Day trip to Aswan from Luxor
Aswan is 220km south of Luxor — doable as a long day trip by train or car, but staying a night unlocks Philae and the Nubian villages.
Feluccas on the Nile at Aswan with Elephantine Island
How to get there
The best option is the daytime train: Luxor to Aswan takes 3.5 hours in first class ($6) or 4 hours in second class ($3). Trains leave from around 6am. Private car with driver runs $100-140 and is faster (3 hours) but less pleasant. Sleeper train from Cairo passes through Luxor around 5am — not useful for a day trip.
One-day highlights
From Aswan station take a taxi ($5) to the Philae boat landing, then $10 for a motorboat plus $10 entry. Two hours at Philae. Then back to town for a felucca hour ($15 for the boat) around Elephantine Island. If time allows, Aswan's souq off Sharia el-Souq for spices and Nubian textiles. Skip the Unfinished Obelisk unless you’re an archaeology obsessive.
Should you stay overnight?
Yes if you can. One night at the Old Cataract ($280+) or a Nubian guesthouse on West Aswan ($30-50) lets you add Abu Simbel (300km further south, best flown as a day trip from Aswan, $250 including flight and guide) or a full Nubian village experience.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask before they set off on this one.
Yes — first-class train down at 6am, back on the 5pm, five hours in Aswan. Tight but doable.
Yes. The Luxor-Aswan road is open to independent traffic with occasional checkpoints.
Only by flying via Aswan. It's a long day: 4am start, $300-400 total, back by 4pm.
A 3-4 night cruise is a much better way to link Luxor and Aswan if you have the time and $500+ per person.
Hotels in Luxor
Hotels we cover across Luxor
- Sonesta Dahabeya Amirat I Nile Cruise Ship 7 nights from Luxor every Saturday 3★
- Sun Smile Guest House 3★
- Sunny Luxor 3★
- Sunrise Semiramis Ii Cruise 3★
- Sunrise Semiramis Iii Cruise 3★
- Sunrise Terramar Cruise 3★
- Sunset View Apartments 3★
- Sweet Rooms 3★
- Taha Guest house 3★
- Tara Apartments 3★
- Temple & Nile view 3★
- The Residence 3★
- TibaHouse 3★
- Villa Elhag Nile View 3★
- Villa Elkoumy 3★
- Villa Giulio Guest House 3★
- Villa golden life apartments new property with pool access 3★
- Villa Omar El Sharif Studio n1 3★
- Villa Rebecca 3★
- Villa Sunrise 3★
- Villa Yasmine Appartement Style Egyptien 3eme Etage 3★
- Vip Apartments Luxor 3★
- West Bank Guest House 3★
- Yasmine Guest House 3★
More guides to Luxor
All guides
Itineraries · 7 min read
48 hours in Luxor
Two days is enough to see the essentials on both banks of the Nile if you start early and split your time 50/50 between East and West.
Itineraries · 9 min read
One week in Luxor
Seven days lets you cover both banks properly, add two day trips, and still have a slow morning or two on a rooftop with a pot of hibiscus.
Itineraries · 7 min read
Luxor in 3 days on a budget
You can do Luxor's headline sites on under $50 a day if you use the public ferry, share taxis, and eat where the guides eat.
Compare hotels across the East Bank, West Bank and Karnak Village — every booking funds one verified tonne of carbon removal.