5-day tour “Oases: Bahariya and Kharga”

Day 1: Cairo – Bahariya Oasis

Early in the morning, our representative will meet you at your hotel in Cairo to embark on an exciting journey to the Bahariya Oasis,  the largest and most important oasis in the Western Desert. When you visit the town  of Bawiti, you will see how the main crops (guava, mango, dates, olives) are grown, as well as some of the historical sights of the city. The Greco-Roman necropolis, also known as the Valley of the Golden Mummies, contains a huge number of mummies. In the museum, surprise some mummies, as well as sarcophagi painted with gold paint. Next, you will visit the remains of Ain Tibnya, the temple, the clock of the reign of Alexander the Great, who is said to have passed through this oasis; the tomb of Banentiou, with its well-preserved coloured hieroglyphs and paintings; a temple in the Ain Muftella area  with four chapels, the walls of which are about two meters high and built about 2600 years ago. Lunch awaits you in one of the local restaurants. The rest of the day is completely at your disposal and you can relax at the hotel or go for a walk. Dinner at the hotel.

Lunch and dinner are included. Overnight at the hotel in Bahariya.

2nd day: Black and White Deserts

Early in the morning, you will take a jeep to the Black Desert, where you will see numerous rocks and hills covered with black basalt. Then you will go to the White Desert National Park. This desert was once the bottom of the ocean, but after the water receded, there were cross formations that formed bizarre landscapes of amazing beauty. Enjoy this unique landscape, the famous Crystal Mountain and the picturesque Agabat Valley, because you won’t find anything like it anywhere else. Lunch will be served as a small picnic. In the evening you will arrive at the Farafra Oasis, where you will have dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast, lunch (picnic) and dinner are included. Overnight at the hotel in Farafra.

3rd day: Farafra Oasis – Dakhla Oasis

After breakfast at the hotel, you will embark on a tour of the Farafra Oasis with its lush palm orchards and fruit trees, hot springs, farmers’ dwellings and a special museum by the local artist Badr, who works with clay, sand and stone to create paintings and sculptures that depict traditional life in the oasis. These are truly beautiful works of art. After lunch at one of the local restaurants,  Go to Dakhla Oasis, a huge green area surrounded by pink cliffs. You will visit Al Qasr, an old Islamic fortified settlement with well-preserved various buildings (residential buildings, mosques, mills, madrasahs and artisans’ workshops). At the hotel where you will spend the night, you will be offered dinner.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight at the hotel in Dakhla Oasis.

4th day: Dakhla Oasis – Kharga Oasis

After breakfast at the hotel, you will drive to the remains of the Roman temple of Deir al-Hajar, built of sandstone with well-preserved interesting reliefs and dedicated to the Theban triad, the Egyptian god Amun, his wife Mut and their son Khonsu. Then you will see the burial ground  of Karat-el-Muzzawakh with its colorful tomb decoration, which dates back to the Greco-Roman era. Next, visit the partially ruined two ancient cities of Budchulu and Qalamoun, which date back to the Middle Ages. After lunch at a local restaurant, you will drive to the Kharga Oasis, where you will visit  the Temple of Geb, a well-preserved sanctuary built of sandstone around the 5th century BC, and Bagawat, a necropolis of Christians that has about 260 tomb chapels. Dinner awaits you at the hotel.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included. Overnight at the hotel in Kharga Oasis.

Day 5: Kharga Oasis – Luxor

After breakfast at the hotel, you will visit the remains of Qasr Shower with its fortress and well-preserved temple, dating back to the Greco-Roman era. It was once an important place where caravan routes crossed. Then you will see the remains  of Qasr el-Labah, a Roman fortified settlement. You’ll be able to visit a large fortress, a sanctuary, and some of the conduits that once provided villages and fields with water. After lunch, you will leave the Kharga Oasis and head to the Luxor. This concludes our excursion program. For an additional fee, we can arrange for you to return to Cairo if you are not planning your next tour from Luxor.

Breakfast and lunch are included.