Karnak Temple, Luxor

Karnak Temple tickets and prices

A foreign adult ticket costs EGP 600; students up to 24 with a valid ID pay EGP 300, and children under 6 go free. The Temple of Mut, the southern precinct of the complex, needs a separate EGP 200 ticket. Phone photography is free; drones need a military permit, so leave yours at the hotel.

Tickets are sold on the official Egymonuments website, in the Experience Egypt app, and at the desks and kiosks at the gate. Visa and Mastercard work on every channel, including the desk on site, so a card is all you need for entry. Keep some small Egyptian pound notes for toilets and tips. Tickets are dated and non-refundable.

The Luxor Pass covers sites on both banks for 5 days. Unofficial figures put it at USD 130 (standard) and USD 250 (premium, adding the tombs of Seti I and Nefertari), sold at an office by the Karnak ticket desk for clean US dollar or euro notes, with a passport copy and photo. There is no official page for it, so confirm the price on site. For scale, the eight main Luxor tickets at official prices — Karnak, Luxor Temple, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Medinet Habu, Ramesseum, Valley of the Queens and Luxor Museum — add up to EGP 3,350.

Karnak Temple opening hours

Karnak opens every day at 6:00, and the last entry is 16:00, all year — the ministry lists the same times in Ramadan. It asks visitors to arrive at least an hour before closing, which in practice means arriving by 15:00 if you want to see more than the main axis.

The best slot is 6:00–9:00: soft light on the columns, cooler air and far fewer people. The evening Sound and Light show is a separate event after the temple closes, with its own ticket.

How long do you need, and is it worth it?

Plan 2–3 hours for the Precinct of Amun-Re, the main part that everyone visits. Add an hour if you want the Temple of Mut and the Open Air Museum. A quick walk down the central axis takes 45 minutes, but that skips most of what makes Karnak special.

Yes, it is worth it — this is the single site in Luxor not to miss, even on a one-day stop. The honest catch: without context it can feel like an endless field of stones. A guide or a good audio guide turns it into a story; if you only want photos, go at sunrise and keep it short.

What to see at Karnak

• The ram-headed sphinxes at the entrance — the ram was Amun's sacred animal.
• The First Pylon, the biggest gateway of the temple, which was never finished.
• The Great Hypostyle Hall — 134 papyrus columns, the central 12 over 20 m tall. Look up: original paint survives on the capitals and ceiling blocks.
• The obelisks of Thutmose I and Queen Hatshepsut; hers stands about 30 m high.
• The Sacred Lake, where priests purified themselves, with the giant granite scarab beside it.
• The Open Air Museum in the north — the White Chapel of Senusret I and Hatshepsut's Red Chapel, rebuilt from their original blocks.
• The Temple of Mut to the south, on a separate ticket, quiet and rarely crowded.

Do you need a guide?

You can visit on your own: the main route is a straight line from the entrance to the sanctuary and the Sacred Lake, and the key spots are signposted. What a guide adds is meaning — who built which pylon, what the reliefs show, where to find the less obvious chapels.

A good middle path is to read up before you go and hire an Egyptologist only for the Hypostyle Hall and the obelisks. Book through a recognised operator rather than accepting offers at the gate, and agree the length and price in advance.

Karnak or Luxor Temple?

Karnak is bigger and older; Luxor Temple is compact and at its best after dark. With one day, do Karnak in the morning and Luxor Temple in the evening.

Historic sites in Luxor: compare and choose

Every historic site in Luxor rated by YesGo. Tap a column header to sort.

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Avenue of Sphinxes

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Luxor Museum

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How to do it right

• Go straight to the Hypostyle Hall at opening, before the groups — the courtyards and the lake can wait.
• The Temple of Mut is the quiet corner of Karnak; worth the extra ticket if crowds wear you down.
• Pair Karnak with Luxor Temple in the evening — last entry there is 19:00 and the floodlighting is superb.
• The West Bank sites — Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple — need their own half day across the river.
• Only buy the Luxor Pass if you'll cover most sites on both banks within 5 days.
• Coming back for the Sound and Light show? It's a separate ticket — your day entry won't get you in after dark.

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