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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 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 taste for thrillsA steady night climb; no technical skill
Minimum ageTell us the children's ages and we plan the paceTeenagers 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 taste for thrills on the dunes. Tell us of any back or neck trouble, and we will plan the pace around it.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
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  • 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
    Add to compare Add to my trip: Saqqara by quad and dirt bike

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.