Skip to content
Deluxe Trips Egypt
Plan your trip

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

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

Side by side

Comparing 2 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 The edge of the Great Sand Sea, Sunrise on Mount Sinai
The edge of the Great Sand Sea RemoveSunrise on Mount Sinai Remove
Starting price
Starting priceUSD 50Per 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 65Per person on the small-group night climb.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Where it startsSiwaSt Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or Dahab
Activity4×4 & dunesHiking & climbs
Skill or certificationNone; a strong stomach on the dunesA steady night climb; no technical skill
Minimum ageTell us about children: the ride is roughTeenagers used to walking
Time actually doing itMost of an afternoon in the dunesAbout 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours down
Total timeHalf day to sunsetOvernight, about 14 hours from Sharm El Sheikh
Best seasonOctober to April; summer afternoons are fierceYear-round; the summit is freezing in winter
What you seeDune ridges of the Great Sand Sea and a spring at duskSunrise over the Sinai mountains, then St Catherine's Monastery
What it asksA strong stomach on the dunes and tolerance of heat. The ride is rough; tell us of back or neck trouble.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 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
  • 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 stepAsk about it Add to my trip Ask about it Add to my trip

  • 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
    Add to compare Add to my tripRead more

  • 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.

    Starting priceUSD 30
    Place
    The Eastern Desert inland from Hurghada
    Time
    About 4 hours; about two hours under the sky
    Needs
    None. All ages; children need to stay up late.
    What we confirm before you go
    • 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
    Add to compare Add to my tripRead more

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.

Ask us Plan the whole trip
2 of 3 chosenCompare them
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