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Egypt had been on my travel list for years. In December 2025, my husband and I finally spent two weeks exploring the country, visiting Cairo, Luxor, and the Red Sea coast. One of the most common questions people ask when planning an Egypt itinerary is:
How do you actually travel between Egyptian cities, and how much does it cost?
Egypt is a large country, and distances between major destinations can be significant. Cairo to Luxor alone is around 650 km, while the journey from Luxor to the Red Sea can take several hours by road.
In this guide, I’ll share exactly how we traveled between cities, how we got around within each destination, and how much we spent on transportation during our trip. All numbers come directly from my travel expense sheet.
If you’re planning a similar trip, this breakdown should help you understand which transportation options are best in Egypt and how to plan your route efficiently.
Our Egypt Travel Route
We traveled through Egypt using a combination of international flights, domestic flights, private drivers, and ride-hailing apps.
Our route looked like this:
Berlin → Cairo → Luxor → Red Sea (Hurghada region) → Leipzig
We went directly to the Red Sea from Luxor, but if you wish to go to Aswan, I will show you a couple of transportation options to travel from Luxor to Aswan.
Within Egypt, we traveled:
Inside cities we mainly used:
- Uber
- Taxis
- Private drivers for day trips
- walking
This combination turned out to be both affordable and efficient.
International Flights to Egypt
Before exploring transportation inside Egypt, here are the flights that started and ended our journey.
| Route | Airline / Booking | Cost per Person |
|---|---|---|
| Berlin → Cairo | booked via Agoda | 410€ |
| Hurghada → Leipzig | Booked via Agoda | 475€ |
Total international flight cost per person: 886.70€
Flights are naturally the biggest part of any travel budget. However, once inside Egypt, transportation becomes significantly cheaper than in Europe.
Traveling Between Cities in Egypt
Long-distance travel between cities in Egypt typically happens in one of four ways:
- Domestic flights
- Trains
- Long-distance buses
- Private drivers
For our itinerary, we used a domestic flight and a private driver.
Below is a detailed breakdown of both.
Cairo to Luxor: Domestic Flight
Why We Chose to Fly
Domestic flights in Egypt are surprisingly affordable compared to many European domestic routes.
Another big advantage is comfort and convenience. Instead of spending an entire night on a train, we arrived in Luxor within an hour and could start sightseeing immediately.
Tip
Book domestic flights several weeks in advance, especially during peak travel periods like Christmas and New Year.
Traveling between Cairo and Luxor by land can take a long time:
| Option | Travel Time |
| Train | 9–10 hours |
| Bus | 10–11 hours |
| Flight | 1 hour |
Since we only had two weeks in Egypt, flying made the most sense.
Luxor to Aswan
The distance between Luxor and Aswan is about 220 km (137 miles) along the Nile. Instead of heading to the Red Sea, you could continue south to Aswan using several travel options.
1. Train: Standard or AC Express
| Type | Duration | Cost per Person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard train | 3–4 hours | 5–10€ | |
| AC Express train | 3 hours | 15–25€ | |
| Sleeper train | 9–10 hours | 20–35€ |
Pros: Cheap, reliable, scenic
Cons: Can be crowded if not booked in advance
2. Bus: Public or Private Coaches
| Option | Duration | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Public bus | 4–5 hours | 3–7€ | |
| Private coach | 3–4 hours | 10–15€ |
Pros: Affordable, multiple departures daily
Cons: Less scenic than trains, slightly less flexibility
3. Private Driver / Taxi
| Option | Duration | Cost | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private car | 3–3.5 hours | 50–70€ | |
| Shared taxi | 3–4 hours | 10–15€ |
Pros: Flexible, stops along the Nile or at temples possible
Cons: Higher cost per person for solo travelers
4. Nile Cruise (Replacement for Felucca)
A Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan is a scenic, relaxing alternative that combines transportation and sightseeing. Instead of traveling overland, you sail down the Nile and visit temples along the way.
| Cruise Type | Duration | Cost per Person | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard 2–3 day Nile cruise | Luxor → Kom Ombo → Aswan | 100–200€ | |
| Luxury 3–5 day cruise | Luxor → Aswan | 250–500€+ |
Pros:
Scenic journey along the Nile
Visits multiple temples along the river
Combines transportation and sightseeing in one
Cons:
Longer duration than train or car
More expensive than bus or a standard train
Tip: If time permits, a Nile cruise is one of the most memorable ways to travel between Luxor and Aswan, allowing you to wake up to sunrise over the river and explore temples without daily commuting.
Luxor to the Red Sea: Private Driver
After exploring Luxor’s temples and tombs, we continued toward the Red Sea.
Instead of flying again, we chose to travel by road.
Route
Luxor → Marsa Alam / Hurghada region
Transportation
Private driver arranged locally.
| Route | Luxor → Red Sea Coast |
| Distance | ~300 km |
| Travel Time | ~5 hours |
| Cost | 4000 EGP |
| Cost in EUR | ~71.50€ |
This price covered the entire car, not per person.
For two people, the cost came out to about 35.75€ per person
A private driver has several advantages in Egypt:
Door-to-door transportation
Flexible stops for food or rest
Comfortable travel
No need to navigate public transportation
For longer distances in Egypt, private drivers can actually be cheaper than flights, especially for couples or small groups.
Transportation Within Cairo
Cairo is a massive city with over 20 million residents, and getting around can seem overwhelming at first.
Fortunately, ride-hailing apps make transportation extremely easy.
We exclusively traveled within Cairo and from Cairo to Giza with ride-hailing apps like Uber and Careem. The fares are usually very cheap compared to European cities.
Transportation within Luxor
Luxor is much smaller than Cairo, and most attractions are relatively close to each other.
However, using ride-hailing apps like Uber and Careem is not gonna help you in Luxor. Ride-hailing apps in Luxor are pretty much a scam. Therefore, it is highly recommended to hail taxis while in Luxor, and you need to haggle a lot!
From our resort in Luxor to the Luxor temple (almost 2.5km), we typically paid 2€ in January 2026. This should give you a rough idea of how much a taxi should cost. Here is my video on this topic.
Private Driver for a Full Day
For visiting multiple sites on the West Bank, I suggest hiring a local taxi for a full day
| Service | Cost |
| Full day driver | ~15€ |
In this way, you can visit almost all the important destinations within one day on the West Bank like
Valley of the Kings
Temple of Hatshepsut
other nearby monuments
Without worrying about transportation between each location.
Airport Transfers
We hailed a taxi from Luxor airport to the Luxor city center, which cost us about 7€. In Cairo we hailed Uber and Careem
This post is all about how to travel around Egypt: from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan, explore transportation options including flights, trains, private drivers, and Nile cruises. Learn costs, tips, and insider advice for a 2-week Egyptian adventure.
