Luxor in July???
 

I'm here in Cairo for business and my husband is flying over for a week - I have booked a 3 night Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor to see the Valley of the Kings - am I crazy? It's already 108 F there during the day. It's probably my only chance to visit, but will we be totally miserable?
Help!

It's probably going to be 80 at 6:00am,I would arrive at site at opening time to help have a tolerable day.The high will probably be in the 105-110 range.

mgmargate is correct, it is hot even if not summer months. But the guides get you to the site by 6am so that you can be gone between 9-10am. The tombs in the VofK&Q will be close (stale air and you know there are many bodies inside viewing) and hot, so walking shorts and a tee-shirt or camp-type shirt are fine. Or you can try for one of the Gallabeyas (long cotton robes that the locals wear (in white, of course). Good walking shoes are a must. Have plenty of water with you. If you have a small umbrellas you can bring with you to keep the sun from beating on your head and upper back, unless you have a very wide brimmed hat.

Yes, it is hot, but by the time you get back to your boat you can cool off in the small pool, or sit under the partially covered upper deck. Your boat cabins and the boat inside are air conditioned so you should be okay.

Likewise, when you tour Karnak and Luxor temples in Luxor, they schedule these late in afternoon, so be dressed appropriately for this as well. At least the heat is relatively dry, and and temps even in the summer do drop somewhat for the evenings; this is real desert, unlike someplace like Las Vegas where the temp might drop from 108 to 98. In the Egypt environment the drop can maybe 25-30 degrees.

But since this is the time you have, you have to take advantage of what is to see, but prepare yourself for the heat. You'll love the experience even if at some times you might be somewhat uncomfortable. Enjoy.

It topped 100 degrees when I was in Luxor in April, and though it didn't stop us from mid-day activities, it certainly curtailed them.
Besides the sound advice already offered, I would add that you should take a small spray bottle. A refreshing spritz can make all the difference.

Valley of the Kings in April 2001 was the hottest place I have ever been. That said, follow tips of going very early in day, fluids, light cotton clothing, etc. It will be extremely uncomfortable, but unless you have some medical condition, it won't kill you. Don't do what 2 people in our group did - disgusted by the quality of bathroom facilities they encountered in several places, they decided to fluid-restrict themselves to avoid them. They fainted - no serious injury, but keep yourself hydrated.

Dear Ciao4now: We were in Luxor from July 6th to 9th, 2002 and boarded a Nile cruise after our Luxor visit for Aswan. Luxor and Aswan in July made Phoenix and Las Vegas seem like they are in the Arctic (and this is from people who live in the American southwest)! We did all our touring in the very early morning and early evening hours, and spent our mid-day time by the pool. Take the advice of others with regard to water. Take as much as you can carry because you'll really need it. What really saved us, however, was having collapsable umbrellas with us. We found that the heat was considerably more tolerable if we were shaded, at least partially. You won't be totally miserable (maybe partially) but once you've been you'll be eternally happy you saw all the sights. Don't miss it, even at 110+ degrees fahrenheit! Bon voyage.

Thanks for all the great advice! We had a great time, and we visited the sites early as someone said above. The only tough tour was Karnak temple at 4:00 in the afternoon. We were drenched by the time we got back to the boat, but we were so enthralled with the temple we forgot about the discomfort. Definitely the umbrellas and hopping from shade spot to shade spot helped. You could feel the sun burning on your exposed areas, though. What really helped was the powdered Gatorade - we mixed it in water bottles the night before and chilled them in the fridge, and bought some insulated bottle slings to carry it around. The boat (Oberoi Shehrazad) had misters running on the top deck for sitting under the canopies which felt great too.
Had a great time, and would do it again!