2-Day White & Black Desert Safari from Cairo: Camp Under Stars
The White Desert's rock formations are made of chalk eroded into shapes that look nothing like the desert around them.
A 2-day guided tour from Cairo to Bahariya Oasis and the White and Black Deserts, with overnight camping in the white rock formations of the national park. Day one covers the 360 km drive to the oasis, a stop at Crystal Mountain, exploration of the Black Desert's volcanic hills, and sunset at the White Desert campsite. Day two includes sunrise, breakfast in the desert, and the return drive to Cairo with lunch at Bahariya Oasis.
Step-by-step itinerary
Day 1: Cairo to White Desert Exploration
- Breakfast at hotel in Cairo
- Drive 4-5 hours to Bahariya Oasis
- Transfer to 4x4 land cruiser
- Lunch at El-Heiz Bedouin village
- Explore Black Desert and sand dunes
- Visit Crystal Mountain
- Drive through Aqabat Valley
- Set up camp at White Desert National Park
- Enjoy sunset among white rock formations
- Overnight stay at Al Haiz campsite
Day 2: White Desert to Cairo Return
- Enjoy sunrise and breakfast at camp
- Visit new White Desert landscape
- Return to Bahariya Oasis for lunch
- Explore Black Desert volcanic hills
- Drive back to Cairo
The experience
You start at your Cairo hotel at 7 a.m., picked up by a private air-conditioned vehicle with your guide for the four to five hour drive southwest to Bahariya Oasis. The route crosses the Western Desert's flat expanse before arriving at El-Heiz, a Bedouin village where you stop for lunch. From there, a 4x4 land cruiser takes over for the terrain ahead: you explore the Black Desert first, where volcanic hills and dark basalt rocks cover the landscape, then move into the Aqabat Valley with its towering limestone cliffs carved into surreal shapes by wind and sand.
Crystal Mountain sits between the two oases, a formation of calcite crystals that sparkle in the desert light: a stop most tours include on the way to the White Desert. Once you reach the white rock formations of the national park, the camp is set up among the chalk pinnacles and mushroom-shaped stones that have been eroded over millennia. You watch the sunset from the campsite, then sleep in an American tent with sleeping bag and equipment provided. Dinner is served at the camp.
Day two begins with sunrise in the White Desert, followed by breakfast and time to walk the landscape before the drive back. You return to Bahariya Oasis for lunch, then the air-conditioned vehicle carries you back to Cairo, arriving in the late afternoon. Your guide is a qualified Egyptologist who knows the desert's history and geography. All entrance fees, meals (one breakfast, two lunches, one dinner), bottled water, and transfers are included in the price.
What’s included
- Qualified Egyptologist guide.
- private air-conditioned vehicle for transfers and 4x4 land cruiser for desert exploration.
- entrance fees to all sights.
- one breakfast, two lunches, and one dinner.
- one night in an American tent with sleeping bag and safari equipment.
- bottled water throughout.
- pickup from your Cairo hotel and return.
- all service charges and taxes.
Information
Lasts 2d, runs every day at 07:30, from US$ 390 per person, with a live guide in English, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Operated by Tamer Safari
Is this one for you?Book this if you have two days free and want both the White and Black Deserts with overnight camping: the shared schedule and fixed stops mean you travel with other guests, while your guide's lifelong knowledge of the area's geology and history shapes what you actually see and understand.
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Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Child (2 to 12 years); Infant (1 year): free.
What is the Black Desert like compared to the White Desert?
The Black Desert is defined by volcanic hills and dark basalt rocks from ancient lava flows, while the White Desert features chalk and limestone formations carved by wind into towering shapes. Both are part of the same tour but offer starkly different landscapes.
Where do you sleep on this tour?
You camp overnight in the White Desert national park in an American tent with a sleeping bag and full safari equipment provided. The camp is set up among the white rock formations.
How long is the drive from Cairo to Bahariya Oasis?
The drive covers 360 kilometers and takes approximately four to five hours in a private air-conditioned vehicle with your guide and driver.
What meals are included?
One breakfast, two lunches, and one dinner are included: lunch on day one at El-Heiz village, dinner at the desert camp, breakfast at the campsite on day two, and lunch at Bahariya Oasis before the return drive to Cairo.
Is Crystal Mountain a separate stop, or does it fit into the route?
Crystal Mountain lies on the way from Bahariya Oasis to the White Desert, about 25 to 30 kilometers from the oasis. It is a natural stop during the tour where you can see the calcite crystal formations before continuing to the desert camps.
2-Day White & Black Desert Safari from Cairo: Camp Under Stars
2d · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 390 per person