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.
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 A Sinai Trail day Remove |  Sunrise on Mount Sinai Remove |  Saqqara by quad and dirt bike Remove | |
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| 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 65Per person on the small-group night climb.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 | St Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab | Saqqara, from Cairo or Giza |
| Activity | Hiking & climbs | Hiking & climbs | Quad & ATV |
| Skill or certification | A full day's hiking on rough ground | A steady night climb; no technical skill | None; a briefing and practice come first |
| Minimum age | Teenagers used to hiking | Teenagers used to walking | Set by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowed |
| Time actually doing it | Most of the day on foot | About 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours down | About two to three hours of riding |
| Total time | Full day | Overnight, about 14 hours from Sharm El Sheikh | About 5 hours with hotel transfers |
| Best season | Spring and autumn; winter nights are cold at altitude | Year-round; the summit is freezing in winter | Year-round; ride early or late in summer |
| What you see | Granite wadis, Bedouin gardens and springs | Sunrise over the Sinai mountains, then St Catherine's Monastery | Open desert with the Step Pyramid of Djoser on the skyline |
| What it asks | A full day on rough ground, climbs at altitude, and heat or cold depending on the season. | 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. | 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 | Request a quote Add to my trip | Request a quote Add to my trip | Request a quote 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.
- Time
- About 5 hours with hotel transfers
- Needs
- None; a briefing and practice come first
Starting priceUSD 100Read more : Saqqara by quad and dirt bikeWhat 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.
- Time
- About 5 hours
- Needs
- None; a briefing before you ride
Starting priceUSD 29Read more : Quad, camel and supper in the desert behind HurghadaWhat 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 HurghadaQuad & 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 65Read more : Sinai by quad, then supper with the BedouinWhat 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 BedouinHiking & 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 65Read more : Sunrise on Mount SinaiWhat 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
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 30Read more : A telescope night in the Eastern DesertWhat 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
Comparison full (3) Add to my trip: A telescope night in the Eastern DesertCamps & 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 99Read more : The White Desert after darkWhat 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 dark4×4 & 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 50Read more : The edge of the Great Sand SeaWhat 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 SeaHiking & 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 65Read more : A Sinai Trail dayWhat 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
Tours
Desert tours and overnight trips
PrivateA night in the desertWhite Desert Camping: 2 Days from Cairo2 days · 1 night · Western Desertfrom USD 100
PrivateOn Alexander's roadAlexandria and Siwa Oasis: 5 Days from Cairo, on Alexander's Road5 days · 4 nights · Alexandria and Siwa Oasisfrom USD 795
PrivateThe oasis next to CairoFayoum Oasis Day Trip from Cairo: Wadi El Rayan Waterfalls, Magic Lake and SandboardingFull day · about 10 hours · Fayoumfrom USD 70
PrivateWhales in the desertWadi El Hitan and Wadi El Rayan Day Trip from Cairo: The Valley of the WhalesFull day · about 10–11 hours · Fayoumfrom USD 100
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.
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.
