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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, The edge of the Great Sand Sea, A telescope night in the Eastern Desert
Saqqara by quad and dirt bike RemoveThe edge of the Great Sand Sea 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 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 30Per person on a shared evening.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.
Where it startsSaqqara, from Cairo or GizaSiwaHurghada
ActivityQuad & ATV4×4 & dunesCamps & night sky
Skill or certificationNone; a briefing and practice come firstNone; a strong stomach on the dunesNone
Minimum ageSet by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowedTell us about children: the ride is roughAll ages; children need to stay up late
Time actually doing itAbout two to three hours of ridingMost of an afternoon in the dunesAbout two hours under the sky
Total timeAbout 5 hours with hotel transfersHalf day to sunsetAbout 4 hours
Best seasonYear-round; ride early or late in summerOctober to April; summer afternoons are fierceYear-round; best near the new Moon
What you seeOpen desert with the Step Pyramid of Djoser on the skylineDune ridges of the Great Sand Sea and a spring at duskPlanets, 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 strong stomach on the dunes and tolerance of heat. The ride is rough; tell us of back or neck trouble.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 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
  • 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 · 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.

    Starting priceUSD 100
    Place
    The desert edge at Saqqara, south of Giza
    Time
    About 5 hours with hotel transfers; about two to three hours of riding
    Needs
    None; a briefing and practice come first. Set by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowed.
    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
    In your comparison Add to my tripRead more

  • 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

  • Quad & 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.

    Starting priceUSD 65
    Place
    The South Sinai desert inland from Sharm El Sheikh
    Time
    About 5 hours; about 1.5 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 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 tripRead more

  • Hiking & 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.

    Starting priceUSD 65
    Place
    Mount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery, South Sinai
    Time
    Overnight, about 14 hours from Sharm El Sheikh; about 2.5–3 hours up and 1.5 hours down
    Needs
    A steady night climb; no technical skill. Teenagers used to walking.
    What 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
    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

  • Camps & 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.

    Starting priceUSD 99
    Place
    White Desert National Park, Western Desert
    Time
    Overnight from Bahariya; sunset, the night and first light
    Needs
    None; comfort with a simple camp. We discuss it for families.
    What 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 tripRead more

  • 4×4 & 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.

    Starting priceUSD 50
    Place
    Siwa Oasis
    Time
    Half day to sunset; most of an afternoon in the dunes
    Needs
    None; a strong stomach on the dunes. Tell us about children: the ride is rough.
    What 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
    In your comparison Add to my tripRead more

  • Hiking & climbs · St Catherine

    A Sinai Trail day

    A day's walk in the high mountains with a Bedouin guide whose tribe knows the route.

    Starting priceUSD 65
    Place
    St Catherine, South Sinai
    Time
    Full day; most of the day on foot
    Needs
    A full day's hiking on rough ground. Teenagers used to hiking.
    What 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
    Comparison full (3) 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