5-Day Cairo & Luxor Tour by Sleeper Train
Pyramids, Luxor's temples and tombs, and two nights in a private cabin on the train. Hotels, transfers, an Egyptologist and dinner and breakfast on board are included.
The short answer
5-Day Cairo & Luxor Tour by Sleeper Train is a 5-day, 4-night trip to Cairo and Luxor: 1 night in Cairo, 2 on sleeper trains and 1 in Luxor. It includes sleeper trains, an Egyptologist guide and transfers. Prices start at $1,061 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
This is a short Egypt trip built around the overnight train. You spend your first night in a Cairo hotel, then see the pyramids at Giza, Saqqara and Memphis. That evening you board the sleeper train to Luxor and ride through the night in a private cabin, with dinner and breakfast on board.
Luxor gets two days: the Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon, then Karnak. You take a second sleeper train back to Cairo, visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, and head to the airport. Two of the four nights are on the train, and one night each is in a Cairo and a Luxor hotel. There are no domestic flights.
What lingers
- 01Giza Pyramids, the Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis in one guided day
- 02Two nights in a private cabin on the sleeper train between Cairo and Luxor
- 03Dinner and breakfast served on board the train
- 04The Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut's temple and the Colossi of Memnon
- 05Karnak Temple with a private Egyptologist, including the Sacred Lake
- 06The royal mummies at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization on your last morning
- 07Rail instead of flights, so there is no airport time between Cairo and Luxor
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in USD, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom $1,0613★ hotels | Luxor · 1 nightEl Mesala Hotel Luxor | $1,061May–Sep: from $1,027 | |
| Comfortfrom $1,1124★ hotels | Cairo · 1 nightJewel Sport City Luxor · 1 nightIberotel Luxor by JAZ | $1,112May–Sep: from $1,091 | |
| Classicfrom $1,1435★ hotels | $1,143May–Sep: from $1,118 | ||
| Prestigefrom $1,1955★ deluxe hotels | Luxor · 1 nightSteigenberger Nile Palace Luxor | $1,195May–Sep: from $1,208 | |
| Luxuryfrom $1,5455★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 1 nightSt. Regis Cairo Luxor · 1 nightHilton Luxor Resort & Spa | $1,545May–Sep: from $1,518 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast. You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
- New
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
5 Days / 4 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Saqqara · Memphis · Luxor · Valley of the Kings
- 1
Your representative meets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and drives you to your hotel, about an hour away. The day is free to rest after your flight. Nothing else is planned, so you start the sightseeing fresh tomorrow.
- 2
A full day, about 8 hours, with a private Egyptologist and a private air-conditioned vehicle. After hotel pickup you visit the Giza Pyramids complex, the Valley Temple and the Great Sphinx. You then drive through the countryside to the south for lunch, and on to Saqqara, where the first pyramid was built, and Memphis, Egypt's first imperial capital.
You return to your hotel, then transfer to Giza train station, about 45 minutes away, to board the sleeper train to Luxor. You have a private cabin. Dinner is served on board and you sleep as the train runs through the night.
- 3
The train takes about 12 hours and arrives in Luxor in the morning. Breakfast is served on board. A transfer takes you to Luxor. Later you cross to the West Bank for a half-day tour of about 6 hours with an Egyptologist guide and air-conditioned transport. You see the Valley of the Kings, with entrance tickets for three tombs included, then the temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
You spend the night in a Luxor hotel.
- 4
A half-day at Karnak with a private licensed Egyptologist and a private vehicle from your Luxor hotel. Entrance tickets to the Karnak temples, including the Sacred Lake, are included. Later in the day a transfer takes you to Luxor train station for the sleeper train back to Cairo. You again have a private cabin, with dinner served on board, and you sleep on the train through the night.
- 5
The train takes about 12 hours and reaches Cairo in the morning, with breakfast on board. You then visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, about 4 hours with a private Egyptologist and a private air-conditioned vehicle. You see the main exhibition hall and the Royal Mummies Hall, with museum entrance fees included, and have a set lunch at a restaurant nearby.
A private transfer then takes you to Cairo Airport for your flight home. Your guide and driver arrange the timing around your flight.
Bundled in
- Sleeper train
The fine print
What's included – and what isn't
Included
- One night in a Cairo hotel and one night in a Luxor hotel
- Two nights in a private cabin on the sleeper train, Cairo to Luxor and Luxor to Cairo
- Dinner and breakfast on board the train
- Lunch on the Giza day and at the museum on the last day
- Private Egyptologist guide on every sightseeing day
- Private air-conditioned transport for sightseeing and transfers
- Entrance tickets to Karnak and the Sacred Lake, three tombs in the Valley of the Kings, and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
- Airport arrival and departure transfers with meet-and-assist
- Transfers to and from the train stations
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Gratuities for guides and drivers
- Drinks and meals other than those stated
- Travel insurance and personal expenses
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Pack a small overnight bag for the train; your hotel can hold the rest while you sleep on board.
- 02
At Saqqara, wear sturdy shoes for the sandy ground around the Step Pyramid before heading to Memphis.
- 03
Ask your guide to cover the Valley of the Kings early on day three, before the heat builds.
- 04
On the return, leave a gap before the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization to see the royal mummies hall.
Tailor it
Make it yours
Choose your hotel standard when you book. Ask us about an extra night in Cairo to protect your flight home, more time in Luxor, or other sights.
All requests handled by your dedicated specialist before booking.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- First-time visitors who want the pyramids and Luxor in five days and like the idea of a night train. Suited to couples, friends and solo travelers who are comfortable with a lot of walking.
Maybe not, if
- Travelers who need step-free access to every site, or who sleep badly on trains. Days 2 and 3 are long.
Honest assessment
Real trade-offs from our experience managing this tour.
Highlights
- Pyramids, Saqqara, Memphis, Luxor's main sites and the royal mummies in five days
- Two nights on the train save two hotel nights and two flights
- Private cabin, with dinner and breakfast on board
Things to Consider
- Two 12-hour train journeys
- Long days on days 2 and 3
- Uneven stone, steps and little shade at the major sites
Where it fits
A compact first look at Egypt for travelers who like trains. Add a night in Cairo at the end if you want extra margin before your flight home.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Many itineraries fly between Cairo and Luxor. This one goes by sleeper train both ways, so the journey doubles as two of your four nights. Hotel standard is your choice; the sightseeing does not change.
Compare
Similar tours to compare
On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided Short Tour by Sleeper Train
- Accommodation
- A Cairo hotel, a Luxor hotel and private train cabins, hotel standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Saqqara · Memphis · Luxor · Valley of the Kings · Karnak Temple · National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
- Includes
- 1 night in a Cairo hotel and 1 night in a Luxor hotel · 2 nights in a private sleeper train cabin · Dinner and breakfast on the train · Private Egyptologist on sightseeing days · Entrance tickets to Karnak, three tombs in the Valley of the Kings and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization · Airport and train station transfers
- Best for
- First-time visitors · Train fans · Travelers who want Cairo and Luxor without domestic flights
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any required travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sunscreen, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Small overnight bag for the train, so your main suitcase stays easy to carry
- Any personal medication
- Light layer for the air-conditioned train and for winter evenings
What to wear
- Lightweight, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for temples, tombs and uneven ground
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and temples
- A hat and sunglasses
- Comfortable clothes to sleep in on the train
- A light jacket for cool evenings and the train
Children & families
Children are welcome. Every child takes a seat in the vehicle, so transport and guiding are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Hotel and train cabin arrangements depend on the child's age and how many people share, so we give you the exact figure when you tell us the age at booking. The 12-hour train rides and long sightseeing days suit older children better than toddlers.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This tour involves a lot of walking on large archaeological sites, with uneven stone, sand and steps, and tomb passages in the Valley of the Kings that are narrow. Karnak and the West Bank have long outdoor stretches with little shade. Boarding a train means a step up from the platform and a narrow corridor to your cabin, and the cabins are compact. The vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site or on the train. Tell us your needs when you book and we will tell you honestly which parts are suitable.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The route uses the overnight train in both directions instead of domestic flights, but we do not claim a carbon saving because the vehicle used for road transfers can vary. Sightseeing is guided by local Egyptologists and arranged through local suppliers in Cairo and Luxor, so most of the money you spend stays in the places you visit. We ask guests to carry a refillable water bottle and not to touch painted walls in tombs.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how early you tell us and on the type of trip. Read our current cancellation and refund policy
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01Where do we sleep on this tour?
Two of the four nights are on the sleeper train, in a private cabin: Cairo to Luxor on day 2 and Luxor to Cairo on day 4. The other two nights are in a hotel, one in Cairo on day 1 and one in Luxor on day 3. We name the hotels for your dates once you choose a standard.02How long is the sleeper train journey?
About 12 hours each way. It runs through the night, so you wake up in Luxor on day 3 and in Cairo on day 5. Dinner and breakfast are served on board.03Are domestic flights included?
There are no domestic flights on this tour. The train links Cairo and Luxor in both directions. International flights are not included.04Will I make my international flight?
Domestic and international tickets are separate bookings, so a late train can cost you the connection. On this tour you reach Cairo by train on the morning of day 5, visit the museum and go straight to the airport. Choose an evening or night international flight on day 5 to leave room for delays, and take travel insurance that covers missed connections. If you want more margin, add one last night in Cairo and we will quote it.05Is the Giza day long?
Yes. The Giza, Saqqara and Memphis tour takes about 8 hours with the drives and lunch, then you board the sleeper train that evening. Wear comfortable shoes and drink water during the day.06Are the guide, entrance fees and transport included?
Yes for the listed visits. You have an Egyptologist guide and private air-conditioned transport on the sightseeing days. Tickets for the Karnak temples and Sacred Lake, three tombs in the Valley of the Kings and the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization are included. Transfers to and from the train stations are included.07What meals are included?
Dinner and breakfast are served on the train. Lunch is included on day 2 in the countryside and on day 5 near the museum. Day 3 has breakfast and day 4 has breakfast and dinner. Day 1 has no meals.08Is this tour private?
The guided sightseeing in Cairo and Luxor uses a private Egyptologist and a private vehicle. You have a private cabin on the train.09What is not included?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides and drivers, drinks and meals other than those stated, travel insurance and personal expenses.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-305775
At a glance
- Length
- 5 days · 4 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Cairo to Luxor → Luxor → Luxor to Cairo → Cairo
- Nights
- 1 Cairo · 2 sleeper train · 1 Luxor
- Includes
- Sleeper trains, Egyptologist guide, transfers