As you travel across Egypt visiting its historical sites, you’ll notice signs for sound and light shows at some of the major monuments.
Running since 1961, these shows are among the country’s most popular evening activities. They’re heavily marketed at tourists, and almost every itinerary, tour package and hotel desk will try to sell you one at some point. So naturally you may be wondering: what are these sound & light shows? And are they worth giving up an evening of your limited time in Egypt?
In this guide, we cover what the shows actually are, which sites run them, what visitors really think of them, and whether they’re worth your time.
Contents
What is a Sound & Light show?
A sound and light show, or son et lumière as they were originally called, is a night-time presentation where coloured lights are projected onto a historic monument while a pre-recorded narration and music tell its story. The format is said to have been invented in France in 1952 at the Château de Chambord, with Giza being the first site in Africa to host one in 1961.
There are no live actors or performers. For around an hour, you sit (or at Karnak, partly walk) in front of the monument while sections are lit up in time with the narration, which covers the pharaohs, the gods and the building of the site.
Shows rotate through languages on different nights, typically English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Arabic, Japanese and Chinese. They’re run by Egypt’s state-owned sound and light company, which publishes schedules and prices on the official website.
Sites that feature sound & light shows
As of 2026, five ancient sites in Egypt run regular sound and light shows:
- Giza Pyramids (Near Cairo)
- Karnak Temple (Luxor)
- Philae Temple (Aswan)
- Abu Simbel (Aswan)
- Edfu Temple (Between Luxor and Aswan)
- Qaitbay Citadel (Alexandria)
What visitor say about sound & light shows
Visitor reviews for Egypt’s sound & light shows are often mixed, with people loving the setting but split on the show itself:
What visitors like
- Seeing the monuments at night – This is the most common praise by far. The pyramids, Karnak and Abu Simbel look completely different lit up after dark, and many reviewers say this alone justified the ticket.
- The history – First-time visitors and history enthusiasts often find the narration a useful overview.
What visitors don't like
- Dated production – The most frequent complaint is out-dated production. Most of these shows first started in the 1960s and have had little technical improvement since. Reviewers describe grainy audio, slow pacing and lighting that hasn’t kept up with modern projection shows.
- Melodramatic narration – The scripts are theatrical and old-fashioned, which some find charming and others find hard to sit through for an hour.
A common takeaway is that the show is secondary and the night-time view of the monument is the real attraction.
Verdict: Are they worth it?
Egypt’s sound and light shows are worth it if you treat them as a way to see the monuments at night rather than a modern multimedia show. Go in with that expectation and you’ll come away happy. Just think of them as a fun and educational evening activity, not a replacement for visiting the site properly during the day.
If you only do one, make it Karnak Temple. The walk-through format and the sheer scale of the Hypostyle Hall at night make it the strongest of the shows. It’s also on Luxor’s East Bank, just a short taxi ride from the centre, so it’s easy to fit into an evening.
Just keep in mind that Abu Simbel is located far from Aswan and is only worth it if you’re staying in Abu Simbel village itself, which few visitors do. Philae Temple is much closer to Aswan, but will require a boat ride to reach it.
Where to buy tickets for Sound & Light shows?
You can buy sound and light show tickets in three ways: on-site at the box office, online in advance, or as part of a tour.
On-site
Each site has a ticket office at the show entrance, and you can usually buy tickets on the day. This is the cheapest option and makes sense if you’re staying close by. Before you head over, check the official website for the language schedule, as each show usually runs in one language per night.
Online in advance
Booking ahead secures you a seat in peak season (December to February) and lets you pick the right language night. The easiest way to do this is through the official website, which lists showtimes and prices for each site. Be careful of third-party ticket sellers who will charge you more for the same ticket.
With a tour
Most visitors book the show as a short evening tour with hotel pickup and drop-off. You’ll pay more than the gate price, but it solves the biggest headache, which is getting there and back at night. This can be especially helpful for sites like Philae, which require a boat ride, or the Giza Pyramids if you’re not actually staying in Giza.
The best platforms for booking sound and light show tours are:
- GetYourGuide (top choice)
- Viator
- Trip.com
Further reading on Egypt
Here are more guides on Egypt to help you plan your trip:
⬤ If you’re going to Egypt, you’re probably interested in visiting some pyramids, so check out my Travel Guide to Pyramids in Egypt.
⬤ For a guide to the last ancient wonder of the world, check out my Giza Pyramids Travel Guide.
⬤ For more on Aswan’s most popular ancient temple, check out: Complete Guide to Philae Temple.
⬤ For more on one of Egypt’s best preserved temples, check out: Complete Guide to Edfu Temple.
⬤ For more on Ramesses II’s famed Nubian temple, check out: Complete Guide to Abu Simbel.
⬤ For more on the largest temple from ancient Egypt, check out: Complete Guide to Karnak Temple.
⬤ To explore a different side to Egypt, check out: 10 Best Historical Sites in Cairo (that aren’t the pyramids).
⬤ For more travel guides, visit our Egypt page.
