Climb, ride, dive, sail
Adventure & sport
Hiking in the High Mountains of South Sinai, kitesurfing and windsurfing on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba, freediving in Dahab, sandboarding in the Fayoum desert, and desert cycling and running events.
Ideas to start with
- Multi-day treks with Bedouin guides in Sinai
- Kitesurfing on the Red Sea
- Freediving courses in Dahab
- Sandboarding in Wadi El Rayan
Travel responsibly
- Use certified instructors and check insurance cover for the activity.
- Hire local guides: it is safer and keeps income in the community.
Places
- St Catherine & Mount SinaiSixth-century monastery below Mount Sinai, a UNESCO site sacred to three faiths.
© Berthold Werner · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Dahab and the Blue HoleA relaxed Gulf of Aqaba town and its famous reef sinkhole.
© Grand Parc - Bordeaux, France from France · CC BY 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Red Sea coastCoral reefs, resort towns and marine protected areas from Hurghada to the far south.
© Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Fayoum & Wadi El RayanLakes, waterfalls and desert protected areas within easy reach of Cairo.
© Ibrahim El-Mezayen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons - White DesertProtected area of chalk formations, known for overnight camping.
© Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons - Black DesertVolcanic hills capped with dark stone between Bahariya oasis and the White Desert.
Illustration - Marsa AlamThe quiet southern Red Sea, known for turtles, dolphins and Wadi el-Gemal.
© Marc Ryckaert (MJJR) · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Combine it with another way to travel
© Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons White & Black Desert camping
A 4×4 crossing from Bahariya oasis over the volcanic Black Desert to a night among the chalk formations of the White Desert.
Desert & safariAdventure & sportEco-tourism & protected areas
Build this journey →
Sustainable Development Goals
- SDG 8Decent work and economic growthTarget 8.9: devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.
- SDG 15Life on landTargets 15.1 and 15.5: conserve land ecosystems and halt the loss of biodiversity — relevant to desert and protected-area travel.
- SDG 14Life below waterTarget 14.7 names tourism among the sustainable uses of marine resources; 14.2 calls for protecting marine and coastal ecosystems.
Editorial overview. Opening hours, prices, permits and access rules change: confirm them with the responsible authority or a licensed operator before you travel.