Egypt Buses
Egypt Bus Schedules
Reliable bus schedules in Egypt are close to impossible to acquire. There is no central publishing of the country’s schedules in either English or Arabic and often, the only place to locate current bus timetables are in the windows of the bus stations from which your are departing.
Even the Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable falls sadly short on this with the majority of timings listed as ‘Informational Not Available’.
The information below is as reliable and comprehensive as anything on the web and has been collated from several sources (personal research, the research of contributors to the site, and the Thomas Cook Overseas Timetable as mentioned above).
That said, please use these timetables as guideline only, depicting accurately which routes exist, how regularly they are served, and the approximate times for departures.
Journey times are less reliable (usually give or take an hour or three) and often depend on the amount of time spent on route at police checkpoints and how often the bus breaks down.
Please feedback where you can. And if you are travelling in Egypt and happen to be near a bus station, please photograph the timetable and email to me so that other travellers may benefit from your experience.
Several companies offer bus routes across the country.
Bedouin Bus
Routes:
St Catherine to Dahab and back
St Catherine to Nuweiba and back
Upper Egypt Bus Company
Routes:
East Delta Bus Company
Routes:
West Delta Buses
Routes:
Super Jet
Routes:
Upper Egypt Bus Company
Cairo to Safaga
Route: (Cairo – Suez – Ras Gharib – Hurghada – Safaga)
The 500km journey between Cairo and Hurghada typically takes 5 hours, cost 15 LE and has departures at the following times:
Cairo – Hurghada
0800, 1700, 2030, 2125 (the latter 3 times shown are operated by Super Jet)
Hurghada – Cairo
Run with similar frequency, timings unknown
Cairo – Suez
Buses between Cairo and Suez take 2 hours, cost 6.50LE and run every 30 minutes in either direction from 0600 until 2030
Cairo to Aswan
Route: Cairo, Beni Suef, El Menya, Asyut, Abu Tig, Sohag, Qena, Luxor, Aswan
Buses depart Cairo daily at the following times bound for Luxor (665KM / 40LE):
0800*, 0915*, 1700*, 1830, 1900*, 2000, and 2100
Those shown with an ‘*’ continue to Aswan (870KM / 47 LE)
The same journey in the opposite direction run at the same price with similar frequency however timings are unpublished.
The same trip by sleeper train while more expensive, is a shorter and infinitely safer and more pleasant way to make the journey. Read about the sleeper train to Aswan
Buses run between Cairo and Beni Suef every 30 minutes (120km) between 0600 and 1800.
Aswan to Abu Simbel
Route: Aswan – Abu Simbel
Buses make the 300km journey between Aswan and the prodigious Abu Simbel each day at the following times:
0800, 1130, 1700
The return bus departs from Abu Simbel at 1300, 1630, and after the Sound and Light Show finishes (usually between 2100 and 2200).
Many tourists opt for the more expensive alternative by aeroplane.
Luxor to Hurghada
Route: Luxor, Qena, Bur Safaga, Hurghada
Buses depart Luxor daily at 0600, 1200 and at least once in the early evening bound for Hurghada. The 260Km journey takes approximately 4 hours.
From Hurghada the bus departs at 0500 and 1700 bound for Luxor.
Please note that taking the bus during darkness is ill advised and reportedly there are frequent accidents on the narrow, winding roads to Safaga.
Please also be away that several tourists have reported being told that the bus is FULL even though there are clearly seats.
One plausible explanation for this is that officially no more than four tourists may travel on the bus without it travelling in a convoy with a police escort.
Tourists who try to buy a ticket earlier in the day are being told to buy it on board later, only to be then told that the bus is full.
To avoid this you should insist upon buying your ticket early. Alternatively private air conditioned minibuses can be organised to make the same journey for approximately 50 Euros.
Tourist in private vehicles such as this must depart Luxor before 1700 in the afternoon in order to comply with police regulations.
Private vehicles can be organised from most travel agents and hotels.
Asyut – Dhakla Oasis
Route: Asyut – El Khaga – Muty
If you’re heading into the Western desert by public bus, you can take the service from Asyut (375Km south of Cairo) to Mut, located a short distance from the Dhakla Oasis. The 400Km journey takes between 9 and 10 hours.
Buses run once a day in either direction departing Asyut at 0800 and Mut at 0830. Tickets cost just 8LE.
Cairo to Farafra
Route: Cairo – Bahariya Oasis – Farafra Oasis
The Upper Egypt Bus company also operate a service from Cairo that stops at two of the Oases of the Western Desert.
The bus departs Cairo on Monday, Thursdays and Saturdays at 0800. The bus takes approximately 4 hours to reach Bahariya (320Km) and 6 hours to reach Farafra (540Km). The journey costs 10LE or 25LE respectively.
Alternatively there is a service between just Cairo and Bahariya daily at 1200 and on Fridays at 0900.
The return journey from Farafra to Cairo runs with similar regularity however times are currently unobtainable.
East Delta Bus Company
The East Delta Bus Company connects Cairo with much of the Sinai Peninsular.
Route: Cairo – Suiz – Sudr – Sharm El Sheikh – Na’ama Bay – Dahab – Nuweiba – Fara’Un - Taba
Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh (Israeli Border)
Buses from Cairo to Sharm El Sheikh depart daily at 0700, 0730, 0830, 1100, 1400, 1600, 2300, 2330, 2345 and 0000.
The 470km journey takes six hours and costs 50LE
Cairo to Nuweiba (Ferry to Jordan) and Taba (Israeli Border)
Buses to Nuweiba and Taba depart Cairo at 0800 and 2300 and take some eight to ten hours to complete the journey.
Cairo to Dahab
Buses to Dahab depart Cairo each day at 0830, 1400, 1700 and 0000
There are two buses running from Cairo to St Catherine’s at 0900 and 1130 daily.
West Delta Buses / SuperJet
Cairo to Alexandria
Between West Delta Bus Company and Super Jet, there are busses between Cairo and Alexandria every 30 minutes from 0530 until 2300 daily. The journey costs 20 LE.
Numerous mini buses also depart Cairo Ramses and cost even less.
The train between Alexandria and Cairo is a much more pleasant alternative.
