The 8-day Cairo, Luxor and Aswan sleeper train holiday covers Egypt's great sites in one connected journey, using the overnight sleeper train to travel between them. The route runs Cairo → Sleeper Train → Luxor → Aswan → Sleeper Train → Cairo, so you sleep on the move, save time on long distances and wake up each morning ready for the next monument.
This private Egypt sleeper train tour combines the Pyramids, Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae and Islamic Cairo with the romance of rail travel along the Nile. A private guide, private transfers and hand-picked hotels are arranged around your dates, and the programme can be adjusted before booking.
Tour Overview
Egypt's main sites lie hundreds of kilometres apart, so travel time is the biggest challenge in planning a trip. The Cairo to Luxor and Aswan sleeper train turns that challenge into part of the experience: you board in the evening, eat dinner on board, sleep in a compartment and arrive in the morning with a full day of sightseeing ahead.
| Duration | 8 days / 7 nights (2 nights on the sleeper train) |
| Start and end | Arrival and departure in Cairo |
| Route | Cairo → Sleeper Train → Luxor → Aswan → Sleeper Train → Cairo |
| Tour type | Private guide and vehicle, tailor-made planning |
| Main sites | Giza, Karnak, Valley of the Kings, Edfu, Kom Ombo, Philae, Islamic Cairo |
| Accommodation | 1 night Cairo, 1 night sleeper train, 1 night Luxor, 2 nights Aswan, 1 night sleeper train, 1 night Cairo |
| Price | Price on Request, confirmed in a written quotation |
Tour Highlights
Day-by-Day Itinerary: 8-Day Cairo Luxor and Aswan Sleeper Train Holiday
This is the recommended plan. Train timetables change, so we confirm departure times at booking and adjust the plan around them.
Day 1: Arrival in Cairo
Your representative meets you at Cairo International Airport and drives you to your hotel. After resting, you meet your guide for a briefing on the sleeper train and the route.
- Private airport meet and assist
- Hotel check-in and trip briefing
- Evening at leisure
Day 2: Giza Pyramids, Grand Egyptian Museum and Night Train to Luxor
Visit the Giza Plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum, then transfer in the evening to the station to board the overnight sleeper train to Luxor.
- Great Pyramid, Pyramid of Khafre and Sphinx
- Grand Egyptian Museum and the Grand Staircase
- Station transfer and boarding
- Dinner and bed on the sleeper train
Day 3: Arrival in Luxor and the West Bank
Arrive in Luxor in the morning, freshen up at your hotel, then cross to the West Bank for the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Hatshepsut and the Colossi of Memnon.
- Breakfast and hotel check-in or day room
- Valley of the Kings (three tombs with the standard ticket)
- Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari
- Colossi of Memnon photo stop
Day 4: Karnak, Luxor Temple and Drive to Aswan
Visit Karnak Temple and Luxor Temple in the morning, then drive south to Aswan with stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo.
- Karnak Temple and its Great Hypostyle Hall
- Luxor Temple
- Temple of Horus at Edfu
- Temple of Kom Ombo at sunset
- Arrival in Aswan
Day 5: Aswan Sightseeing
Visit the Temple of Philae by motorboat, the Aswan High Dam and the Unfinished Obelisk. End the day with a felucca ride around the Nile islands.
- Philae Temple on Agilkia Island
- Aswan High Dam
- Unfinished Obelisk in the granite quarries
- Felucca ride around Elephantine Island
Day 6: Aswan and Night Train to Cairo
Spend the day exploring Aswan, with the Nubian Museum and a Nubian village visit, then board the overnight sleeper train to Cairo in the evening.
- Nubian Museum and a Nubian village visit
- Optional Abu Simbel only by early flight (extra cost)
- Station transfer and boarding
- Dinner and bed on the sleeper train
Day 7: Arrival in Cairo and Islamic Cairo
Arrive in Cairo in the morning. After breakfast, explore the Citadel of Saladin, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar.
- Citadel of Saladin and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali
- Historic Islamic Cairo
- Khan el-Khalili bazaar and a coffee stop
Day 8: Departure from Cairo
After breakfast, a private transfer takes you to Cairo International Airport for your onward flight, or you can extend your stay.
- Private airport transfer
- Optional extension to Alexandria, the Red Sea or a Nile cruise
Places You Will Visit and Their History
This Cairo to Aswan itinerary follows the Nile from the Old Kingdom to the Ptolemaic era. Here is the background to each stop.
Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx
The three Giza pyramids were raised around 2600 to 2500 BCE for Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. The Great Pyramid, about 146 metres tall when complete, was the tallest building in the world for thousands of years, and the Sphinx beside it is carved from the living limestone.
Grand Egyptian Museum
This museum beside the plateau tells Egyptian history from prehistory to Roman times and displays the full Tutankhamun collection, over a century after Howard Carter discovered the tomb in 1922.
Valley of the Kings and Hatshepsut
Between about 1539 and 1075 BCE, New Kingdom pharaohs were buried in hidden rock-cut tombs in the Valley of the Kings. Nearby, the terraced temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari records her trading expedition to Punt, and the Colossi of Memnon mark the gate of Amenhotep III's vanished mortuary temple.
Karnak and Luxor Temple
Karnak was the main temple of Amun-Ra and grew over about 2,000 years, with a Great Hypostyle Hall of 134 giant columns. Luxor Temple, begun by Amenhotep III, hosted the Opet Festival and was once linked to Karnak by an avenue of sphinxes.
Edfu
Built between 237 and 57 BCE under the Ptolemies, the Temple of Horus at Edfu is among the best-preserved ancient temples in Egypt, because sand once buried it. Its walls retell the myth of Horus and Seth.
Kom Ombo
The temple of Kom Ombo stands on a bend of the Nile and is unusual for having two parallel halves, one for the crocodile god Sobek and one for Haroeris, a form of Horus. Its walls show medical instruments, and a small museum displays mummified crocodiles.
Philae and the High Dam
The Temple of Isis at Philae was rebuilt on Agilkia Island between 1972 and 1980 after the Aswan High Dam, finished in 1970, flooded the original island. The dam ended the Nile's annual flood and created Lake Nasser.
Unfinished Obelisk and Nubian Culture
The Unfinished Obelisk in the Aswan quarries, about 42 metres long, cracked before it could be freed and shows how Egyptians cut granite. The Nubian Museum and the nearby villages tell the story of the Nubian people and their culture.
Citadel of Saladin and Islamic Cairo
The Citadel was begun by Saladin in 1176 and became the seat of Egypt's rulers for centuries. The Mosque of Muhammad Ali, built in the 19th century, dominates the skyline, and the old streets below hold mosques, madrasas and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, established in the 14th century.
The Sleeper Train Experience
The overnight trains between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan run on a railway that follows the Nile, and the line reached Aswan in the late 19th century. Today the sleeper trains offer a simple, comfortable way to cover long distances at night.
Why Travel by Sleeper Train?
Travelling by sleeper train saves a hotel night and a day of driving, and you wake up at your destination ready to sightsee. It also gives you a different view of Egypt: farmland, villages and the Nile passing the window at sunrise.
The trade-offs are comfort and timing. Cabins are modest and trains can run late, so the plan includes a flexible morning in each destination. If you prefer a more luxurious option, we can replace one train journey with a domestic flight.
Activities on This Holiday
Accommodation and Meals
You stay one night in Cairo, one night in Luxor, two nights in Aswan, one final night in Cairo and two nights on the sleeper train. Hotel category and cabin type are confirmed in your written proposal according to your budget and dates. Breakfast is included at hotels, dinner is served on the train, and other meals follow your quotation.
Transport and Journey Times
Private air-conditioned vehicles handle all airport, station and sightseeing transfers. The long-distance legs are by sleeper train. Approximate times are:
| Cairo to Luxor (sleeper train) | Around 10 hours |
| Luxor to Aswan (road, with stops) | Around 4 hours |
| Aswan to Cairo (sleeper train) | Around 14 hours |
Times are approximate and depend on the train and traffic.
What Is Included and Not Included
Final inclusions are always confirmed in writing before payment.
Prices
The price depends on your dates, hotel category, cabin type on the train, number of travellers and vehicle type. Send us your plan and we will reply with a clear written quotation.
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Booking and Cancellation
Share your dates, number of adults and children and preferred cabin and hotel level. We send a personalised itinerary, you approve the details, and you pay by Cash, PayPal, Binance, Visa or Mastercard. Sleeper cabins are limited, so book early. Cancellation and amendment terms depend on the train and hotels selected and are stated in your written quotation. Call or message us on +20 100 925 5585.
Best Time to Go and What to Pack
The best time for a Nile Valley tour is October to April, when days are warm and walking at open-air sites is comfortable. Summer is very hot in Luxor and Aswan, so early starts matter. Pack light cotton clothing with covered shoulders and knees for temples, sturdy walking shoes, a sun hat, sunscreen, a small overnight bag for the train, a light jacket for air conditioning and your passport.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the sleeper train comfortable?
Are meals included on the train?
What if the train is late?
Can I replace a train journey with a flight?
Is the sleeper train suitable for families?
Related Tours and Guides
Browse all Egypt holiday packages, or read about Luxor and Aswan and Abu Simbel.
Eight days from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan with two overnight train journeys and a private Egyptologist. Share your dates and we will prepare your personal proposal.
