Egypt Luxor Tours
EN

From the Red SeaRed Sea · Sharm el-Sheikh to Luxor

Sharm to Luxor day trip — only by plane, and it's a long day

Luxor is about 1,000 km from Sharm el-Sheikh by road, so a day trip means flying. Packaged fly-in tours exist, but they run only on flight days, start around 04:30 and cost several times a trip from Hurghada.

Road distance
about 1,020 km
Nonstop flight
about 1 hour, about weekly
Fly-in day tours
from about $295 per person
Hotel pickup
about 04:30

Updated October 21, 2026

Terminal building at Luxor International Airport
Terminal building at Luxor International Airport Photo: Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0

The short answer

  1. Best overallA packaged fly-in day tour

    Flights, airport transfers, guide, tickets and lunch in one booking. Find them on the Sharm day-trips shelf below and check the operating days before you plan the rest of the week.

  2. Most comfortableFly in, stay one or two nights

    Book your own flight, sleep in Luxor and take a Luxor tour the next morning. Same airfare, half the stress, and a balloon flight becomes possible.

  3. Most flexibleFly to Luxor and join a Nile cruise

    If you're adding Luxor to a Sharm holiday anyway, a one-way flight plus a cruise to Aswan turns the long journey into the trip itself.

  4. Skip it ifYou entered on the free Sinai stamp and won't buy a visa

    The Sinai entry stamp covers only the South Sinai resorts. Travel to Luxor needs a full Egyptian tourist visa.

Can you do a Sharm to Luxor day trip?

Yes — but only by air, and only on certain days. Sharm el-Sheikh is on the Sinai side of the Red Sea, and the road to Luxor goes all the way around the Gulf of Suez: about 1,020 km and close to 12 hours each way. Every realistic Sharm to Luxor day trip is a fly-in tour.

That changes the maths. From Hurghada, a shared Luxor day trip costs from about $56 because it's a coach ride. From Sharm, the airfare is most of the price, and fly-in tours run about $295–499 per person on one operator's published price list, or from €370 on another listing. You also need a flight that leaves early and comes back late, which only happens on some days of the week.

Option Typical cost per person Total time Time in Luxor Best for
Fly-in day tour about $295–499, cheaper per head in bigger groups 10–20 h listed 6–8 h One free day, budget not the issue
Own flights + night in Luxor flights + hotel + tour from about $30 2 days 1.5 days Most people with the time
Flight + Nile cruise flights + cruise 4–5 days Luxor and Aswan Making Luxor the main event
By road — about 12 h each way — Not a day trip

There are no Sharm departures in our Luxor product feed, so we link to the platform's own Sharm day-trip shelf instead.

How do you fly from Sharm el-Sheikh to Luxor?

Two ways:

  • Nonstop. Air Cairo lists a Sharm–Luxor service of about one hour. In autumn 2026 aggregators show roughly one nonstop flight a week, and the days shift with the season. The fly-in day tours we found run only on set weekdays, two days a week each.
  • Via Cairo. EgyptAir and Air Cairo connect Sharm and Luxor through Cairo most days, about three hours with the change. That works for a two-day trip but rarely for a same-day return.

Check the schedule for your exact dates before you commit, and carry your passport — it's a domestic flight with airport security and ID checks.

A typical fly-in day from Sharm

A typical Luxor day trip from Sharm el-Sheikh by plane
  1. Hotel pickup and transfer to Sharm el-Sheikh airport
  2. Flight to Luxor, about an hour
  3. Meet the guide at Luxor airport and drive to the West Bank
  4. Valley of the Kings, then Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon
  5. Lunch at a local restaurant
  6. Karnak Temple
  7. Transfer to Luxor airport
  8. Evening flight back to Sharm (time depends on the day's schedule)
  9. Back at your hotel, later if the flight goes via Cairo

Morning times follow published itineraries; the return depends entirely on the flight schedule that day. Some listings quote 10 hours, others up to 20.

The honest time cost

Of a 17-hour day, perhaps six to eight hours are in Luxor. The rest is hotel pickups, airport security twice, and waiting at gates. It's still a remarkable day — standing in the painted corridors of the Valley of the Kings before lunch, having woken up beside the Red Sea — and less tiring than nine hours in a minivan from Marsa Alam — but it's an expensive way to see Luxor at speed, and a delayed or cancelled flight can cut the visit short. Read the operator's terms on flight changes: reviews of fly-in tours mention cancellations and slow refunds.

A better plan if you have two days

Book your own flight to Luxor, sleep there one or two nights, and use the time:

The airfare is about what a fly-in day tour builds into its price, and you trade a 04:30 start and a rushed afternoon for an evening on the Corniche. With more time, fly to Luxor one way and take a Nile cruise south to Aswan.

If you fly in yourself: Luxor tours to book on arrival

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.

Questions travellers ask

Can you do a day trip from Sharm el-Sheikh to Luxor?

Yes, but only by plane. Operators sell fly-in day tours with a hotel pickup around 04:30, an early flight to Luxor, the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and Karnak, and an evening flight back. Listings quote anywhere from 10 to 20 hours, and they run only on days when the flights fit.

Is there a direct flight from Sharm el-Sheikh to Luxor?

Air Cairo lists a nonstop service of about an hour, but in autumn 2026 aggregators show it about once a week. EgyptAir and Air Cairo also connect via Cairo, which takes about three hours with the change. Check the schedule for your exact date before planning a day trip around it.

How much is a Luxor trip from Sharm el-Sheikh?

Fly-in day tours with flights, guide, entry tickets and lunch cost about $295–499 per person on one operator's price list, depending on group size; another lists from €370. That's three to five times a Luxor day trip from Hurghada, because the airfare is most of the price.

Do I need a visa to go from Sharm el-Sheikh to Luxor?

Yes, if you arrived on the free Sinai entry stamp. That stamp allows stays of up to 15 days in Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba only. Traveling outside those resorts needs a full tourist visa — $30 in cash at approved airports according to UK travel advice. Ask your operator whether they arrange it.

Can you drive or take a bus from Sharm to Luxor?

Not for a day trip. The road runs right around the Gulf of Suez — about 1,020 km and close to 12 hours each way. Direct Ferries currently lists no Sharm–Hurghada ferry, so there is no short sea crossing to cut the distance either.

What do you see on a Luxor day trip from Sharm?

Usually the same core as from Hurghada — the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple, the Colossi of Memnon and Karnak — with lunch in between. Tutankhamun's tomb is often extra (EGP 700 at the gate, checked 21 Oct 2026). Some itineraries add Luxor Temple or a walk along the Nile.

Sources and checks

  1. GetYourGuide — Sharm el-Sheikh day trips (category) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  2. Rome2Rio — Sharm el-Sheikh to Luxor (road distance, flight options) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  3. Airport-Luxor.com — Airlines flying to Luxor in 2026 (Air Cairo SSH–LXR nonstop; reviewed July 2026) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  4. Skyscanner — Sharm el-Sheikh to Luxor route (flights per week, September 2026) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  5. Luxor and Aswan Travel — Day tour to Luxor from Sharm by air (days, prices, inclusions) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  6. Magpie — Luxor day trip from Sharm el-Sheikh (price, duration, inclusions) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  7. TrekkSoft Marketplace — Luxor day tour from Sharm el-Sheikh by flight (pickup and flight times) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  8. Platinumlist — Luxor day trip from Sharm el-Sheikh including flights (duration, inclusions) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  9. UK FCDO — Egypt entry requirements (Sinai entry stamp, visa on arrival) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  10. Direct Ferries — Sharm el-Sheikh to Hurghada ferry (status) — checked 21 Oct 2026
  11. Egypt Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities — Tomb of Tutankhamun ticket prices — checked 21 Oct 2026

Read next