Valley of the Kings TourHurghada to Luxor Small Group Tour
This Hurghada to Luxor small group tour is the most reviewed listing on this site, with 4.8 from 4,018 reviews and a base price of $45 per person on Viator. FTS Travels runs it as a 15 to 16 hour day by air-conditioned vehicle, visiting Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Colossi of Memnon and Hatshepsut Temple with an Egyptologist guide, plus lunch in Luxor. The catch is the option system. Entrance fees, the tomb of Ramses V and VI and Tutankhamun's tomb are all separate checkout choices, and the cheapest option leaves every ticket to pay on the spot. This page breaks down what each option covers and who should book a different tour to Valley of the Kings tours instead.
About This Tour
FTS Travels picks you up at your Hurghada hotel and drives you to Luxor, roughly 4 hours on the Safaga to Qena road, for a guided day across both banks of the Nile. The group travels in an air-conditioned vehicle and the guide is a professional Egyptologist. Lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor is included, as are snacks, cold drinks and water on the drive back.
The price depends on the option you choose at checkout. One option bundles the entry fees for Karnak, Hatshepsut Temple and the Valley of the Kings with the tomb of Ramses V and VI. Another adds the Tutankhamun tomb ticket. The cheapest option has no tickets at all, so you pay entrance fees in Luxor on the day.
$45 per person base, with $11.23 in extra charges shown on the listing, from price $56.23. The listing does not say what the extra charge covers.
15 to 16 hours door to door, including about 4 hours of driving to Luxor.
Hotel pickup and drop-off in Hurghada. No pickup window or departure time is stated on the listing.
Small group, not private, with a professional live Egyptologist guide. No maximum group size is stated in the small-group options.
Karnak Temple, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple and the Colossi of Memnon. Which tickets are included depends on the option chosen.
Included only in the options that say so. The without-entrance-fees option has them paid on the spot. Tutankhamun's tomb and Ramses V and VI are separate options.
Yes, at a local restaurant in Luxor. Drinks in the restaurant are not included.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure for a full refund. The operator can also cancel for bad weather.
Check Dates and Availability
This listing sells on Viator under code 14976P3, with free cancellation 24 hours before departure.
You'll confirm the exact date and time on the secure booking page.
Quick answer Price, hours and the ticket catch
The Hurghada to Luxor small group tour starts at $45 per person with $11.23 in extra charges on the listing, from price $56.23, and runs 15 to 16 hours. Entry tickets are only included in the options that say so, otherwise you pay on the spot. Everyone returns to Hurghada with the group.
Key takeaways
- Pick the option that names the tickets you want, or budget for fees on the day. See the official Valley of the Kings tickets.
- Want tickets and Tutankhamun's tomb in one price? Compare the Hurghada day trip with Tut's tomb.
- The full listing and booking form sit on the tour card on the homepage.
What the Price Actually Covers
The base price is $45 per person, but the listing shows a from price of $56.23 once $11.23 in extra charges is added, and it does not say what that charge covers.
What Is In Every Booking
Every option includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Hurghada, air-conditioned transport in a small group, a professional live Egyptologist guide, lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor, and snacks, cold drinks and water on the way back. Pickup at Al-Ahyaa, El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Safaga or Soma Bay is not included. Drinks in the restaurant are not included either.
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Hurghada
- Air-conditioned transport in a small group
- Professional live Egyptologist guide
- Lunch at a local restaurant in Luxor
- Snacks, cold drinks and water on the way back
The Four Options at Checkout
The listing sells four named options. Small Group with Ramses V and VI includes entry fees for Karnak, Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings plus the KV9 tomb. Luxor with Tutankhamun Tomb includes entry fees and the KV62 ticket.
Luxor Small Group with fees includes the three main entry tickets without any special tomb. Without Entrance Fees is the cheapest and leaves all entrance fees to be paid on the spot. Read the option name carefully before paying, because the difference is real money in Luxor.
The official Valley of the Kings general ticket is EGP 750 for foreign adults, the Karnak ticket is EGP 600 including the Open Museum, and Hatshepsut's temple shows 440 EGP on the temple page and 360 EGP on the Deir el-Bahari site page. Tutankhamun's tomb costs an extra EGP 700 and KV9 costs EGP 220 as official prices, not part of the tour price.
| Line | In the price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Base price | Yes | $45 per person, from price $56.23 with $11.23 in extra charges |
| Hotel pickup in Hurghada | Yes | Not at Al-Ahyaa, El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Safaga or Soma Bay |
| Guide | Yes | Live Egyptologist, English |
| Lunch | Yes | Local restaurant in Luxor, drinks extra |
| Entry fees, three main sites | Option only | Included only in the options that say so, otherwise paid on the spot |
| Tutankhamun's tomb KV62 | Option only | Its own option. Official price EGP 700 extra |
| Tomb of Ramses V and VI KV9 | Option only | Part of one option. Official price EGP 220 |
| Drinks in the restaurant | No | Paid on the day |
| Tips | No | Not mentioned in the inclusions |
The Charge Nobody Explains
Viator shows $11.23 in extra charges on top of the $45 base, taking the from price to $56.23. The listing does not state what these charges cover. Treat $56.23 as the realistic starting figure and check the itemised total at checkout before you book.
If you want a Hurghada day where tickets and the Tutankhamun tomb sit in one clear price, the Hurghada day trip with Tut's tomb at $93 does exactly that, and the Hurghada bus day with groups of 9 shows a lower headline of $18.22 but carries mandatory fees of €60 per adult on its cheapest option.
Pillared chamber inside the tomb of Ramesses III, KV11. Photo: R Prazeres, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What the Day Is Really Like
The listing gives durations per stop but no clock times, so the day runs as phases. Expect a long day.
Pickup and the Drive East
The day starts with hotel pickup in Hurghada, at a time the listing does not state. The itinerary allows about 4 hours on the road to Luxor, roughly 300 km away through Safaga and Qena. The listing then allows another hour for the transfer into the sights, with Karnak Temple as the first stop.
Karnak's Great Hypostyle Hall holds 134 columns, the 12 central ones standing 21 metres high, and the temple is the second most visited historical site in Egypt after the Giza pyramids.
Lunch and the Nile Crossing
The itinerary allows about an hour for lunch at a local restaurant, then an optional crossing of the Nile by traditional Egyptian motor boat to the west bank. The crossing is described as optional in the listing.
Colossi of Memnon
The first west bank stop is a short one, about an hour on the itinerary, at the Colossi of Memnon. These are two statues of Amenhotep III about 18 metres high and roughly 720 tons each. There is no entrance fee at this site.
The Valley of the Kings
The itinerary then allows about 2 hours on the west bank for the Valley of the Kings, an extensive complex of 63 royal tombs used for burials for about 500 years from the Eighteenth Dynasty. Your general ticket covers 3 tombs of your choice from those open that day, and the tombs open in rotation, so no operator can promise a named tomb. Guides are not permitted inside the tombs, so the Egyptologist explains the decoration outside the entrances.
An electric tram runs from the visitor centre to the tomb area, about 3 minutes each way, at an official 20 EGP round trip.
Hatshepsut Temple and the Road Back
The temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari shares the 2 hour west bank block on the itinerary. It is 273.5 metres long, built on three terraces, with the middle terrace showing the expedition to the Land of Punt. After that the group boards the vehicle for the drive back to Hurghada, with the listed snacks, cold drinks and water handed out on the way.
The day ends where it began, at your hotel, and the listing states no return time.
Who This Tour Rules Out
The listing itself flags several limits, and the format adds more. Check them before you book.
Read These Limits First
This is a 15 to 16 hour day from Hurghada with no stated departure time, so you plan around a long, road-heavy schedule. The listing says travellers need at least a moderate level of physical fitness and is not recommended for people with spinal injuries, pregnant travellers or those with poor cardiovascular health. Tickets are not in the base price, so the cheapest option means paying fees on the spot by card.
The $11.23 in extra charges on top of $45 is unexplained. Wheelchair access is not stated. The operator can cancel for bad weather.
All participants must return with the group, so nobody may stay overnight in Luxor.
- Not for travellers with limited mobility, spinal injuries, pregnancy or poor cardiovascular health
- Not for anyone who wants a named tomb guaranteed, the tombs open in rotation
- Not for anyone who cannot face a very long day
- Not for anyone who wants to stay in Luxor after the tour
Alternatives That Fit Better
If tickets and Tutankhamun's tomb in one price matter most, the Hurghada day trip with Tut's tomb includes them at $93. If the lowest headline price is the goal, the Hurghada bus day with groups of 9 starts at $18.22 but adds mandatory fees of €60 per adult on its cheapest option. If you are already staying in Luxor, skip the long round trip entirely and look at the shared full day across both banks at $30 or the private 4 hour Valley of the Kings visit.
The homepage comparison table lays all of these side by side.
Tickets, Heat and the Rest of Your Day
If you pick the without-entrance-fees option, or want to add a special tomb, these are the official prices and rules you will meet at the gate.
The Official Tickets
The Valley of the Kings general ticket is EGP 750 for foreign adults and EGP 375 for students, and it covers 3 tombs from those open. Tutankhamun's tomb KV62 is an extra EGP 700, the tomb of Seti I KV17 is EGP 2,000, and the joint tomb of Ramses V and VI KV9 is EGP 220, all official prices on top of the general ticket. Cash is no longer accepted at the Valley of the Kings, so bring a card.
Karnak charges EGP 600 for foreign adults including the Open Museum, and Hatshepsut's temple shows 440 EGP on the temple page and 360 EGP on the Deir el-Bahari site page, a conflict between two Ministry pages. Full details sit in the Valley of the Kings tickets guide and the Tutankhamun's tomb guide.
Hours and the Heat
The Ministry lists the Valley of the Kings as open daily from 6:00 am, closing at 5:00 pm, though some sources give 4:00 pm in winter. Karnak, Hatshepsut's temple and KV17 are all listed at 6:00 am to 5:00 pm. Luxor's mean daily maximum runs 39.1 C in May, 41.2 C in June and 41.4 C in July, and the record is 50.0 C. The tombs themselves stay cooler than the desert outside because they run underground, but the queues and terraces do not.
Bring water, sunscreen and closed-toe shoes, and cover shoulders and knees.
What Fits Around the Tour
The tour's fixed schedule leaves no time for extras, but if you return to Luxor on your own another day, the Temple of Hatshepsut guide and the Karnak Temple guide cover the two temples on this itinerary in depth. A dawn flight over the West Bank is the classic add-on, described in the Luxor hot air balloon guide. If you would rather skip Hurghada entirely, the guides on Valley of the Kings tours from Luxor start at the homepage.
The Day, Stop by Stop
The listing gives durations but no clock times, so the day is shown in phases as the operator describes it.
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Pickup
Hotel pickup in Hurghada
The vehicle collects you at your Hurghada hotel. The listing states no pickup window or departure time, so confirm both on your voucher.
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After about 4 hours on the road
Arrive in Luxor, Karnak Temple
About an hour is allowed for the transfer to the first sight, Karnak Temple, with its Great Hypostyle Hall of 134 columns.
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Midday
Lunch and the Nile crossing
About an hour at a local restaurant, then an optional crossing of the Nile by traditional Egyptian motor boat to the west bank. Restaurant drinks are not included.
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Early afternoon
Colossi of Memnon
A short stop, about an hour on the itinerary, at the two 18 metre statues of Amenhotep III. No entrance fee is charged here.
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Afternoon
Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple
About 2 hours covers the Valley of the Kings, where the general ticket covers 3 tombs from those open that day, and the temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari. The guide explains outside, because guides are not permitted inside the tombs.
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Last hour
The drive back to Hurghada
The group boards the air-conditioned vehicle for the return drive, with the listed snacks, cold drinks and water handed out, and drops everyone back at their hotels. Nobody may stay in Luxor.
Pros and Cons
An honest read of the listing, its 4.8 rating from 4,018 reviews aside.
What we genuinely like
- The most reviewed card on this site, 4.8 from 4,018 Viator and Tripadvisor reviews
- Base price of $45 per person with an Egyptologist guide and lunch included
- Small group in air-conditioned transport rather than a full coach
- Tutankhamun's tomb and Ramses V and VI can both be added at checkout
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before departure
The honest downsides
- $11.23 in extra charges on the listing is unexplained, so the realistic from price is $56.23
- Entry tickets are only in the options that say so, the cheapest option pays all fees on the spot
- 15 to 16 hours door to door with no stated departure time
- Pickup excluded at Al-Ahyaa, El Gouna, Sahl Hasheesh, Safaga and Soma Bay
- Everyone must return with the group, no staying in Luxor
Who it's NOT for: Not for anyone who wants tickets and Tutankhamun's tomb inside one clear price, which the Hurghada day trip with Tut's tomb does for $93.
Questions About This Tour
Are entrance fees included in the $45 price?
Only in the options that say so. The Luxor Small Group with fees option covers Karnak, Hatshepsut Temple and the Valley of the Kings, while the without-entrance-fees option has you pay on the spot, where the general ticket is EGP 750 by card. Details are in the tickets guide.
Does this Hurghada to Luxor small group tour include Tutankhamun's tomb?
Yes, but only if you pick the Luxor with Tutankhamun Tomb option at checkout. The official KV62 ticket is an extra EGP 700 beyond the general ticket, as the Tutankhamun's tomb guide explains.
How long does the day take?
The listing states 15 to 16 hours door to door, with about 4 hours of driving to Luxor over roughly 300 km. If that sounds too long, a Luxor day trip from Hurghada overview compares the alternatives.
What exactly are the extra charges on the listing?
The listing shows $11.23 in extra charges on top of the $45 base, a from price of $56.23, and does not say what they cover, so check the itemised total at checkout. The homepage tickets section shows what other tours bundle in.
Can I stay in Luxor instead of riding back?
No. The listing states that all participants must return with the group for safety reasons and are not permitted to stay in Luxor on their own. Travellers already in Luxor can look at the shared East and West Banks day instead.
Will I see the tombs I want in the Valley of the Kings?
Not guaranteed. The general ticket covers 3 tombs from those open that day and the tombs open in rotation, so no operator can promise a specific one. The which tombs you can enter section lists the usual rotation.
Is it worth going in summer?
It is hard going. Luxor's mean daily maximum is 41.4 C in July. The when to go section sets out the months.
Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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