Ever dreamed of visiting a Bedouin oasis town and camping in the desert under stars so bright that you can see galaxies strung across the sky? I'm here to tell you that your dream can turn into reality a few hundred kilometers outside of Cairo at Bahariya Oasis venturing into the White Desert. Read on for the incredible desert tour of a lifetime!
Have you ever read 'The Alchemist'? Well, it is one of my favorite stories and going on this tour made me feel like I was quite literally stepping into the pages, besides the fact that I had seen the pyramids already. But we will ignore that minor detail and let our romantic spirits whisk us right into the novel as we trek through the sand into the narrow walkways of an old oasis town and breathe in the fresh desert air as we fall asleep to an open night sky, crackling fire in the background while curious fennec foxes come to see what's going on. If you're lucky enough, your guide will talk to you about his life and tell you enchanting stories about camel tours through the desert and learning to read the stars from his father.
This incredible tour of the White Desert was one of my favorite parts of visiting Egypt and I am really happy I decided to go through the effort to visit because, I have to admit, there was a part of me that thought it might be a little inconvenient and out of our way as it is in literal BFE. However, please, DO NOT skip this tour unless you absolutely have to. It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and one of the most enchanting adventures I have ever been on. Part of me still feels amazed and in awe of the fact that someone like me could have done something like that.
How to get to Bahariya Oasis and the White Desert,
First and foremost, Bahariya Oasis is about 4.5-5 hours outside of Cairo. You will need a guide and no you CANNOT drive there yourself unless you are a wizard of sorcery and can navigate highways with literal mounds of sand in the middle and highway exits that are simply off-road paths to the other highway.
There are loads of tours available and you can find private or group tours. The most common tour offered is a 2-day, 1-night tour, however, there are plenty of options available and tour companies seem more than willing to create itineraries according to your wishes. I had found a tour company that seemed to only offer the single night tour and I simply asked for another night, which was amply agreed to. The tour company we chose was called "Ahmed Safari Tours," which is based at a beautiful hotel in Bahariya Oasis - highly recommend.
Itinerary & Prices
Here is a quick run-down of prices and the itinerary we were given - again you could talk to your tour company about special requests and the like. These are the two tours that were offered to us:
2-day, 1-night
Price for Group Tour~ 125 Euro per person (includes water during tour, 1 lunch, 1 dinner, 1 breakfast, roundtrip transfer from Cairo, sandboarding, camping equipment, and hot drinks while camping; park entrance fee 165EGP , drinks at the hotel, and tips are not included)
Day 1
- 7 am pickup in Talaat Harb Square
- 4.5-5 hour drive to Bahariya Oasis (break at a gas station halfway)
- greeted at hotel with Bedouin mint tea and lunch
- drive out to the Black Desert stopping at the much-needed cold springs with fruit and more tea
- Crystal Mountain & Agabat Valley with panoramic view followed by epic sandboarding (that's right - sandboarding)
- drive to the White Desert and see other-planet-like limestone rock forms
- make your way to the campsite and watch the sunset while dinner is being prepared which includes grilled chicken, soup, and vegetables
- have the option to sleep under the stars or in the tent
Day 2
- wake up for sunrise and have breakfast
-drive to old White Desert and see the famous mushrooms and chicken stone formations
- go to the hot springs and arrive back at the hotel around 10:30 am.
- back to Cairo upon arrival (or check in to the hotel if you opt for the 3-day, 2-night tour)
3-day, 2-night tour (first day is the same as the previous option)
Price for group tour ~ 140 euros per person
Price for private tour ~ 200 euros per person
(includes water, roundtrip transfer, 6 meals, camping equipment, sand boarding, one night camping, one night in the hotel; does not include tip, drinks at the hotel, park entrance fee 165EGP)
Day 2
- following drop-off at the hotel, you will be checked into your room and be served lunch
- the day's tour starts at 4pm, so you have time to enjoy some air conditioning and rest
- driver picks you up and takes you to the stunning date palm groves (one of my favorites of the day) followed by a visit to the old Oasis town
- head back into the desert to visit English Mountain, which has a panoramic view of Bahariya Oasis (worth the hike) and stop by the natural pyramids
- visit the sand dunes and get a little adrenaline rush as your driver shows you what the 4WD is capable of and stop to see a different view of the oasis
- visit the hot and cold springs
- the last stop is the salt lake where you will have Bedouin tea and watch the sunset (luckily our guide spoke enough English this time & shared some enchanting stories)
- head back to the hotel for dinner
Day 3
- have breakfast around 9am
- head back to Cairo around 10:30 am and be dropped off in Talaat Harb Square (we arrived around 15:30pm)
Tips & What to Wear & Take With You
There are no showers or restroom facilities in the desert, so take some sanitary items such as wet wipes
Wear long flowy clothing that covers your arms and legs to protect you from the sun. (wearing long sleeves may sound counterintuitive, but trust me & trust science)
Before you leave the hotel, consolidate a few items into a small bag as there is not space to bring all of your luggage; you ONLY need one outfit for the desert, a bathing suit, sneakers for hiking, sanitary items (toothbrush, wipes), sunscreen, and a hat or head covering.
The desert DOES get a little bit chilly at night despite the 42 C heat during the day, so a light sweater might be feasible (we went in September)
I recommend taking snacks for the road as the intervals between meals can be quite long
Is the heat bearable?
I must say that we did this tour during the hot season of September with temperatures at about 42 degrees Celsius (around 107 degrees F) and it was indeed bearable thanks to the lack of humidity. The Bedouins have mastered desert living and there is a reason for their choice of long, flowy clothing - it works. There have actually been studies done in which people stand in the desert with less, tight-fitting clothing vs long flowy outfits and they reported feeling less hot in the latter.
My big concern was the heat at night because I cannot sleep if I'm hot. However, the temperature dropped to a very comfortable level and was even a bit chilly - crisp, if you will. Plus, visiting the cold spring definitely helps.
Potential Cons, depending on who you ask.
The tour is not luxurious, at least the one we chose was not. It is a lot of driving and quite bumpy - an adventure to say the least. Bahariya Oasis was not as magical as I had expected and there was nothing to do in the Oasis itself. My major disappointment was the cold & hot springs as they were basically concrete "pools" with water flowing into them out of a pipe.
Final Thoughts
As I mentioned in the beginning, this was by far one of my favorite things to do in Egypt and definitely the adventure that I hold most dear, bumps and all. I personally think the price is absolutely worth it and it is an experience you will never forget. I mean, we got to pick fresh dates in the palm groves and snack on them until our bellies were full. It's not something you get to do every day and I highly recommend "going out of your way" to experience this adventure.
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