Trip Itinerary
Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel in Cairo. A complimentary group transfer from the airport is provided. KE group package services begin with the overnight at the hotel.
Day 2: Leaving Cairo, we visit the Pyramids, then drive south to the oasis town of Bahariya, where we overnight at a comfortable fixed camp with facilities including hot showers.
Day 3: After swapping over to 4WD vehicles, we set off across the Black Desert and then cross the White Desert (with its chalk rock formations) to the oasis of Farafra. After lunch we continue our drive to the oasis of Dakhla, where we set up our first desert camp.
Day 4: Over the next two days we go in search of the Abu Ballas Trail, following in the footsteps of early explorers and making our camp at a convenient location at the end of each day's exploration.
Day 5: Although now a hostile environment, this part of the desert has been inhabited by man from the earliest times. Visiting sites only recently discovered, as well as more well-known sites, we will see rock art dating back to prehistoric times, as well as the engravings attributed to the Pharaohs.
Day 6: Approaching the Gilf Kebir, across a surprising landscape, including mud pans, we keep a watch out for ancient stone circles.
Day 7: We travel through the 'fossilised river valley' of Wadi Wassa to reach the prehistoric cave at Mogharet el Kantara, where there are wonderful paintings of cattle.
Day 8: We now leave the Gilf Kebir, travelling through Wadi Firaq towards Jebel Uweinat in the south-west. The landscape changes completely and we pass through a moonscape of 'volcanic' craters.
Day 9: We have two full days to explore the Jebel Uweinat and its valleys. This whole area is one of the richest sites in the region for rock engravings and paintings.
Day 10: We continue our exploration of Jebel Uweinat. After lunch we will reach the dunes of Arkenu, between Uweinat and Wadi Sora. This is a very striking dune landscape with the peaks of Uweinat, Arkenu and Babein rising above the desert horizon. We make our camp in this beautiful place.
Day 11: Over the next 2 days we will explore the region of Wadi Sora to the west of the Gilf Kebir. This area is most well-known for the famous 'Cave of the Swimmers' and is another region rich in rock paintings and engravings.
Day 12: The 'cave of swimmers' contains rock painting images of people swimming estimated to have been created 10,000 years ago during the last Ice age. The cave appeared in the film ''The English Patient'. Camp.
Day 13: We have a day of driving and hiking up onto the top of the Gilf Kebir, where we have spectacular views across the dunes of the Great Sand Sea. There are also rarely seen paintings of cattle and of giraffes. We make camp near 'Lama Point' at the heart of the Gilf.
Day 14: We drive to Wadi Hamra and set up camp in a magnificent landscape of red sand and acacias. We then take a walk of around 4 hours (round trip) to see the best rock art in the valley, which is some of the oldest in the region.
Day 15: We leave the Gilf Kebir through Wadi Abd el Malik. We have the day to explore this great valley which is 120 kilometres long. There are many fascinating sites on the way.
Day 16: We head north across the vast expanse of the Great Sand Sea. This is real Saharan desert, remote and awe-inspiring. En route today we pass through Wadi Gubba, a great place to find ancient stone tools.
Day 17: Today we hike into the silica-glass valleys that lie between the dunes and have some time for exploration. This 'desert glass' is unique to this area and is thought to have been produced by a meteor strike. We will hope also to find prehistoric tools and artefacts. We camp amongst 200 metre-high dunes.
Day 18: The next two days are spent driving and walking in the Great Sand Sea, generally heading for the Oasis of Farafra. Camp.
Day 19: Arriving in the oasis of Farafra around lunchtime, we have the chance to swim in a hot spring. After dinner in the oasis, we head out into the White Desert to camp.
Day 20: In the morning we take our final walk in the White Desert. After lunch we drive through the Black Desert to Bahariya and our fixed camp.
Day 21: The morning is free to stroll among the gardens and palms. We then make the return drive to Cairo where we check into the group hotel. The evening is at leisure. Overnight in hotel.
Day 22: After breakfast there is a single, timed group transfer to Cairo Airport where KE group package services end.
