My wife and I are going to Egypt next month. I'm wondering if we have time to visit Siwa, and the fastest way to get to Luxor from Siwa. We arrive in Cairo on 14 Nov and need to be in Luxor on 18 November (or 19th November, but that would give us only a day and a half in Luxor before catching a flight to Sharm/Dahab on 20 November). We want at least a day and a half in Cairo to see the pyramids and the Khan al-Khalili. Based on other posts, I assume it would be much faster to go Cairo-Siwa-Cairo and fly to Luxor than try to go from Siwa to Luxor overland (wish we had more time...) We're struggling with wanting to see Siwa, not wanting to be too rushed, but not wanting to spend too much time in Cairo or Luxor other than to see the big sites. Any advice would be appreciated. Also, if anyone can recommend a good company to put together the transport between Siwa and Cairo and for a driver/guide to see the pyramids (Giza, Saqqara) and sites in Luxor, let me know. Due to our short time in Egypt, we want to book some of this in advance. Thanks very much!
no time.
luxor to siwa overland in a day.......hmmm yah ok........
four days in Cairo is too short imho.
I suggest a map.
Not tryting to be too cruel, but come on.
Chris
If it is at all possible you'll have to fly Cairo - Mersa Matruh - bus to Siwa, then bus back to Mersa Matruh, fly to Cairo - fly to Luxor.
I don't envy you trying to sort all that out and get it to work.
I read on www.siwa.com that Cairo-Siwa is a 6 hour trip by car, but LP says it's about 10 hours by bus. Anyone know if a private car can really cut down the trip by 4 hours?
onlyMark - thanks, will look into flights to Mersa Mathruh.
Swede1212, I'm not looking to go overland Luxor-Siwa in a day (or at all). But, uh, thanks for the map idea. Very helpful.
Siwa is at least ten hours by bus. At least.
Sorry but I think you'll have to make choices. Skip Cairo or Luxor for the time being.
If memory serves me right it's about 850km from Cairo to Siwa. Six hours in a car? Only if you happen to be the web site for Siwa and you want people to come so you're not going to make it sound as far as it is, are you?
And I'm not sure at all if there is a direct bus from Cairo to Siwa, I think you have to change in Mersa Matruh, thus adding to the time. Others will know for sure.
I was on the bus last DEC. Turguman busstation 07.30- Siwa 17.30 inclusive waiting in M.Matruh for the next Mini bus. Return the same 07.00
18-00 Cairo.
I'm currently researching something similiar (needing to be in Luxor after Siwa) and I agree with others that your timeframe will run you ragged. I'm doing Cairo-Siwa-Cairo by bus and then flying to Luxor. The shortest way would be onlyMark's combo of flights and buses but I've been looking on egyptair's website and it's not giving me any flight options for Cairo to M. Matruh...and I put in a timetable for an entire month; I have an email into EgyptAir. Otherwise, as BenediktXVI said, you're looking at a day's travel each way (by bus) which leaves you 2 whole days to see both Siwa AND Cairo. As others have said, I think you'll have to take one of those places out.
I can't get any flight details from Egypt Air either. Maybe they've stopped flying there now.
The great thing about Siwa is the atmosphere. If you go for a few hours you will regret it. (it is about ten hours by bus if my memory serves me)
Luxor makes more sense, but much to see.
Seems like you will need to scale back expectaions.
If you swim upstream in Africa you will leave bitter and frustrated.
It is very easy to arrange cheap travel to the pyramids/saqqara from any hotel: pay for the day. (falt rate)Make sure you write down exactly what you plan to do for the given $ and time or you will get taken. If you spend an entire day wondering through old Cairo and Coptic Cairo you will return with a greater sense of things than the quick run you are examining. Even a night of tobacco and tea in Luxor for that matter.
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