White Desert & Bahariya Oasis Jeep Safari Day Tour

The White Desert isn't white sand. It's a landscape of chalk cliffs and stone towers rising from the floor.

A private day tour from Cairo to Bahariya Oasis combines jeep safari, sightseeing and natural hot springs in a single 16-hour trip. You travel four hours by air-conditioned car to the oasis, then switch to a rugged jeep to explore the Black Desert, Crystal Mountain, the White Desert and El Hez Village's cold springs, with all entry fees, lunch and a guide included. Hotel pickup and drop-off are part of the booking. Passport copies are required 24 hours before departure for desert permits.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Bahariya Oasis and White Desert

• Depart Cairo at dawn
• Travel four hours to Bahariya Oasis
• Ride rugged jeep to Black Desert
• Visit El Hez Village cold springs
• Explore Crystal Mountain and Agabat area
• Admire White Desert formations
• Visit New White Desert limestone formations
• Relax at hot and cold springs
• Return to Cairo

The experience

The day starts before dawn. Your driver picks you up from your Cairo hotel and drives four hours south into the desert, 150 miles to Bahariya Oasis. The car is air-conditioned, the route is set, and you don't navigate or arrange anything yourself. Once you arrive, a jeep and guide take over for the real exploration: the Black Desert first, a dark volcanic landscape that looks nothing like the sand dunes most people picture, then El Hez Village where you can wade into the cold springs and feel the mineral water on your skin.

From there the day moves through Crystal Mountain and the Agabat area before reaching the White Desert, the centerpiece. What makes it white is not sand but limestone formations: chalk cliffs, stone mushrooms and towers scattered across a pale floor. You walk through it, stand among the shapes, and see why people drive hours to stand here. The New White Desert extends the landscape further, more of the same strange geology. By late afternoon you reach the hot springs and cold springs in the area, where you can soak and cool off before the drive back to Cairo begins.

Lunch is included, as are all entry fees to the Black Desert, Bahariya Oasis and White Desert. You'll need to send a soft copy of your passport 24 hours before the tour so the operator can issue the required desert permits. The tour runs 16 hours total. If you want to stay overnight instead, the operator offers an extension that adds sand boarding and more time in the dunes, though that is a separate booking.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cairo.
• four-hour air-conditioned car transfer to Bahariya Oasis.
• jeep transport through the desert.
• entrance fees to the Black Desert, Bahariya Oasis and White Desert.
• lunch.
• mineral water.
• a live guide in your choice of language.
• access to the cold springs at El Hez Village and the hot and cold springs in the oasis area.

Options for this experience

9 options

Bahariya/White Desert GroupUp to 30 per booking · Guide in English · 06:00Pickup is included

English-language private tourUp to 15 per booking · 06:00Pickup is included

Private tour with multiple languagesUp to 15 per booking · Guide in 6 languages · 06:00Pickup is included

See 6 more options

Group/Ticket/Jap Guid/TransferUp to 15 per booking · Guide in Japanese · Available from 20 Dec · 06:00Pickup is included

French-language group tourUp to 15 per booking · Available from 20 Dec · 06:00Pickup is included

Tour for a small group, conducted in EnglishUp to 15 per booking · Available from 20 Dec · 06:00Pickup is included

Spanish-language group tourUp to 15 per booking · Available from 20 Dec · 06:00Pickup is included

Italian-language group tourUp to 15 per booking · Available from 20 Dec · 06:00Pickup is included

German-language small group tourUp to 15 per booking · Available from 20 Dec · 06:00Pickup is included

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Information

Lasts 16h, runs every day at 06:00, from US$ 155 per person, with live guides in 11 languages, as a private tour and with free cancellation up to 24 h before.

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 06:002 later ›

GroupPrivate1 group tour ›

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Japanese and Russian

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (9 and older) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Infant (under 4): free

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats available

Operated by Sun Pyramids Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to see the White Desert and natural springs without renting a car or navigating the desert yourself: the guide, jeep, timing and all entry fees are arranged, and you only need to show up at your hotel at dawn.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Chinese, Greek and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 8 years); Infant (under 4): free.

How far is Bahariya Oasis from Cairo?

Bahariya Oasis is 150 miles south of Cairo, a four-hour drive by air-conditioned car included in this tour.

What exactly is the White Desert and what will I do there?

The White Desert is a landscape of pale limestone formations (cliffs, towers and mushroom-shaped rocks) rising from the desert floor. You walk through it and explore the formations on foot as part of the jeep safari.

What are the cold springs and hot springs like?

El Hez Village has cold springs where you can wade in and soak. The tour also includes visits to hot springs and cold springs later in the day where you can relax and cool off before the return drive to Cairo.

Is hotel pickup included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off from your Cairo accommodation are included in the tour. Pickups from Cairo airport, the New Administrative Capital or other specific locations cost extra and should be arranged at checkout.

What do I need to bring or prepare before the tour?

Send a soft copy of your passport to the operator at least 24 hours before the tour date so they can issue the required desert permits. Bring sunscreen, a hat and water. Lunch and mineral water are provided.

Can I do this tour as a group or does it have to be private?

You can book this as a private tour in English or other languages, or join a small group or larger group tour in Spanish, Italian, French, German, Japanese or other languages. The choice is yours at checkout.