Sahara Desert Trekking in Egypt 2024-2025

Explore the Sahara Desert—a “country” of orange, white, and black sand dunes and rock sculpted to perfection by the wind

Best time: October–May

The world's largest desert is like nothing else on earth. Most of it is off-limit for travellers, but there some western areas available for visitors. Some Egyptian agencies organize trips to the Sahara Desert to see empty desert villages in the north at Siwa (including the White Desert, the Black Desert, and the Crystal Mountain), the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Valley of the Whales to see 40 million-year-old fossils, the tomb of Alexander the Great, and the Valley of the Kings from Luxor.

In the South, you can find the oases of Al-Kharga, Dakhla, Farafra, and Bahariya by bus services from Cairo. Take a chance to visit the Gilf Kebir Plateau as it is the reputed home of the never-found Zerzura Oasis and the undisputed location of the Cave of Swimmers made famous on the silver screen by the “English Patient.”

Cross the sand on a camel or a donkey, as well as expeditions on 4-wheel drives are also popular.

Desert trekking is best between October and April or early May. This period is more suitable because the daytime temperatures are bearable. From June to early September are the hottest months. In winter, it can be even freezing in the Sahara Desert; sometimes sand storms occur from January to May.