On Monday 2 August 2027 the Moon’s shadow crosses Upper Egypt and Luxor goes dark for about six minutes and twenty-two seconds. If you are reading this, the question is probably no longer whether to be here. It is where in the city to stand. This page compares the nine 2027 Luxor eclipse viewing sites we hold guided access to — all inside the path of totality, each a different experience of the same six minutes. Guided access from $280 per person.
The numbers first, because they are why the world is coming. Totality over Luxor runs about 6 minutes 22 seconds, and the theoretical maximum anywhere on Earth that day is 6 minutes 23 seconds, roughly 60 kilometres southeast of the city. Nothing longer will be visible from easily accessible land until 3 June 2114. Luxor in early August also carries around an 80 percent chance of clear sky, which is why astronomy operators started booking the city out years ago.
Now the detail that should decide your choice, and that almost nothing else written about this eclipse mentions. At maximum the Sun sits 82 degrees above the horizon — very nearly straight overhead. You will be looking almost vertically up, so no pylon, colonnade or cliff can block your view of the Sun from anywhere in Luxor. Sightlines are not the question. What each site actually gives you is everything else: the light draining out of a hypostyle hall, the shadow racing across the floodplain, the temperature falling in a building raised to worship the Sun. That is the real choice, and the table below sets it out site by site.
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Monday 2 August 2027. The partial phase begins around 11:40 local time, totality starts around 13:02, maximum eclipse falls at about 13:05, and totality ends around 13:08. The whole event from first to last contact runs close to three hours. All times are Egyptian local time, EEST, which is UTC+3 in August.
About 6 minutes 22 seconds. The theoretical maximum anywhere on the path that day is 6 minutes 23 seconds, about 60 kilometres southeast of the city, so Luxor is within a second of the best totality available on Earth. Nothing longer will be visible from easily accessible land until 3 June 2114.
Three reasons together. Luxor sits almost on the centre line, so it gets very close to the maximum duration. Early August in Upper Egypt carries roughly an 80 percent chance of clear sky. And it is the only place on the entire path where you can stand inside a 4,000-year-old temple built to worship the Sun while the Sun goes out.
From $280 per person. Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple are $280, the west bank sites are $290, and the Valley of the Kings is $315 because of its entrance fees. Every price includes transport, a licensed Egyptologist guide, entrance to your chosen site and bottled water.
All nine sit inside the path of totality, so this is a question about setting rather than about the eclipse itself. For sheer scale, Karnak. For the most dramatic architecture, Hatshepsut’s temple at Deir el-Bahari. For the long view of the shadow crossing the floodplain, the Tombs of the Nobles. For the shortest travel on a congested day, Luxor Temple. For quiet, Medinet Habu or the Valley of the Queens. The comparison table on this page sets out all nine side by side.
No. At maximum eclipse the Sun is 82 degrees above the horizon, almost directly overhead, so you are looking nearly straight up and nothing on the ground obstructs it. This is why choosing a site is really about what surrounds you — the light draining out of a colonnade or the shadow crossing the valley — rather than about sightlines to the Sun.
Not on 2 August. Our eclipse day runs as a small group capped at 25 with a licensed Egyptologist guide. Every other day of your trip in Egypt can be arranged privately, and we are happy to build the rest of the itinerary that way.
8 to 10 hours, timed backwards from 13:02 so that you are in position long before the partial phase begins. Pick-up is from your Luxor hotel, your Nile cruise ship or Luxor airport. The day is deliberately long because the roads on both banks will be far busier than usual.
No. Bring your own ISO 12312-2 certified glasses and buy them at home rather than in Luxor near the date. You need them for every phase except the roughly six minutes of totality itself. Ordinary sunglasses, exposed film and smoked glass offer no protection at all.
Only during totality, when the Moon completely covers the Sun — about 6 minutes 22 seconds in Luxor. Your guide will tell you when to take the glasses off and, more importantly, when to put them back on. Every other phase, including the sliver just before and just after, requires certified filters.
The tour runs regardless. Roughly an 80 percent clear-sky probability is among the best on the entire path, but it is a probability rather than a promise, and weather is not refundable. Under thin cloud you still get the darkness, the temperature drop and the horizon glow, which is more than most people expect.
Yes, with planning. The real constraint is not the eclipse but 40-degree August heat at the hottest hour of the day. Every child needs their own certified glasses and an adult keeping them on during the partial phases. For families we would steer you towards Luxor Temple or Karnak rather than the Valley of the Kings, which has no shade at all.
It can be, but the site matters. Luxor Temple and Karnak have the easiest access and the shortest walks from the vehicle. The Valley of the Kings, the Tombs of the Nobles and Deir el-Medina all involve uneven ground and slopes. Tell us about any heart or respiratory condition at booking and we will match you to a site with the vehicle close by.
Yes, with a proper solar filter over the front of the lens for every phase except totality. Eclipse glasses held behind an eyepiece will not protect the camera or your eye. The Ramesseum is the strongest of the nine for photography, with open ruins and room. Set your equipment up at home first. Please note, big tripods are not allowed for free to go inside the temples. You have to buy a ticket to get the tripod in.
As early as you can. Astronomy operators began booking Luxor out for this date years ago, and the city has a finite number of hotel rooms, domestic flight seats and vehicles. Our site allocations for 2 August are limited and released in the order enquiries arrive. Book the eclipse day before you book your flights if you can.
Just the day, if that is what you need. Most operators selling this eclipse only sell seven- to nine-day packages, which is no use if you have already booked a Nile cruise or arranged the rest of your trip elsewhere. We are based in Luxor, so we can put you at a site for 2 August on its own. If you would rather we built the whole trip, our multi-day eclipse packages cover Cairo, the Pyramids, the Grand Egyptian Museum, a Nile cruise, Aswan and Abu Simbel around the same date. Only 2 August itself runs as a group; every other day can be private.
Apophis, the serpent of chaos, attacking the sun god Ra as he sailed his barque across the sky, and swallowing him. Priests performed rites to help Ra fight his way clear and return the light. Karnak and Luxor Temple were both dedicated to Amun-Ra, so on 2 August you will be standing in a building raised to the god who, on that particular afternoon, appeared to lose.
