Egyptian Desert Safari

Alongside all Egypt's monuments and temples, the country also boasts some stunning desert scenery and we visit several different regions on this tour. The tour provides the chance to get away from the tourist trail and see fossilised whale skeletons resting on the desert sands, the wildlife surrounding a freshwater desert lake, and the weird rock formations in the White Desert.

After arriving in Cairo, we start the tour by heading to the Fayoum region with a stop en-route to tour the Meidum Pyramid, one of the very first attempts at pyramid building. Fayoum is home to Egypt's most fertile soils and we'll see a wide range of agriculture irrigated by an ancient system of canals and water wheels.

Spectacular rock formation in the White Desert, Egypt
We visit some of the interesting sites in Fayoum and then drive out past Wadi Rayan and into the desert to Wadi Hitan, home to the Valley of the Whales. This World Heritage Site is considered to be the most important place in the world to see fossilised whale skeletons and to see how they evolved. It is also surrounded by stunning desert cliffs and scenery and we are very keen to encourage responsible tourist visits here. We spend a night in traditional Bedouin style tents at the foot of the cliffs here and enjoy a hearty local meal before drifting to sleep.

We explore the site on foot the next morning, and then drive back to the Wadi Rayan protected area, where a wide range of wildlife can be found surrounding a beautiful freshwater desert lake and one of the few true springs oases in Egypt.

After a night back in Cairo, we head out into the Western deserts and the lush green oasis of Bahariya. We tour some of the interesting sites in the Oasis, including the symmetrically shaped Pyramid Mountain, and then board 4x4 jeeps and head out into the desert. We stop at the strange Crystal mountain and head off-road into the White Desert with its strange, unearthly rock formations and vast open plains. Our night spent camping under the stars here is a real highlight of any visit to Egypt.

We finish our safari by driving through the Black Desert to see the famous "flowers of the desert" before arriving in Farafra, the smallest and most peaceful of the desert oases, where we see traditional houses and an ancient way of life.

On returning to Bahariya, we can explore the town further and enjoy a relaxing dip in one of the hot spring that dot the oasis. You then return to Cairo to finish the tour.

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Itinerary / Highlights

Day 1
Arriving in Cairo, we meet and assist you with your visas then transfer you from the airport to your chosen 3-star hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to settle into your hotel and start exploring the surroundings or relax and recover from the flight.

Day 2
Today we drive to the Wadi Rayan protected area. You can visit the waterfalls and Bird hide which gives great views of the lakes birdlife. We have a short stop for lunch before continuing to the Valley of the Whales. You will see an array fossilized Whales, Mangroves and various other creatures. Tonight is spent in a lakeside hotel in the Fayoum area.

Day 3
Our day starts with a tour of the Fayoum region. This is the most fertile part of Egypt and has been supplying the country with numerous crops for centuries. On route back to Cairo we visit the Meidum pyramid, Egypt first real attempt at building a true pyramid. This evening is free for you to explore Cairo.

Day 4
We leave Cairo this morning and head back into the Western Desert towards the Baharya Oasis. The region is famous for it's Dates, Wine and natural hot springs. Here we will spend the night in a comfortable hotel.

Day 5
We start today with a tour around the Baharya Oasis including a visit to the English House & the ruined remains of a WW1 Fort. Next we begin our Jeep Safari into the white desert, stopping to visit the Crystal Mountain made of Quartz crystals. We now head to our campsite for the night, collecting fire wood along the way.

Day 6
We visit the Black desert this morning to see the Volcanic ‘Flowers of the Desert' on route to Farafra where we end our safari. We have a short tour of the oasis, we can stop to see the sand paintings created by the local Bedouins. We then have a stop in the oasis for a dip in the springs before returning to Baharya for the night.

Day 7
Today we will return to Cairo, aiming to arrive back around Midday. You have the rest of the day free to take in all Cairo has to offer, or maybe you could enjoy an evening dinner cruise on the Nile, or Sound and light show at the Pyramids.

Day 8
The last day of your tour is free to do a little more sightseeing or some souvenir hunting before we transfer you back to the airport for you flight home.

Other Details

Accommodation Details

This Standard level tour uses a good quality tourist class hotels (approx. 3-star) in Cairo in which all rooms have air-conditioning
and en-suite bathrooms. In Cairo, subject to availability, we like to use a pyramids area hotel with a pool in the summer months, and a city centre hotel when it is cooler in the winter months.

In Fayoum we stay in a 3-4 star hotel next to the lake, and in Baharya we use a comfortable but basic hotel where air-conditioning is not guaranteed in the rooms. Our night in the White desert is normally spent sleeping outside under the stars. Mattresses and some
blankets are provided, and you can sleep inside a tent if you wish (please advise our rep before you head into the desert).

Please note that for the desert safari you will need to bring a sleeping bag or warm blanket with you. Please see our website for current details of the hotels that would be used on the tour.
Hotels used on this tour (subject to availability):
Cairo (3-star):
• Zayed Hotel, Oasis Hotel.

Fayoum (3-4-star):
• Helnan Auberge Hotel.

Baharya (2-star):
• Panorama Hotel.

At certain times of the year or where circumstances & availability dictate we may need to use a different hotel from the ones listed
above. In this event alternative hotels will always be of a similar standard. Please see our website for more current details of the hotels that would be used on the tour.