A Luxor hot air balloon ride lifts you above the West Bank of the Nile just as the sun rises over the eastern desert. From the basket you see ancient Thebes laid out as the pharaohs planned it: the green strip of fields along the river, the temples built at the edge of the cultivation, and behind them the bare limestone cliffs that hide the royal tombs.
The Egyptians placed their cities of the living on the East Bank, where the sun rises, and their tombs and memorial temples on the West Bank, where it sets. From the ground you visit those temples one at a time. From the air, in 30 to 45 minutes, you see how they fit together: Hatshepsut’s terraced temple tucked under the cliffs of Deir el-Bahari, the Ramesseum, the great walled temple of Medinet Habu, and the two Colossi of Memnon standing alone in the fields.
We collect you from your hotel or your Nile cruise ship in Luxor before dawn, take you across the Nile by motorboat, and bring you back by mid-morning, in time for breakfast or a full day of sightseeing. Egypt Best Vacations is based in Luxor and run by Egyptologist Essam Ali, so we can tell you exactly what you are looking at below the basket.
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| About 1 hour before sunrise | Pickup from your hotel or Nile cruise ship in Luxor. We confirm the exact time the evening before, because sunrise in Luxor is earlier in summer than in winter. |
| About 30 minutes later | Short motorboat ride across the Nile to the West Bank, with tea, coffee and snacks while the crew inflates the balloons. You can watch the burners light up the envelope in the half-dark. |
| At sunrise | Climb into the basket and lift off. For the next 30 to 45 minutes the balloon drifts with the morning wind over the fields, villages and temples of the West Bank while the sun comes up over the eastern desert. |
| After landing | The balloon lands in open fields or on the desert edge. The ground crew meets you and drives you back to the river. |
| Mid-morning | Back at your hotel or ship, usually 3 to 4 hours after pickup, with the rest of the day free. |
The wind decides the exact route, but most flights cross the heart of the Theban necropolis. These are the monuments to look for.
Three colonnaded terraces built into a bay of the cliffs. From the air you see how deliberately it was set against the mountain. Hatshepsut began as regent for Thutmose III and went on to rule as a crowned king in full pharaonic regalia, with his regnal years still running alongside hers.
The royal tombs are hidden in a valley behind the cliffs, so you will not see the tomb entrances themselves. You will see el-Qurn, the pyramid-shaped peak above them, which may be one reason the New Kingdom pharaohs chose this valley for their burials.
The memorial temple of Ramesses II, and further south the walled temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu, whose outlines are far clearer from above than from the ground.
Two seated statues of Amenhotep III, around 18 metres tall, standing alone in the fields. They once guarded the entrance to his memorial temple, which has almost entirely disappeared.
Want to explore these sites on foot afterwards? Our Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and Colossi of Memnon tour covers the West Bank the same day, and the Luxor full-day tour of the West and East Banks adds Karnak and Luxor Temple.
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $130 |
| 2 people | $120 |
| 3 to 7 people | $110 |
| 8 to 16 people | $100 |
Children under 6 are not allowed to fly.
Make a full day of it with the Luxor West Bank tour with balloon and felucca, or pair the flight with Karnak and Luxor Temple on the Luxor East Bank package with balloon and felucca rides. See all our Luxor day tours.
