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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
Saqqara by quad and dirt bike RemoveThe edge of the Great Sand Sea 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.
Where it startsSaqqara, from Cairo or GizaSiwa
ActivityQuad & ATV4×4 & dunes
Skill or certificationNone; a briefing and practice come firstNone; a strong stomach on the dunes
Minimum ageSet by the operator; younger children ride as passengers where allowedTell us about children: the ride is rough
Time actually doing itAbout two to three hours of ridingMost of an afternoon in the dunes
Total timeAbout 5 hours with hotel transfersHalf day to sunset
Best seasonYear-round; ride early or late in summerOctober to April; summer afternoons are fierce
What you seeOpen desert with the Step Pyramid of Djoser on the skylineDune ridges of the Great Sand Sea and a spring at dusk
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.
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
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  • 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
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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

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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