Skip to content
Deluxe Trips Egypt
Plan your trip

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

Showing 1 of 8 · Clear filters · 2 in your comparison

Side by side

Comparing 2 of 3

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

Clear the comparison
Comparison of Sunrise on Mount Sinai, Quad, camel and supper in the desert behind Hurghada
Sunrise on Mount Sinai RemoveQuad, camel and supper in the desert behind Hurghada Remove
Starting price
Starting priceUSD 65Per person on the small-group night climb.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Starting priceUSD 29Per person on a shared safari.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Where it startsSt Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or DahabHurghada
ActivityHiking & climbsQuad & ATV
Skill or certificationA steady night climb; no technical skillNone; a briefing before you ride
Minimum ageTeenagers used to walkingSet by the operator; children ride as passengers
Time actually doing itAbout 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours downAbout 1–2 hours of riding
Total timeOvernight, about 14 hours from Sharm El SheikhAbout 5 hours
Best seasonYear-round; the summit is freezing in winterOctober to April is kindest; summer rides start late
What you seeSunrise over the Sinai mountains, then St Catherine's MonasteryOpen desert at sunset, a Bedouin camp and the night sky
What it asksA night without sleep and a steady climb at altitude, then the descent. It is cold on the summit in every season, and freezing in winter.Dust and vibration on the quad, and the balance to steer it. The camel ride is short. The evening can be cold in winter.
What we confirm first
  • A registered Bedouin guide for the climb
  • Warm layers, a torch and water; blankets can be hired near the top
  • The monastery's opening hours for your date, which change with religious holidays
  • The route to St Catherine, which stays outside the area the UK government advises against
  • Helmets, goggles and scarves for every rider, and a briefing before the ride
  • Group size on the ride and at the camp
  • Whether the evening includes a loud show, if you would rather have quiet
  • Dietary needs for supper, and the return time to your hotel
Next stepAsk about it Add to my trip Ask about it Add to my trip

  • 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
    Add to compare Add to my tripRead more

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

Ask us

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.

Ask us Plan the whole trip
2 of 3 chosenCompare them
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