Karnak Temple in Luxor is one of the most visited ancient sites in Egypt, and the first practical questions every traveler asks are how much it costs and when it opens. For close to 2,000 years, the pharaohs added gateways, halls, and obelisks to this house of Amun-Re, and today a single ticket opens all of them to you.
This guide gives the official Karnak Temple ticket price from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, the official opening hours, and how to buy and pay for your ticket. It also covers the Luxor Pass, the Sound and Light Show, and the cost of the other sites nearby. Here are all the things you need to know about Karnak Temple ticket prices and official hours:
Learn About Karnak Temple Ticket Prices
The official prices below come from the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' ticket list and its booking site, egymonuments.com.
| Ticket | Foreign visitors | Egyptian visitors |
|---|---|---|
| Karnak Temple, adult | EGP 600 | EGP 40 |
| Karnak Temple, student | EGP 300 | EGP 20 |
| Temple of Mut, adult | EGP 200 | EGP 10 |
| Temple of Mut, student | EGP 100 | EGP 5 |
| Children under 6 | Free | Free |
| Photos with a mobile phone | Free | Free |
What the Karnak Ticket Includes
The main ticket is an inclusive ticket. It covers the whole Precinct of Amun-Re: the First Pylon and Great Court, the Great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns, the obelisks of Thutmose I and Queen Hatshepsut, the Sacred Lake, the Festival Hall of Thutmose III and the Temple of Khonsu. It also includes the Open Air Museum, where the White Chapel of Senusret I and the Red Chapel of Hatshepsut stand. Older guides list a separate museum ticket, but the ministry now describes the Karnak ticket as covering both. To learn what each part of the complex means, read our guide to the Temple of Amun.
What Costs Extra
- The Temple of Mut: the separate precinct of the goddess Mut, wife of Amun, south of the main temple, needs its own ticket.
- The Sound and Light Show: sold separately for evening visits (see below).
- A guide: an Egyptologist guide is not included in the entry fee. Guides are paid separately or come as part of a tour.
Student Discounts
Foreign students pay half price, EGP 300, with a valid student card such as the International Student Identity Card (ISIC). The official booking site notes that students must show their ID and must not be older than 24, so older students should expect to pay the full price. Always carry the original card, as photos on a phone are often refused.
What Does the Ticket Cost in Dollars?
At the October rate of about EGP 52 to the US dollar, the EGP 600 ticket costs roughly US$11.50, and the student ticket under US$6. The ticket is always priced in Egyptian pounds, so the dollar cost moves with the exchange rate. You can compare it with other costs in our guide to how much it costs to travel to Egypt.
Our full guide to Karnak Temple tells the story behind these ticket gates.
Karnak Temple Official Opening Hours
The official Karnak Temple opening hours are the same every day of the week.
| Detail | Time |
|---|---|
| Opening time | 6:00 am |
| Last entry | 4:00 pm |
| Closing time | 5:00 pm |
| Summer hours | 6:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Winter hours | 6:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Ramadan hours | 6:00 am, with last entry at 4:00 pm |
The ministry's booking site asks visitors to arrive at least one hour before closing, which in practice means by 4:00 pm. Hours can change around public holidays, so check the official site a few days before your visit. Our guide to festivals and public holidays in Egypt shows when these fall.
The Best Hours to Visit Karnak
- 6:00 to 8:00 am: the coolest and quietest time, with soft light in the Hypostyle Hall. Large tour groups usually arrive from about 8:30 am.
- 2:00 to 4:00 pm: a calmer window in winter, when many groups have left for lunch or the West Bank.
- Avoid midday from May to September: temperatures in Luxor often pass 40°C, and the open courts have little shade.
Plan two to three hours for a full visit, so do not arrive after about 2:00 pm if you want to see everything. For the right season, see the best time to visit Luxor and the weather in Luxor.
How to Buy Karnak Temple Tickets
You have two official ways to buy a ticket, plus the multi-site Luxor Pass.
Online at egymonuments.com
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities sells e-tickets on egymonuments.com and through its Experience Egypt app. You choose Karnak Temple, pick a date and pay by bank card, then show the QR code at the gate. Booking ahead saves time in the ticket line during the busy winter months.
At the Ticket Office
The ticket office stands at the visitor center by the main gate, about 3 km north of central Luxor. Egypt has been moving its heritage sites to cashless, card-based ticketing, and the ministry's e-ticketing system covers Karnak. Bring a Visa or Mastercard, and keep some Egyptian pounds as a backup in case the card machine is down.
Booking with a travel agency can be the most ideal choice for getting your ticket, as you all have a whole team taking care of every detail. Keep your ticket until you leave, as a lost ticket cannot be reissued at the gate.
Is the Luxor Pass Worth It?
The Luxor Pass gives entry to the main sites on both banks for five consecutive days.
| Luxor Pass | Adult | Student |
|---|---|---|
| Standard | US$130 | US$70 |
| Premium (adds the tombs of Seti I and Nefertari) | US$250 | US$130 |
You can buy it only in person, at the pass office next to the Karnak ticket office or at the Valley of the Kings visitor center. Payment is in cash, in clean US dollars or euros, and you need a copy of your passport's photo page and a passport-sized photo.
The pass makes sense only if you plan to see many sites over several days: Karnak, Luxor Temple, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut, the Valley of the Queens, the Valley of the Nobles and more. For a one or two-day visit, single tickets are usually cheaper.
Sound and Light Show and Other Luxor Ticket Prices
As the sun sets over the Nile, Karnak opens a second time for one of the oldest light shows in Egypt.
Karnak Sound and Light Show
The Karnak Temple Sound and Light Show starts with a walk through the lit pylons and Hypostyle Hall and ends with seats beside the Sacred Lake.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Adult ticket | US$20 |
| Child (6 to 12 years) | US$11 |
| English show | Every day at 8:00 pm |
| Second show | 9:00 pm, in other languages (Arabic on Thursdays) |
| Booking | soundandlight.show or the office near the temple |
The second show needs a minimum number of foreign visitors, and times change with the season, so confirm before you go. For more evening ideas, see things to do in Luxor at night.
Ticket Prices of Other Luxor Sites
Most travelers combine Karnak with other Luxor tourist attractions. These are the official prices for foreign visitors on the East Bank.
| Site | Adult | Student | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| Karnak Temple | EGP 600 | EGP 300 | 6:00 am to 5:00 pm |
| Luxor Temple | EGP 500 | EGP 250 | 6:00 am to 8:00 pm |
| Luxor Museum | EGP 400 | EGP 200 | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 5:00 to 8:00 pm |
| Mummification Museum | EGP 220 | EGP 110 | 9:00 am to 1:00 pm and 5:00 to 8:00 pm |
A full East Bank day of Karnak, Luxor Temple and the Luxor Museum costs EGP 1,500 per adult in entry fees, or about US$29. The Avenue of Sphinxes, the 2.7 km road between the two temples, is reached through the Karnak and Luxor Temple tickets. Many of the finest statues in the Luxor Museum came from the Karnak Cachette, found inside the temple in 1903.
On the West Bank, the Colossi of Memnon are free to see from the roadside. Our guide to Luxor in 48 hours shows how to fit both banks into a short stay.
Visit Karnak With Your Tickets Taken Care Of
With the right ticket in hand and an early start, Karnak becomes a calm walk through 2,000 years of golden history rather than a race against the clock and the crowds.
On our Day Trip to Luxor East Bank, entry tickets for Karnak and Luxor Temple are provided by us, together with a professional Egyptologist guide and private air-conditioned transport. You can also start your day with a Luxor hot air balloon ride, browse all our Luxor day tours, explore our Egypt tour packages, or design your own trip with our tailor-made tours.
