Please note that there have previously been travel advisories issued for the Black and White Deserts. Please check the latest recommendations of your government. Your local specialist will be happy to advise, and potentially work with you on an alternative plan.
Highlights
- Hunt for souvenirs in the glittering beehive of Cairo's Khan el-Khalili bazaar
- Cool off in the jewel-like salt pools of Siwa Oasis
- Sleep under the stars amid the volcanic landscapes of the Black Desert
- Ride a camel to an authentic Bedouin camp for dinner
- Dive into the Red Sea to snorkel around teeming coral reefs
Brief Itinerary
| Day | Highlights | Overnight |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | Arrive in Cairo, Sunset at Cairo Tower | Cairo |
| Day 2 | Pyramids Excursion & Camel Ride, Tour the Egyptian Museum & Coptic Cairo | Cairo |
| Day 3 | Transfer to Siwa via World War II Museum & Marsa Matruh | Siwa |
| Day 4 | Visit the Siwa Museum, Local Temples & Bir Washed, Bedouin Dinner | Siwa |
| Day 5 | Transfer to Bahariyah Oasis, Black Desert Excursion & Camping | Bahariya |
| Day 6 | White Desert Jeep Excursion | Bahariya |
| Day 7 | Transfer to Cairo, Walking Tour of Islamic Cairo & Khan el-Khalili Bazaar | Cairo |
| Day 8 | Fly to Sharm el-Sheikh, Overnight Adventure at Mount Sinai | Sharm el-Sheikh |
| Day 9 | Bedouin Desert Safari & Stargazing | Sharm el-Sheikh |
| Day 10 | Snorkeling Excursion in Ras Mohamed National Park | Sharm el-Sheikh |
| Day 11 | Fly to Cairo, Walking Food Tour, Depart |
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Cairo, Sunset at Cairo Tower
Welcome to Egypt! You'll spend the next eleven days discovering the best of this desert country, from glittering bazaars to seaside resorts, lunar landscapes, and two different oases. There's no better place to kick off the trip than in the capital, Cairo, and its hustle and bustle. Your driver will be waiting to take you to your accommodation in an air-conditioned vehicle for the next few nights.
Drop off your bags and get snazzy for an evening on the town. Your destination is the Cairo Tower, situated right in the center of the city. This is the perfect place to watch the sunset dip below the horizon, and there are two different restaurants where you can have dinner—one of which revolves, giving you 360-degree views. At over 600 feet tall (187 m), you'll get a whole new perspective on both the city and the Nile River winding through it.
Day 2: Pyramids Excursion & Camel Ride, Tour the Egyptian Museum & Coptic Cairo
Most visitors have one thing on their mind for a trip to Egypt—the Great Pyramids. Grab breakfast and meet your guide, then set off for an adventurous look at the Giza Plateau, including the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. You'll experience their imposing presence from the back of a camel, giving you a unique vantage point from which to explore these ancient wonders. The iconic Great Sphinx, watching over the pyramids, is also on the docket.
You'll be able to put everything you saw earlier in greater context this afternoon at the Egyptian Museum. Over 5,000 years of art and relics are housed here, including over 100,000 artifacts and both the mummy of King Tut and his spectacular treasure, buried with him over 3,000 years ago. End the day back in the heart of the city, known as Coptic Cairo, to learn about its history as a stronghold of early Christianity. The Hanging Church and Holy Cave, where Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were said to have stayed, are the highlights of this excursion.
Day 3: Transfer to Siwa via World War II Museum & Marsa Matruh
Today takes you on an epic, full-day drive across the Western Desert. It will take you 10 hours to reach your ultimate destination of Siwa from Cairo, but you'll be riding in a private limousine, and your driver knows just how to break up the road trip. Your first pit stop is in El-Alamein, where you'll visit the El-Alamein War Museum. This area was once a battlefield as Germany vied for control of the Suez Canal. You'll learn more about Egypt's often-forgotten role in World War II and see debris from the battlefield itself in the form of paper paraphernalia, weapons, flags, and uniforms.
Make your way deeper into the desert, following the Mediterranean Sea, until you reach the resort town of Marsa Matruh. You'll grab lunch in a local restaurant and admire the pristine beaches and turquoise sea before making an abrupt turn into the heart of the desert. Before long, you'll start to notice an ocean of palm trees on the horizon. That's no mirage—this is the Siwa Oasis! Home to saltwater pools that rival the Dead Sea and distinctive mud-brick houses, you'll be exploring more of this ancient city with your guide tomorrow.
Day 4: Visit the Siwa Museum, Local Temples & Bir Washed, Bedouin Dinner
Fuel up for the day with a quick breakfast—you'll need it for your adventures in Siwa today. Start off your introduction to this desert oasis in the Shali Old Town. Built entirely of mud and saltwater, most of these buildings have slowly fallen into ruin over time. You'll have a greater understanding of Siwa's historic importance after a visit to the Siwa Museum with your guide next. Thousands of years of Siwan history are revealed here through ceramics, jewelry, instruments, and even traditional wedding outfits.
This afternoon, you'll head to the Oracle Temple, also known as the Amun Temple, where Alexander the Great sought confirmation from the oracle to find out if he was truly the son of Zeus. Siwa's sparkling jewel of the desert is up next, Cleopatra's Spring. You'll have lunch beside this azure pool before moving deeper into the desert to visit Bir Wahed. Tucked between two towering sand dunes in the Great Sand Sea, this hot spring is your final stop before your dinner at a traditional Bedouin camp this evening. Tuck into a delicious feast under the stars before calling it a night.
Day 5: Transfer to Bahariyah Oasis, Black Desert Excursion & Camping
Enjoy breakfast before you head back across the Western Desert in your private, air-conditioned vehicle. Watch the desolate desert scenery out your window for the next five hours. Before you know it, you'll reach the Bahariya Oasis, where a dense palm forest sprouts straight out of the middle of the desert. Drop your bags at your accommodation, then hop in a Jeep for a private excursion to nearby sites in the Black Desert.
Wander through date palm forests and along the edge of a salt lake. You'll also explore towering sand dunes and Pyramid Mountain, also known as Gebel Dist, before seeing English Mountain, which was once an area occupied by British Forces during World War I. End the day by driving through the Black Desert's distinctive scorched volcanic rock formations, then settle here for the night in a traditional tent. The sky will sprawl above you like an indigo quilt, revealing the Milky Way and millions of twinkling stars.
Chat with a local specialist who can help organize your trip.
Day 6: White Desert Jeep Excursion
Grab breakfast at your camp in the middle of the desert this morning before you resume your private excursion through the White Desert National Park. Kick off your time in these lunar landscapes by visiting El-Marssos Mountain and then driving to the El-Hez village and the Cold Spring. You'll then enjoy a delicious lunch to help fuel your adventures this afternoon.
See Crystal Mountain and its huge white quartz crystals and drive through the Aqapat Valley. Spot unique limestone formations in the shape of giant mushrooms, and stop to walk around these otherworldly boulders and mini-mountains of rock. As evening falls, you'll head back to Bahariya for a comfortable night in a hotel. Get caught up on sleep because tomorrow will take you back to Cairo for more adventures.
Day 7: Transfer to Cairo, Walking Tour of Islamic Cairo & Khan el-Khalili Bazaar
Begin the morning with breakfast before you take off on a four-hour transfer back to Cairo. Drop your bags off at your accommodation, then hit the ground running as you meet your private guide and head for one of Cairo's most famous streets—El-Moez.
Formally known as El Moez Le Din Allah, El-Moez Street is a concentrated collection of medieval Islamic architecture with monuments like the Bab el-Fetouh and Bab el-Nasr, two ancient gates to the city. You'll continue unraveling Cairo's past with your guide, heading north to El-Darb el-Asfar, the ancient Islamic Quarter, before sifting through an explosion of color at the Khan el-Khalili bazaar—the perfect place to grab a souvenir.
Day 8: Fly to Sharm el-Sheikh, Overnight Adventure at Mount Sinai
Today, you'll switch settings again as you catch a short flight to Sharm el-Sheikh. Your driver will be waiting to take you to the airport in the morning, and you'll arrive in this laid-back resort town on the Red Sea by early afternoon. Another representative will be waiting upon arrival to whisk you off to your hotel, where you can drop your bags off and make a quick beeline for the beach. Spend the afternoon relaxing and taking a nap because you're in for an incredible treat this evening.
Around 8:00 pm, your guide will drive you three hours out of the city to St. Catherine's Monastery. Take a brief nap before getting your heart pumping on the trek up Mount Sinai. Sitting at 7,497 feet (2,285 m), Mount Sinai (also known as Mount Moses) is a location of great importance to the Christian, Islamic, and Jewish faiths. The hike begins at 2:00 am, and you'll reach the summit just before the sun rises over the desert. Head back down the mountain at 7:00 am for a visit to the monastery itself and a history lesson on this famous martyr. You can catch up on some well-deserved sleep on the drive back to your hotel.
Day 9: Bedouin Desert Safari & Stargazing
After a free morning spent at the beach, you'll go off the beaten path again this afternoon at a Bedouin camp. A guide will transport you from the shimmering coast to Sharm el-Sheikh's desert interior, where you'll ride from the edge of the sand into the dunes on a trusty camel, who will safely guide you through the arid landscape. Your ride is capped at just 20 minutes to experience this classic Bedouin transportation without getting saddle-sore.
Arrive at the Bedouin camp just in time for sunset. Your hosts will be awaiting your arrival with herbal tea, smiles, and traditional bread—which you'll soon have the opportunity to learn how to make. A delicious, candlelit dinner feast will be laid out beneath the stars as you're treated to a fire-dancing show and a favorite local treat, shisha. But the fun doesn't end there. Get a closer look at those twinkling stars and galaxies through a telescope with your guide, who will point out constellations and more. Finish off the day with a speedy and comfortable transport back to your hotel.
Day 10: Snorkeling Excursion in Ras Mohamed National Park
The Red Sea is teeming with a rainbow of marine life and diverse reef systems. You'll dive right into this kaleidoscopic world today on a group tour of White Island and the Ras Mohammed National Park. Spend the day on a boat, exploring the nooks and crannies of this reserve that's tucked at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula. As Egypt's first national park, this area protects mangrove forests, wadis (dry channels), sand dunes, and most importantly, the largest African coral reef system, the Red Sea Reef.
After snorkeling at several locations throughout the park, including the beautiful Yolanda Reef, a barbecue lunch will be served back on the boat before continuing on to White Island, where the Gulf of Aqaba and Gulf of Suez collide. Walk along the powdered-sugar sands and snorkel above thriving reef systems, schools of fish, and even sea turtles. As you sail back to Sharm el-Sheik, grab a spot on the sundeck for beautiful views.
Day 11: Fly to Cairo, Walking Food Tour, Depart
It's almost time to say goodbye to Egypt, but first, you'll hop on a quick flight from Sharm el-Sheikh back to Cairo. Savor your last glimpses of the "City of a Thousand Minarets" through both traditional food and architecture on a four-hour walking food tour. Following a foodie guide, you'll sample some of the city's best snacks, drinks, and sweets at four different stops throughout the city as you learn more about its local customs and culture.
After the tour, your driver will be waiting to take you to the airport for your departing flight. Safe travels!
More Great Egypt Itineraries
Looking for more inspiration for your trip to Egypt? Check out these other Egypt itineraries, with outdoor adventures, cultural trips, and best-of tours to hit the highlights.
Map
