Sand Dunes Egypt - A Different Perspective on Life

Sand Dunes Egypt - See life from a different perspective.

Journey into the Sand

We invite you to follow us straightaway into the sand. When we leave the asphalt, everything changes.

First, let's start with the World Heritage Site of Wadi El Hitan. Next, we'll visit the unique Djara Cave. Finally, we'll take on the challenge of crossing the sand dunes of Abu Mohareq and conquering the so-called Pass de fou (pass of the adventurous people).

Nights Under the Stars

Experience nights under the stars. Follow your own rhythm. Immerse yourself in infinity on the trail of time.

Sand Dunes Egypt - Health Benefits of the Desert

Besides psychological benefits, there are undoubtedly physical reasons to travel to the desert. One benefit of the dry climate is vitamin D. Sunlight helps the body synthesize vitamin D. In addition, this contributes to bone and tooth health, strengthens the immune system, improves mood, and helps fight depression.

Room to Breathe

Indeed, deserts provide room to breathe. Even the plants give each other space. The simplicity of the desert is enhanced by the clarity that low humidity adds to the air. This clarity brings out the night sky in a jaw-dropping way.

Sand Dunes Egypt - Let's Go!

Sand dunes Egypt: Day 1:  Cairo – Wadi Haitan - Kusur al Arab

We start in Cairo around 7 am, heading to the World Heritage Site of Wadi El Hitan.

Wādī al-Ḥītān (Arabic: وادي الحيتان, lit. 'Wadi of the Whales') is a paleontological site in the Faiyum Governorate of Egypt, some 150 kilometres (93 mi) south-west of Cairo.  Since 2005 it is  a UNESCO World Heritage Site  for its hundreds of fossils of some of the earliest forms of whale, the archaeoceti (a now extinct sub-order of whales). The site reveals evidence for the explanation of one of the greatest mysteries of the evolution of whales: the emergence of the whale as an ocean-going mammal from a previous life as a land-based animal.

No other place in the world yields the number, concentration and quality of such fossils, nor their accessibility and setting in an attractive and protected landscape. 

Take a look also to the Museum before heading forward to the sand dunes of Kusur el Arab. Enjoy some dune driving before we set up our camp.

Enjoy your first night under the stars.

Overnight Camping (L/D)

Day 2: Kusur al Arab -  Abu Mahareq

Watch the sunrise from one of the dunes, have a cup of tea or coffee and get ready for another day of dune riding. With a practical eye, the drivers look for the best route over the dune crests - if they don't succeed straightaway, everyone is asked to shovel the car free again.

You probably haven't enjoyed lunch this much in a long time:))

Find a new home for the night and have a good rest.

Overnight camping (B/L/D).

Day 3: Abu Mahareq - Djara Cave

After breakfast we follow the path to explore one special high light of the trip: Djara Cave.

Hidden within the Western Desert of Egypt, Djara Cave is a subterranean marvel that has been carved out over thousands of years. This limestone cave, also known as the Magic Spring Cave, is characterized by its stunning stalagmites and stalactites, intricate rock formations, and underground water channels.

Take your time to wander around or just sit inside and feel the special atmosphere.

Overnight Camping (B/L/D).

Day 4: Djara Cave - Abu Mahareq

Meanwhile you got the rhythm of desert nomad life. An early morning walk through the dunes, cleaning up the campsite, and off to a new day.

Outdoor lunch, towards the afternoon looking for a nice campsite to spend the night. A delicious barbecue or a campfire in the evening, good conversations - life can be so easy.

Overnight Camping (B/L/D).

Sand dunes Egypt: Day 5: Abu Mahareq - Pass du Fou

Every desert trip has its special challenges. Today you will experience one. Cross the dunes till a special descent - the so called Pass du fou - a descent for adventurous people.

But don't worry - our drivers know what to do - and if you don't feel like, you also may walk dawn from the plateau.

Overnight camping (B/L/D).

Day 6: Pass du Fou - Labaka

Straightaway after breakfast we start moving slowly in direction to the oasis of Kharga.

Set amid a desertscape of duney desolation, Qasr Al Labakha is a micro-oasis some 40km north of Al Kharga. Scattered among sandy swells and rocky shelves are the remains of a towering four-storey Roman fortress, two temples and a vast necropolis where more than 500 mummies have been unearthed (you can still see human remains in the tombs).

We let the dead of past centuries rest and find our own place to enjoy another night in the desert.

Overnight Camping (B/L/D).

Day 7: Labaka - Um Dabadib

Our new highlight for today:

North of Qasr in the Kharga Oasis your find the Roman/Byzantine village of Ain Umm Dabadib. The most distinctive attribute of the site is the square towers of the mudbrick fortress, as most others in the area are rounded.

Other ruins at Ain Umm Dabadib include further a temple, Coptic church, tombs, and four underground aqueducts. The site is typical of oases fortresses, which is near a spring.

Overnight Camping (B/L/D).

Day 8:  Um Dababdib - Kharga - Bagawat - Hibis - Cairo

Finally, today our desert tour is coming to an end. Even though the soul will take longer to return, our bodies have to adapt more quickly.

After breakfast you start your way back to Cairo.

Let's take a look at a few special features before the path takes us back to the city.

Alternatively, there is also the option of continuing to Luxor and booking a follow-up program there.

People say that the El Bagawat cemetery is pre-historic and is one of the oldest Christian cemeteries in Egypt. Before they introduced Christianity into Egypt, it was a burial ground used by the non-Christians and later by the Christians. They say that the chapels here belong to both the eras. You find Coptic frescoes of the 3rd to the 7th century on the walls. There are 263 funerary chapels, of which the Chapel of the Exodus (first half of the 4th century) and Chapel of Peace (5th or 6th century) have the best-preserved frescoes, although you can see fresco fragments  in Chapels 25, 172, 173, 175, and 210.

The Temple of Hibis is the largest and best preserved ancient Egyptian temple in the Kharga Oasis, as well as the only structure in Egypt dating to the Saite-Persian period (664–404 BCE). Obviously also in modern times it is in relatively good condition. Located about 2 km north of Kharga, it was devoted to a syncretism of two local forms of the deity Amun: "Amun of Hibis" and "Amun-Ra of Karnak who dwells in Hibis".

Alternatively people believed that he was dedicated to Amun and Osiris, its sanctuary contains depictions of hundreds of Egyptian deities.

Option Luxor instead of Cairo

Booking and Cancellation Policy:
Booking: A 50% deposit is required at booking, with the balance due 30 days before departure.
Cancellation: Cancellations 90 days or more before departure receive a full refund minus non-refundable fees. Cancellations within 35 days of departure are non-refundable.

• Private Tour
• 7 Nights camping
• Meals: 7 B/ 7 L/ 7 D
• All transport in 4x4 cars
• Program like mentioned above.

• International flights
• Visa fees
• Travel insurance and all kind of insurances.
• Meals and drinks in restaurants
• Tips for guide, drivers...
• Entry fees
• Anything that is not mentioned in the program.