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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 Sunrise on Mount Sinai, The White Desert after dark, A telescope night in the Eastern Desert
Sunrise on Mount Sinai RemoveThe White Desert after dark RemoveA telescope night in the Eastern Desert 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 99Per person at the lowest group rate; solo travellers and couples pay 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.
Where it startsSt Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or DahabBahariyaHurghada
ActivityHiking & climbsCamps & night skyCamps & night sky
Skill or certificationA steady night climb; no technical skillNone; comfort with a simple campNone
Minimum ageTeenagers used to walkingWe discuss it for familiesAll ages; children need to stay up late
Time actually doing itAbout 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours downSunset, the night and first lightAbout two hours under the sky
Total timeOvernight, about 14 hours from Sharm El SheikhOvernight from BahariyaAbout 4 hours
Best seasonYear-round; the summit is freezing in winterOctober to April; nights are coldYear-round; best near the new Moon
What you seeSunrise over the Sinai mountains, then St Catherine's MonasteryChalk formations, the night sky and dawnPlanets, star clusters and the Milky Way through a telescope
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.A long road transfer, a simple camp, cold desert hours after sunset and flexibility around wind and protected-area rules.Nothing but patience and a warm layer: desert nights are cold from November to March.
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
  • Permits, exact route, licensed vehicles, camp location and environmental practice
  • Sleeping equipment, meals, water, sanitation and dietary handling
  • Weather, communications, emergency plan and whether astronomical guidance is actually available
  • 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
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  • 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
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  • 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
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  • 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
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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

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.

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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