Is the Luxor Pass worth it?

Well, it’s not cheap.

Even those who throw their wallets to the wind while on vacation may think twice about purchasing the Luxor Pass.  After all, its priciest version will set you back $200. 

But those who’ve already read my article on the Cairo Pass will know that it doesn’t have to cost this much.  There’s a way to cut the price in half.  And unlike its counterpart, buying a pass in Luxor can save you quite a bit of money.  Is the Luxor Pass worth it?  If you plan on seeing everything you should: Absolutely.

Access everywhere

It doesn’t exactly look like the most high-tech and modern sort of pass, does it?

Well, sure.  There’s no plastic card to keep as a souvenir.  It’s paper and staples, and yes…it’s going to be heavily scrutinized wherever you go.  Egypt takes this pass very seriously — just about as seriously as I look in that picture.

But let’s leave all that behind for a moment.

The Luxor Pass covers admission to virtually everything in the area for a period of five days.  Karnak Temple?  Covered.  Medinet Habu?  Covered.  The Valley of the Kings?  Covered…and then some.  The standard admission is covered, the extra tomb tickets are covered, and the typical limitation of only being able to visit three tombs is lifted.

Frankly, this pass will get you pretty much anywhere you want to go.  You won’t have to wait in line to buy tickets at all.  The only additional cost I came across was buying a Photo Pass if you want to take pictures inside the tombs of the Valley of the Kings with an actual camera.

So if you’re only in Luxor for a day or two (and if that’s the case, shame on you), then this might not be worth it.  But if you’ve taken my advice and are here for a decent amount of time, this pass is a must-buy.

How to buy a Luxor Pass

 See that little office in the picture?  Yeah, it looks about as professional as the pass does.  But that’s where you’ll buy your Luxor Pass.

It’s inside the main building at Karnak Temple, off to the left before you get to the ticket window.  There may or may not be anyone inside — you might have to track someone down.  There are a few reports of people being told they could buy one at the Valley of the Kings, and others who’ve successfully bought one at the Antiquities Office in Cairo.

But the Karnak Temple spot seems to be the most reliable — although you may have trouble getting one on Friday or Saturday, since those are the weekend days in Egypt.

Here’s what you’ll need to buy one:

• Your passport
• Two copies of the main photo page of your passport
• A passport-sized photo
• Money — hard, cash money in USD

If you show up unprepared, you won’t be able to buy a pass.  Yes, I know it all seems excessive, but that’s just the way they do things.

You’ll need to visit a drug store or other spot where you can get a passport-sized picture before you arrive, and make sure you have extra copies of your passport on hand. 

I followed the directions exactly, and was still told “Oh, we need two copies of the passport, one to keep and one to staple to your pass.”  I suspect this was their way of making a little extra by charging for a copy, so it wouldn’t hurt to have more than what’s required.

Now, having US Dollars is critical.  They will not take a credit card — like getting your Egyptian Visa, I believe this is the government’s way of getting foreign currency into the country.  Some have been able to pay in Euros and others have paid with smaller denominations of US Dollars, but I have heard of no issues from anyone who’s handed them $100 bills.

These bills must be recent, meaning they aren’t older than the year 2000.  They also must be new.  There’s a chance they will not accept your money if it’s creased or crumpled.

Don’t ask me why.  I’ve run into this issue in parts of Europe as well.  Some people just don’t like old money.

Buy the expensive Luxor Pass

The former costs $100.  The latter costs $200.

Remember how I said you can cut the cost in half?  If you have a Cairo Pass, either one of the Luxor Passes is half off.  While I said in the other article that the Cairo Pass isn’t really worth it on its own, if you show up at the little office in Karnak and hand over your Cairo Pass…boom, half off.

Did I just say “boom”?  Sorry about that.  Just trying to keep things lively.

So let’s break down what these two passes get you.  The standard Luxor Pass gives you access to everything except The Tomb of Seti I in the Valley of the Kings, and the Tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens. 

The Luxor Pass Premium includes these two spots.

Why would I pay double, just for two sites?

It sounds like a waste, right?  After all, the standard Luxor Pass is getting you into more sites than you’ll know what to do with.

Well, the two extra sites are…special.

Tickets to the Tomb of Seti I and the Tomb of Nefertari are 1000 Egyptian Pounds a piece.  As I’m writing this, that’s about $64.  These sites, especially the Tomb of Nefertari, are very fragile.  Egypt wants to limit the number of people who enter, and putting such a high price on entry is how they do it.

The Tomb of Nefertari was completely closed for decades.  And a few years ago, the cost to enter was $2000 for a group of 20.  And let me tell you, even at that price…it would have been worth it.

It contains some of the most vibrant and spectacular art in all of Egypt, and you absolutely, positively cannot miss it.

While the Tomb of Seti I isn’t quite as noteworthy, it was still the most impressive place I saw in the Valley of the Kings.  I can’t imagine having skipped it.

So, if you were to buy tickets to these two tombs, you’d be looking at about $130.  That’s more than the price of the Luxor Pass Premium, which also grants you access to the many other sites in the area — the price of which can add up.

But would you even want to?  Well, keep in mind that your time in the tomb is limited to only a few minutes.  Humidity from the sweat and breath of visitors can damage the art, so you’ll likely find yourself wanting to come back.

Long story short: Buy this pass.  It’s well worth the cost.  Do what I did: Bring a little folder and stick your passport copies and your photos in there, along with your cash.  Come prepared, and rest easy knowing that you’re making the most of your time in one of the most exceptional cities in the world.

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!