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The oases and the Western Desert

White chalk, hot springs, and four oases on a single loop of road.

Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga: four inhabited depressions strung along a loop that comes back down to the Nile valley near Asyut, and that you cannot do in a day. The coaches from Cairo reach Bahariya within the day; Dakhla is a full day's drive, and Kharga is done with a car and driver, its temples and forts spread over tens of kilometres with no public transport between them. Between the first two lies the White Desert, whose chalk formations are the main reason to come at all, and where the usual plan is a night under canvas. The road to the oases is tarmac; it is the desert itself that calls for a 4x4, a local driver and not setting out alone. Bring cash — cash machines are few, and sometimes empty.

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Photo : Mohamed abdelzaher — CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

Pyramids, temples, museums, mosques, Coptic churches

Monuments & sites

  • Al-Qasr

    A medieval mud-brick town: covered lanes, dated door lintels, a minaret and a grain mill.

    The oases and the Western DesertDakhla

    € BudgetHistoric venue

  • Al-Bagawat Necropolis

    Off the beaten track

    A Christian cemetery of vaulted mud-brick chapels, their walls covered in Greek graffiti.

    The oases and the Western DesertKharga

    €€ Mid-rangeHistoric venue

Feluccas, desert, diving, markets, cruises

Outings & activities

  • Crystal Mountain

    A calcite outcrop beside the Farafra road: a rock arch, and crystal splinters all over the ground.

    The oases and the Western DesertFarafra road

    € BudgetBest in the morning

Egyptian, street food, fine dining, brunch

Restaurants

  • A whole roast chicken, golden and glistening, on a wooden board with a sprig of parsley.

    The tables of Bahariya

    Chicken, rice and stewed vegetables, served before or after the desert.

    The oases and the Western DesertBawiti, Bahariya Oasis

    € BudgetWhere locals go
  • A vaulted hall, long tables and benches on the carpets

    The tables of Dakhla

    Off the beaten track

    Oasis bread, dates and the Western Desert's stews.

    The oases and the Western DesertMut and Al-Qasr, Dakhla Oasis

    € BudgetWhere locals go

Parks, gardens, beaches, reefs, walks

Nature & downtime

  • White Desert

    Unmissable

    Chalk outcrops standing in the sand, carved by the wind. Beyond the tarmac it is 4×4 country.

    The oases and the Western DesertFarafra, New Valley

    €€€ High endSunset

  • Bahariya Oasis

    An oasis that Cairo coaches reach in a day: palm groves, hot springs, black-capped hills to the south.

    The oases and the Western DesertBahariya, Western Desert

    €€ Mid-rangeSunset

  • Dakhla Oasis

    Palm groves under a pink escarpment, and a mud-brick quarter called al-Qasr.

    The oases and the Western DesertDakhla, New Valley

    €€ Mid-rangeBest in the morning

  • Farafra Oasis

    A small town, a palm grove, hot springs, and the road north into the White Desert.

    The oases and the Western DesertFarafra, New Valley

    €€ Mid-rangeWhere locals go

  • Kharga Oasis

    An oasis of offices and fields, strung with temples and forts along an old caravan road.

    The oases and the Western DesertKharga

    €€ Mid-rangeHistoric venue

  • The Black Desert

    Hills capped with dark basalt, on the road to the White Desert.

    The oases and the Western DesertBahariya

    €€ Mid-rangeBest in the morning
  • The tents lit from within, once the sun has gone.

    A night in the White Desert

    Unmissable

    Sleeping among the chalk mushrooms, under one of the world's darkest skies.

    The oases and the Western DesertFarafra

    €€€ High endBooking advised

Specialty coffee, historic ahwas, rooftops

Cafés & tea houses

  • The cafés of Bawiti

    The compulsory stop before the White Desert: tea, fuel and last supplies.

    The oases and the Western DesertBawiti, Bahariya Oasis

    € BudgetWhere locals go
  • A steaming glass of hot tea standing on a wooden table.

    The cafés of Mut

    Evening in Dakhla: a few tables on the square, tea, and a silence the city never has.

    The oases and the Western DesertMut, Dakhla Oasis

    € BudgetWhere locals go

Souks, fair-trade crafts, concept stores

Shopping

  • Kharga market

    Dates, baskets and pottery from the oasis, in the Western Desert's largest town.

    The oases and the Western DesertKharga

    € BudgetWhere locals go

Bars, pubs, clubs, lounges — local rules flagged

Nightlife

  • The tents lit from within, once the sun has gone.

    A night in the White Desert

    Unmissable

    Sleeping among the chalk mushrooms, under one of the world's darkest skies.

    The oases and the Western DesertFarafra

    €€€ High endBooking advised