Cairo lies about 500 km (310 miles) north of Luxor, roughly 640 km (400 miles) by road along the Nile Valley. Three options connect the two cities: a nonstop flight of about 1 hour 10 minutes, an overnight sleeper train of roughly 10 hours, and an overnight bus taking 9-10 hours. The flight is the fastest, the sleeper train replaces a hotel night, and the bus is the cheapest seat out of Luxor.
Having visited Luxor Airport and travelled extensively around the city, I found the terminal compact and straightforward to navigate, although travellers continuing to Cairo by train or bus need to transfer into central Luxor first.
How Far Is Luxor from Cairo?
Luxor is 504 kilometers (313 miles) from Cairo in a straight line. By road the distance is about 639 kilometers (397 miles), following the Nile north through Qena, Sohag, Asyut and Minya. That corridor explains the journey times: every land option takes most of a day or a full night, while the flight covers the same ground in just over an hour.
Flights from Luxor to Cairo
Flying is the fastest way between Luxor and Cairo. The route typically has around five nonstop flights a day, with more departures on selected dates. One way fares start around 40 dollars with Air Cairo and Nile Air and climb past 100 dollars on peak winter dates. Flights land at Cairo International Airport (CAI), Terminal 2 or Terminal 3 depending on the airline. Check the live salidas board for the day’s schedule before setting out.
Luxor to Cairo by Train
Trains leave from Luxor railway station in the town centre, roughly 6 kilometers (4 miles) from the airport, and run north along the Nile. Two very different products share the line: a nightly sleeper aimed at foreign visitors and cheaper seated day trains.
The sleeper train
Egyptian National Railways contracts its overnight sleepers to a private operator; since August 2023 that operator has been Abela Trains, running the same carriages earlier branded Watania. Train 87 departs Luxor in the evening and arrives on the Cairo side about 10 hours later. Note the terminus: the sleepers use Bashteel station in Giza rather than the central Ramses station, so allow extra time and money for the onward taxi. Foreign passengers book from a separate quota and pay in foreign currency: about 80-100 dollars per person in a shared two-berth cabin, or 120 dollars for sole use, with a set dinner and breakfast served in the cabin. Berths sell out around Christmas, New Year and Easter; book ahead through the operator or at the station’s sleeper desk.
Day trains
Egyptian National Railways also runs air-conditioned seated trains on the route, typically 10 to 11 hours to Cairo’s Ramses station. First and second class tickets cost a fraction of the sleeper fare, and foreign visitors can now book them online at enr.gov.eg. The trade-off is a full day in a seat; the sleeper or the flight suits most schedules better.
Luxor to Cairo by Bus
Overnight coaches are the cheapest way to Cairo. Go Bus and Blue Bus both run the route, with most departures leaving Luxor between late afternoon and midnight and arriving 9-10 hours later. Go Bus services start from Luxor’s central bus station and terminate at Abdel Moneim Riad station beside Tahrir Square in central Cairo; the ticket shows the exact stop and time. Fares depend on the coach class, from about 10 dollars for economy seats up to around 30 dollars for the top classes with wider seats and onboard toilets. Seats fill in the winter high season, so book a day or two ahead.
How to Get from Cairo to Luxor
The same three options run in reverse. Flights from Cairo to Luxor take about one hour, with EgyptAir and Air Cairo covering most departures. Sleeper train 86 leaves Bashteel station in Giza in the evening and reaches Luxor early the next morning, on the same fares as the northbound service. Overnight buses depart Abdel Moneim Riad and other central Cairo stops on the same 9 to 10 hour timing. Passengers meeting a flight can follow the live llegadas board for Luxor.
What to See in Cairo
Most travelers making this trip are heading for the Giza plateau on the city’s western edge. The pyramids of Khufu (Cheops), Khafre and Menkaure stand there, with the Sphinx below Khafre’s causeway. Khufu’s Great Pyramid, the only survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, contains roughly 2.3 million blocks averaging 2.5 tonnes each; Khafre’s pyramid still carries a cap of its original casing stones at the summit.
Cairo’s museum map changed completely in the 2020s, and older guides get it wrong. The Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) beside the pyramids opened in full in November 2025 and now holds the entire Tutankhamun collection, including the gold funerary mask, together with Khufu’s 4,600 year old cedar solar boat, a 43 meter original ship moved here from its old museum at the Great Pyramid in 2021. The royal mummies left Tahrir in 2021 for the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC) in Fustat. The original Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square remains open and worthwhile; the Narmer Palette is still displayed there among roughly 170,000 objects.
South of Giza, Saqqara holds the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest of Egypt’s pyramids. In Islamic Cairo, Al-Azhar Mosque has combined worship and teaching since the 10th century, and Al-Azhar Park, opened in 2005 on a cleared centuries-old rubble mound, gives the widest open view over the old city.
Last reviewed: July 2026
Flying. Nonstop flights from Luxor to Cairo take about 1 hour 10 minutes, with around five departures on a typical day and additional services on selected dates. One-way fares start around 40 dollars. Every land option takes at least nine hours.
The overnight bus. Go Bus and Blue Bus run direct coaches with economy fares from about 10 dollars, taking 9-10 hours. Higher classes with wider seats and onboard toilets cost around 30 dollars, still well below any flight.
Yes. A nightly sleeper operated by Abela Trains runs direct from Luxor to Bashteel station in Giza in about 10 hours, and Egyptian National Railways runs seated day trains direct to Cairo Ramses station in 10-11 hours.
About 80-100 dollars per person in a shared two-berth cabin and about 120 dollars for a single cabin, paid in foreign currency. The fare includes a set dinner and breakfast served in the cabin. Berths sell out around Christmas and Easter. (Price reviewed: July 2026)
Go Bus coaches leave from Luxor’s central bus station and arrive at Abdel Moneim Riad station beside Tahrir Square in Cairo. Most departures run between late afternoon and midnight; the ticket shows the exact stop and time.