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Oasis Odyessy

12 Day Western Desert to Luxor

Visit the Pyramids of Giza and Egyptian Museum of Antiquities in Cairo, before heading on an off-road adventure, to Bahariya and the White Desert, and discovering the beauty of this rugged land. Take a step back in time, and explore the magnificent Valley of the Kings and the Karnak Temple in Luxor. Trek by camel, spend evenings by the campfire eating freshly prepared food in your desert camp and freshen up in hot springs. This trip is a great way to see Egypt, combining off-road desert adventures with some of the greatest wonders of the ancient world.

TOUR SCHEDULE

€900.00

HIGHLIGHTS

Tour Fact File

ACCOMODATION

Desert Camp Western Desert | EMBAH’s nomadic desert camp in the Western Desert is tailored around the 4x4 Jeeps for support & shelter, with traditionally decorated tarpollens. Carpeted areas and mattresses are furnished to ensure your comfort whilst sleeping under the stars, with dome tents available for extra privacy. A kitchen area is set adjacent to the camp, where freshly prepared meals will be cooked on an open fire. Designated washing and toilet areas are set, and in some cases you can bathe in hot springs or fresh water oases. Our camp locations are picked for favorable weather conditions and stunning scenery.

TOUR IMPACT ON LOCAL COMMUNITY

Western Desert Local Impact | Embah is committed to the elements of responsible & sustainable tourism, working with locally owned Hotels & service providers, employing local drivers & encouraging trips hosted by the locals, all allow for revenue to be distributed directly within the community. Booking this tours or services with Embah you are guaranteed that it has been designed with a sustainable objective.

TITLE

Oasis Odyessy
THEME

Adventure,Culture
STYLE

Comfort
EMBAH CODE

ADV.EG.OO.12
DURATION

12 days, 11 nights
START & END

Western Desert ,Cairo
TRANSFERS

Cairo airport return, all transfers outlined in itinerary, 4x4 jeeps.
LODGINGS

4 nights - comfort hotel, 5 nights - desert camp, 1 night - lodge, 1 night - overnight sleeper train
MEALS

11 x Breakfast
6 x Lunch
6 x Dinner
GROUP SIZE

Average of 8 persons

(Min:4Max:12)
PEOPLE

EMBAH tour leader & drivers, experienced desert guides & Egyptologist.
ACTIVITIES INCLUDED

Camel trekking, 4x4 jeep excursion, hiking.
PHYSICAL RATING
Easy. May include some short walks or activities.
Easy, with walks or short treks. Activities with full day trips.
Meduim level of fitness required. Treks over 3hrs, climbs. Could involve rustic camping/sailing. Sport (dive, run, bike, yoga) beginner level.
Meduim level of fitness required. treks/activities up to 6hrs. climbs, could involve rustic camping/sailing. Could involve steady moving itinerary. Sport (dive, run, bike, yoga) advance level.
High level of fitness required. Long treks, climbs, rustic camping.
CULTURE SHOCK
Little culture within comfort zone, comfort accommodation throughout.
Some culture just reaching out of your comfort zone. May involve rustic camping or homestay.
Varying cultures. May involve living with local tribes in local villages. Rustic camping and/or homestay
Extreme contrasting cultures living in local communities, rustic camping and homestays.
WHAT TO PACK
- loose cotton/linen clothing
- good walking shoes for trekking
- warm fleece for desert evenings
- sun protection (hat / scarf / sunblock)
- mosquito repellent
- day pack for personal items
- water bottle carrier
- torch / flash light
- modest clothing for homes stays religious areas

Click to Expand

DAY
1Arrive in Cairo

BreakfastComfort Hotel

Our EMBAH Tour Leader will be waiting to welcome you upon arrival at Cairo International airport. Private transfer to the center of Cairo and check in hotel on B&B basis. Free time to explore or relax after your journey. Overnight at Cairo hotel.

DAY
2Giza & Bahariya Oasis

Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerDesert Camp Western Desert

Morning visit to the Giza plateau to visit the Great Pyramids and the ever enigmatic Sphinx. The pyramids, famous for being the one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, are thought to be over 4,000 years old. Lunch on location followed by transfer to the Western Desert (5hrs). Initially the desert seems barren and bleak but as we reach the oasis of Bahariya the landscape changes. We arrive in the late evening and head to a fixed camp on the northern edge of the Bahariya Oasis where will spend the night in a rustic fixed camp. Dinner will be cooked by your host over the crackling camp fire using only the freshest local ingredients. This is a fantastic opportunity for stargazing as the desert sky is so clear you can easily make out the constellations and the Milky Way.

DAY
3Black Desert & Hot Springs

Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerDesert Camp Western Desert

Bahariya is home to over 30,000 farmers who earn a living from cultivating olives and dates and rearing turkeys. Spend a morning walking around the oasis and meeting with the locals before venturing into the Black Desert for a 4x4 jeep safari. We visit Pyramid Mountain with a chance to wash off the desert dust at Bir al-Ghaba hot springs. Afternoon is free time to explore at your own pace and make your own discoveries. Another night is spent telling tales around the campfire and sleeping under the stars.

DAY
4White Desert Camel Safari

Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerDesert Camp Western Desert

The White Desert looks like a lunar landscape due to the naturally occuring rock formations shaped by sandstorms. This harsh wilderness is home to the fennec fox and jerboa whilst overhead vultures circle in the hope of a fresh meal. Meet with your camel and cameleer for a safari through this unearthly chalky white landscape. Settle down for the night in your desert camp with a tasty treats being cooked on the crackling campfire.

DAY
5Farafra Oasis

Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerDesert Camp Western Desert

Venturing even further into the wilderness we reach the isolated oasis of Farafra. Local farmers number around 2,300 and earn a living cultivating dates, apricots, watermelons, mango's and oranges from the dusty desert soil. Women produce high quality hand embroidery which make wonderful souvenirs. After visiting Badr’s eccentric museum you wind your way through unoccupied oases, skirting desert dunes and set up camp outside of Farafra. Overnight desert camp.

DAY
6Al Qasr & Dakhla Oasis

Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerDesert Camp Western Desert

After breakfast we continue heading south to reach the lively oasis town of Dakhla (4hrs). En-route you’ll pause to visit the beautiful abandoned town of Al-Qasr whose houses are made from sun-dried mud bricks. Streets are narrow, essential in these desert parts, to keep out the sun and sand, blown by the khamsin wind. This was once a Roman settlement and later became the medieval capital of the region. Overnight desert camp Dakhla.

DAY
7Kharga Oasis & Qasr El Ghweit

Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerDesert Camp Western Desert

Kharga is the largest Oasis in the region at and was a main stop on many caravans running from the middle east into Sudan, in particular the Darb El Arba route (Way of forty or the forty day route ) which ran from Asyut to Darfur. The remain of the Roman fortresses are scattered through this region, built to protect the caravans and their wares. Our morning drive takes about 3hrs when we will stop on location to have lunch. Afterwards we will explore the Oasis and surrounding area to visit Qasr ElGhweit, a fortified hilltop sandstone temple dedicated to the Theban Triad, and contains scenes of Hapy the Nile-god holding symbols of the nomes of Upper and Lower Egypt. It can also be said that the inscriptions pictate that the quality of the grapes grown in Kharga produced fantastic wine, abundantly enjoys during the New Kingdom. Today however, the liquid that we enjoy are that of bathing kind, at the Hot Springs. For our final night on the Oasis Route we enjoy the hospitality of a Local Desert Lodge.

DAY
8Barris Town & Luxor

BreakfastComfort Hotel

Slowly making our way back to modern civilization we head to Luxor to enjoy the multiple sites, that the city is famed for, although we can not leave behind this region without making a visit to Baris. New Baris is a beautiful cultural concept created in the early 1960s by architect Hassan Fathy, based on the principles of traditional oasis architecture, including wind shafts to cool the marketplace. The project was never completed due to various issues and has long ago been left abandoned but the buildings are still there and show great ingenuity.

DAY
9Valley of the Kings & Queens

BreakfastComfort Hotel

Early start crossing the River Nile by boat to the west bank where we will mount our donkeys for our journey back in time into the Valley of the Kings and Queens. Following the route of the tomb builders we stop to see the sunrise over the Nile before reaching the valley. Guided tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site with it’s many magnificent tombs. Walls within the tombs are covered in complex hieroglyphic spells to help Pharaoh find his way in the afterlife. Next stop is the imposing funerary temple of Queen Hatshepsut who was Egypt’s first female Pharaoh. Free time in the afternoon and overnight Luxor hotel.

DAY
10Karnak Temple

BreakfastOvernight Sleeper Train

In the afternoon you travel by calesh (horse-drawn carriage) to the magnificent Karnak temple. Built over a period of 1500 years, the temples here are breathtaking both in size and complexity. Experience the majesty of the great Hypostyle Hall with its 134 columns and the beauty of the pink granite obelisk of Queen Hatshepsut. In the evening board a sleeper train to travel back to Cairo.

DAY
11Cairo Museum & Khan El Khalili Market

BreakfastComfort Hotel

Morning arrival in Cairo, transfer and check in hotel for the night. Afternoon visit to the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities where you will see a mesmerizing display of artifacts including the spectacular Tutankhamen collection. In the evening your tour leader will take you to Khan El Khalili market, one of the largest bazaars in the Middle East, with a kaleidoscope of colours, sights, sounds and smells from the exotic spices and perfumes on display.

DAY
12Departure

BreakfastComfort Hotel

Our EMBAH tour guide will arrange your return transfer to Cairo International Airport for you flight home.

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