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Food tours in Luxor: what to eat and which tour to book
Luxor eats like the rest of Upper Egypt, simply and cheaply. Breakfast is ful (stewed fava beans) and ta'ameya (Egyptian falafel made from fava beans) in bread; lunch might be koshary, the rice, lentil and pasta dish sold in dedicated shops, or a hawawshi (spiced meat baked in bread); and home cooking means molokhia, stuffed pigeon, okra and meat stews and slow-cooked tagines. Aish shamsi, a sourdough bread risen in the sun, is typical of the region. On the East Bank, the souq street near Luxor Temple and Television Street are where many locals shop and eat; on the West Bank, small family restaurants serve set meals near the villages and the monuments.
Use this page to decide what to eat and where. The dishes and areas below say what each place does well and when to go. The tours listed are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; prices change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Luxor
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fava beans and falafel فول وطعمية (ful wa ta'ameya) | Ful medames is slow-cooked fava beans with oil, cumin and lemon; ta'ameya is the Egyptian falafel, made with fava beans instead of chickpeas. Both are eaten in baladi bread for breakfast. | Ful carts and small breakfast shops across the East Bank, early morning. | roughly EGP 10–30 (about €0.20–0.55) per sandwich |
| Koshary كشري (koshary) | Rice, lentils, macaroni and chickpeas topped with tomato sauce, garlic vinegar and crispy fried onions; add chilli sauce to taste. | Dedicated koshary shops in central Luxor and on Television Street. | roughly EGP 40–100 (about €0.70–1.80) a bowl |
| Hawawshi حواوشي (hawawshi) | Baladi bread stuffed with minced meat spiced with onion, pepper and parsley, then baked until crisp. | Local bakeries and street shops. | roughly EGP 50–120 (about €0.90–2.20) |
| Molokhia ملوخية (molokhia) | Green soup of finely chopped jute leaves cooked in chicken or rabbit broth with garlic and coriander, eaten with rice or bread. | Egyptian restaurants and family-run places on the West Bank. | roughly EGP 60–150 (about €1–2.70) as part of a meal |
| Stuffed pigeon حمام محشي (hamam mahshi) | Whole pigeon stuffed with rice or green wheat (freekeh) and herbs, boiled and then roasted or grilled. | Egyptian restaurants; some need it ordered in advance. | roughly EGP 200–450 (about €3.60–8) per pigeon |
| Upper Egyptian sun bread عيش شمسي (aish shamsi) | A round, thick bread typical of Upper Egypt, left to rise in the sun before baking. | Local bakeries and family restaurants, especially on the West Bank. | a few pounds a loaf |
| Tagines and stews طاجن (tagen) | Meat or vegetables slow-cooked in a clay pot, such as okra (bamia) with lamb or beef, or potatoes with tomato. | Egyptian restaurants on both banks; set meals on the West Bank often include one. | roughly EGP 150–350 (about €2.70–6.40) |
| Hibiscus and sugar-cane juice كركديه، عصير قصب (karkadeh, asab) | Karkadeh is a deep-red hibiscus drink served cold or hot; asab is freshly pressed sugar-cane juice from juice shops. | Juice shops and cafés everywhere. | roughly EGP 15–40 (about €0.30–0.70) a glass |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Luxor souq (Sharia al-Souq)
The long market street a short walk from Luxor Temple, with spice sellers, fruit and vegetables, bakeries, juice shops and small eateries mixed in with souvenir stalls.
Television Street (Sharia Televizyon)
A busy street on the East Bank lined with ful and ta'ameya shops, koshary places, grills and juice shops serving local residents.
West Bank villages
Villages near the ferry landing and around the monuments have small family restaurants serving set Egyptian meals with bread, salads, stews and tagines.
Corniche and Nile-side restaurants
Restaurants and cafés along the Nile on the East Bank, many on terraces or boats. Pleasant for sunset but more expensive and mostly aimed at visitors.
Food tours in Luxor compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Luxor: Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple Tour with Lunch | 4 hours | from €46 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Luxor: Valley of the Kings and Queens Guided Tour with Lunch | 5 hours | from €49 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Luxor: West Bank Kings and Queens All-Inclusive Tour & Lunch | 6 hours | from €66 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Luxor: Nile Cruise to Dendera Temple with Lunch | 12 hours | from €133 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Luxor: Farm Tour 30 Hectares(Breakfast With Arabian Horses) | 2 hours | from €27 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
Luxor: Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple Tour with Lunch
On GetYourGuide · run by Special Egypt
- Length
- 4 hours
- Price
- from €46 per person
- Rating
- 4.5 ★ from 854 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- English-speaking guide Entry fees (if option is selected) Lunch in the East Bank Spanish, German, or French-speaking guide (available as an add-on) Tips (optional)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
Luxor: Valley of the Kings and Queens Guided Tour with Lunch
On GetYourGuide · run by Special Egypt
- Length
- 5 hours
- Price
- from €49 per person
- Rating
- 4.5 ★ from 481 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- English-speaking guide All entrance fees (if the option is selected) Lunch Tips Spanish, German, or French guide (available as an add-on)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
Luxor: West Bank Kings and Queens All-Inclusive Tour & Lunch
On GetYourGuide · run by Nice Tours
- Length
- 6 hours
- Price
- from €66 per person
- Rating
- 4.6 ★ from 345 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Entrance fees Guide Private transport Lunch in a local restaurant Nefertari tomb (available as an add-on) Fee to visit additional tombs ($10 per extra tomb) Tips (optional)
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
Luxor: Nile Cruise to Dendera Temple with Lunch
On GetYourGuide · run by Jaz Hotels- Travco
- Length
- 12 hours
- Price
- from €133 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 10 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Professional licensed Egyptologist guide Entrance ticket to Dendera Temple of Hathor Round-trip transfers between the boat and the temple Lavish open buffet lunch while sailing back to Luxor Scenic sunset teatime on t…
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- Iberotel Luxor
Luxor: Farm Tour 30 Hectares(Breakfast With Arabian Horses)
On GetYourGuide · run by Sunrise ballooning luxor
- Length
- 2 hours
- Price
- from €27 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 4 reviews (on 3 Oct 2026)
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food in Luxor is very cheap: ful and ta'ameya sandwiches in the morning, koshary and hawawshi at lunch, sugar-cane juice all day. The busiest local stalls are on Television Street and around the souq.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down restaurants range from simple Egyptian places with set meals (salads, bread, soup, a tagine or grilled meat) to Nile-view terraces with international menus. Many restaurants aimed at visitors do not serve alcohol; hotels and some licensed restaurants do.
Cooking classes
Cooking experiences in Luxor are usually held with a family, often on the West Bank, and may include a short market or village visit before preparing dishes such as molokhia, stuffed vegetables or bread. Check transport and what is included.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | about EGP 300–600 (€5–11): street breakfast, koshary lunch, simple Egyptian dinner |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | about EGP 1,000–2,000 (€18–36): two sit-down meals at visitor restaurants |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | about EGP 3,000+ (€55+): a hotel or Nile-view dinner with drinks |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Easy at the cheap end: ful, ta'ameya, koshary, lentil soup and many vegetable stews are meat-free. Some stews and rice are cooked with meat broth or ghee, so ask. Vegan eaters should check for ghee (samna) and butter.
Halal: Food in Egypt is halal by default, and pork is very rare outside some hotels. Alcohol is available in hotels and licensed restaurants only.
Gluten-free: Difficult: bread is served with almost every meal, and koshary contains pasta. Ful (without bread), grilled meat, rice and some tagines are safer, but awareness of coeliac disease is low; carry a note in Arabic.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Restaurants without printed prices, or a menu in English with higher prices than the Arabic one. Ask the price before ordering and check the bill item by item. Choose places with printed prices.
- Drivers or 'guides' bringing you to a particular restaurant or 'family dinner' and taking a commission added to your bill. Choose the restaurant yourself and go independently; agree all prices in advance.
- Extra service charges, taxes or items added to the bill, and change 'forgotten'. Read the bill, ask what each line is, and carry small notes so you don't depend on change.
- Refilled or tampered bottled water. Check the cap seal is intact when you buy or are served bottled water.
Top tours & activities in Luxor
Rent a car in Luxor
Compare rental cars from local and international companies, with free cancellation on most bookings.
Compare car rentals in LuxorPlan the rest of your Luxor trip
Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Is street food in Luxor safe?
Many visitors eat ful, ta'ameya and koshary without problems. Choose busy places where food is hot and freshly cooked, and be careful with raw salads, unpeeled fruit and ice. Do not drink tap water; drink sealed bottled water. If you are on a short trip, start with cooked dishes and add salads later.
How much should I tip?
Tipping (baksheesh) is part of daily life in Egypt. In restaurants, leave about 10% even if a service charge is on the bill, as it rarely reaches staff. Small tips of a few pounds are normal for help at cafés. Carry small notes so you can tip without asking for change.
Can I drink alcohol in Luxor?
Alcohol is available in most hotels, on Nile cruise boats and in some licensed restaurants and bars, including Egyptian beer and wine. Many local restaurants and street places do not serve it. Drinking in public is not acceptable, and during Ramadan availability is more limited.
What changes during Ramadan?
During daylight hours many local eateries close or serve takeaway only, and eating in public is discouraged, though hotels and tourist restaurants keep serving. After sunset, iftar is a big communal meal and the streets come alive late into the night. Dates change each year with the Islamic calendar.
What are the most typical dishes to try?
Start with ful and ta'ameya for breakfast and koshary at lunch. At an Egyptian restaurant, order molokhia, a tagine such as okra with meat, and stuffed pigeon if you are adventurous. Look for aish shamsi, the Upper Egyptian sun-risen bread, and drink karkadeh (hibiscus) or fresh sugar-cane juice.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Street food is very cheap: roughly EGP 300–600 (€5–11) covers a day of ful, koshary and a simple dinner. Eating at sit-down restaurants aimed at visitors costs roughly EGP 1,000–2,000 a day. Hotel restaurants and Nile-view terraces charge much more, often in line with European prices.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.