# Bahariya and the White Desert Bahariya Oasis, 370 km south-west of Cairo, is the gateway to the Black Desert and the White Desert, a protected area of chalk rocks carved by the wind. For travellers who want a night under canvas in the desert, in two or three days from Cairo, between October and April. Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/egypt/bahariya-and-white-desert/ ## The oasis closest to Cairo At 370 km south-west of Cairo, Bahariya is the closest of the Western Desert oases and the usual starting point for the others. Its fertile strip, about 90 km by 40, is organised around the town of Bawiti: date palm groves, olive trees, hot springs. As in all the oases, the water comes from a fossil aquifer that is not renewed. The oasis is worth more than a stop before the desert. It has yielded some of Egypt's major Graeco-Roman discoveries, including the Valley of the Golden Mummies, a necropolis of hundreds of burials adorned with gilded masks. The site is still an excavation; some of the finds are on display in the small Bawiti museum. Around the town, the decorated tombs of Qarat Qasr Salim date from the 26th Dynasty, around 600 BC. The terrain also lends itself to walking. Gabal al-Ingleez gives the best view of the oasis and the surrounding desert; Gabal Maghrafa has yielded dinosaur fossils, including *Bahariasaurus*, a large predator. Several springs gush out at 40 °C and above north-east of Bawiti, such as Bir Ramla, 2 km away, or the sulphurous Bir el-Matar, 7 km away. ## From the Black Desert to the White Desert The road south crosses three landscapes in about a hundred kilometres: - **The Black Desert**, south-west of Bawiti: some thirty kilometres of hills covered in black basalt, remains of ancient volcanic activity, set on ochre sand. Gebel el-Marsus is its most distinctive outline. - **Crystal Mountain**, by the road: a natural arch lined with calcite crystals. They are soft and scratch easily; look without touching. - **The White Desert**, further south, north of Farafra Oasis. Its chalk and limestone rocks are the remains of microscopic marine organisms that lived here about 80 million years ago. Once the sea withdrew, the wind carved them into mushrooms, towers and animal shapes. The White Desert has been a protected area since 2002, under the Egyptian Ministry of Environment. It is visited by 4x4 (four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle), on marked tracks. ## A night in the White Desert This is the reason for the trip. The typical outing leaves Bahariya by 4x4: the basalt mounds of the Black Desert and Gebel el-Marsus, the village of El-Hez, the Agabat area, Crystal Mountain, then the White Desert formations, reached in time for sunset. The night is spent in camp, under canvas; in the morning you watch the sun rise over the rocks before heading back. The protected area has its rules, which your operator should respect: - drive on the tracks and sleep at one of the fifteen designated camping areas; - take all your rubbish away; - bring your own fuel, without burning desert plants; - carve nothing on the rocks and take nothing away: stones, fossils and remains stay where they are. Winter nights are cold, around 10 °C in Bahariya: bring a warm layer and a hat. Christmas and Easter are the busiest periods. ## Permits, guide and safety The White and Black Deserts are open to tourism, with precise rules. Tourists entering the Bahariya, Farafra, White Desert and Black Desert areas must apply for permits in advance and use an official guide. Phone reception is limited and medical facilities are poor. A locally recognised agency or guide is strongly recommended, along with good physical fitness and suitable equipment: means of communication, plenty of water, food, clothing. Do not leave roads and marked tracks, because of the risk of mines in desert areas, and do not drive at night outside towns. Your ministry's advice appears in the "Travel advice" table on this page. Sabaro therefore advises booking the trip with an approved operator, who applies for the permit and provides the guide, and driving the Cairo-Bahariya road in daylight. The road to Siwa, west of Bahariya, is closed by the military. ## Two or three days? - **Two days**: drive from Cairo to Bahariya in the morning, about 4 hours; in the afternoon, the Black Desert, Crystal Mountain and the White Desert, night in camp; back to Cairo the next day. This is the most common formula, but it leaves little time for the oasis. - **Three days**: add a night in Bahariya for the hot springs, the Bawiti museum, the view from Gabal al-Ingleez and the gardens. This is the pace of Sabaro's nine-day trip idea, which then continues to Giza, Alexandria and Siwa. The White Desert can also be reached from the south, from Farafra Oasis, closer to the formations. Those continuing the oasis loop towards Dakhla, Kharga and Luxor go that way. ## Frequently asked questions ### Do I need a permit for the White Desert? Yes. Tourists must apply for a permit in advance and use an official guide; Sabaro advises leaving the application to the trip operator. ### How far from Cairo? Bahariya is 370 km south-west of Cairo, about 4 hours by road. The White Desert lies further south, north of Farafra. ### How long should I plan? Two days from Cairo, with a night in the desert; three days to enjoy the oasis as well. ### Can I see the golden mummies? The Valley of the Golden Mummies is still an excavation site. Some of the finds are on display in the Bawiti museum. ### When should I go? From October to April. From June to August the average maximum exceeds 36 °C in Bahariya; in winter, days are mild and nights cold.