Many tourists during their holidays in Hurghada hotels want to go to Cairo at least for a day – to see the Great Egyptian pyramids, the Sphinx and other sights. In this article, we will tell you how to get there profitably and / or quickly. Consider all options – bus, plane, taxi, transfer, excursions, car rental.
Prices, timetables and other information in this article are current as of early September 2021. Recently, bus tickets have risen in price, and the schedule has changed slightly. All the details are below in this article.
Distance between Hurghada and Cairo
In a straight line – 400 kilometers.
By road – 460 kilometers.
How many days does it take in Cairo
In one day, you can see the most important sights of Cairo – the Great Pyramids, the Cairo Museum, the Cairo Citadel and the Muhammad Ali Mosque.
However, we recommend traveling for two days. Then you can see many more interesting things: the Old City, the Khan al-Khalili market, museums on the Gezira island, spend an evening in the Mall of Egypt, the largest shopping and entertainment center in Egypt.
A room in an inexpensive hotel in Cairo, somewhere near the Cairo metro station, will cost $ 40-50. The hotel is easy to book through booking.com or another similar site.
By taxi
Naturally, a taxi will not follow the meter for such a long distance. You need to negotiate a fixed price. Taxi drivers usually quote the price of about 120 US dollars. However, you can still bargain with them. If you bargain up to 80-90, then consider that you are traveling cheap.
Just for reference, at the time this article was updated (September 2021), the cost of such a trip on a taximeter is 1200 Egyptian pounds ($ 75). However, as we have already said, no one will follow the taximeter.
You can save a lot if you take a taxi for the whole day. That is, early in the morning a taxi takes you to Cairo, drives around the city with you, in the evening it takes you back to Hurghada. This is both convenient for you and more interesting for the taxi driver, since he will not go back empty. In this case, you can agree on a price of 140-150 dollars.
Taxi is a very profitable option if you are traveling with three or four people. However, it is also very unprofitable if you are traveling alone.
Internet transfer
You can order a transfer on the Internet, but it is expensive – 140-150 US dollars. Taxis are cheaper, even if you don’t haggle and agree to the first price offered by the taxi driver.
In addition, the transfer is very inconvenient, as you will find yourself tied to a certain time. You can take a taxi at any time. Of course, not every taxi driver will immediately agree to go so far, not all of them are “easy-going”. But you can ask around several taxi drivers, someone will definitely agree.
By bus
Traveling by bus through the desert has long been comfortable and safe. Long gone are the days when buses passed part of the route with a military convoy.
Bus transportation on the Hurghada-Cairo route is carried out by two transport companies Go Bus (aka El Gouna) and Super Jet Bus Company. They have about the same prices, the level of comfort on the buses, and the travel time.
One-way ticket prices range from 190 to 540 Egyptian pounds, depending on the class of the bus. For the current rate, see our article “Money in Egypt”.
Travel time is 6-8 hours.
Since it is quite far to travel, we recommend choosing an expensive class – Elite or Royal. Then you will ride in a comfortable seat, the cabin will have WiFi, coffee and snacks for free, air conditioning and an LCD panel with movies and games. These buses have a clean toilet in the cabin, usually located in the middle of the cabin.
Buses leave every half hour or hour. There are night flights that leave at 01:00 or 02:00, in Cairo you will find yourself in the morning at 8:00 or 9:00. For the current schedule, visit go-bus.com .
There is no need to buy tickets in advance, as the buses on this route are never full, with the exception of some pre-holiday days. For the holiday calendar, see our article “Holidays in Egypt”.
An important point! From Hurghada, buses leave from bus stations on El-Nasr street, which is in the city center. Go Bus and Super Jet have different bus stations, but are located 700 meters from each other. When you go from the hotel to the bus station by taxi, you need to tell the taxi driver which bus station you need.
And one more important point! But if you want to buy tickets in advance, then use the site go-bus.com , when buying you will be able to choose seats. Go Bus also has an app for iOS and Android, where you can view the schedule and buy tickets.
Super Jet has a website superjet.com.eg where you can buy tickets, but at the time this article was updated (September 2021), the website is only available in Arabic.
And one more important point! In Cairo, buses arrive at different points in the city, depending on which bus you take. You can come either to Tahrir Square, or to the Almaz area (near the airport), or to the Nasr City area, or to Giza. Accordingly, if you want to watch the pyramids, then take the bus to Giza. If you need to go to the airport, then go to Almaz. Then save on a taxi to the object you need.
Traveling on Egyptian buses has many nuances. So that there are no unpleasant surprises on the trip and to be prepared for all situations, read the detailed article of our editor-in-chief “How to travel by bus in Egypt”.
By plane
The Hurghada-Cairo air route is quite busy – about 10 flights a day, the planes of Egypt Air and NILE AIR.
Ticket price – from 100 US dollars for a round-trip ticket. But we want to warn you that low prices are available only for some morning flights. The average price for a round-trip ticket is US $ 130.
Flight time – 1 hour. However, you need to arrive at the airport in advance, go through security control and wait for boarding. Of course, it will be faster on a plane, but the time benefit is not so great. The actual travel time will be about 3 hours.
Tickets are available on all popular services on the Internet – skyscanner, or Similar
An important point! It is highly recommended to buy tickets in advance. In about a week, tour agencies start buying tickets for their clients. Prices can skyrocket.
Car rent
Car rental in Egypt costs about $ 50 per day. It is very profitable to drive a rented car.
However, think about how ready you are to spend 6-7 hours driving there and 6-7 hours back? And will you want to see the sights after 6-7 hours of driving?
In addition, in Egypt, local drivers do not differ in discipline, traffic rules are not observed. Driving on Egyptian roads is nerve-racking and dangerous. According to statistics, 150 people per 100,000 cars die annually in Egypt. Draw your own conclusions!
Excursions
Prices for excursions are quite reasonable. A full-day excursion with a flight costs $ 180-200, with a bus trip – $ 70-80.
However, the excursion has its obvious disadvantages. First, only the Great Pyramids and the Cairo Museum are shown. They do not look at the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, they do not lead to the Cairo citadel. In addition, you will lose time in some shops, where tourists are usually brought. It is unpleasant.
Comparison of options
See the total cost of the trip in the table below. The price does NOT include the price of the trip from the hotel to the airport (bus station).
| 1 person | 2 persons | 3 persons | 4 people | |
| Air (3 hours) | 130 USD | 260 | 390 | 520 |
| Bus (7 hours) | 12-24 USD * | 24-48 * | 36-72 * | 48-96 * |
| Taxi (6 hours) | 140-200 USD * | 140-200 * | 140-200 * | 140-200 * |
| Transfer (6 hours) | 280 USD | 280 | 280 | 280 |
| Car rental (6 hours) | 100 USD | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| One-day excursion with flight | 180 USD | 360 | 540 | 720 |
| One-day excursion by bus | 70 USD | 140 | 210 | 280 |
Important tips for tourists
“You will definitely need Egyptian pounds on this trip. In Cairo, there are few places where you can pay in dollars. Read our review “Currency Exchange in Egypt”;
– Some tourists are very cunning. They are looking for fellow travelers among their fellow countrymen in their hotel. In this case, a taxi is an ideal option;
– Remember that with a bracelet on your wrist, you will be the perfect prey for pickpockets in Cairo. Try to arrange with the hotel so that they cut off the bracelet during the trip and put on a new one on your return;
– Do not forget to take your documents with you on your trip. Passport and insurance are required, you never know what can happen. Read our article “Insurance in Egypt”;
– Don’t forget hats and cover your shoulders so you don’t get burned. Read about the wardrobe for a trip in our article “What to take with you to Egypt”.
Enjoy your trip from Hurghada to Cairo and read our travel-friendly reviews on Egypt and the Egyptians.
