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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 telescope night in the Eastern Desert, A Sinai Trail day, Saqqara by quad and dirt bike
A telescope night in the Eastern Desert RemoveA Sinai Trail day RemoveSaqqara by quad and dirt bike Remove
Starting price
Starting priceUSD 30Per person on a shared evening.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
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 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 startsHurghadaSt CatherineSaqqara, from Cairo or Giza
ActivityCamps & night skyHiking & climbsQuad & ATV
Skill or certificationNoneA full day's hiking on rough groundNone; a briefing and practice come first
Minimum ageAll ages; children need to stay up lateTeenagers used to hikingSet by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowed
Time actually doing itAbout two hours under the skyMost of the day on footAbout two to three hours of riding
Total timeAbout 4 hoursFull dayAbout 5 hours with hotel transfers
Best seasonYear-round; best near the new MoonSpring and autumn; winter nights are cold at altitudeYear-round; ride early or late in summer
What you seePlanets, star clusters and the Milky Way through a telescopeGranite wadis, Bedouin gardens and springsOpen desert with the Step Pyramid of Djoser on the skyline
What it asksNothing but patience and a warm layer: desert nights are cold from November to March.A full day on rough ground, climbs at altitude, and heat or cold depending on the season.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
  • 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
  • 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
  • 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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  • Hiking & climbs · St Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab

    Sunrise on Mount Sinai

    Climb through the night to the summit for dawn, then walk down to the oldest working monastery in the Christian world.

    Starting priceUSD 65
    Place
    Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery, South Sinai
    Time
    Overnight, about 14 hours from Sharm El Sheikh; about 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours down
    Needs
    A steady night climb; no technical skill. Teenagers used to walking.
    What we confirm before you go
    • 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
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  • Hiking & climbs · St Catherine

    A Sinai Trail day

    A day's walk in the high mountains with a Bedouin guide whose tribe knows the route.

    Starting priceUSD 65
    Place
    St Catherine, South Sinai
    Time
    Full day; most of the day on foot
    Needs
    A full day's hiking on rough ground. Teenagers used to hiking.
    What we confirm before you go
    • 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
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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