Where to Go: the 15 Best Private Temple Tours in Egypt

1.Private Tour: Luxor West Bank, Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 111 reviews · from $107Our pick

Begin at 7:00 am with pickup from a central Luxor hotel or river port. A private Egyptologist-led minivan tour takes you across the Nile to three West Bank highlights: three royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut Temple, and the Colossi of Memnon. Tutankhamun’s tomb costs extra, and an alabaster shop may be included.

“Amazing! Loved our tour guide, very knowledgable and funny. We had him also for our Luxor east bank and it was a fantastic experience!”

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2.Private tour West Bank Luxor, Valley of the Kings, temples, lunch

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 73 reviews · from $85Best reviewed

Spend five to six hours touring Luxor’s West Bank in a private, air-conditioned vehicle with an Egyptologist guide. Visit three Valley of the Kings tombs, Hatshepsut’s temple, Medinet Habu, and the Colossi of Memnon. Finish with Egyptian lunch on Malkata House’s roof terrace. Guides named Hamdi and Saber have led this experience.

“Our guide was so well informed and looked after us so well! He gave us really clear information about ticket purchase, best places to go and lots of interesting information. The bus transfer was really well coordinated and lunch was amazing. Would definitely recommend!”

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3.Private Day Trip to Abu Simbel Temple with Guide from Luxor

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 67 reviews · from $120

Leave Luxor before dawn for a private, air-conditioned drive to Abu Simbel. A private English-speaking Egyptologist, such as Hamid or Waleed Adnan, meets you at the temple for about two hours of guided sightseeing. The $120 price includes East Bank pickup, transport, and return, but not temple admission or West Bank pickup.

“It's a long drive, 6 hours there then the same back. The driver was brilliant! Think his name was Abdo, plenty of breaks if you need them and he points out anything good to see. The Temple was good as well.”

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4.Karnak And Luxor Temples Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 66 reviews · from $61Cheapest good one

Visit Karnak and Luxor temples with a private Egyptologist such as Walid, Rania, or Waleed, plus hotel pickup, bottled water, and a private air-conditioned car. Choose an early start for cooler weather or a later visit for sunset and evening lights. Temple admission fees are extra.

“Fantastic trip from start to finish, Walid was a mine of information and knew all the best spots to get photos from Can’t recommend him enough”

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5.St Catherine Monastery Private Tour From Sharm El Sheikh

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · from $147

Leave Sharm el Sheikh at 6:00 am for a private drive to St. Catherine’s Monastery, one of the world’s oldest working Christian monasteries. With guides such as Nabil or Nabeel, you’ll see the Transfiguration Church, Burning Bush, and Well of Moses, then eat lunch beside the sea and shop in Dahab before returning.

“Such a special and memorable day. Thank you to our guide and driver, so friendly and reliable. Loved stopping off at Dahab on the way back. The perfect day!”

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6.Private Day Trip To Kom Ombo And Edfu Temples From Aswan

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 41 reviews · from $70

Travel north from Aswan to Kom Ombo and Edfu in a private vehicle with an Egyptologist guide. See Kom Ombo’s unusual double temple, then explore Egypt’s best-preserved cult temple at Edfu. The trip costs about $70 per person, includes entrance fees and hotel transport, and can end in Aswan or Luxor.

“We loved this tour! It was well-organized and informative, with an exceptional guide and driver who spoke excellent English. Unlike other tours I've taken in Egypt, this one respected my preferences and interests, without pushing me to spend more money. Highly recommended!”

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7.Private Day Tour to Abu Simbel Temples from Aswan – Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 35 reviews · from $140

Travel privately from Aswan to Abu Simbel in an air-conditioned vehicle with a qualified Egyptologist guide. Spend about two hours exploring the temples of Ramses II and Nefertari, with entrance fees, bottled water, hotel pickup, and drop-off included. Guides may include Hassan, Whalid, Saleh Arabi, Marcus, or Yasser.

“Una esperienza culturalmente importante, la guida parlava un discreto italiano. L'organizzazione è stata eccellente, l'autista è venuto a prelevarci fin dentro il battello, il viaggio verso Abu Simbel e ritorno è stato lungo ma comodo. Nel complesso da consigliare.”

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8.Private Tour to Philae Temple and Nubian Village By Boat & Entrance Fees

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 34 reviews · from $99

Spend 5 to 6 hours visiting Isis Temple at Philae and a Nubian village near Sehel Island. Your private tour includes hotel pickup, an air-conditioned vehicle, motorboat, entrance fees, and a guide. Guides such as Michael, Mina, and Magdy have been praised for clear explanations and patient service.

“Nice places, and the guides were superb, punctual and knowledgeable. Highly recommended. The trip takes around 6 Hrs.”

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9.Private Tour to Unfinished Obelisk, High Dam and Philae Temple by BOAT

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 22 reviews · from $65

Spend five to six hours visiting Philae Temple by motorboat, the Unfinished Obelisk, and Aswan High Dam. Pickup from your hotel or Nile cruise, air-conditioned transport, bottled water, and a guide in your chosen language are included. Michael is one guide praised for his humor, flexibility, and clear explanations.

“We had Michael as our guide. He made the experience wonderful. He is funny, highly knowledgeable and allowed us to be flexible. He taught us so much about the areas we visited and Aswan in general. My husband and I couldn't have asked for a better guide. The Philae temple was amazing. And highly recommend asking for Michael.”

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10.Saint Catherine’s Monastery Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 20 reviews · 10 hours · from $185

You’ll leave Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab early for a private, 10-hour drive to Saint Catherine’s Monastery. A guide such as Antonio or Ahmed may lead the visit through the Burning Bush Chapel and Church of the Transfiguration. The tour includes transport, entry to the protectorate, a beach lunch in Dahab, and a convoy journey through Sinai.

“It was very convenient to have a personal car pick me up directly from the hotel. The tour was paced nicely with a good rest stop half way along the drive to the monastery and then with the lunch stop in Dahab on the way back. The monastery tour itself was very interesting and definitely worth the journey to go see.”

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11.Aswan Philae Temple, Obelisk, and High Dam Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 17 reviews · from $65

Spend four to five hours visiting Aswan’s Unfinished Obelisk, High Dam, and Philae Temple with a private Egyptologist guide. Guides such as Zac, Big Mac, Hani, Mustafa, and Habi Abdo have led this tour. Air-conditioned transport, entrance fees, bottled water, and the boat to Agilika Island are included.

“Great tour. Knowledgeable and friendly guide. Would definitely recommend this private tour. Would make sure to request a boat with life jackets onboard though. Ours didn’t have any visible, which was a little concerning.”

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12.Private Tour to Valley of Kings & Hatshepsut Temple.

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 16 reviews · 4 hours · from $89

Travel from your Luxor hotel in a private air-conditioned vehicle to the Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut Temple. Your guide explains the tombs, helps you choose three to enter, and points out details that are easy to miss. The tour lasts four hours, includes entrance fees and bottled water, and excludes Tutankhamun’s tomb ticket.

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13.Private Tour: Philae Temple, Aswan High Dam and Unfinished Obelisk

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 11 reviews · from $116

Visit three major Aswan sights by private air-conditioned minivan, then cross by motorboat to Philae Temple on its island. Your Egyptologist guide explains the dam’s impact, the abandoned obelisk, and the temple’s rescue from rising Nile waters. Pickup and drop-off are included, with flexible time at each stop.

“Stunning, our guide Dina was wonderful. she knew what she was talking about and explained it in a way that we understood. Dina was brilliant by far the best guide we had (that is saying something as Nana in Cairo was pretty good too).”

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14.East & West Bank Temples Private Tour with Tickets

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 10 reviews · 8 hours · from $176

Spend a full day crossing Luxor’s east and west banks with a private guide and air-conditioned car. Visit royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut’s temple, Karnak, and Luxor Temple. Guides speak English, French, German, Spanish, or Arabic. Lunch, tickets, hotel pickup, and bottled water are included, but Tutankhamun’s tomb costs extra.

“Guide parlant français, explications historiques intéressantes toute la journée. Bon repas local typique et chauffeur agréable et serviable. Excursion magnifique !”

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15.Private Tour to Abu Simbel Temple From Aswan

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 10 reviews · from $232

Travel from Aswan to Abu Simbel in a private air-conditioned vehicle with an English-speaking Egyptologist. Spend about three hours at Ramses II’s temple and Nefertari’s Temple of Hathor, then return to Aswan. Guides associated with this service include Dr. Ashraf, Shenouda Habib, and Shimaa Esmail.

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