Cairo and Luxor are two must-visit cities when visiting Egypt, so choosing how to travel between the two gives you some interesting options.
Cairo and Luxor are more than 650km apart, and while some people opt for an unforgettable cruise along the Nile, it can be expensive for a few days.
Flying is fast, but it's not a sustainable travel option. But there is another option to consider: traveling by train.
As someone who loves train rides abroad, I jumped at the chance to spend a day on the Egyptian National Railway when I visited Egypt in January 2024 and was somewhat surprised by how my day unfolded.
In this blog post, I'll tell you everything about my experience traveling from Cairo to Luxor, including what surprised me the most and whether it's really a good travel option.
Why travel by train from Cairo to Luxor?
Well, to be completely honest from the start, this train ride was a really long one and if I had the choice again I would probably bite the bullet and jump on a plane instead, or rather take the sleeper train. than traveling during the day
However, if you want to get away from the main tourist attractions and see what Egypt is really like, I recommend traveling by train. It's an eye-opening experience to say the least.
This is also the cheapest travel option and the most sustainable, but as mentioned before, expect the days to be very long and very tiring!
Buy train tickets from Cairo to Luxor
Buying train tickets in advance or at Cairo Train Station can be quite confusing to say the least.
Before traveling to Egypt, I attempted to purchase a ticket on the Egyptian National Railway (ENR) app and was successful. However, this doesn't always work and is a bit of a lottery.
If this option doesn't work for you, consider purchasing your tickets directly at the station a few days before your trip.
As a foreigner, you will have to pay an additional fee regardless of whether you purchased your ticket on the app or not. To do this, you will need to go to the Foreigners Reservation Office in Cairo Train Station.
The foreign reservation office is not clearly marked at the station, but if you take the escalator up from the main hall and turn left into the hallway, you will see a sign for the office there.
I went to the office and showed the ticket I had purchased from the Egyptian Railways app. Then, as a foreigner, I paid an additional fee (about 40 euros or so) and received a handwritten ticket.
Find your platform at Cairo Station
So after paying the extra fee as a foreigner at the foreign reservation office, all you have to do is find the platform, board the train, sit back and relax. If only it were that easy!
There are plenty of electronic displays at the station, but of course I couldn't find any information about the train to Luxor scheduled for 8am that morning.
I asked at the information desk and showed my ticket, and they explained that I had to go to platform 11, which is a little further away from the main station building.
After passing through the underpass, I found platform 11, and the train conductor greeted me kindly. The conductor put me on the train and guided me to my seat.
In retrospect, this was quite a good thing, but most Egyptians are very friendly and willing to help even if your English isn't that great.
Experience traveling by train from Cairo to Luxor
So what is the train journey from Cairo to Luxor actually like? Well, I found my wagon to be in pretty decent condition. I've certainly traveled on much worse trains in my time (India comes immediately to mind!).
The seats are comfortable enough and the carriages are spacious. Although it may not be the cleanest or most modern you've ever seen. My carriage was fairly quiet at first, but there was a constant stream of people getting on and off at various stops throughout the day.
As for the train journey itself, it was tediously slow with sometimes the train stopping for 10-15 minutes with no explanation as to why, but that's not really a big deal.
The train stops at several stations and passes through small towns and villages as well as rural areas of Egypt.
But for me the most surprising aspect of the trip was seeing the incredible poverty at the halfway point, in this remote area that was very sad to see.
It reminded me a lot of the same kind of poverty you see when traveling by train in India. And I honestly didn't expect to see the same level of poverty here.
It's an eye-opener to see how poor a country Egypt really is, and I don't think I would have had the same perspective if I had traveled between Cairo and Luxor on a plane or cruise.
Aside from that, it was great to see the Egyptian countryside. Although the scenery is sometimes beautiful, there are too many deserted villages and poor villages throughout the trip. Many abandoned buildings can be seen with unfinished construction, reflecting Egypt's poor economy.
Are sleeper trains a better option?
So I took the train from Cairo to Luxor during the day because I wanted to actually see as much of Egypt as possible through the train window rather than sleep the whole trip.
I can't sleep well in any mode of transport and sleeper trains are a bit more expensive. A bed in a twin cabin costs around 80 euros and a bed in a single cabin costs around 120 euros.
You can find flights between the two cities for about the same price or even cheaper, so it's all a question of whether it's worth the hassle.
Sleeper trains are a much more popular option for tourists, and many tour operators offer more expensive options. Sleeper train ticket to Luxor.
The advantage of sleeping train travel is that you don't waste any of your holidays traveling by train. In that respect, it is an advantage. I'd rather experience the train scenery during the day, but that's all a matter of personal preference.
Arrival in Luxor
It was already dark when the train finally arrived in Luxor, leaving Cairo at 8am. Getting off the train in Luxor with a bunch of travelers can be quite an overwhelming experience.
Finding your bearings is not easy and you are soon approached by several local taxi drivers offering their services.
As soon as I got off the train, an Egyptian approached me and perhaps I naively accepted his offer. (I just wanted to get to the hotel as quickly as possible after a long day!)
The hotel I stayed in was located on the West Bank of the Nile, and the Luxor train station was located on the East Bank, the center of the city.
My taxi driver claimed it would take over 40 minutes to get to the East Bank, another long journey off the beaten track. Not what I wanted after a train journey!
As a result, I could have taken a public ferry on the Nile to cross to the West Bank, which would have been much faster and cheaper. Researching your destination before you depart is another important lesson.
Is it worth taking the train from Cairo to Luxor?
So would I recommend traveling from Cairo to Luxor by train? It all depends on your preferences.
If you enjoy train travel in exotic lands and have a sense of adventure, it can definitely be an enriching experience and you'll see a lot of Egypt you wouldn't normally see.
However, if you are short on time and want to get from Cairo to Luxor as quickly as possible, this is definitely not the option for you. Traveling by plane may not be the best sustainable option, but it is the fastest option.
If you don't mind sleeping on public transport and sharing a cabin with strangers, traveling on a sleeper train is also a good option.
Cairo to Luxor by train Frequently asked questions
Still not sure about traveling by train from Cairo to Luxor? Let's answer some of the most frequently asked questions about this topic.
How long does the train take from Cairo to Luxor?
The train ride alone takes about 10 hours. Factor in the travel time from your hotel to the respective train stations in Cairo and Luxor and you can see why it is such a long and tiring trip.
There is no Wi-Fi signal on the train, so it's a good idea to have a good book with you to keep you busy throughout the day.
Are there any food options on the train from Cairo to Luxor?
Yes, but good luck choosing your menu! During my train journey, around lunchtime, a train attendant passed by my carriage handing out menus and taking lunch orders.
I looked at one of the menus and of course it was all in Arabic. I was able to figure out a few meat options, but none of them seemed suitable for vegetarians.
I tried to tell the flight attendant that I wanted a cheese sandwich and I thought he understood what I meant. And 10 minutes later he came back with a tray full of desserts!
There were muffins, croissants, and other basic cakes that weren't exactly what I asked for, but that wasn't a problem.
Cairo Station and the various stations you pass by on the train have many stalls selling snacks such as chips. My advice is to eat a big breakfast if you have time and stock up on snacks for the trip.
Is it safe to travel by train from Cairo to Luxor?
Yes, I felt completely safe throughout the train ride to Luxor. Egyptians are known to be very friendly and I received a few smiles from fellow passengers and people who asked where I was from in broken English.
Which city is better, Cairo or Luxor?
Personally, I liked Luxor more than Cairo. Yes, Cairo is of course a must-visit city due to the proximity of the Pyramids of Giza, but other than that it doesn't really have much to offer.
In my experience, Cairo was one of the most chaotic cities I've ever visited. There are crazy drivers on the roads (I still have nightmares about taking an airport taxi to my hotel), bad air pollution and locals constantly trying to sell you things. You don't need to.
Yes, go to Cairo to see the pyramids, which are undoubtedly an amazing sight. And you could stay at most an extra day or two to visit the best museums, but that's all I'd recommend.
Luxor, on the other hand, was a much more peaceful and aesthetically pleasing experience. The atmosphere is more tranquil as the city is divided into two halves by the Nile River.
Although locals still try to sell you things you don't need (I had a terrible experience with a shop owner who forced me to buy a tattoo in El-Souk market), Luxor has so much interesting history to see.
There are several amazing temples (Karnak Temple was my favorite) and of course the Valley of the Kings is a must-visit to explore the amazingly preserved tombs.
There are also some top-rated activities you can do here. Take a hot air balloon ride at sunrise or relax on the Nile River on a felucca boat.
Conclusion: Cairo to Luxor by train
This is everything I experienced on the train from Cairo to Luxor. It is one of those train journeys that evokes a mix of emotions. Embarrassing, sad, confusing and yet joyful at the same time!
It's definitely an adventure, but would I really recommend it? Probably not. Although it's a long, tiring day that eats up your vacation time, it's a unique trip nonetheless.
It's a privileged experience to see a side of Egypt that isn't common to most tourists, and I can promise you it's one you won't rush and won't forget!
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Mark (Wolverhampton, England) will participate. I travel alone. He visited more than 40 countries, mostly traveling alone. Follow his adventures on Instagram @mj_travelman and Twitter. @MJ_TravelMan.
Keep reading: From Pyramids to Pharaohs: A Beginner's Guide to Egypt