Desert Oases

From Cairo to Alexandria and the remote oases and spectacular landscapes of the Western Desert, this is truly a remarkable journey of discovery.

From Cairo, with its astounding sights, you drive north to Alexandria, ancient centre of learning, and El Alamein, site of the epic wartime battle, before venturing deep into the Western Desert. In this stunning landscape, which includes the Black Desert with its extraordinary black pyrites and the unforgettable White Desert, where huge calcite 'icebergs' litter the sands, you visit some of the fascinating oases. These include ancient Siwa, where Alexander the Great consulted the Oracle; Bahariya, with its ancient cliff-top tomb complex; Farafra - the smallest and most isolated oasis; the agricultural Dakhla Oasis, and El Kharga with its temple built by Darius the Great. The tour ends in Luxor, ancient Thebes, a fitting end to a remarkable journey.

Sample itinerary:

Days 1/2: Fly London to Cairo. City sightseeing. Overnights Oberoi Mena House.  Day 3: Transfer to Alexandria. Overnight Four Seasons Alexandria Hotel.  Days 4/5: Drive to El Alamein. Continue to Siwa Oasis. Overnights Siwa Adrere Amellal Oasis Hotel.  Days 6/7: 4X4 drive across desert to Bahariya Oasis. Overnights International Hot Springs Hotel.  Day 8: Drive to Farafra Oasis. Overnight El Badawiya Hotel.  Day 9: Drive to Dakhla Oasis via El Qasr. Overnight Dakhla Oasis Mut Hotel.  Days 10/11: Dakhla sightseeing. Drive to El Kharga Oasis. Overnights El Kharga Pioneers Hotel.  Days 12/13: Drive to Luxor via Baris Oasis. Leisure/optional sightseeing. Overnights Al Moudira Hotel.  Day 14: Fly to London.