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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

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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 Sunrise on Mount Sinai, Quad, camel and supper in the desert behind Hurghada, Saqqara by quad and dirt bike
Sunrise on Mount Sinai RemoveQuad, camel and supper in the desert behind Hurghada RemoveSaqqara by quad and dirt bike 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 29Per person on a shared safari.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 startsSt Catherine, from Sharm El Sheikh or DahabHurghadaSaqqara, from Cairo or Giza
ActivityHiking & climbsQuad & ATVQuad & ATV
Skill or certificationA steady night climb; no technical skillNone; a briefing before you rideNone; a briefing and practice come first
Minimum ageTeenagers used to walkingSet by the operator; children ride as passengersSet by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowed
Time actually doing itAbout 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours downAbout 1–2 hours of ridingAbout two to three hours of riding
Total timeOvernight, about 14 hours from Sharm El SheikhAbout 5 hoursAbout 5 hours with hotel transfers
Best seasonYear-round; the summit is freezing in winterOctober to April is kindest; summer rides start lateYear-round; ride early or late in summer
What you seeSunrise over the Sinai mountains, then St Catherine's MonasteryOpen desert at sunset, a Bedouin camp and the night skyOpen desert with the Step Pyramid of Djoser on the skyline
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.Dust and vibration on the quad, and the balance to steer it. The camel ride is short. The evening can be cold 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.
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
  • 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
  • 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
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  • 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
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  • 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
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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.

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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