Travelling Around Egypt

Flying

For long journeys, fly. EgyptAir and Air Cairo run several flights a day from Cairo to Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Sharm and Marsa Alam.

Cairo to Luxor takes an hour and costs about $80 — or ten hours by road. Take the plane.

The train

Cairo to Alexandria by train is good: two and a half hours, a comfortable and cheap first class. Buy tickets at the station or in the Egyptian National Railways app.

The overnight sleeper to Luxor and Aswan sounds romantic. In reality the cabins are cramped, you sleep badly, and it costs more than a flight. Do it for the experience, not to save time.

A car with a driver

Our recommendation for almost every journey. Driving in Egypt is assertive and rules are treated as suggestions. A driver for a full day costs $75–105, takes away navigation and parking entirely, and stops wherever you want.

You can drive yourself, but we would not advise it on a first visit.

Uber and Careem

Both work well in Cairo, Alexandria, Hurghada and Sharm, with a fixed price in the app, no haggling and a record of the trip. For getting around a city on your own, nothing is more useful.

Taxis

Cairo's white taxis have meters that are hardly ever switched on — settle the fare before you get in. Outside the big cities, taxis are standard and you are expected to bargain.

Cairo Metro

Three lines, very cheap, and handy for crossing the city in rush hour. The first two carriages of each train are for women only. It doesn't reach the Pyramids.

River ferries

In Luxor, the ferry to the west bank costs a few pounds and takes five minutes. In Aswan, public ferries run to Elephantine all day. Local people use both, and they are easy.

Coaches

Go Bus and Blue Bus run comfortable, air-conditioned coaches between all the main cities — far cheaper than flying, far slower. Good for Cairo to Hurghada or Alexandria.

What we can arrange

Private transfers between any two places in Egypt at fixed prices, a car and driver by the hour or the day, and meet-and-greet at the airport. The full price list is in the transfers section.