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.

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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 Sinai Trail day, A telescope night in the Eastern Desert, Sunrise on Mount Sinai
	A Sinai Trail day Remove	A telescope night in the Eastern Desert Remove	Sunrise on Mount Sinai Remove
Starting price	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 30Per person on a shared evening.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.	Starting priceUSD 65Per person on the small-group night climb.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Where it starts	St Catherine	Hurghada	St Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab
Activity	Hiking & climbs	Camps & night sky	Hiking & climbs
Skill or certification	A full day's hiking on rough ground	None	A steady night climb; no technical skill
Minimum age	Teenagers used to hiking	All ages; children need to stay up late	Teenagers used to walking
Time actually doing it	Most of the day on foot	About two hours under the sky	About 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours down
Total time	Full day	About 4 hours	Overnight, about 14 hours from Sharm El Sheikh
Best season	Spring and autumn; winter nights are cold at altitude	Year-round; best near the new Moon	Year-round; the summit is freezing in winter
What you see	Granite wadis, Bedouin gardens and springs	Moon, planets or star clusters when visible; the Milky Way is a naked-eye target, not a guaranteed telescope view	Sunrise over the Sinai mountains, then St Catherine's Monastery
What it asks	A full day on rough ground, climbs at altitude, and heat or cold depending on the season.	Nothing but patience and a warm layer: desert nights are cold from November to March.	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.
What we confirm first	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	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	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
Next step	Request a quote Add to my trip	Request a quote Add to my trip	Request a quote Add to my trip

01
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.
Time
About 5 hours with hotel transfers
Needs
None; a briefing and practice come first
Starting priceUSD 100
Read more : Saqqara by quad and dirt bike
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
Comparison full (3) Add to my trip: Saqqara by quad and dirt bike
02
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.
Time
About 5 hours
Needs
None; a briefing before you ride
Starting priceUSD 29
Read more : Quad, camel and supper in the desert behind Hurghada
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
Comparison full (3) Add to my trip: Quad, camel and supper in the desert behind Hurghada
03
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.
Time
About 5 hours
Needs
None; a briefing before you ride
Starting priceUSD 65
Read more : Sinai by quad, then supper with the Bedouin
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
Comparison full (3) Add to my trip: Sinai by quad, then supper with the Bedouin
04 In your comparison
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
05 In your comparison
Camps & night sky · Hurghada
A telescope night in the Eastern Desert
Leave the resort lights behind for an evening of planets, star clusters and the Milky Way, explained by an astronomy guide.
Time
About 4 hours
Needs
None
Starting priceUSD 30
Read more : A telescope night in the Eastern Desert
What we confirm before you go
- 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
In your comparison Add to my trip: A telescope night in the Eastern Desert
06
Camps & night sky · Bahariya
The White Desert after dark
Stay through sunset and the night sky among chalk formations; this landscape earns an overnight, not a rushed afternoon.
Time
Overnight from Bahariya
Needs
None; comfort with a simple camp
Starting priceUSD 99
Read more : The White Desert after dark
What we confirm before you go
- 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
Comparison full (3) Add to my trip: The White Desert after dark
07
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.
Time
Half day to sunset
Needs
None; a taste for thrills
Starting priceUSD 50
Read more : The edge of the Great Sand Sea
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
Comparison full (3) Add to my trip: The edge of the Great Sand Sea
08 In your comparison
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
In your comparison 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.

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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.