Our trip starts in ancient Luxor, once the capital of Egypt and formerly known as Thebes. Luxor is a few hundred kilometers south of Cairo on the Nile River and there are a few ways to get here.
You can fly into Cairo and then make the drive, either self-drive (totally not recommended) or hire someone. You may also take the overnight train from Cairo which takes about 10 hours and is famed for its authenticity.
We chose to fly. Surprisingly air connections aren’t terrific or frequent, especially on Fridays which is the day we planned to traverse this leg. Prices are very reasonable at about $125 in Business Class. There were two possible flights, one at 06:15 and one at 20:00. Neither work great for intercontinental arrivals.
So backing up to the start, in order to make the 06:15 flight on Friday, we had to leave Chicago on Wednesday evening. Our chariot of choice for this trip was Qatar Airways, mainly because of their QSuites.
We got our first glimpse of the Middle East as we flew in over the Egyptian coast north of Saudi Arabia.
Flying time from Chicago to Doha is 12 1/2 hours, but thanks to a super comfortable seat we each got about six hours of sleep and before we knew it we were in Doha.
We were fortunate to be able to access the Business Class lounge where we each took refreshing showers to spruce up for the remainder of the trip.
Afterwards we rested up for our next leg from Doha to Cairo.
Then it was off to our aircraft. Hamad International has this terrible habit of parking aircraft remotely and bussing passengers out to the plane. While it was a comfortable ride in the 12 passenger, very air conditioned bus, it sucks to have to lug your carry-on up the airstairs.
Once everyone boarded we were rolling down the runway and into the air. Some thunderstorms had blown through Qatar earlier and were now lighting up the sky over Iran. We got a front row seat to the show!
What also was remarkable was that the photos are taken with my iPhone 15 Pro Max through an airplane window. Seriously.
About three hours later we landed in Cairo. The sluice is quick upon arrival. Get in line with crisp $25 in USD to get your Egyptian visa, short line for immigration where they apply the visa sticker and then bingo bango, stamp it. Then xray your bags as you exit and you’re out into the craziness that is Cairo.
We were leaving the terminal because we had booked a room across the roadway at the Le Meridien. planned for only a few hours during our connection, it was to be a place to rest and shower before continuing at 0400 for our 0615 flight to Luxor,
Once we finally got onboard and heading to Luxor, the landscape quickly turned amazing,
Then we finally saw it. Our first glimpse of the fabled Nile River.
The airport is just 15 minutes from our hotel, the Hilton Luxor.
Here is where we are now. We arrived just about 29 hours after we left, but we are far up the Nile and in the middle of some amazing sights.
The sun is setting on our first day in Egypt. Tomorrow is our first day at the temples, stay tuned!
5 comments
WOW! What an adventure. Those cloud photos are amazing Alex. My mom instinct kicked in and I was a little worried at first that you’re so close to Israel. But I see now that you are far away from the “action.” Pete and I are going to eat our faces off in Mexico City in 2 weeks. It’s no Cairo but any culture is good culture. And did I mention the food?
Hi Lisa! We are hundreds of kilometers away from the war, and by all accounts it’s business as usual in Egypt.so we feel safe. You’re going to LOVE Mexico City. So vibrant and chaotic and fun. See if you can get a day trip to the pyramids at Teotihicuan. – they are amazing.
Wow, what a day! You are such wise travelers to find places to relax and freshen. The landscape on the way to Luxor is surprising. Can’t wait to see more!
Whew, long haul. No surprise that you’re great at making the most of breaks between flights! Looking forward to the next post!
Thanks Emily – say hi to Patrick!!
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