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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 Saqqara by quad and dirt bike, A Sinai Trail day, A telescope night in the Eastern Desert
Saqqara by quad and dirt bike RemoveA Sinai Trail day RemoveA telescope night in the Eastern Desert Remove
Starting price
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.
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.
Where it startsSaqqara, from Cairo or GizaSt CatherineHurghada
ActivityQuad & ATVHiking & climbsCamps & night sky
Skill or certificationNone; a briefing and practice come firstA full day's hiking on rough groundNone
Minimum ageSet by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowedTeenagers used to hikingAll ages; children need to stay up late
Time actually doing itAbout two to three hours of ridingMost of the day on footAbout two hours under the sky
Total timeAbout 5 hours with hotel transfersFull dayAbout 4 hours
Best seasonYear-round; ride early or late in summerSpring and autumn; winter nights are cold at altitudeYear-round; best near the new Moon
What you seeOpen desert with the Step Pyramid of Djoser on the skylineGranite wadis, Bedouin gardens and springsPlanets, star clusters and the Milky Way through a telescope
What it asksDust, 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.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.
What we confirm first
  • 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
  • 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
  • The Moon's phase and cloud forecast for your date
  • Supper, dietary needs and the return time
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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
    Comparison full (3) 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
    In your comparison 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.

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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