DAY 1: ARRIVE EGYPT
Ideal Tours representative will meet & assist you at Cairo International Airport. Then you will be transferred to your hotel. Overnight in Cairo.
DAY 2: WHITE DESERT/ FARAFRA OASIS
Breakfast - Then transfer by 4x4 jeeps to Oasis Desert. Enjoy walking and follow the traces of the Fox phinex - Then Drive to Farafra (40KMS) - Swimming at the hot spring eyes (Bier 3) and visit the local museum for the local artist Bader - Then drive to the area Abu Monkar between Farafra and Dakhla Oasis - Stop for Lunch and drive in the Middle of Desert to Camping there - Dinner and overnight under the Stars.
DAY 3: WHITE DESERT / FARAFRA / DAKHLA
In the morning two hours walk through the White Desert near Wadi Mushroom and its famous mushroom-shaped rocks, with enough opportunities to linger and take photos. Afterwards drive to Farafra, visit to the local museum. You will have the possibilities to bathe in the springs. After lunch drive to Dakhla and visit to the old town of El Qasr with its covered walkways and carved door lintels. Overnight.
DAY 4: DAKHLA - GILF EL KEBIR
After breakfast the adventure begins - the jeeps leave Dakhla and go towards the Gilf el Kebir. After hours of adventurous driving the camp is set up at the eastern flank of the plateau. Camping at the Desert.
DAY 5: JEBEL UWEINAT - KARKUR TALH
At first the route passes an ancient volcanic area, the Clayton craters which were formed by gas eruptions. Then we leave the Gilf area behind and go south. In the Karkur Talh or "Acacia Valley" we enter the area of the Gebel Uwainat. Situated roughly at the centre of the most arid area, its height is sufficient to capture a little precipitation from the summer monsoon clouds of the Sahel belt that occasionally reaches this far north. These rains are very infrequent, the last one was recorded in September 1998, and probably as much as 10-15 years may pass without rain. However even this little rain is sufficient to allow some vegetation and wildlife in the larger valleys. Camping at the Desert.
DAY 6: KARKUR TALH
This day is dedicated to the exploration of the area and its rock drawings. In the 1930's Winkler recorded the rock drawings here - the first prehistoric rock drawings ever found in this part of the Sahara. Karkur Talh (Valley of Acacia) offers a very dramatic change in scenery just in time, this valley offering trees, shade, and savannah like greenery. The traces of wildlife scattered all around the valley exposes the presence of a big variety of living creatures. Camping at the Desert.
DAY 7: KARKUR TALH - WADI SURA - AQABA
Today we turn north again and pass the hills of Peter and Paul, ancient volcanoes that are a geologist's heaven, and then to Wadi Sura in the western Gilf el Kebir. There we approach one of the highlights of the tour - a cave with Neolithic rock paintings depicting game, domestic animals and humans, among them the famous picture showing swimmers that were first discovered by Count Almassy. Afterwards the tour leads up by the pass of Aqaba on to the plateau. Camping under the stars overnight.
DAY 8: AQABA - WADI HOMRA
From the western escarpment one has a singularly beautiful view. We descend into the Wadi Homra, named for its red rocks and sand. This valley also has some prehistoric rock drawings. Night camp in the wadi.
DAY 9 - 10 - 11: GREAT SAND SEA
Three days of adventurous driving through the Great Sand Sea are one of the highlights of the tour. Single dunes combine to an endless Sea of Sand. Overnight in Camping in the dunes in Siwa.
DAY 12: SIWA OASIS
Breakfast - then Drive from our Camp site at the desert to our next stop - drive to Siwa - arrives to Siwa - Transfer to your Hotel - rest of the day free at leisure - Dinner and overnight in hotel.
DAY 13: SIWA OASIS
Breakfast at hotel. Visit the old fortified town of Siwa, and then see the ancient tombs in the Mountain of the Dead as well as the Temple of Amon which was dedicated to God Amon also called the oracle temple where Alexander the Great consulted the oracle. Also, pay a visit to the springs of Siwa, and bath in the bubbling pool, Cleopatra's Bath. Then transfer back to Cairo and overnight.
DAY 14: FINAL DEPARTURE
After breakfast, you will be transferred by vehicle to Cairo Airport.
