Sosal Desert Travelers
A Travel Back in Time
Forgotten Desert Routes
26 November – 5 December 2026 · 10 days / 9 nights
Egypt’s Western Desert wilderness
Where the map ends, the story begins.
For the traveler who defines adventure by depth, not checklist. An immersive crossing into the silent, uninhabited heart of the Eastern Sahara: legendary dunes, forgotten oases, boundless horizons and fossil rock formations.
Move with the rhythm of the ancient sands. Nights bring campfire warmth, Bedouin food cooked on site and the silence of an open sky adorned with millions of stars.
“Every day starts with a discovery and ends with a campfire”
The journey
Ten days on forgotten routes
Day 1Cairo to Wadi El Obayed & Ein Dalla
Travel by private air-conditioned bus from Cairo to Bahariya Oasis. After breakfast, join the Land Cruiser caravan for Wadi El Obayed — the ‘real White Desert’, with towering white formations among golden dunes. Continue to the star dunes around Ein Dalla, the historic desert well built by Prince Tosson. Dinner and our first campfire under the stars.
Day 2The Great Sea of Sand
Immerse yourself in one of Earth's largest concentrated dune fields. Follow long, parallel sand ridges westward through landscapes carrying the stories of caravans, WWII expeditions and the lost army of Cambyses. Camp among the dunes.
Day 3Regenfeld
Visit the site where an extraordinary rainfall saved Gerhard Rohlfs’ expedition and its 140 camels in 1874. Explore the stone cairn, the memorial tablet erected by Almasy, and prehistoric traces from the Sahara's humid phases. An evening of stories and desert legends around the campfire.
Day 4Abu Ballas — Pottery Hill
Ride southwest to the sandstone hill famed for its ancient storage jars. Discover the stories of the Abu Ballas Trail, an ancient donkey-caravan route linking Dakhla Oasis with Gilf El Kebir, and the legends of Saharan tribes who travelled these forgotten routes.
Day 5Watermountain
Head east to Watermountain, rediscovered by Carlo Bergmann in 2003. Explore Fourth Dynasty rock inscriptions and cartouches bearing the names of Khufu and Djedefre, witnesses to Old Kingdom desert expeditions. Set up a fixed camp for two nights.
Day 6Exploring Watermountain
After a relaxed breakfast, explore the surrounding area in search of rock art, Neolithic tools, the old donkey-caravan trail and remote water stations. A full day of discovery in a vast landscape of deep history, followed by a second night at our fixed camp.
Day 7Dakhla Oasis
Cross about 100 km of dunes eastward to the lush fields of Dakhla — the Red Oasis. Arrive at Sosal Lodge for dinner and a night in comfortable beds, a welcome pause in the expedition.
Day 8El Qasr & ShawShaw
Enjoy breakfast in the lodge garden, then explore the ancient town of El Qasr with its alleys and remarkable architecture. Ascend Dakhla's Eastern Mountain to the 600 m plateau and continue to ShawShaw, where marine fossils reveal the story of the ancient Tethys Ocean.
Day 9Agabat Plateau
Travel north through the Caraween Dunes and the White Desert toward Bahariya. Explore the Agabat plateau and spend our final camping night beneath the stars, with Bedouin music and entertainment.
Day 10El Haiz Oasis & Return to Cairo
Explore Agabat mountain on the way to El Haiz Oasis. Gather for lunch at the lodge before boarding the private bus back to Cairo.
Included in the expedition
Travel well, camp comfortably
- Private air-conditioned return bus from Cairo, with Cairo pick-up and drop-off
- 10 days / 9 nights fully equipped deep-desert safari in Toyota Land Cruisers
- Professional drivers, knowledgeable guides and trackers, and a local cook
- Personal tents, sleeping bags, mattresses, covers, communal dinner tent, tables, chairs and kitchen
- Three meals daily (two full meals and one light meal), hot drinks, fruit, snacks, water, juices, soft drinks and desserts
- Small shower water and portable toilets
- Daily firewood, Bedouin tea and entertainment
- One night at Sosal Lodge in a double room
- First-day breakfast and last-day lunch at the lodge in El Haiz Oasis
- Satellite phone, permits, mechanic and vehicle spare parts
Not included
- Extra ordered special food
- Tips
For pricing and available places, contact Sosal Desert Travelers.
Ask about availabilityBefore you travel
What to bring
Clothing
- Light-coloured, loose cotton or linen clothing for daytime
- Warm jacket, head cover, scarf and warm socks for nights
- Sun-protective head cover
- Solid shoes and slippers
- Swimsuit
Gear & personal items
- Sunscreen and sunglasses
- Personal towel
- Torch or headlamp
- Camera and power bank
- Personal pillow, if preferred
- Personal sanitary kit for safari toilets
- Soft bags for easier handling around camp
Days are sunny and pleasant, but desert nights can be very chilly, especially between December and February.
Our desert
Explore with care
Deserts are vibrant ecosystems with their own wildlife, flora and natural balance. Sosal Desert Travelers works to reduce human impact and encourage these measures among local communities while sharing the beauty of Egypt’s Western Desert.
Other safari trips
1 day
Oasis day tour
Old mud-brick villages, hot springs, palm groves and Dakhla's ancient sites.
2 days / 1 night
Desert overnight camp
Drive into the dunes, sunset from the sand, dinner by the fire and a night under the stars.
3–4 days
White & Black Desert
Chalk formations, volcanic hills and crystal mountain on a classic Western Desert route.