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From CairoFrom Cairo · by train

Train from Cairo to Luxor — sleeper, Talgo or day train

The overnight sleeper is the classic way to go — dinner in your cabin, a proper bed, Luxor by 06:10, from $110 one way. Day trains are cheaper and slower, and booking as a foreigner takes a little planning.

Sleeper fare
from $110 one way
Sleeper timing
19:45 → 06:10, daily
Fastest train
Talgo, about 8 h 40 min
Day train fare
from $55 one way

Updated October 21, 2026

An Egyptian National Railways diesel locomotive at a station platform
An Egyptian National Railways diesel locomotive at a station platform Photo: Ad Meskens, CC BY-SA 3.0

The short answer

  1. Best overallFrom Cairo: Luxor Sightseeing Tour by Sleeper Train4.52 reviewsfrom $604GetYourGuide

    Sleeper down, a full guided day in Luxor with Tutankhamun's tomb included, sleeper back — no hotel needed. Rated 4.5 from only two reviews so far.

  2. Most comfortableCairo: Overnight Tour to Luxor from Cairo by VIP Train5.02 reviewsfrom $876GetYourGuide

    Adds a Luxor hotel night and a second day for Dendera and Medinet Habu, so only one of your touring days starts straight off the train.

  3. Lowest priceFrom Cairo: Sleeping Train Transfer to Aswan and Luxor3.0165 reviewsfrom $180GetYourGuide

    A sleeper ticket delivered to your hotel with dinner and breakfast, from about $180. Convenient, but rated 3 out of 5 from 165 reviews and dearer than booking direct.

  4. Skip it ifYou only have one day

    Ten or more hours each way rules out a same-day return. Fly instead — about an hour each way.

How to get from Cairo to Luxor by train: sleeper or day train?

There are two kinds of train from Cairo to Luxor. The sleeper, run by Abela Trains, leaves in the evening and arrives at dawn, with a bed, dinner and breakfast. The Egyptian National Railways (ENR) trains — the Talgo and the air-conditioned VIP and Express services — have reserved seats only and cost less. All of them follow the Nile south, and all call at Giza.

The sleeper used to be sold as the Watania sleeping train, run by Ernst. ENR handed the service to Abela in 2023, but many tour listings still use the old name — it is the same train.

Train Leaves Cairo Arrives Luxor Time One-way fare (foreigners) Bed? Best for
Abela sleeper 86, daily 19:45 Cairo Upper Egypt, 20:15 Giza 06:10 about 10 h 25 min $110–125 sharing, $150–170 alone Yes, two-berth cabin Saving a hotel night
Abela sleeper 82, daily 21:10 Cairo Upper Egypt, 21:40 Giza 07:50 about 10 h 40 min $110–125 sharing, $150–170 alone Yes, two-berth cabin A later dinner in Cairo
Talgo 2030, daily 19:00 Ramses 03:40 about 8 h 40 min $85 first, $75 second No, seats Speed, if a 03:40 arrival is fine
VIP 2010, daily 10:00 Ramses, about 10:24 Giza 19:30 about 9 h 30 min $75 first, $55 second No Seeing the Nile valley by day
VIP 980, daily 08:00 Ramses, about 08:30 Giza 18:55 about 10 h 55 min $75 first, $55 second No An early start

Times and fares are from the Seat61 timetables checked on 21 Oct 2026. An extra sleeper, train 1086, leaves Cairo Upper Egypt at 19:20 when demand requires and reaches Luxor at 05:35. Northbound, sleeper 87 leaves Luxor at about 20:35 and reaches Cairo Upper Egypt at 06:25.

The Cairo–Luxor sleeper train: cabins, meals and fares

Every cabin is a lockable two-berth compartment with a washbasin, towels and fresh bedding; Elite cars add a power socket by each berth. Dinner comes on a tray to your cabin in the evening, and breakfast before arrival. Toilets are shared, in each carriage. The cars are clean but not new, and reviewers on the platforms say so — expect a decent night rather than a luxury one.

Fares per person, one way, on our 21 Oct 2026 check:

  • Standard: $110 sharing a two-berth cabin, $150 sole occupancy
  • Elite: $125 sharing, $170 sole occupancy
  • Children 4–9: $70; under-4s travel free without their own berth

Solo travelers can either pay for sole occupancy or take one berth and share with a passenger of the same gender. Fares to Aswan cost the same, so the sleeper also suits travelers starting a Nile cruise from Aswan to Luxor — train 86 reaches Aswan at 09:25.

Talgo and VIP day trains to Luxor

The Talgo is ENR's most comfortable train, but on this route it runs overnight in seats, arriving at 03:40. For a daytime ride, the 10:00 VIP from Ramses is the most convenient: you watch fields, palms and villages for most of the journey and reach Luxor in the evening. Bring snacks and water for the day.

The day trains save money — from $55 one way in second class — but not time. They suit travelers who want to see the countryside or who are traveling with flexible dates.

How to book the Cairo to Luxor train as a foreigner

Sleeper. Book online through trainsegypt.com (a reseller that clearly labels Elite and Standard fares), 12Go or Bookaway, or on Abela's own site and app, which can be slow. Abela also has ticket offices at Cairo Ramses, Giza, Cairo Upper Egypt, Luxor and Aswan stations. Sales usually open four to five months ahead, and fares are charged in dollars, euros or pounds sterling.

Day trains. The ENR website and app show times and seat availability, but sell only at Egyptian-citizen fares, so foreigners can't use them to buy. Instead:

  • Book through 12Go or Bookaway, usually from about 17 days before departure until two days before. Tickets are paper, delivered to your hotel or collected at Cairo Ramses.
  • Or buy in person at the Arab and Foreign Reservation Office on the upper floor at Cairo Ramses, paying in dollars, euros or by card (2.5% card fee).

Which Cairo station: Ramses, Giza or Cairo Upper Egypt?

  • Cairo Upper Egypt (Bashtil) — opened in October 2024, about 7 km west of Ramses. The sleepers start here. There is no metro station nearby, so take a taxi or Uber, and allow time for the X-ray check at the entrance.
  • Giza — every Cairo–Luxor train calls here, about 8 km southwest of Ramses, and it is on metro line 2. Handy if you are staying near the pyramids.
  • Cairo Ramses — the main station downtown, where the Talgo and the VIP day trains start and where the foreigner ticket office is.

Train-based tours from Cairo to Luxor

If you would rather not juggle tickets, guides and transfers, four trips in the feed bundle the train with sightseeing. The three-day sleeper tour uses the train as your hotel both nights, with a full guided day in Luxor in between. The four-day trips add a hotel night and a second day of temples, and one of them uses the VIP train instead of the sleeper. The cheapest product is a plain sleeper ticket delivered to your hotel — useful if you can't book online, but it costs well above the direct fare.

Train trips from Cairo to Luxor

US-dollar prices come from each platform's own feed and were checked on October 21, 2026. Dates and group size change them — the booking page has the final price.

Train or plane from Cairo to Luxor?

The train is a choice of experience, not of cost: domestic flights started at about $48 one way in October 2026 and take about an hour. Take the sleeper when you have the time and like the idea of going to bed in Cairo and opening the curtains on sugar cane and palms. Fly when every day counts — our Luxor from Cairo guide compares day trips by plane, overnight trips and cruises. Planning to come for the total eclipse on 2 August 2027? See our eclipse guide and book the train early.

Questions travellers ask

How long is the train from Cairo to Luxor?

About 8 hours 40 minutes on the fastest train, the overnight Talgo, and roughly 9.5 to 11 hours on the VIP day trains. The Abela sleeper takes about 10 hours 25 minutes, leaving Cairo Upper Egypt station at 19:45 and reaching Luxor at 06:10. Trains can run late, so don't plan a tight connection on arrival.

How much is the sleeper train from Cairo to Luxor?

On our 21 Oct 2026 check, one way per person was $110 sharing a two-berth standard cabin or $150 alone, and $125 sharing or $170 alone in Elite. Dinner and breakfast are included. Children aged 4 to 9 pay $70. Fares are charged in US dollars, euros or pounds sterling, not Egyptian pounds.

Can foreigners book Egyptian train tickets online?

For the sleeper, yes — through trainsegypt.com, 12Go, Bookaway or Abela's own site and app. For day trains it is harder. The Egyptian National Railways website sells only at Egyptian-citizen fares, so foreigners book through 12Go or Bookaway, which open about 17 days ahead and close two days before, or buy in person at Cairo Ramses station.

Which station does the sleeper train to Luxor leave from?

Cairo Upper Egypt station, also called Bashtil, which opened in October 2024 about 7 km west of Ramses, with a second stop at Giza half an hour later. Sleepers no longer leave from Ramses, though older guides still say so. Bashtil has no metro link, so take a taxi or Uber.

Is the sleeper train worth it compared with flying?

Worth it if you have time and want the experience. It saves a hotel night and delivers you to Luxor at dawn, the best hour for the West Bank. It is not cheaper than flying — domestic fares started at about $48 one way in October 2026 — and the cabins are clean but basic. On a tight schedule, fly.

How far ahead should I book the Cairo–Luxor sleeper?

Sales usually open four to five months before departure. Outside holidays there are often berths a few days ahead, but tour groups fill whole trains at peak times such as Easter, and the August 2027 eclipse week is likely to be similar. Book as soon as your dates are fixed.

Sources and checks

  1. Seat61 — Cairo to Luxor & Aswan by sleeper train (operator, timetable, fares, booking) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  2. Seat61 — Train travel in Egypt (Talgo and VIP timetables, foreigner fares, stations, booking) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  3. Abela Trains — official sleeper train site — checked 21 Oct 2026
  4. GetYourGuide — Sleeping train transfer to Aswan and Luxor (inclusions, cancellation, reviews) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  5. GetYourGuide — Luxor sightseeing tour by sleeper train from Cairo (itinerary, inclusions) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  6. GetYourGuide — Overnight tour to Luxor by VIP train (itinerary) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  7. Kupi — Cairo to Luxor flights (fares, duration) — checked 21 Oct 2026

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