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Giza · New Valley · Egypt
The Bahariya and Bawiti oasis, the Black Desert and the limestone formations of the White Desert, near Farafra, with Crystal Mountain and a night camping in the desert.
In the photo: Dark-topped hills and sandy plain in the Black Desert, near Bahariya.
Illustrative images. The pictures in this guide are illustrations based on the real place, not photographs, and may differ from it.
Get to know the place
The Bahariya Oasis is in the Western Desert, about 370 km southwest of Cairo, in a depression surrounded by dark hills, with palm trees, springs and fields. Bawiti, the main town, belongs to the Giza governorate and is the starting point for desert outings. There are painted tombs from ancient Egypt and the English Mountain, a hill with the ruins of a British military post.
South of Bawiti, the road crosses the Black Desert, where cone-shaped hills appear to be covered with dark dust. Further on, already in the New Valley governorate, are Crystal Mountain, a hill of quartz crystals, and the Agabat valley, with limestone hills and sand.
Farther south, on the edge of the Farafra depression, the White Desert National Park begins: a plain where the wind has sculpted white limestone into formations resembling mushrooms and other shapes, amid golden sand dunes. The light changes the color of the rocks during the day, from white to pink and to orange.
The most common trip is two to three days from Cairo, with one night camping among the White Desert formations under the desert’s starry sky.
This destination brings together 2 cities: Bawiti, Farafra.
One destination, many paths
Start with one city or combine several in your itinerary.
Dados cartográficos: © OpenStreetMap contributors, via Wambacher / geoBoundaries (ODbL 1.0). Adapted by Cidade Turismo.
✈ Sphinx International Airport (SPX), in Gizé · 360 km to Bawiti
The arrival town is Bawiti, in the Bahariya Oasis, about 370 km from Cairo via the road that leaves Giza to the west, served by buses and hired cars with drivers. Farafra is about 180 km south of Bawiti. For the desert, only in 4x4 vehicles.
Suggested arrival point: Bawiti
Largest settlement of the Bahariya Oasis, with low houses, palm groves, hot springs and an antiquities museum. It belongs to the Giza governorate and concentrates the operators who take visitors by 4x4 into the desert.
The oasis town of Farafra (Qasr al-Farafra), in the Western Desert, in the New Valley governorate, surrounded by palm groves, fields and hot springs such as Bir Sitta. It is about 45 km south of the White Desert National Park and is the southern base for desert trips, to the Crystal Mountain and the Agabat valley.
The local experience
A sandy plain south of the oasis, with cones of basalt and dark iron that give the landscape an almost black color. It is the first stop on the way to the White Desert.
Plain of white limestone formations carved by wind, north of Farafra, with mushroom-shaped rocks among golden sand dunes. It’s the place for camping nights under the starry sky.
Low hill of quartz crystals by the road between Bahariya and Farafra, with a natural rock arch. It’s a stop on tours heading to the White Desert.
Two underground tombs from the 26th Dynasty, of a father and son, wealthy merchants of Bahariya, on a hill above Bawiti, with colorful paintings of gods, rituals and starry skies.
A hill near Bawiti with the ruins of a British observation post from World War I and views of the Bahariya oasis and surrounding desert.
Valley of cliffs and limestone hills in the northern White Desert, with golden sand dunes and sculpted formations, traversed on 4x4 tours.
Before you go
A little planning leaves more time to enjoy the journey.
The season runs from October to April; on nights from December to February the thermometer can drop close to zero at the camp. From May to September the heat is very intense, and camping trips are less common.
The seasons shown are the most usual ones; nature doesn't always follow the calendar.
Two to three days from Cairo: one day driving to Bahariya, crossing the Black Desert and one night in the White Desert, and return. With four days, you can go down to Farafra and return at a slower pace.
In Bawiti there are hotels and guesthouses made of mud and stone, some with hot springs, from which tours depart. In the White Desert, the night is spent in camps set up by operators, with tents and blankets. In Farafra there are few accommodations, generally simple.
Take your trash with you, follow the signs and support local businesses. In natural areas, follow the visiting guidelines.
Get your questions answered
Two to three days from Cairo: the road to Bahariya, the Black Desert and one night camping in the White Desert, and the return.
Yes. Tours to the Black Desert, Crystal Mountain and the White Desert are done in 4x4 vehicles, with driver and guide hired in Bawiti or Cairo.
Yes, especially from December to February, when the temperature can approach zero. Bring warm clothing and a sleeping bag.
By the desert highway that departs from Giza: about 370 km, four to five hours by car, or by bus.
