Luxor after dark
Karnak and Luxor Temple at night, from a Nile cruise
Most Nile cruise ships moor on the Luxor corniche within walking or a short taxi ride of Luxor Temple, which stays open into the evening and is floodlit after dark: the best night visit in Egypt. Karnak runs an evening sound and light show. Many cruises from Luxor visit Luxor Temple on the first evening; if yours visits by day, go back after dinner. A guided Karnak and Luxor Temple half-day costs about US$45 to US$90 per person, all in.
After dinner
Four ways to see Luxor after dark
| What | What it is | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Luxor Temple, lit | Open into the evening; floodlit from dusk | The best of the three: a short walk from most cruise moorings |
| Avenue of Sphinxes | About 2.7 km between Luxor Temple and Karnak, reopened in 2021 | Walk the lit stretch beside Luxor Temple; the whole way takes about 45 minutes |
| Karnak sound and light | An evening show in the temple, in several languages on a rota | A walk-through then a seated finale by the Sacred Lake; check the language and that it is running |
| Carriage ride on the corniche | Horse-drawn calèche along the river | Agree the price and route before you set off |
Opening hours shift with the season and on public holidays, so check on the day with your guide or reception. The sound and light show runs in a different language each session; ask the boat which evening yours is on.
The one not to miss
Why Luxor Temple is better at night
In daylight the stone looks pale and flat. After dusk the floodlights pick out the reliefs on the pylon, the seated Ramesses statues and the colonnade of Amenhotep III, and the heat has gone. The mosque of Abu el-Haggag, built on top of the temple court, stays in use above the columns. Go about an hour after sunset, when the coach groups have left. For the temple itself, see our Luxor Temple guide.
Sound and light
Karnak by night: the sound and light show
Karnak itself is a daytime visit, included on almost every cruise. In the evening the temple hosts a sound and light show: you walk through the lit halls past the obelisks with a recorded narration, then sit by the Sacred Lake for the finale. The story is dated and theatrical, the setting is not. It suits a free evening on a seven-night cruise, or the night before a cruise from Luxor. For Karnak by day, see Karnak and Luxor temples.
Timing
Which evening of your cruise to use
- Four nights from Luxor: the first evening, after you board. Many boats include Luxor Temple then; the boat sails south the next day.
- Three nights from Aswan: the last evening, when the boat arrives in Luxor. You leave the boat the next morning after breakfast.
- Seven-night round trip: the boat spends two evenings in Luxor, so one can be the temple and one the show.
- A dahabiya from Esna: the Luxor temples are seen on the transfer day, so add a night in Luxor if the evening matters to you.
Choosing a boat
Boats moored close to the temples
Where a ship moors in Luxor depends on the day's berth allocation, and ships often tie up side by side, so no boat can promise a temple view from the cabin. The boats we recommend most often for Luxor are Historia, the Oberoi Zahra and the Jaz Regent: Historia and the Jaz Regent leave Luxor on Mondays, the Zahra on Tuesdays. Ask us and we will tell you how your boat handles the evening in Luxor. Compare Nile cruises.
Asked often
Luxor temples at night, answered
- Can you visit Luxor Temple at night?
- Yes. Luxor Temple stays open into the evening and is floodlit after dark, and it is the best night visit in Egypt. Most cruise ships moor within walking or a short taxi ride of it. Hours shift with the season, so check on the day.
- Is the Karnak sound and light show worth it?
- If the evening is free, yes for the setting: you walk through the lit temple and finish by the Sacred Lake. The narration is old-fashioned. Shows run in different languages on a rota, so check the evening for yours.
- Do Nile cruises visit Luxor Temple at night?
- Many four-night cruises from Luxor visit Luxor Temple on the first evening, after boarding. If yours visits by day, go back after dinner on your own; it is close to most moorings.
