Egypt Holidays · Style
The Egypt sleeper train runs nightly between Cairo, Luxor and Aswan in private 2-berth cabins – a route that's been operating since the Belle Époque and remains one of the most enjoyable ways to cover the 700 kilometres Cairo–Aswan. Dinner is served at your cabin, the porter makes up the beds while you eat, and you wake the next morning either gliding past the Nile Valley at Luxor or arriving at Aswan in time for breakfast. Sleeper-train Egypt holidays typically combine the overnight train one way (Cairo → Aswan) with the Nile cruise back north and a domestic flight from Luxor to Cairo.
1 matching holiday ·
Rated 4.6 out of 5 across 38 Tripadvisor and Google reviews · ETAA Licence 718 (Category A)
The hallmarks
The Egypt sleeper train runs nightly between Cairo and Aswan in private 2-berth cabins – a route the British administration installed in the 1920s, still running with the same Pullman-era courtesies. Dinner is served at your cabin, the porter makes up the beds while you eat, and you wake the next morning to the Nile Valley gliding past the window at Luxor or arriving at Aswan in time for breakfast.
Picture the bedouin-tinged dinner in your private compartment as the train pulls out of Cairo Ramses at 19:30, the lights of the Delta rolling past, then waking thirteen hours later as the train pulls into Aswan with the desert palm light flooding the window. The journey is part of the holiday, not just a transit.
How to choose
Three pillars decide the shape. The biggest is which direction you do by train.
Southbound, almost always. Cairo → Aswan or Cairo → Luxor overnight buys you a full daylight day at the destination on arrival, and the experience is the holiday's signature. The reverse (Aswan → Cairo) means you arrive at 5am with limited hotel check-in availability. Our standard sleeper-train structure: train southbound, 3-night Nile cruise back north, fly Luxor → Cairo on the return.
Standard 2-berth is fine for the 10–13 hour journey – upper + lower bunk, fold-down table, ensuite washbasin, USB charging, dinner + breakfast included. Deluxe 2-berth is the upgrade if your party has light sleepers – larger space, better suspension, £40–60 more per cabin. We always book Watania-operated trains, not standard Egyptian National Railways.
Two shapes work best with the train. Train + cruise – overnight train southbound, then 3-night Nile cruise back north, fly home from Luxor. Train + land-only – overnight train southbound, hotel-based for Luxor and Aswan, no cruise at all. The first is the more popular shape; the second suits returning visitors and clients with motion sensitivity. See our land-only slice for the cruise-free combinations.
Practical questions
Standard cabins are 2-berth (upper + lower bunk), private door, ensuite washbasin (no shower), USB charging, fold-down table. Deluxe cabins are larger, more storage, identical bedding. Both include a 3-course dinner served at your cabin and continental breakfast in the morning. We book the Watania-operated trains, not the standard Egyptian National Railways service.
Cairo → Aswan takes 13 hours (depart Cairo Ramses ~19:30, arrive Aswan ~08:30). Cairo → Luxor takes 10 hours (depart Cairo ~22:00, arrive Luxor ~08:00). We always book the southbound leg overnight to maximise daylight at the destination on arrival day.
Prices on this page currently start from £1,186 per person (8 days, two sharing); each card shows its own from-price. The standard 2-berth Watania cabin is £105–£140 per cabin per leg; deluxe cabins are £185–£230. Both include dinner and breakfast on board. We always price the train as part of the package, not as an upgrade.
Yes. The Watania-operated trains have armed tourist police on board, cabin doors lock from inside, and the carriages are reserved for tourists only (no shared compartments with locals). The track has been operating safely since the Belle Époque. Common-sense precautions: keep passports + valuables in the under-bed safe, don't open your cabin door to non-staff, use the steward call-button rather than walking the corridors at night.
One-way southbound, almost always. Cairo → Aswan overnight buys you a full day at the destination on arrival, and the trip itself is memorable. The reverse (Aswan → Cairo) means you lose daylight on departure day and arrive in Cairo at ~5am with limited check-in availability. Our standard sleeper-train shape: train southbound, 3-night Nile cruise Aswan → Luxor, fly Luxor → Cairo. You get the train experience once without sacrificing onward logistics.
From the Cairo desk
Every Egypt holiday we sell is tailor-made – your dates, your party, your pace. Send a short brief or talk to the Cairo desk direct. Replies inside one working day.
– Suhaila & the Cairo team · 38 years · 6 offices · IATA #90255546
We use cookies to understand how the site is used so we can improve it. Analytics only — we don’t advertise to you or sell anything on. You can decline and the site works exactly the same.What we set and why.
