Luxor from Hurghada: one day or two days with an overnight stay?
Updated October 7, 2026 · 6 min read
Every trip in this comparison starts in Hurghada, not in Luxor. If you would rather not squeeze the balloon and the Valley of the Kings into one very long day, book the 2-Day Luxor Tour with Hotel, Balloon, & Boat Ride: from €232.09 per person, 4.4 stars from 1,197 reviews. If all you want is temples and tombs, the Luxor Day Trip from Hurghada: Small Group & Tutankhamun’s Tomb is the cheapest way to do it at €72.21, with 4.8 stars from 8,375 reviews.
Four trips compared
| Tour | Duration | From price | Rating | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hurghada: 2-Day Luxor Tour with Hotel, Balloon, & Boat Ride | 2 days | €232.09 | 4.4 from 1,197 reviews | Anyone who wants the balloon and the sightseeing spread over two days |
| Hurghada: Luxor Highlights All-Inclusive Tour & Balloon Ride | 20 hours | €232.95 | 4.5 from 247 reviews | Anyone who wants the balloon and a felucca ride in a single day |
| Hurghada: Small-Group Luxor Day Tour & Sunrise Balloon Ride | 18 hours | €206.31 | 4.5 from 503 reviews | Anyone who wants the balloon with a small group and a private guide in one day |
| Luxor Day Trip from Hurghada: Small Group & Tutankhamun’s Tomb | 14 hours | €72.21 | 4.8 from 8,375 reviews | Anyone who wants the big sites without a balloon |
Three of the four share a sunrise balloon ride and the Valley of the Kings, each with some time on the Nile. The difference is in the rest, above all in how many hours it takes in one go.
What each trip includes, according to its description
The two-day tour lists a sunrise balloon ride, the Valley of the Kings and a felucca ride “and more” in its short description. The hotel is in the title. Which hotel, where it is, whether meals are included, on which of the two days the balloon goes up and when the journey back to Hurghada starts: none of that appears in the details. The short description even still says “day trip”, while the title says two days. Check this on the booking page before you book.
The one-day balloon trip is explicitly a day trip: sunrise balloon ride, Valley of the Kings, a felucca ride, all in 20 hours total. “All-Inclusive” is in the title, but the description does not say what it covers. It is worth asking whether entry tickets, food and the balloon are in the price.
Check availability for the Luxor Highlights All-Inclusive Tour & Balloon Ride
The small-group version with a balloon takes 18 hours, two fewer than the all-inclusive tour. Its description names the sunrise balloon ride, the Valley of the Kings, Karnak Temple, a Nile cruise, a private guide and transport. Of the three balloon trips it gives the most concrete list of what is included, and it is also the cheapest.
Check prices for the small-group day trip with a sunrise balloon ride
The baseline without a balloon is the minibus day trip: Karnak, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Valley of the Kings, entry fees included according to the description, 14 hours. Tutankhamun’s Tomb is in the title. Whether its ticket is covered, the short description does not say; what to look out for is in the article on Tutankhamun’s Tomb tickets.
Check prices and dates for the day trip with Tutankhamun’s Tomb
What day two costs
Some of this can be worked out. The two-day tour costs from €232.09, which is €25.78 more than the small-group day trip with a balloon (€206.31) and €0.86 less than the all-inclusive day trip (€232.95). Against the day trip without a balloon (€72.21) the difference is €159.88. That sum is not just the second day, though, because the balloon is missing from the cheaper trip.
So the extra cost of the overnight stay is small if you want the balloon anyway. It is not worth it if the day trips with a balloon are enough for you and you can cope with the length, since you would pay €25.78 more for an overnight stay whose scope you only see on the booking page. And it is certainly not worth it if the balloon does not appeal: then the day trip at €72.21 with 4.8 stars is the better sum.
When the long day is the worse choice
A day that starts with a sunrise balloon ride and lasts 18 or 20 hours in total runs well into the evening, including the journey back to Hurghada. The pick-up time is not given in the details; it decides how early you get up. If you need a lot of sleep, or want energy left for the temples after the balloon, the length speaks for the two-day tour. At 14 hours without a balloon the day is shorter, but still long.
What speaks against the two-day tour is its rating: 4.4 stars is the lowest of the four, even though 1,197 reviews are a solid base. The day trips with a balloon have 4.5. Whether the difference says anything about the overnight stay cannot be read from the numbers.
If you are staying in Luxor itself, you do not need this comparison; see Luxor in one day or two instead. More balloon options are on the page for balloon rides in Luxor.
Our recommendation
For most people I would book the 2-Day Luxor Tour with Hotel, Balloon, & Boat Ride, provided the booking page settles the accommodation, the balloon day and the meals to your satisfaction. You pay from €232.09, and the trip is spread over two days instead of 18 to 20 hours in one go. If you want to save the €25.78 and accept the length, take the small-group day trip with a balloon from €206.31. If you can do without a balloon, the day trip at €72.21 is the best option.
Check prices and dates for the 2-Day Luxor Tour with Hotel, Balloon, & Boat Ride
