Karnak Temple

Where it is & how to get there

• From Luxor centre: About 10 minutes by taxi or horse carriage north along the Corniche.
• On foot: About 40 minutes along the Nile from Luxor Temple, or along the Avenue of Sphinxes.
• Tours: East Bank tours combine Karnak and Luxor Temple.

The story of Karnak

For about 2,000 years, pharaohs from the Middle Kingdom to the Ptolemies added temples, pylons and obelisks at Karnak, the great sanctuary of the god Amun-Ra in ancient Thebes.

Its Hypostyle Hall has 134 massive columns, the tallest about 21 metres high, still covered in carvings. Karnak is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ancient Thebes.

Best time to visit

Tips before you go

• Go at opening before the heat.
• Hire a licensed guide to understand the layout.
• Bring water and a hat; there is little shade.

What's around Karnak

• Avenue of SphinxesThe 2.7-km avenue linking Karnak and Luxor Temple.
• Luxor TempleOn the Corniche, 10 minutes south.
• Luxor MuseumExcellent small museum on the Corniche.
• Open-air museumReconstructed chapels inside Karnak.

Questions travellers ask