Luxor to Aswan: cruise, train or road via Edfu and Kom Ombo
The short answer: By river if you have the time: a cruise takes three or four nights and stops at Edfu and Kom Ombo. By train in about three and a half hours, from USD 35. By road, about 210 km, with Edfu and Kom Ombo on the way if you go by private car.
The three ways, side by side
| Way | Time | Fare per person | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nile cruise | 3–4 nights, with the temples on the way | From USD 670 sharing a cabin, for our Aswan-to-Luxor cruise | Rest, and the temples without driving |
| Train | About 3½ hours: 18:55 → 22:25 or 19:30 → 22:55 on the VIP expresses from Cairo | USD 35–77, second or first class; USD 26–41 on the older trains | The quickest way |
| Road | About 210 km; routing estimates about 2½ hours of driving without stops | By private car, on request | Edfu and Kom Ombo on the way |
Cruise length: the site's transit data. Train times and fares: Seat 61, updated 14 September 2026, for foreign travellers. Road distance and driving time: OpenStreetMap routing, computed 30 September 2026, without stops. In our judgement, allow three to four hours by road once checkpoints and a coffee stop are added, before any temple visits.
The two temples on the way
- Edfu: the temple of Horus, built under the Ptolemies between 237 and 57 BC, which Richard Wilkinson calls the most complete and best preserved of Egypt's temples. Foreign adults EGP 550 (Ministry, read 30 September 2026).
- Kom Ombo: a temple built twice over, side by side, for the crocodile god Sobek and the falcon Haroeris. Foreign adults EGP 450 (Ministry, read 30 September 2026).
- Both are stops on the cruise, and on our Kom Ombo and Edfu day from Aswan.
Which to choose
You have four days or more
Take the cruise: it is transport, hotel and two temples at once. See [Dahabiya or Nile cruise?](/guides/dahabiya-or-nile-cruise) for choosing the boat.
You are short of time
Take the train, and see Edfu and Kom Ombo as a day trip from Aswan if they matter to you.
You want the temples without a cruise
Go by private car and stop at both. Ask for it in your request, and the quote will show it.
Where to go from here
Sources and review
Reviewed on by Deluxe Trips Egypt. Official statements are attributed to their source; where we give a judgement, we say so. This guide names no school, boat or hotel.
Photo: I, Rémih, CC BY-SA 3.0
