4-Day Cairo, White Desert & Bahariya Oasis Holiday
Giza's pyramids and the Sphinx, then a private two-day 4x4 journey to Bahariya Oasis and the White Desert with one night in a simple camp, and the Egyptian Museum on your last morning.
The short answer
4-Day Cairo, White Desert & Bahariya Oasis Holiday is a 4-day, 3-night trip to Cairo. It includes an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £505 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
In four days you can see Egypt's most famous monument and one of its oddest landscapes. You arrive in Cairo and spend that first day at the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx. Days 2 and 3 take you into the Western Desert, with Bahariya Oasis, the Black Desert, Crystal Mountain and the chalk formations of the White Desert, travelling by 4x4 with a local desert driver-guide.
You spend one night in a simple desert camp, with a tent, a mattress, a sleeping bag and blankets, and shared facilities. It is not a hotel night, and it will not suit everyone. We take bookings for this holiday on request. Before you pay, we confirm the camp arrangements and the final price for the desert part with you. Day 4 is the Egyptian Museum, then the airport.
What lingers
- 01The Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx on your arrival day
- 02A private two-day journey with a local desert driver-guide in a 4x4
- 03Bahariya Oasis, the Black Desert and Crystal Mountain along the way
- 04A night in a simple camp in the White Desert, with dinner and breakfast included
- 05A free afternoon and evening in Cairo on day 3
- 06The Egyptian Museum on your final morning, then your airport transfer
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in GBP, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom £5053★ hotels | £505May–Sep: from £477 | ||
| Comfortfrom £5264★ hotels | Cairo · 2 nightsJewel Sport City | £526May–Sep: from £515 | |
| Classicfrom £5635★ hotels | £563May–Sep: from £525 | ||
| Prestigefrom £6405★ deluxe hotels | £640May–Sep: from £659 | ||
| Luxuryfrom £1,0035★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 2 nightsSt. Regis Cairo | £1,003May–Sep: from £964 | |
| Signature Collectionfrom £1,276landmark hotels | Cairo · 2 nightsFour Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza | £1,276May–Sep: from £1,188 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast. You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
- New
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
4 Days / 3 Nights · Cairo · Giza Plateau · Great Sphinx · Bahariya Oasis · Black Desert · Crystal Mountain
- 1
Our representative greets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and drives you to your hotel. The sightseeing is fitted around your arrival time. Your English-speaking Egyptologist takes you to the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx for a half-day visit, with the guide, the entrance fees and the transport all included. You spend the night in a Cairo hotel.
The next morning begins early, so get some rest.
- 2
Your private driver picks you up at your Cairo or Giza hotel and heads across the Western Desert to Bahariya Oasis. There you change to a 4x4 with a local desert driver-guide and travel on through the Black Desert, past Crystal Mountain, into the White Desert, where wind has sculpted the pale rock into strange shapes. Lunch and dinner are included.
You sleep in a simple camp, with a tent, a mattress, a sleeping bag and blankets, and shared facilities. This is not a hotel night, and it turns cold once the sun goes down.
- 3
You have breakfast at the camp, then make the journey back to Cairo by 4x4 and private vehicle, finishing at your hotel. White Desert protected-area fees and bottled water for the trip are part of the price. The afternoon and evening are yours: rest, freshen up and find dinner wherever you fancy. Tonight you stay in a Cairo hotel.
- 4
After breakfast you check out and spend a half-day at the Egyptian Museum with your Egyptologist, with the guide, the entrance fee and the transport included. A private transfer then takes you to Cairo Airport for your flight. We suggest a flight at midday or later, so the museum is not a rush.
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Two nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast, plus one night in a simple desert camp (tent, mattress, sleeping bag and blankets)
- Private pick-up and drop-off at your Cairo or Giza hotel for the desert journey
- Private air-conditioned vehicle and driver between Cairo and Bahariya
- 4x4 with a local desert driver-guide
- Lunch and dinner on the first desert day, breakfast on the second
- White Desert protected-area fees and bottled water
- Half-day visits to the Pyramids and Sphinx and to the Egyptian Museum, with an English-speaking Egyptologist, entrance fees and transport
- Airport arrival and departure transfers with meet-and-assist in Cairo
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Drinks other than bottled water, and meals other than those listed
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Take a fleece and a scarf to the White Desert camp, as evenings are chilly and the 4x4 track is dusty.
- 02
After dinner, stroll a short way beyond the camp to watch stars over the chalk rocks with hardly any artificial light.
- 03
Put a night's essentials in a small rucksack for the desert and leave your suitcase at the Cairo hotel.
- 04
At Giza, ask your guide for the panoramic spot that frames all three Pyramids in one photograph.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of Cairo hotel when you book. Ask us about extra nights in Cairo, or adding a Nile cruise or Luxor.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Adventurous travellers who want the pyramids and a night in the desert on a short break. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who can put up with a tent, a mattress and a sleeping bag for one night.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need a hotel bed or a private bathroom every night, step-free access, or a gentle pace. Much of days 2 and 3 is spent on the road and on rough tracks.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- The pyramids, the Sphinx and a proper night in the White Desert within four days
- A private vehicle and a local desert driver-guide for the desert journey
- Dinner, breakfast, protected-area fees and bottled water covered on the desert days
Things to Consider
- The desert night is a basic camp with shared facilities and cold air after dark
- Booked on request, so the camp arrangements and final price are confirmed before you pay
- Not step-free, with long hours in a vehicle on days 2 and 3
Where it fits
A good choice for a short, active break with one memorable night outdoors. If you want a hotel every night, look at another holiday.
Worth knowing
How this compares
White Desert trips are often sold on their own. This holiday adds the Pyramids and the Egyptian Museum with a guide, and two Cairo hotel nights, so the whole break is organised for you. The desert part is deliberately simple.
Compare
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On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Guided Cairo holiday with a private two-day White Desert trip, by request
- Accommodation
- Two Cairo hotel nights, standard chosen at booking, and one night in a simple desert camp
- Destinations
- Cairo · Giza Plateau · Great Sphinx · Bahariya Oasis · Black Desert · Crystal Mountain · White Desert · Egyptian Museum
- Includes
- 2 nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast · 1 night in a simple desert camp with a tent, mattress, sleeping bag and blankets · Private two-day journey in a 4x4 with a local desert driver-guide · Lunch and dinner on the first desert day, breakfast on the second · Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transport for the Pyramids and the Egyptian Museum · Airport transfers with meet-and-assist
- Best for
- Adventurous first-time visitors · Travellers who want a night in the desert as well as the pyramids · Short breaks of four days
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any required travel documents
- A warm layer for the desert evening and night
- A torch or head torch for the camp
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat, sunglasses and a scarf against the dust
- Refillable water bottle
- Any personal medication
- A small bag for the night in the desert
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothes for the daytime
- A fleece or jacket and long trousers for the desert night, which turns cold
- Closed shoes for sand, rock and uneven ground
- Clothes that cover shoulders and knees in Cairo
- A hat and sunglasses
Children & families
Children are welcome on the days in Cairo. Each child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport, guiding and meals are charged at the adult rate whatever the age; entrance tickets are free for under-6s and full price from 6. The desert night is basic, with a tent, a mattress, a sleeping bag and blankets, shared facilities and cold nights. Give us your child's age when you enquire, and we confirm the camp arrangements and the final price for the desert part with you before you pay.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This holiday is not step-free. The Giza Plateau has uneven ground, steps and long, shadeless stretches outdoors. The desert section uses a 4x4 on rough tracks and involves walking over sand and rock. You sleep in a simple camp, with a tent, a mattress, a sleeping bag and blankets, and the facilities are shared. Desert nights can be cold. Let us know your needs when you enquire. The camp arrangements and the final price for the desert part are confirmed with you before you pay, and we will say plainly if this trip is not right for you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The holiday relies on private road transport and a 4x4 with a local desert driver-guide, so we make no claim of a carbon saving. The desert section is run with local desert guides, and the White Desert protected-area fees are included. Please take your rubbish away with you, keep to the tracks your driver-guide follows, and leave rocks and fossils where you find them.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how soon you let us know and on the kind of holiday. See our current cancellation and refund terms
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01How do I book the White Desert section?
We take bookings for this holiday on request. Tell us your dates and we check availability. Before you pay, we confirm the camp arrangements and the final price for the desert part with you.02What is the desert camp like?
It is basic. You sleep in a tent on a mattress, with a sleeping bag and blankets, and the facilities are shared. It counts as a night in the desert, not a hotel night, and it gets cold after dark.03What is included on the two desert days?
A private air-conditioned vehicle and driver between Cairo and Bahariya, a 4x4 with a local desert driver-guide, one night in camp, lunch and dinner on the first day and breakfast on the second, White Desert protected-area fees and bottled water. Pick-up and drop-off at your Cairo or Giza hotel are covered too.04What will we see in the desert?
Bahariya Oasis, the Black Desert, Crystal Mountain and the White Desert, which is known for pale rock worn by the wind into unusual shapes.05How many hotel nights are there?
Two, in Cairo on nights 1 and 3. Night 2 is in the desert camp. You choose the standard of hotel when you book, and we tell you which one for your dates.06Will I make my international flight?
There is no internal flight on day 4, only the drive to Cairo Airport, so the risk is small. Even so, domestic and international tickets are separate bookings, so if you add an internal flight a delay could cost you your connection. We prefer a final night in Cairo; if you must connect on the same day, pick a late-evening or overnight flight. Do take travel insurance that covers missed connections.07Can children come on this trip?
Children are welcome on the Cairo days. The desert night means a tent, shared facilities and a cold night, so give us your child's age and we will tell you frankly whether it suits.08What is not included?
International flights, the Egypt visa, tips for guides and drivers, drinks other than bottled water, meals other than those listed, and travel insurance.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-807454
At a glance
- Length
- 4 days · 3 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → White Desert → Cairo
- Includes
- Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers