Two guests riding a horse-drawn calesh outside the double wrought-iron doors of Mara House Luxor

Getting Around Luxor: What Every Traveller Needs to Know Before Hiring Transport

There are six main ways to get around Luxor:

  • Taxi

  • Calèsh (horse & carriage)

  • Private minibus or car

  • Public ferry (East ↔ West Bank)

  • Motor launch (private boat across the Nile)

  • Uber (updated 2025 – in Cairo Uber operates differently to the USA/Europe; some drivers use the app just to get customers, often don’t stick to the app price and sometimes don’t even show up.   Uber is not in Luxor)

🚖 Taxis in Luxor – Read This First

  1. Agree the price before getting in, and if it’s a return journey, be clear it’s the total price.

  2. Remove all your belongings before paying.  Make sure you have taken all your belongings from the taxi.  I learned this lesson two seconds after leaving my camera in the back seat of a taxi in Cairo a long, long time ago.

  3. Have exact change ready, hand it through the window, and walk away without turning back—turning back signals you’re open to paying more.

  4. Prices here are higher than in Cairo, even for Egyptians.

👉 At Mara House, we use three long-term taxi drivers — so our guests get reliable service and fair, fixed prices with zero commission or hassle.

🐴 Hiring a Calèsh (Horse & Carriage)

Before hopping on: agree on

  • total time,

  • route,

  • price for the entire calèsh (not per person),

  • and currency.

Note:  Calesh drivers are the most persistent of all, in Luxor, especially if you are walking along the Cornishe El Nile street.  They will trot along beside you all the way – there is absolutely nothing that will stop them.  For your own sake, don’t let anger and frustration make you react.  I once knew a woman who gave into the persistence and got married a few days later… beware!   A Cautionary Tale for Romantic Souls

❤️ 4 Ways You Can Help the Horses

  • Choose drivers who don’t use whips

  • Pick a horse in good physical condition

  • Politely insist the horse isn’t rushed or beaten

  • Refuse rides when a horse looks ill to encourage better treatment

Also be aware that there are different breeds of horses and don’t be too quick to judge.  What looks like neglect or ill-treatment is not always the case.  Things are not always what they seem.  The horses are the men’s means of earning a living – they are not likely to starve them unless driven to extremes themselves – such as during the period 2011 – 2013 when it was not only the horses who went hungry.

🚐 Private Car, Minibus or Motor Launch

Available via travel agents and hotels – prices vary slightly.
Private motor launches along the Corniche must be bargained for – confirm clearly:

  • price

  • total cost

  • currency

  • if it includes return

(Even with “set prices”, expect taxi-style games.)

⛴ The Luxor Ferry Boat

The road bridge closes to tourists 6 PM – 6 AM. So, if you’re staying on the East Bank and sightseeing on the West Bank, you either:

  • must be back over the bridge by 6PM, or

  • use the public ferry, which runs all night without restrictions.
    (Current departure point: directly across from Luxor Museum.)

👉 Want someone else to handle all this?
My Luxor Day Tours & 3-Night Packages include your transport, driver, Egyptologist guide, tickets, timing, and logistics — so you can relax and enjoy the tombs and temples instead of negotiating all day.


Still figuring out transport in the rest of Egypt?
You will find everything you need to know in my full Egypt trip-planning guide, packed with honest, practical advice to help you avoid the rookie mistakes visitors regret most.