can all be damaged by contact, climbing or repeated wear. Keep bags and clothing clear of walls, stay behind barriers and follow instructions about photography. Conservation is more complex than a single cause. At Nefertari’s tomb, salt crystallisation and changes in moisture have damaged plaster and paint over a long period. Visitor activity can add pressure, but not every loss is recent or caused by tourists. Nor should an extra admission charge be treated as proof of a particular conservation policy. Do not buy or accept objects offered as genuine antiquities. Choose clearly modern work instead, ask where it was made and keep receipts. If you need legal guidance about an object, obtain it from the relevant authorities before buying or travelling with it. Respect the city’s everyday life. Ask before photographing people, dress respectfully at places of worship and stay out of private fields and homes unless invited. These courtesies apply to everyone. You are free to decline a sales offer or service. Agree a price and scope before accepting, and leave a situation if you feel uncomfortable. Respect for local livelihoods does not require accepting pressure or unwanted attention. Where possible, choose businesses and craftspeople whose work you want to support. Responsible travel is a series of small, practical choices, not a test of whether you have followed one perfect itinerary. Sources & further reading 3 Tier 1 [Ancient Thebes with its Necropolis — World Heritage List inscription and documentation](https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/87/) UNESCO World Heritage Centre Online source checked 2026-09-19 Tier 1 Supreme Council of Antiquities — excavation, conservation and site reporting Supreme Council of Antiquities (Egypt) Tier 1 [The conservation of the wall paintings in the tomb of Nefertari](https://www.getty.edu/news/processing-the-material-record-of-the-tomb-of-nefertari-project/) Getty Conservation Institute Online source checked 2026-09-19 Source review is incomplete. Consultation dates are shown only for checked references. Related ## Explore the connections 1–1 / 10 [Plan ### Photography in Luxor Can I take photographs inside the tombs and temples, and what are the rules? ](https://luxor101.com/plan/photography)[Plan ### Do you need a guide in Luxor? Where can a knowledgeable licensed guide add most to my visit? ](https://luxor101.com/plan/do-you-need-a-guide)[Plan ### Getting around Luxor How do I actually move between the sites — and how do I cross the river? ](https://luxor101.com/plan/getting-around)[Plan ### First time in Luxor What should I know before my first visit to Luxor? ](https://luxor101.com/plan/first-time-in-luxor)[Ancient Luxor ### Valley of the Queens A royal cemetery whose tombs vary greatly in decoration and access. Check which are open before deciding how it fits your day. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/valley-of-the-queens)[Ancient Luxor ### Deir el-Medina The village of the men who cut the royal tombs. It is the site that makes all the others feel human. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/deir-el-medina)[Ancient Luxor ### Luxor Temple A temple of Amun in the heart of today’s city, shaped by royal ritual and the annual Opet festival. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/luxor-temple)[Ancient Luxor ### Tombs of the Nobles Private tombs across the Theban hills, where images of work, family and offerings express the status and afterlife hopes of officials and their households. ](https://luxor101.com/ancient-luxor/tombs-of-the-nobles)[Journal ### Reading the Colour That Survives Paint survives where materials and conditions have allowed it to remain, sometimes with conservation support. Weathering, salts, moisture and past interventions help explain losses; bright colour alone does not mean a wall is intact. ](https://luxor101.com/journal/why-some-tombs-still-have-colour)[Journal ### Deir el-Medina: The Ancient Egyptian Village That Makes the Tombs Feel Human The writings from Deir el-Medina include work records, letters, accounts and religious texts. They reveal parts of a royal workforce’s lives, filtered through what people recorded and what survived. ](https://luxor101.com/journal/what-the-workmen-wrote-down)