This is the section for the temples, the tombs and the pyramids — the open-air sites that, unlike the museums, are walked rather than browsed. The notes below cover the sites that justify the heat: the Giza plateau, Saqqara and Dahshur, the Theban temples at Karnak and Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and Queens, Hatshepsut, Medinet Habu, the river temples at Edfu, Esna and Kom Ombo, Philae and Abu Simbel, and Dendera out of Sohag. Each note gives the opening hours, the ticket breakdown in Egyptian pounds, the supplement that is worth it and the one that is not, the room or pylon worth your time, and the best window of the day to avoid the heat and the buses.
A practical word first. Open-air sites in Egypt are walked, not browsed — they need shade planning, sun protection, water and an honest read of how much heat your group can take. Most notes below carry a best-window line that is the difference between a memorable visit and a miserable one. Karnak in May at 14:00 is unpleasant; Karnak in May at 07:00 is breathtaking. We do not soften these — we walk the sites ourselves and we would rather you have a good visit than a comfortable-sounding note.
Open 07:00–17:00 (to 19:00 May–Sept). Ticket EGP 540 base; EGP 900 Khufu interior; EGP 350 Khafre interior; EGP 200 Solar Boat. Worth: the panoramic point south of Khafre (free), the Khufu interior if you have never been inside a pyramid, the Sphinx at 16:00. Side door: the back entrance from Pyramids Road avoids the village touts.
Open 08:00–17:00. Ticket EGP 450 base; Serapeum supplement (worth it), Mereruka tomb (worth it). Worth: the restored Djoser colonnade, the Serapeum, the Mereruka relief programme. Skip: the Imhotep Museum if you have already done a museum. Side door: arrive before 08:30, the buses queue at 09:00. Combine with Dahshur.
Open 06:00–17:00. Ticket EGP 450, combined Luxor + Karnak EGP 600 saves ~30%. Worth: arrive 06:45, the Hypostyle Hall is empty for 40 minutes; the Sacred Lake; the open-air museum (separate small ticket, easily missed). Skip: the evening sound-and-light. Side door: the back path through the Khonsu temple is shadier.
Open 06:00–21:00. Ticket EGP 300, combined with Karnak EGP 600. Worth: after dark, between 18:30 and 20:00, when the columns are lit; the Avenue of Sphinxes walks back to Karnak. Skip: 11:00–15:00 in summer — the open courtyards radiate heat.
Open 06:00–17:00. Ticket EGP 600 general (3 tombs); Seti I supplement EGP 1,400 (worth it); Nefertari EGP 1,400 (worth it); Tutankhamun EGP 360 (skippable). Worth: Seti I is the longest, best-preserved open tomb. Side door: first ferry at 06:00 beats the convoys.
Open 06:00–17:00. Ticket EGP 360. Worth: the middle-terrace Punt expedition relief, the chapel of Anubis, the view back across the necropolis. Skip: the ground-level walk from the gate — pay the shuttle. Side door: visit before 09:00 or after 16:00 May–October; almost no shade.
Open 06:00–17:00. Ticket EGP 200. Worth: the Sea Peoples relief on the outer enclosure (the most complete battle scene in Egyptian art) and the small palace ruins. Skip: nothing — the most undervisited major site on the west bank. Side door: the wall colour survives better here than at Karnak.
Open 07:00–17:00. Ticket EGP 450, plus EGP 350 boat fare (agree it before boarding). Worth: the boat approach itself, the late-afternoon light at 16:00, the Augustus kiosk at the southern tip. Skip: the evening sound-and-light. Side door: the southern landing has cheaper boats than the front jetty.
Open 05:00–17:00 (early for the convoy). Ticket EGP 600 (both temples). Worth: both temples — do not skip the smaller Nefertari temple — and the relocation-history boards. Skip: nothing; the site justifies the pre-dawn drive. Side door: the road convoy is cheaper than the flight and gives 90 minutes on site. Equinox tickets (22 Oct, 22 Feb) sell out 3 months ahead.
Open 07:00–17:00. Ticket EGP 200. Worth: the painted astronomical ceiling — the best-preserved colour programme on any temple ceiling in Egypt, cleaned in the 2018–2021 campaign. A three-hour round trip from Luxor. Side door: pair with Abydos for a long but rewarding day.
Three river temples every Nile cruise stops at. Edfu (EGP 360, 90 min) is the most intact Ptolemaic temple in Egypt. Esna (EGP 200, 30 min) is small but the cleaned ceiling is striking. Kom Ombo (EGP 240, 60 min) is the double temple, best at sunset; the small crocodile museum is included.
If you have a working week and want to see the headline sites without rushing, this is the pattern we would do ourselves. It is dense but not punishing, because most of the heavy walking happens before 10:00.
Pair this with the day-by-day plans for the city loops, the great collections for the museum component, and best months to confirm the dates allow this pace.
Late June through August at midday is genuinely hazardous south of Cairo. The Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut are exposed and the rock radiates heat after 11:00. Visit before 09:00 or after 16:00. The best months page has the full month-by-month picture.
Mostly no. For Karnak, Luxor Temple, the pyramids and Dahshur a good printed guide and a steady pace beat a generic group commentary. The exceptions are Abydos, where the relief programme benefits from explanation, and the Valley of the Kings if you want to understand the specific tomb's iconography.
If you have never been inside a pyramid, yes — the Grand Gallery is remarkable. If you have already done the Red Pyramid at Dahshur it is less worth it per pound, and the Khufu air is stale. The Khafre interior is the under-recommended alternative — fewer queues, similar experience.
A unified camera-ticket system replaced the per-site fees in early 2024. Most sites now sell an EGP 50–100 photography permit covering still photography for the day. Video and tripods still need separate permits. Nefertari's tomb has new rules from April 2026 — no photography of any kind, with a bag drop at the entrance.
The cruise is the easier way to do Edfu, Esna and Kom Ombo because they are otherwise tedious to reach. The cruise is the wrong way to do Luxor and Aswan as your only visit, because it rushes the temple time. The honest pattern is: cruise the river leg, then add nights in Luxor and Aswan around it.
Cross-reference with the day-by-day plans for the worked routes, the area notes for the city context, and before you go for the visa, money and SIM basics.
The west bank in March and September, Cairo and Giza each season. If a tomb closes or a supplement changes, the note carries the correction within a week. Want the short monthly heads-up? It's free.
Ask for the update note