Skip to content
Deluxe Trips Egypt
Plan your trip
A sand dune near 'Areg in the Siwa depression, on the edge of the Great Sand Sea.

Experiences · Desert & sand

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

About these experiences

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.

Choose your experience.

Filter by activity and starting place

What to do

Starting from

Showing 2 of 8 · Clear filters · 3 in your comparison

Side by side

Comparing 3 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, A telescope night in the Eastern Desert, The White Desert after dark
Sunrise on Mount Sinai RemoveA telescope night in the Eastern Desert RemoveThe White Desert after dark 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 30Per person on a shared evening.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.
Where it startsSt Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or DahabHurghadaBahariya
ActivityHiking & climbsCamps & night skyCamps & night sky
Skill or certificationA steady night climb; no technical skillNoneNone; comfort with a simple camp
Minimum ageTeenagers used to walkingAll ages; children need to stay up lateWe discuss it for families
Time actually doing itAbout 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours downAbout two hours under the skySunset, the night and first light
Total timeOvernight, about 14 hours from Sharm El SheikhAbout 4 hoursOvernight from Bahariya
Best seasonYear-round; the summit is freezing in winterYear-round; best near the new MoonOctober to April; nights are cold
What you seeSunrise over the Sinai mountains, then St Catherine's MonasteryMoon, planets or star clusters when visible; the Milky Way is a naked-eye target, not a guaranteed telescope viewChalk formations, the night sky and dawn
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.Nothing but patience and a warm layer: desert nights are cold from November to March.A long road transfer, a simple camp, cold desert hours after sunset and flexibility around wind and protected-area rules.
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
  • An astronomy guide and telescope, not only a campfire and binoculars
  • Moon phase, target visibility, cloud conditions and the weather-change policy for your date
  • Supper, dietary needs and the return time
  • 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
Next stepRequest a quote Add to my trip Request a quote Add to my trip Request a quote Add to my trip

  • 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.

    Time
    Overnight, about 14 hours from Sharm El Sheikh
    Needs
    A steady night climb; no technical skill
    Starting priceUSD 65
    Read more : Sunrise on Mount Sinai
    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
    In your comparison Add to my trip: Sunrise on Mount Sinai

  • 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.

    Time
    Full day
    Needs
    A full day's hiking on rough ground
    Starting priceUSD 65
    Read more : A Sinai Trail day
    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
    Comparison full (3) Add to my trip: A Sinai Trail day

Tours

Desert tours and overnight trips

Guided days with transport and the arrangements taken care of, each on request.
All tours
Photography credits (4)

Ahmed Yousry Mahfouz, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bilal Detailz, CC BY-SA 4.0; Ibrahim El-Mezayen, CC BY-SA 4.0; Bernd Out, CC BY-SA 3.0. Resized and cropped for display.

Questions?

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.

Request a quotePlan your trip
3 of 3 chosenCompare them
Photography credits (8)

Roland Unger, CC BY-SA 3.0; 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; Mohamed kamal 1984, CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and cropped for display.