Cairo to Luxor
Private Jet Charter
Cairo to Luxor is about 45 minutes in the air, 276 nautical miles from Sphinx to the gateway of the Valley of the Kings, on a turboprop, light or midsize jet. It is the domestic sector we fly most often from Cairo, and most itineraries fly into Luxor and out of Aswan with the cruise in between.
Reviewed by Kevin Singh, Founder · Fact-checked against Icarus Jet fleet and airport operations data · Last updated 4 September 2026
Route overview
Get your number
Get a number for your dates
Tell us the dates, the passengers and whether the trip continues to Aswan. The desk quotes Luxor every week, files the Egypt permit, and tells you which aircraft fits the group before you book.
Prefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203. The desk is staffed 24/7.
The route
Why fly private from Cairo to Luxor?
Cairo to Luxor is the most flown domestic sector on our desk: 276 nautical miles, about 45 minutes in the air, and a landing six kilometres from the East Bank hotels and the cruise moorings. The Valley of the Kings, Karnak and Luxor Temple are the reason, and a private aircraft turns the trip from an airline day into a morning.
Why private works here
Leave Sphinx, 35 minutes from downtown Cairo, and land at Luxor with the car at the aircraft and the West Bank sites across the river. No airline queue, no fixed timetable, and the aircraft flies on to Aswan or waits for the return. Many of our Luxor trips are the first leg of a Nile itinerary: fly in here, cruise south, and fly home from Aswan.
Aircraft fit
At this distance a turboprop such as a King Air 350 carries eight in under an hour and is the right money for most families. A light jet does it in 40 minutes for six or seven. A midsize jet carries eight with full luggage and a stand-up cabin, and is the choice when the same aircraft continues to Aswan, Sharm or Hurghada on a multi-leg trip. The runway takes all of them.
Advisor note
Luxor is the easy one. No slot, a long runway, handling on the field and a permit we file every week. The thing to plan is the season: October to April is when everyone goes, the winter holiday weeks fill the aircraft out of Cairo, and a Luxor departure in summer is scheduled for the morning before the heat.
Icarus Jet charter deskCost
What determines the cost of a Cairo to Luxor private jet charter?
A 45 minute sector is priced on the aircraft, the trip shape and how long the aircraft waits. These are the things that move the number on Cairo to Luxor.
Aircraft
A turboprop is the right money for up to eight on a short domestic leg. A light jet is quicker. A midsize jet earns its place for luggage or when the aircraft continues on a multi-leg itinerary.
Round trip, one way or multi-leg
A day trip keeps the aircraft with you in Luxor. A Nile itinerary is usually one way in and one way out of Aswan. The desk prices the shape that fits the trip.
The Egypt permit
Egypt requires a landing permit from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority for private and charter flights, domestic legs included. We plan on four business days and file it with the registration, insurance, AOC and crew details, and a specific stated purpose of flight. It is routine, and it is the one thing that cannot be fixed the day before.
Waiting time
On a day trip the aircraft waits in Luxor and the quote covers the crew day and the parking. Tell the desk the plan for the day and it is priced around it.
The season
October to April is the season, with the winter holiday weeks the busiest for aircraft out of Cairo and hotels in Luxor. Those dates need firm bookings a couple of weeks ahead.
What the number covers
We tell you what the quote covers before you book and we hold the operator to the number we gave you. No surprises on the invoice is the point of using the desk.
Aircraft
Which aircraft flies Cairo to Luxor?
Every aircraft in the Icarus brokered fleet flies this sector. These are the three quoted most on Cairo to Luxor.
King Air 350 class
Eight passengers, under an hour in the air, and the lowest cost on a short domestic leg.
Citation CJ and Phenom 300 class
Six or seven passengers with carry-on baggage, and the quickest way to the Valley of the Kings.
Citation XLS and Hawker 800 class
Eight passengers with full luggage and a stand-up cabin, for a multi-leg Egypt itinerary on one aircraft.
Larger groups fly on a super-midsize jet or a regional turboprop. See the aircraft we broker for the full range by cabin class.
Before you fly
What should I know before flying Cairo to Luxor?
It is a domestic flight, so there is no customs at either end. Bring passports or Egyptian ID; the crew checks them at the aircraft. You can arrive at the terminal fifteen to twenty minutes before departure.
Luxor International is the arrival. A single 9,843 foot runway at 294 feet elevation with Category 9 fire cover, six kilometres east of the city, no airport slot, and handling on the field. The East Bank hotels and the cruise moorings are a short drive; the Valley of the Kings and the West Bank sites are across the river. It is the only airport in Luxor, served by a handful of airlines such as EgyptAir and Nile Air, and it handles private aircraft of every size with full ground handling. Icarus Jet also provides trip support and fuel at Luxor for general aviation traffic.
Most Nile trips fly one way. Into Luxor, cruise south to Aswan, and fly home from there, or the reverse. Our Cairo to Aswan page covers the other end, and the desk quotes the pair as one itinerary with a single permit file.
On the Cairo side, Sphinx is the better private airport for most trips. A single 11,975 foot runway west of the city in Giza, open 24 hours with customs on site, no airport slot, no airline queue, about 35 minutes from downtown and materially cheaper to operate into. Cairo International in Heliopolis earns its place when you are connecting onto a scheduled flight, when the destination is the east of the city, or when the aircraft might need maintenance support, which Sphinx cannot provide. It is slot coordinated with mandatory handling, so the permit, slot and handling are filed together.
Summer changes the timetable. Luxor regularly exceeds 40 degrees from May to September, so a summer departure is planned for the morning before the heat builds, and the season proper runs October to April.
When to go
When is the best time to fly Cairo to Luxor?
October to April is the season, when Luxor is warm by day and comfortable at the sites. The winter holiday weeks are the busiest for aircraft out of Cairo and for the cruise fleet, and need firm dates a couple of weeks ahead. Allow four business days for the permit on any first trip.
Summer is quiet and very hot. The route still flies, with departures scheduled for the morning and the sites visited early. A few days of notice is normal from Cairo outside the peak.
Related
Cairo and Luxor airport guides
Every field this sector uses, with runways, handling and history on its own guide.
Questions
Cairo to Luxor private jet questions
How long is a private jet flight from Cairo to Luxor?
About 40 minutes on a jet and about 55 minutes on a turboprop. The sector is 276 nautical miles from Sphinx to Luxor International.
How far is Cairo from Luxor by air?
276 nautical miles, about 318 statute miles, between Sphinx and Luxor International. Both are on Egypt time, so there is no change on the clock.
Which Cairo airport do private jets use for Luxor?
Sphinx, west of the city in Giza, for most trips: no slot, no airline queue, about 35 minutes from downtown and cheaper to operate into. Cairo International in Heliopolis when you are connecting from a scheduled flight or the destination is the east of the city.
Can private jets land at Luxor?
Yes. Luxor International has a single 9,843 foot runway, Category 9 fire cover, handling on the field and no airport slot. It takes the whole of business aviation and is the domestic destination we fly most from Cairo.
Which aircraft is best for Cairo to Luxor?
A King Air 350 class turboprop for up to eight at the lowest cost. A Citation CJ or Phenom 300 class light jet for six or seven, the quickest. A Citation XLS or Hawker 800 class midsize jet for eight with luggage on a multi-leg itinerary.
Do I need a permit to fly privately within Egypt?
The operator does. Egypt requires a landing permit from the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority for private and charter flights, domestic legs included. We plan on four business days and file it on every trip. Passengers need only ID.
Can I fly into Luxor and out of Aswan?
Yes, and most Nile itineraries do. The desk quotes the pair as one trip with a single permit file, with the cruise between. Our Cairo to Aswan page covers the other leg.
What determines the cost of a Cairo to Luxor private jet?
The aircraft, whether the trip is a day return, one way or part of a multi-leg itinerary, how long the aircraft waits in Luxor, and the dates against the October to April season. We tell you what the quote covers before you book.
Can I fly Luxor to Cairo on the same page?
Yes. The sector is quoted in both directions. Put Luxor as the departure in the form and the desk handles it the same way.
Is there customs on a Cairo to Luxor flight?
No, it is a domestic flight. Bring a passport or Egyptian ID for the crew to check at the aircraft. You can arrive fifteen to twenty minutes before departure.
When is the best time to fly to Luxor?
October to April. Luxor summers regularly exceed 40 degrees, so summer trips are flown in the morning and the sites visited early. The winter holiday weeks are the busiest.
How much notice do I need to book Cairo to Luxor?
Allow four business days for the Egyptian permit on a first trip. After that a few days is normal, and for the winter holiday weeks give the desk firm dates a couple of weeks ahead. With a permit already on file the desk can have an aircraft off Cairo within two to three hours of the call, subject to crew availability.
Get your number
Cairo to Luxor, quoted from the desk
Give us the dates, the passengers and whether the trip continues to Aswan. You will get an aircraft, the permit filed and a number you can hold us to.
Get a number for your datesPrefer to talk? Call +1 888 277 7203 or email charter@icarusjet.com. The desk is staffed 24/7.