Is it possible to travel from Cairo to Luxor by boat one-way only?

Hello everyone,

I’m looking into planning a trip to Egypt (first time!)

Important context: My wife has difficulty walking. Maybe what I’m looking for will turn out to be complicated. We’re traveling as a couple for 10 to 14 days.

The initial plan is: - Land in Cairo: visit Cairo and the surrounding area (still figuring out how long to stay) - Head up to Luxor: preferably by boat, otherwise by train, or as a last resort, by plane See what sights there are along the way - Hot-air balloon excursion in Luxor: Need to look into this - Then go either to Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh (via ferry) for some beach time and diving (2/3 days)

The goal for this first trip isn’t to see everything at each destination, but rather to be on the move and experience the journey.

My question is about whether it’s possible to travel up the Nile one-way without doing a round-trip cruise from the starting point. Is this doable? If so, how does it work? Through a local agency?

Should we do this trip in this direction, or would it make more sense to go the other way, starting from Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada?

Thanks in advance for your tips! 🙂 Laurent

Hello everyone,

Mobility issues? Already, you often walk on sand or dirt roads—everywhere you go, really. Traveling downstream to Luxor by boat is no longer possible; it hasn’t been done in over 20 years, and it used to take at least two weeks. So, your options are plane, train, or bus. For the last two, it’s about a 10-hour trip to Luxor. Right now, trains are expensive—the prices have gone up by over 380%.

And paying in € is the new norm, same for most sites, by credit card.

By plane, without counting the waiting and transfer times, the flight is about 1 hour 15 minutes. We usually book our domestic flights with NileAir, depending on the season or price, otherwise EgyptAir or Air Cairo.

For hot-air balloon rides, the baskets are quite high—110 cm, even 120 cm. Would she be able to step over? For the Hurghada coast or further north, about 30 km away, El Gouna.

It all depends on what activities you’re planning! Anyway, there’s no longer a ferry to Sharm, so if you want to go there, you’ll have to fly from Luxor. And don’t worry about the sights—you won’t have enough time in a lifetime to see everything 😉.

The only cruises still possible are one-way trips: either Luxor to Aswan or Aswan to Luxor. If you’re going upstream, it’s Aswan to Luxor; downstream, it’s the other way around.

A big cruise boat? If so, a travel agency near you can arrange that. Just be careful—they’ll always try to sell you a round-trip cruise, claiming one-way isn’t an option. That’s not true; it’s just not as convenient for them.

About your question: *"Should you do this kind of trip in this direction, or start from Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada instead?"*—what exactly are you referring to? Practically speaking, if you’re coming from Cairo, the next stop is Luxor, then either Hurghada or Sharm by plane. Either way, you’ll have to return to Cairo for your flight home, right?

Thoutmosis

Thanks for all the info! I’ll start with the end. For the return flight, I was thinking of landing in Cairo and flying back from Sharm. That way, I avoid going back to Cairo. Does that seem doable? Any constraints you can think of?

My question about the direction is tied to that. Is there a preference between going from Luxor to Cairo or Cairo to Luxor?

Instead of landing in Cairo, I’d do it in Sharm and leave from Cairo.

I’ll look into the train, even though prices have gone up, and if not, I’ll fall back on the plane.

Hot-air balloon: we’ll give it a try, and if not, I’ll contact an agency to see if step stools are available.

About the sites—do you know if some are easier to access than others from a vehicle? Like, how far is the walk from the vehicle to the site?

Thanks for your time! Laurent

Hello everyone,

You mean flying into Cairo from France and flying back to France from Sharm El-Sheikh? If so, it’s possible, but it’ll probably be more expensive too. Check with your travel agency!

About your question: "Is there a preference between going from Luxor to Cairo or Cairo to Luxor?"—if your return flight to France is involved, it’s an issue either way because you’d still need another flight from Luxor to Sharm. Whether you come back from Cairo or Sharm, the problem’s the same: one extra flight to Luxor.

In my opinion, the most logical route is: Cairo → travel down to Luxor → flight to Sharm → return flight to France.

Another option: if you choose Hurghada (just in case), you could do Cairo → Luxor → return flight to France from Hurghada. Those are the two most logical solutions, I think.

For the hot-air balloon ride, I’ve seen some balloons with a small ladder. The operators are always helpful, though. I’ll ask a few friends in Luxor right away (since that’s the only place where hot-air balloon rides happen) to see if they can tell me more.

About the sites: vehicles can reach the entrance (e.g., Valley of the Kings, Valley of the Queens, Hatshepsut’s Temple). After the Valley of the Kings entrance, there’s a little train to the center of the tombs—about 400 meters from the entrance. For the Valley of the Queens, after the entrance, there’s nothing—you walk, usually on sand or gravel. Same for Hatshepsut’s Temple: about 400 meters after the ticket booths.

For the Valley of the Nobles, it’s mostly sand.

I’m online now, so no problem—any other questions? Thoutmosis

Thanks. 😊

This points me toward Cairo first, then Luxor, and then deciding whether to fly to Sharm. We do scuba diving, and I’ve heard Sharm is a bit more “chilled” than Hurghada in terms of vibe. Nightlife is livelier in Hurghada.

The extra cost for the flight doesn’t bother me by default.

Access to the monuments seems really good. 👍

Thanks again for your replies—they’re helping me plan. I’ll look into all this. Laurent

Hello everyone, Yes, this route logic makes the most sense, but if it's for diving, although I don’t do it myself, many friends who dive in the Red Sea say the best spots are Hurghada, further south in Fort Safaga, El Qouseir, and Marsa Alam (there are plenty of others, but these are the most popular). About 35 km north of Hurghada, there’s El Gouna—a gorgeous little place with canals that make you feel like you’re in Venice. Apart from the hotels, the houses and restaurants are built in the style of old constructions, so the illusion is perfect. If it’s not finished yet, it’s still a place where you can see the original village’s old charm.

Now, about your wife and her mobility issue—people keep asking me if she can barely walk or not at all? I’ve had several responses, but everyone asks the same thing.

If you decide to head to the coast after Luxor but not to Sharm, I can help with transportation. This person can take you all the way to your hotel, even as far as Marsa Alam or the other way around. He often does this route for tourists who don’t have time or don’t want to take the bus (which, by the way, only stops where it’s supposed to). For me, in terms of convenience, this would be the best solution. Time-wise, it’s about the same as flying when you factor in waiting times like we have here plus the flight duration. Plus, the driver drops you right at your hotel, so that’s one less thing to worry about.

It’s up to you—only your choice matters.

As for nightlife, Sharm is even worse, and there are plenty of other downsides I won’t get into here. Thoutmosis

Thanks so much for these answers.

Hello everyone, For the hot-air balloon ride, could your wife step over, even with some assistance? I had photos from 2013 of people I’d taken where you could see a petite woman with a bit of extra weight managing to get in and out of the basket with a little help from the staff, but I deleted them since I didn’t know them—so no point keeping them. Also, if you do the hot-air balloon ride, just so you know, you’ll need to be ready around 4 or 4:30 AM. To save time, I’ve got some contacts who can book the flight for you—let me know if you’re interested! Thoutmosis