Temple of Hatshepsut: The Terraced Temple Guide
How to visit the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari - the female pharaoh's story, the Punt reliefs, the architecture, tickets and timing.
The mortuary temple of Hatshepsut rises in three colonnaded terraces against a wall of honey-coloured cliffs at Deir el-Bahari, on Luxor's west bank. It was built for one of the very few women to rule Egypt as pharaoh, and the design - long horizontal ramps and columns set flush into the rock - looks so clean it feels almost modern. Go early: the natural amphitheatre of cliffs traps heat, there is almost no shade, and the light is best on the terraces in the first hours after opening.
Most people see it as one stop on a half-day West Bank circuit alongside the Valley of the Kings and the Colossi of Memnon. Below is what makes it worth more than the usual 45-minute photo stop.
Quick facts
| Where | Deir el-Bahari, Theban Necropolis, Luxor west bank |
| Built for | Queen Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty, reigned c. 1479-1458 BC) |
| Architect | Senenmut, the queen's steward |
| Ancient name | Djeser-Djeseru, "the Holy of Holies" |
| Hours | Roughly 6am-5pm winter, to about 6pm summer - confirm on the day |
| Ticket | Around 400 EGP adult / student discount with ID (pay by card; cash often refused) |
| Time needed | 60-90 minutes |
| Best time | First hour after opening; it bakes by mid-morning |
| Getting there | ~30 min from Luxor; almost always part of a West Bank tour |
Egypt's monument fees change often and most gates are now card-only. Treat prices as a guide and check current rates at the ticket office or egymonuments.com.
The woman who became pharaoh
Hatshepsut began as regent for her young stepson, Thutmose III, then took the full titles of pharaoh for herself and ruled in her own right for around two decades. In statues and reliefs she is shown with the royal false beard and the traditional male regalia of kingship - not a disguise so much as the visual language a legitimate pharaoh was expected to use. Her reign was prosperous and largely peaceful, remembered for building and trade rather than war.
After her death, Thutmose III - by then a formidable ruler and military campaigner - had her name and images systematically hacked out of monuments across Egypt, this temple included. For a long time scholars read this as pure revenge. The current view is cooler: the erasure came decades later and looks more like a dynastic tidy-up, smoothing the line of succession so it ran cleanly from Thutmose I to II to III, with the female pharaoh quietly removed from the record. Look closely at the walls and you can still see the chiselled-out cartouches and defaced figures - the erasure is now part of what you come to see.
The architecture: Senenmut's terraces
The temple was designed by Senenmut, Hatshepsut's chief steward and, by most accounts, her closest advisor. He set three broad terraces into the curve of the cliff, linked by long central ramps, so the building seems to grow out of the rock behind it. The Baedeker handbook of 1895 already called its three-level facade almost "futuristic" - a fair reaction to something so restrained and horizontal when most Egyptian temples pile up mass and shadow.
What you actually walk through: a lower court that was once a garden with imported frankincense trees, up the ramp to the middle terrace with its two great colonnades, then up again to the upper court fronted by columns carved as Osiride statues of the queen. Aim your camera from the lower court or partway up the ramp for the classic shot of the whole temple framed by the cliffs. The faces of some statues still carry traces of ochre paint - a hint that the whole complex was once brightly coloured.
The Punt reliefs
The reliefs on the middle terrace's south colonnade are the temple's most famous carvings. They record a royal trading expedition Hatshepsut sent by sea to the land of Punt - a place somewhere along the Red Sea or Horn of Africa, still not pinned down exactly. The scenes are unusually detailed: sailing ships loaded with myrrh, ebony, gold, live incense trees and exotic animals, and the ruler of Punt with his famously heavy-set queen. It reads like an ancient trade report carved in stone, and it is one of the earliest visual accounts of a long-distance expedition anywhere.
The north colonnade opposite carries the "divine birth" reliefs - Hatshepsut's claim that she was fathered by the god Amun himself, a piece of theology that helped justify a woman holding the throne.
The Hathor and Anubis chapels
Two side chapels reward a few extra minutes. On the south side of the middle terrace, the chapel of Hathor - the cow goddess, patron of the Theban west bank - keeps some of the site's best-preserved colour, with distinctive Hathor-headed columns. On the north side, the chapel of Anubis, the jackal god who guides the dead, holds vivid painted reliefs where the blues, reds and yellows survive far better than out on the sun-blasted terraces. These indoor spaces are also the coolest corners of the site, which matters on a hot day.
Where it fits on a West Bank day
The Theban Necropolis packs a lot into a small area, and Deir el-Bahari sits neatly in the middle of it. A typical morning runs:
| Stop | What it is | Rough time |
|---|---|---|
| Valley of the Kings | Royal rock-cut tombs, incl. Tutankhamun | 1.5-2 hrs |
| Temple of Hatshepsut | The terraced temple | 60-90 min |
| Colossi of Memnon | Two 18m guardian statues, roadside stop | 15-20 min |
Do the Valley of the Kings first, when it is coolest and least crowded, then Hatshepsut, and finish at the Colossi on the drive back. If you have longer, the Ramesseum, Medinet Habu and the workers' village of Deir el-Medina are all close by. For the full lay of the land, see our guide to things to do in Luxor and the wider Luxor travel guide.
Tickets, timing and practicalities
Buy your ticket at the west bank office (card only at most gates now). A Luxor Pass covers Hatshepsut along with the other west bank and east bank sites and is worth doing the maths on if you are visiting several monuments over a few days.
A small electric tram shuttles from the ticket area up to the temple forecourt - short, but welcome in the heat. Bring water, a hat and sunglasses; there is genuinely no shade on the terraces. Sturdy shoes help on the ramps. Government site fees are separate from, and much cheaper than, the guided tours that bundle them - a private West Bank half-day sits in roughly the same bracket as other Luxor cultural tours (~4,000-4,500 EGP median, around US$85-95), with the monument tickets added on top.
Make this a highlight of your trip - This is Egypt builds custom itineraries around the places you most want to see. Browse Luxor experiences to plan your West Bank day.
Common questions
Who was Hatshepsut?
One of the very few women to rule ancient Egypt as pharaoh. She began as regent for her young stepson Thutmose III, then took the full royal titles herself and reigned for roughly two decades in the 18th Dynasty (c. 1479-1458 BC), remembered for building and trade.
Why was Hatshepsut's name erased from the temple?
Decades after her death, Thutmose III had her name and images chiselled out of monuments including this temple. It was long read as revenge but is now generally seen as a dynastic move to present a clean male line of succession. You can still see the defaced cartouches on the walls.
How much does the Temple of Hatshepsut cost to enter?
Around 400 EGP for adults with a student discount available on ID. Most Luxor gates are now card-only, so bring a card. A Luxor Pass covers this site plus the other west bank monuments. Confirm current prices at the ticket office.
What are the opening hours?
Roughly 6am to 5pm in winter and to about 6pm in summer. Hours shift seasonally, so check on the day. Arriving right at opening gives you the best light and the least heat.
What are the Punt reliefs?
Carvings on the middle terrace showing a seagoing trade expedition Hatshepsut sent to the land of Punt, along the Red Sea or Horn of Africa. They depict ships laden with myrrh, incense trees, gold and exotic animals, plus the ruler of Punt and his queen - one of the earliest detailed records of a long-distance expedition.
Is the Temple of Hatshepsut visited with the Valley of the Kings?
Almost always. Both sit in the Theban Necropolis on Luxor's west bank, minutes apart, and a standard half-day tour combines them with the Colossi of Memnon. Do the Valley of the Kings first while it is cool, then Hatshepsut, then the Colossi.
How long should I spend there?
Sixty to ninety minutes is enough to walk all three terraces, take in the Punt and divine-birth reliefs, and step into the Hathor and Anubis chapels. Add time if it is crowded or you want photos without people.
When is the best time to go?
The first hour after opening. The temple sits in a curve of cliffs that traps heat and offers no shade, so it becomes uncomfortable by mid-morning. Early also means softer light on the terraces for photos.
Who designed the temple?
Senenmut, Hatshepsut's chief steward and closest advisor. He set three colonnaded terraces into the natural curve of the cliffs so the building appears to grow out of the rock - a design widely admired as one of the most striking in Egypt.
Book it on This is Egypt
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