3 Days Bahariya, White & Black Desert Safari

Why travellers choose this trip

Places on this trip: Bahariya, White Desert

Your route

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1
   Day 1 · Bahariya OasisCairo to Bahariya

   Pick-up. Your driver collects you from your Cairo hotel in the morning and takes the asphalt road west to Bahariya, about 370 km. The road was finished in the early 1970s. Lunch is included and taken on the way, and bottled water is in the vehicle.

   Afternoon. Once you reach the oasis your guide takes you to Bawiti, the main village, and to the site of the Valley of the Golden Mummies, a Greco-Roman necropolis found in 1996. Opening status and ticket rules are confirmed when you book.

   Evening. Dinner is included and so is the night, in a hotel in Bahariya with breakfast the next morning. The slow first day is deliberate: you start the desert day rested and are not racing the daylight.

   • Pick-upPrivate transfer to your hotel
   • GuideYour private guide
   • TransportPrivate air-conditioned vehicle
   • MealsLunch, Dinner

   Overnight in Bahariya
2. 2
   Day 2 · White DesertBlack Desert and White Desert

   Morning. After breakfast at the hotel you transfer to a 4x4 with your local desert guide. The Black Desert comes first. It is a belt about 30 km long between Bahariya and the White Desert, with mounds up to 100 m high. Your guide stops so you can climb one of them for the view and explains what the dark cap on the mounds is.

   Afternoon. Lunch is included. The track then continues south to the White Desert, a protected area in the Farafra depression. You have the late afternoon to walk among the chalk shapes with your guide, then camp is set up before dark.

   Evening. Dinner is cooked at camp. Night temperatures in winter can be low, so bring warm clothes. Camp location, bedding and toilet arrangements are confirmed when you book. UK government advice says visitors to Bahariya, Farafra, the White Desert and the Black Desert must apply for permits in advance and use an official guide. We arrange the permits and confirm them when you book.

   • GuideYour private guide
   • TransportPrivate air-conditioned vehicle
   • MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner

   Overnight in desert camp
3. 3
   Day 3 · Bahariya, CairoSunrise and return to Cairo

   Morning. Get up early for the light on the chalk, then have breakfast at camp, which comes with the camp night. Your guide walks with you once more among the formations before you break camp. The 4x4 takes you back to Bahariya on the return leg.

   Return. At Bahariya the private vehicle and driver take over for the road to Cairo, with lunch included on the way. Timings for the return are confirmed when you book. You arrive at your Cairo hotel or the airport. Plan an evening flight or later.

   • Drop-offPrivate transfer to the airport or station
   • GuideYour private guide
   • TransportPrivate air-conditioned vehicle
   • MealsBreakfast, Lunch

   Trip ends in Cairo

How much does this 3-day trip cost?

In US dollars, per person, for a private trip. The price in your written quote, made for your dates and group, is the one that counts. International flights are not included. Choose a hotel level in the booking box to see the total for your group.

Where you’ll stay

What’s included

Booking policies