Silence, stars and sand
Desert & safari
The Western Desert's oases — Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla and Kharga — the volcanic Black Desert and the chalk formations of the White Desert; the mountains of South Sinai; and the fossil valleys of Fayoum. Most trips are by 4×4 with overnight camping.
Ideas to start with
- A night under the stars in the White Desert
- Siwa's salt lakes and the Oracle of Amun
- Wadi El Hitan's fossil whales
- Sunrise on Mount Sinai
Travel responsibly
- Travel with licensed operators; some areas need permits.
- Pack out all rubbish and keep vehicles on existing tracks.
Places
- 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 - Siwa OasisRemote oasis of salt lakes, palm groves and the Oracle of Amun.
© ولاء · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons - Wadi El HitanUNESCO-listed valley of fossil whales in the Fayoum desert.
© Clr202 (Christoph Rohner) at de.wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0 · 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 - 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
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 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 8Decent work and economic growthTarget 8.9: devise and implement policies to promote sustainable tourism that creates jobs and promotes local culture and products.
Sources
Editorial overview. Opening hours, prices, permits and access rules change: confirm them with the responsible authority or a licensed operator before you travel.