You’ve made it!  You’re in Luxor, the heart of Ancient Egypt’s New Kingdom.  And speaking of hearts, yours is swelling.  You’ve got your list of destinations, and you’re ready to immerse yourself in some of the most well-preserved sites of the ancient world.

But there’s a problem: You’re not with a tour group, and all you want to know is how to get around Luxor Egypt.  If you aren’t careful, you’re going to find your wallet a lot lighter than it should be.

A Tale of Two Cities

Is that a bad headline for this section?  I’ll let you be the judge of that.

Yes, I know there aren’t really two cities in Luxor.  And although Charles Dickens was writing at the height of Egyptomania, he never visited — as far as I can tell.

But make no mistake, there are two very distinct areas of Luxor: the East Bank and the West Bank, separated by the Nile.

They were distinct to the Ancient Egyptians, and they remain distinct today.  The sun rises in the east and sets in the west — for the most part, the east symbolized life and the west symbolized death (yes, this is an atrociously brief summary).

You’ll find most of the modern city on the East Bank, while the tombs and mortuary temples are on the West Bank.  There’s also a very recognizable “mood” to each side, which we’ll get into.

How to get around Luxor on the East Bank

Simply put, the East Bank is the city.

This is where you find most of Luxor’s  hotels and restaurants, as well as all the shops and apartment buildings that make up the town.  Odds are, your hotel will be on the East Bank.

Getting around here isn’t difficult.  There’s a massive amount of cabs sitting around, and the drivers will be extremely happy to take you wherever you want to go.  Whether it’s Karnak Temple, back to your hotel, or even over to the McDonald’s, you can’t walk more than a few feet without someone offering you a cab ride.  Or a carriage ride.  Or a boat ride…and so on.  The hassling in Luxor is definitely an issue for many, and I give a few meager tips on how to deal with it here.

Like most everything in Egypt, you’ll have to negotiate before you get into a cab, but this isn’t really an issue.  There’s so many options, you can just go to the next driver if you don’t like the price.

Crossing the Nile

One way or another, every trip to Luxor is going to involve getting across the Nile.

Here’s the issue: no matter where you’re staying, the bridge is going to be out of the way.  If you’re standing on the East Bank and gazing across to the other side, it’s about an hour round trip by car — just to get to the spot you’re looking at. Although if you’re staying at or around the Hilton, there’s another bridge that may work for you.

What most people do is take the public ferry, located right next to Luxor Temple.  I’m putting a link to its location here.  The cost is virtually nothing, usually the equivalent of less than $1.  Multiple ferries are operating most hours of the day, so you won’t have to wait very long.  Instead of an hour, you can get to the other side in just a few minutes.

Another option is to take one of the multitude of boats sitting around either side of the Nile.  This will cost you a bit more, but it’s still reasonable (depending on your negotiating skills). 

One advantage to this method is that you can arrange for a boat to come to you at a specific time.  For example, if you want to avoid running the gauntlet of touts trying to sell their services as you make your way to the West Bank — and if you happen to be staying at a place by the water — a few extra dollars can save you some headaches.

How to get around Luxor on the West Bank

Now we get down to the nitty-gritty.

Wait, do people still say that?  If not, I’m bringing it back.

You’ll certainly be approached by people on the East Bank who want to drive you across the river.  Do not do this.  As I said before, it’s going to take at least an hour to get down to the bridge and then back north to where you need to be.

It’s a huge waste that will take two full hours out of your day.  What you want is a taxi on the West Bank — someone who’s already over there.

There are usually cabs hanging around the spot where the ferry docks on the West Bank.  Or, you can arrange for someone to meet you there. 

You can coordinate this with a driver on the East Bank, roll the dice on someone being there on the West Bank, or you could ask around on the TripAdvisor forums, a spot which provided me with endless assistance.  People there can provide you with the phone numbers of cab drivers they trust.  Just download Whatsapp to your phone, and send them a message.

Should you find yourself on the West Bank without a cab, virtually everyone will be more than happy to call one for you.  Remember, this is Egypt — everyone is eager to help a tourist, as long as you give them a tip.  Go up to a boat driver, and he’ll be calling someone on his phone in seconds.

What you’ll be negotiating for is a taxi for a set number of hours — just for the sake of argument, let’s say six.  This driver will take you to the spot you want to go, wait for you while you’re inside, and drive you to the next one when you’re finished.

It can feel a little weird having your own personal car where the driver sits around for hours, but this is a very common arrangement.  Most every driver you meet will be thrilled by the prospect of having a customer for the entire day. 

If you’re lucky, you’ll find someone who’s knowledgeable about the schedules of tour buses and can help plan your day so you can avoid them.

As for price, that can vary a lot.  I believe I paid around 400 LE for a day, which comes to about $25.  You may be paying more or less, depending on the driver and how hard you want to negotiate.  At least in my mind, $25 is an absolute bargain for a full day of transportation.

Some people do try to walk from site to site, but I wouldn’t recommend this.  While the West Bank is quite rural compared to the East Bank, the spots are rather spread out and I don’t think strolling around in the afternoon heat is the best idea.  You could also try renting a bike, which has worked out well for some who have a lot of time on their hands.

Now how’s that for nits and grits?

Note: Everything I say here is my own personal opinion, and may not work best for everyone. I’m far from an expert, so please just do whatever is best for you, and be sure to visit the TripAdvisor Forums to ask questions and do some more research!