Karnak
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak, comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt.
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak, comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic Kingdom, although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom. The area around Karnak was the ancient Egyptian Ipet-isut and the main place of worship of the 18th Dynastic Theban Triad, with the god Amun as its head.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Karnak
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Karnak Temple Complex
The Karnak Temple Complex, commonly known as Karnak, comprises a vast mix of temples, pylons, chapels, and other buildings near Luxor, Egypt. Construction at the complex began during the reign of Senusret I in the Middle Kingdom and continued into the Ptolemaic Kingdom, although most of the extant buildings date from the New Kingdom.
0 m · ancient Egyptian temple complex · Wikipedia - 02Luxor Museum
Luxor Museum is an archaeological museum in Luxor, Egypt. It stands on the corniche, overlooking the east bank of the River Nile.
1.8 km · egyptological museum in Luxor, Egypt · Wikipedia - 03Precinct of Amun-Re
The Precinct of Amun-Re is an Ancient Egyptian temple precinct, or sacred enclosure, dedicated to Amun-Re, the principal god of the Theban Triad. It is situated near Luxor, Egypt within the immense Karnak Temple Complex.
100 m · building in Egypt · Wikipedia - 04El-Tarif
El-Tarif is a necropolis on the West Bank of the Nile, at the site of ancient Thebes, Egypt. It is located in the northwestern outskirts of Luxor and southeast of the Valley of the Kings, opposite Karnak, just to the southwest of the modern village of At-Tarif.
3.1 km · village and archaeological site in Egypt · Wikipedia - 05Abu Haggag Mosque
The Abu Haggag Mosque is a mosque in Luxor, in the Luxor Governorate of Egypt. The mosque contains the tomb of Sheikh Yusuf Abu al-Haggag, after whom the mosque is named.
2.8 km · mosque in Luxor, Egypt · Wikipedia - 06White Chapel
The White Chapel of pharaoh Senusret I, also referred to as the Jubilee Chapel of Senusret I, was built during the Middle Kingdom of Egypt. During the New Kingdom it was demolished and used as filler for the Third Pylon of the temple of Karnak, Precinct of Amun-Re.
300 m · building in Egypt · Wikipedia - 07Temple of Khonsu
The Temple of Khonsu is an ancient Egyptian temple. It is located within the large Precinct of Amun-Re at Karnak, in Luxor, Egypt.
300 m · Egyptian temple in Karnak, Egypt · Wikipedia - 08Precinct of Mut
The Precinct of Mut is an Ancient Egyptian temple compound located in the present city of Luxor, on the east bank of the Nile in South Karnak. The compound is one of the four key ancient temples that creates the Karnak Temple Complex.
800 m · temple in Karnak, near Thebes, Egypt · Wikipedia - 09The King’s Festivities Road
Avenue of Sphinxes or The King's Festivities Road, also known as Rams Road, is a 2.7 km long avenue which connects Karnak Temple with Luxor Temple having been uncovered in the ancient city of Thebes, with sphinxes and ram-headed statues lined up on both flanks.
1.5 km · archaeological site in Luxor, Egypt · Wikipedia - 10Great Hypostyle Hall
The Great Hypostyle Hall is located within the Karnak Temple Complex, in the Precinct of Amon-Re. It is one of the most visited monuments of Ancient Egypt.
100 m · hall within the Karnak temple complex · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01Temple of Luxor
Largely the work of Amenhotep III and Ramsses II the Great (whose colossi and obelisk stand at the entrance).
- 02Church of Archangel Michael
Karnak Temple Complex comprises a vast mix of decayed temples, chapels, pylons, and other buildings.
- 03Precinct of Amun-Re
Very crowded during sunset, when the sun is very low.
- 04Karnak Open Air Museum
The same working hours as in Karnak temple.
- 05Precinct of Mut
Contains at least six temples: the Mut Temple, the Contra Temple, and Temples A, B, C, and D.
- 06Precinct of Montu
From Wikivoyage: Karnak, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Pay a visit at the Brooke Hospital for Animals - and leave a donation! Visit ACE - Animal Care Egypt - it has new premises, and operates free for Egyptians. Donations are always accepted - but consider buying their clothing range or books, as a charity, they totally rely on such things.
From Wikivoyage: Karnak, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
- 01Chicken Broast
Tasty chicken dishes in this Egyptian fast food chain.
- 02El Zaeem
Salah El-Din Square (Main road bordering the market, bright lights, two levels (sitting upstairs)).
- 03McDonald's
Provides cheeseburgers and a safe haven from the nearby souk.
- 04Sofra
Specialises in Egyptian food with a groovy decor of Egyptian antiques (and antique-like furnishing).
- 05Jamboree Restaurant
From Wikivoyage: Karnak, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Karnak
- Airports
- Luxor (LXR), 7 km · Suhaj (HMB), 115 km · Marsa Alam (RMF), 195 km
- Suhaj → Karnak45 km · quickest by road, 1h 41m · E£120–160
- Marsa Alam → KarnakTrain, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side
- Aswan → KarnakTrain, bus, flight, ferry and road, side by side
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Karnak
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Karnak. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inMost of the Airlines in Egypt including: Nile Air, ALMasria Universal Airlines, Air Arabia and Petroleum Air Services (PAS), which charter services flights to Cairo or Egyptian destinations, including Hurghada etc.
- Get inNile boat cruises regularly call at Luxor, but these are package itineraries and not available to book as point to point ferries.
- Get aroundBikes can be rented on both the East and West Banks of Luxor (the latter near the local ferry landing), though prices can be a little over-inflated on the more isolated West.
- Get aroundIf you look for high quality bicycles, you can find Dutch bikes (gazelle/batavus) at the Dutch Rental Agency in Sheraton Street (East Bank) and, on the West Bank, at Mohammed Setohe bicycle (5 min walk from the ferry) which has quite good and almost brand new mountains bikes.
- Get aroundBikes can be taken on board the local ferry (be considerate though), so perhaps hire on the East, then transport your bike over yourself.
From Wikivoyage: Luxor, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 01359 km
- 02508 km
- 03582 km
- 041,196 km
- 051,433 km
If you know how people move in Karnak – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Karnak
Karnak is 3 km from Luxor, the nearest large city, whose note carries the wider picture.