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Experiences · Desert & sand

Sand, rock and a night sky with nothing in the way.

From a quad on the desert edge near the pyramids to a night among the White Desert's chalk: choose how you want to move through the desert, and compare how long you spend doing it, what it asks of you and what we check first.

A sand dune near 'Areg in the Siwa depression, on the edge of the Great Sand Sea.

What do you want to do, and where are you staying?

What to do
EverythingQuad & ATV4×4 & dunesHiking & climbsCamps & night sky
Starting from
AnywhereHurghadaSharm El SheikhDahabSt CatherineGizaSaqqaraBahariyaSiwa

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Starting prices are the lowest to expect; times are our planning estimates. Every detail is confirmed before anything is arranged.

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Comparison of A Sinai Trail day, A telescope night in the Eastern Desert, Saqqara by quad and dirt bike
A Sinai Trail day RemoveA telescope night in the Eastern Desert RemoveSaqqara by quad and dirt bike Remove
Starting price
Starting priceUSD 65Per person in a small group with a Bedouin guide; a private guide costs more.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Starting priceUSD 30Per person on a shared evening.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Starting priceUSD 100Per person at the lowest group rate; solo travellers and couples pay more.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Where it startsSt CatherineHurghadaSaqqara, from Cairo or Giza
ActivityHiking & climbsCamps & night skyQuad & ATV
Skill or certificationA full day's hiking on rough groundNoneNone; a briefing and practice come first
Minimum ageTeenagers used to hikingAll ages; children need to stay up lateSet by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowed
Time actually doing itMost of the day on footAbout two hours under the skyAbout two to three hours of riding
Total timeFull dayAbout 4 hoursAbout 5 hours with hotel transfers
Best seasonSpring and autumn; winter nights are cold at altitudeYear-round; best near the new MoonYear-round; ride early or late in summer
What you seeGranite wadis, Bedouin gardens and springsPlanets, star clusters and the Milky Way through a telescopeOpen desert with the Step Pyramid of Djoser on the skyline
What it asksA full day on rough ground, climbs at altitude, and heat or cold depending on the season.Nothing but patience and a warm layer: desert nights are cold from November to March.Dust, heat, vibration and the balance to control a machine. Closed shoes, long trousers and eye protection matter. Not suitable where a medical condition, age or confidence makes control uncertain.
What we confirm first
  • A registered guide from the tribe whose section you walk
  • That the section lies outside the area north of the St Catherine–Nuweiba road, where the UK government advises against all but essential travel
  • The section, its length and height gain
  • Season, water and a way down if the weather turns
  • An astronomy guide and telescope, not only a campfire and binoculars
  • The Moon's phase and cloud forecast for your date
  • Supper, dietary needs and the return time
  • The exact riding area and its permissions, outside the archaeological enclosures
  • A correctly fitting helmet, goggles, a briefing and practice time before the ride
  • Actual riding minutes, the leader-to-rider ratio and what happens if someone wants to stop
  • That tips are settled in advance, so nobody asks for one halfway through the desert
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  • 4×4 & dunes · Siwa

    The edge of the Great Sand Sea

    From Siwa into the dunes by four-wheel drive, a board down a slope, and dusk at a spring.

    Starting priceUSD 50
    Place
    Siwa Oasis
    Time
    Half day to sunset; most of an afternoon in the dunes
    Needs
    None; a strong stomach on the dunes. Tell us about children: the ride is rough.
    What we confirm before you go
    • A licensed local driver and a vehicle in sound condition
    • That the route lies within the areas the UK government's travel advice excepts: Siwa and the Marsa Matruh–Siwa road are named; the open desert beyond is not
    • Any desert permit needed for the route
    • Water, shade and a safe return time
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Tours

Desert tours and overnight trips

Guided days with transport and the arrangements taken care of, each on request.

Photography credits (3)

Ahmed Yousry Mahfouz, CC BY-SA 4.0; Ibrahim El-Mezayen, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bernd Out, CC BY-SA 3.0

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Not sure which desert & sand experience fits?

Tell us where you are staying, when, and who is coming. We reply with what fits, the price for your party and what we confirm first. Nothing is booked until you accept.

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Photography credits (8)

Berthold Werner, CC BY 3.0; Norhan Elmaghrabi, CC BY-SA 4.0; Egy2030, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sara Nabih, CC BY-SA 4.0; Fadyhesham0, CC BY-SA 3.0; Ahmed Yousry Mahfouz, CC BY-SA 4.0; Roland Unger, CC BY-SA 3.0; Mohamed kamal 1984, CC BY-SA 4.0