Cairo to Luxor: train, sleeper train, plane and bus compared

Cairo to Luxor at a glance

Compare the options

All the times in this table can change. Check your date on the operator site.

By plane

Flights go from Cairo International Airport (CAI) to Luxor International Airport (LXR). The Air Cairo route map lists Luxor as a code share destination, with flights that EgyptAir operates. Wikipedia also lists other airlines on this route. Check each airline on its own site.

• Book: on egyptair.com, or on aircairo.com for the code share.
• Flight time: check it on the airline site when you book. We could not open egyptair.com on 2 November 2026.
• Total time: add the time to go to the airport in Cairo and the security checks. Also add the drive from Luxor airport to your hotel.

The plane is the only practical way to see Luxor in one day from Cairo. For the sites and tickets on a Luxor day trip, see the Luxor by plane section on Cairo day tours.

If you stay near the pyramids, plan the drive to the airport. For travel times from Giza, see Cairo airport to Giza.

By sleeper train

A private company, Abela Trains, operates the sleeper trains to Luxor and Aswan. Its booking site is abelatrains.com. The site has a "Foreigner" option in the search form.

The operator schedule shows departure times at each station. On 2 November 2026, it gave the same schedule for each date that we tried. It does not show which trains run on your date.

These examples take approximately 10 to 11 hours. Check the trains for your date on abelatrains.com.

• Classes: the site lists "Bed Standard Class", "Bed Elite Class" and some seat classes.
• Fares: check the current fare on abelatrains.com. We did not run a fare search.
• Station: a rail travel website says that most passengers board at the new Upper Egypt station in Cairo.
• Rules: the operator terms say that you must be at the station at least half an hour before departure. If you do not arrive, you do not get a refund.
• Changes: the operator can change your train or cabin number after you book. You cannot change the travel date. You must cancel with a fee and book again.

By day train

Egyptian National Railways (ENR) operates the day trains. Its online booking site, enr.gov.eg, showed only a sign-in page on 2 November 2026. We could not see a timetable or a fare without an account. Check the current times on enr.gov.eg.

The Cairo Governorate lists these ENR booking channels:

1. ENR ticket offices.
2. The ENR website.
3. The "Egyptian National Railways" mobile app.
4. Payment agents such as Fawry.

A rail travel website, updated 14 September 2026, gives different advice for foreign visitors. It says that foreign visitors cannot buy on the ENR site. It also says that their fares are in US dollars. It names the Arab and Foreign Reservation Office in Cairo Ramses station as a place to buy tickets. Ask at the station before you make a plan.

A day train lets you see the Nile Valley from the window. But you lose a full day of sightseeing.

By bus

On 2 November 2026, we searched the Blue Bus site for a trip on 10 November 2026. It showed two trips from Cairo to Luxor:

Both trips left from the "6 October - El Hussary" stop. Both arrived at the "Railway station" stop in Luxor. The site showed "Multiple Stops" for both trips. These fares are for that date only. Check the current times and fares on bluebus.com.eg.

We checked only the Blue Bus site. Other bus companies also go to Luxor. Check each one on its own site.

Safety on the road and the rail

Government travel advice gives these warnings:

• The UK government says that road accidents are common in Egypt. It tells drivers not to drive outside main cities and resorts at night (updated 27 October 2026).
• The UK government also says that serious bus crashes in recent years caused many deaths, including tourists. It also reports fatal train collisions and derailments.
• The Government of Canada tells visitors to use a high degree of caution in Luxor and Aswan (updated 26 May 2026). In rural areas, it tells visitors to travel in large groups and by organized transportation.
• The UK government does not include Luxor in the area west of the Nile Valley where it advises against all but essential travel.

Read the current advice before you travel. For more on government advice for Egypt, see Is it safe to visit the pyramids?.

What to see in Luxor

Luxor is on the site of ancient Thebes. Three of the main sites are:

1. Karnak Temple. Many temples and chapels on the east bank of the Nile. The largest part is the Amun Precinct.
2. The Valley of the Kings. Tombs of New Kingdom kings on the west bank. Some tombs need extra tickets.
3. The Temple of Hatshepsut. A temple on the west bank for Hatshepsut, a woman who ruled Egypt as king.

These times are from the Ministry e-ticket site, egymonuments.com. Luxor is very hot in summer. Plan the west bank sites for the early morning. For the weather in each month, see Best time to visit Egypt. For a full trip plan with Luxor, see Egypt itinerary.

Questions to ask before you book a Luxor day tour

Tour prices and what a tour includes are different at each company. Ask each company these questions before you pay:

1. Does the price include the flights? Which airline and which times?
2. Does the price include the entry tickets? Which tickets?
3. Which tombs in the Valley of the Kings does the tour visit?
4. Does a licensed guide go into each site with you?
5. Who takes you to and from the airports?
6. What is the total price for your group, in which currency?