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.
What do you want to do, and where are you staying?
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Starting prices are the lowest to expect; times are our planning estimates. Every detail is confirmed before anything is arranged.
Clear the comparison Sunrise on Mount Sinai Remove |  A telescope night in the Eastern Desert Remove |  Saqqara by quad and dirt bike Remove | |
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| 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 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 starts | St Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab | Hurghada | Saqqara, from Cairo or Giza |
| Activity | Hiking & climbs | Camps & night sky | Quad & ATV |
| Skill or certification | A steady night climb; no technical skill | None | None; a briefing and practice come first |
| Minimum age | Teenagers used to walking | All ages; children need to stay up late | Set by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowed |
| Time actually doing it | About 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours down | About two hours under the sky | About two to three hours of riding |
| Total time | Overnight, about 14 hours from Sharm El Sheikh | About 4 hours | About 5 hours with hotel transfers |
| Best season | Year-round; the summit is freezing in winter | Year-round; best near the new Moon | Year-round; ride early or late in summer |
| What you see | Sunrise over the Sinai mountains, then St Catherine's Monastery | Planets, star clusters and the Milky Way through a telescope | Open desert with the Step Pyramid of Djoser on the skyline |
| What it asks | A 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. | 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. |
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| Next step | Ask about it Add to my trip | Ask about it Add to my trip | Ask about it Add to my trip |
Quad & ATV · Saqqara, from Cairo or Giza
Saqqara by quad and dirt bike
Two to three hours on the open desert beside the Step Pyramid, on a machine chosen for your confidence, with the route checked first.
Starting priceUSD 100- Place
- The desert edge at Saqqara, south of Giza
- Time
- About 5 hours with hotel transfers; about two to three hours of riding
- Needs
- None; a briefing and practice come first. Set by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowed.
What we confirm before you go
- 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
Quad & ATV · Hurghada
Quad, camel and supper in the desert behind Hurghada
An afternoon ride into the Eastern Desert, a camel at a Bedouin camp, then supper and the stars.
Starting priceUSD 29- Place
- The Eastern Desert inland from Hurghada
- Time
- About 5 hours; about 1–2 hours of riding
- Needs
- None; a briefing before you ride. Set by the operator; children ride as passengers.
What we confirm before you go
- 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
Quad & ATV · Sharm El Sheikh
Sinai by quad, then supper with the Bedouin
Ride the desert valleys inland from Sharm El Sheikh at dusk, then eat at a Bedouin camp under the mountains.
Starting priceUSD 65- Place
- The South Sinai desert inland from Sharm El Sheikh
- Time
- About 5 hours; about 1.5 hours of riding
- Needs
- None; a briefing before you ride. Set by the operator; children ride as passengers.
What we confirm before you go
- Helmets and goggles for every rider, and practice before the ride
- The route, which stays within the coastal area where travel is not advised against
- Group size and the timetable for the evening
- Dietary needs for supper
Tours
Desert tours and overnight trips
Guided days with transport and the arrangements taken care of, each on request.
Western DesertWhite Desert Camping: 2 Days from Cairo2 days · 1 night
FayoumFayoum Oasis Day Trip from Cairo: Wadi El Rayan Waterfalls, Magic Lake and SandboardingFull day · about 10 hours
FayoumWadi El Hitan and Wadi El Rayan Day Trip from Cairo: The Valley of the WhalesFull day · about 10–11 hours
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.
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
