Luxor Shopping and Districts
(Luxor, Egypt)
All of the usual Egyptian gift ideas and souvenirs can be found at the many shops all around Luxor, and more besides. Shopping in Luxor is a very memorable experience, and whilst some shopkeepers can be pushy and don't expect you to leave their shop without purchasing something, others are happy to let you browse at your leisure, operating 'no hassle' policies.
The quality of merchandise on offer in Luxor is also rather variable and plenty of souvenirs tend to be on the pricey side. However, always be prepared for a friendly haggle over the price - shopkeepers in Luxor and throughout Egypt expect it and tend to price goods accordingly, with a view to reducing the price when asked.
When to Shop and Opening Hours
The majority of shops in and around the city of Luxor stay closed all day each Friday and also on most of the Egyptian public holidays. Also worth bearing in mind, not all shops here open on Sundays. Here are Luxor's main shopping hours:
- Summer period: between 09:00 and 13:00 and also between 17:00 and 22:00
- Winter period: between 10:00 and 18:00
- Ramadan period: between 09:30 and 15:30 and also between 20:00 and 22:00
Where to Shop
A good place to search out when shopping in Luxor is the Aboudi Bookshop alongside the Winter Palace, where you will find a range of international newspapers, all at a fixed price. Also of interest here are postcards, bookmarks and some English magazines.
For a quality souvenir from Luxor, a trip to the superb gallery Sharia Khaled ibn al-Walid is in order. Next to the Le Meridien Luxor Hotel, this gallery is a great place to pick up some reasonably priced art works, including water colours of the city and surrounding areas.
To really soak up the local atmosphere in Luxor, take a stroll around the markets, where you will find a rather diverse array of items for sale, ranging from colourful spices and exotic fruit, to painted papyrus and alabaster vases. Alabaster is actually mined in this region, around 80 km / 50 miles from the Valley of the Kings. Alabaster souvenirs are mainly sold on the West Bank, but be sure to thoroughly examine them first, as many are fakes.