Balloon Flights with a West Bank Tour, Luxor
Nine listings that keep you on the west bank after landing: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and the Colossi, with a guide.
The balloon lands on the west bank around seven in the morning, and the Valley of the Kings opens at six. The nine trips on this page do the obvious thing with that coincidence: instead of driving you back to the hotel for breakfast, they hand you to a guide and spend the rest of the morning on the ground you have just flown over.
The arithmetic here is unusually favourable and worth spelling out. A standalone flight starts at 35 EUR. The cheapest of these combined days is 62. For the 27 EUR in between you are getting a guide, transport and, in most cases, the entrance tickets for a site where the tombs are individually ticketed and add up quickly. Compared with booking the flight and then arranging the west bank separately in the afternoon, when the temperature on the Theban hills is a different proposition entirely, it is close to a free upgrade. The catch is the length of the day: six hours is the median and one listing runs eleven, all of it starting at four in the morning.
Balloon Flight + Valley of the Kings with an Egyptologist
Full-day Luxor program: sunrise balloon flight, then the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi with a private Egyptologist guide.
Hot Air Balloon and Best of Luxor Full Day Tour
Balloon at dawn, then a full day on the ground: one booking covers breakfast, the flight and the highlights of Luxor at a low entry price.
Hot Air Balloon and Full Day Luxor Tour with Lunch
Sunrise over the Valley of the Kings from the basket, then a full guided day in Luxor with lunch, hotel pickup and drop-off included.
Hot Air Balloon Luxor, Valley of the Kings & Hatshepsut
Cross the Nile by motorboat, fly 40 to 45 minutes over the desert at sunrise, then visit the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut's temple.
Luxor Balloon Ride and West Bank Temples Day Tour
A 45-minute sunrise balloon flight plus a guided west bank day: Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut, Medinet Habu. Rated 5.0 from 27 reviews.
Luxor Hot Air Balloon, Both Banks and Valley of the Queens
Both banks of the Nile in one day: a sunrise balloon flight, the west bank sites, the Valley of the Queens and Luxor Temple in the evening.
Luxor in One Package: Balloon Flight and West Bank Tour
One booking, one morning: sunrise balloon flight over the Valley of the Kings plus a guided west bank tour to Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
Luxor Sunrise Balloon and Sunset Felucca Full-Day Tour
A 45-minute balloon flight at dawn, both banks of Luxor by day, then an hour under sail on the Nile at sunset. Private tour with hotel pickup.
Sunrise Balloon Ride and Private Luxor West Bank Tour
Sunrise balloon ride over the Valleys of the Kings and Queens, then a private walking tour of Luxor's west bank with an English-speaking guide.
Ratings collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
What the guided half covers
The core is consistent: the Valley of the Kings with three tombs on the standard ticket, the mortuary temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari and the Colossi of Memnon. From there the listings diverge. Some cross to the east bank for Karnak and Luxor Temple, which makes for a long day but covers Luxor properly in one go. Two add a felucca on the Nile at sunset. One brings an Egyptologist rather than a general guide, which for the tombs is a genuinely different experience and is priced accordingly.
Tombs that cost extra
One thing to check before booking, because it catches people out: Tutankhamun's tomb and the tomb of Seti I are not on the general Valley of the Kings ticket. They are separate, and Seti I in particular is expensive. If either is on your list, ask whether the listing covers it or whether you pay at the gate. Most of these do not include them, which is normal practice and not a trick, but it is easier to know in advance than to find out at six in the morning with the day's cash in your pocket.
Questions people actually ask
Is the balloon and tour combination worth it over a flight alone?
On the numbers, yes. A standalone Luxor flight starts at 35 EUR and the cheapest of these combined days is 62. For 27 EUR more you get a guide, transport and usually the entrance tickets for a site where tombs are ticketed individually. Doing the west bank separately in the afternoon costs more and puts you on the Theban hills at the hottest part of the day.
How long is the day?
Seven hours is the median, and one listing runs eleven. It starts with a pickup around four in the morning, so a full-day option ends after lunch with the afternoon gone. If you have one day in Luxor that is efficient; if you have three, it may be more than you want on the first one.
Which tombs are included?
Normally three tombs on the standard Valley of the Kings ticket, chosen from those open on the day. Tutankhamun and Seti I are separately ticketed and usually not included. Confirm before booking if either matters to you.
Do these visit Karnak too?
Some do. The longer listings cross to the east bank after lunch for Karnak and Luxor Temple, which covers the whole of Luxor in one day. The shorter ones stay on the west bank. The distinction is in the itinerary rather than the title, so read the inclusions.
Data verified on. Itineraries, durations and prices read from the nine listings on this page, compared with the 20 standalone flights on the Luxor page.