Vast and starkly beautiful, Egypt’s Western Desert has a rich and fascinating history.
Dare to venture off the beaten track and into the vast deserts to the west of the country. With far fewer travellers but no less beauty and history, you won’t be disappointed.
Part of the Sahara, Egypt’s Western Desert stretches west to the border with Libya and as far as Sudan in the south. The main oasis settlements are linked by a 1,000 kilometre road which traverses diverse desert terrain, from the chalk rock formations of the White Desert National Park to the inky sand peaks of the black desert and rolling dunes in between. These desert areas are remote and isolated giving a sense of disengagement with the rest of Egypt and the Arab world.
Approximately 600 kilometres from the coastal city of Alexandria, Siwa has some unique and charming hotels and is often visited as a stand alone destination, independently of the other four oases. Due to its remoteness, it maintains its own culture and language, related to the Berber languages of North Africa. Surprisingly fertile, it is Egypt’s major producer of dates and has over a million palms, among which nestle over 200 fresh water natural springs. Surrounding the oasis town, salt lakes and the Great Sand Sea stretch into the distance.
The closest oasis town to Giza and thus the most accessible, Bahariya has over 100 natural springs and archaeologists have uncovered spectacular finds, including the incredible burial site of golden mummies. Farafrah is the furthest oasis from the Nile Valley and closest to the White Desert National Park, a landscape of strangely eroded sandstone and the most amazing colours. Once capital of the oasis region, Dakhla Oasis is a labyrinth maze of mud-brick villages.
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This classic Egypt holiday takes in the iconic highlights of the country, staying in historic properties that add to the sense of history and place.
Begin in Cairo, moving between the bustle of bazaars and museums and the contrasting desert setting of the pyramids. On the banks of the Nile River, Luxor begins an immersion into the rich history of the country, best showcased on a cruise, gently navigating, watching daily life unfold, exploring shoreside temples before ending amidst the picture perfect setting of Aswan.
A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.
It was my passion for languages that first encouraged me to leave the UK behind and grab my rucksack. Since then, it’s been a mixture of intriguing cultures, jaw-dropping landscapes and the wonder of seeing animals in their natural habitat that sees me continuously extending my travel wish list.
Aswan is as far south as you can go before entering the desert, Nubia and Sudan.
Cairo is a bustling metropolis, a cosmopolitan city, and not only home to the Great Pyramid of Giza it is the largest…
Home to some of Egypt's most visited and famous sites.
The second-largest city in Egypt, Alexandria, known as "The Pearl of the Mediterranean", has an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle…
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