3-Day Siwa Oasis: Salt Lakes & Great Sand Sea

A desert-oasis journey through Old Shali, the Great Sand Sea, and Siwa's salt lakes.

This 3-day Siwa Oasis tour from Cairo covers the Western Desert's most remote inhabited oasis: the Temple of the Oracle of Amun where Alexander the Great once sought an answer, Cleopatra's Spring, the abandoned mudbrick town of Old Shali, and sandboarding in the Great Sand Sea. Dune Raider Adventure runs it by jeep or bus from Cairo with two nights hotel accommodation and a guide throughout.

DAY 1 — Cairo to Siwa

The drive west from Cairo to Siwa takes most of the day, deep into the Western Desert toward the Libyan border. You check in once you reach the oasis, then settle in for a welcome dinner and the first night at the hotel.

DAY 2 — The Mountain of the Dead and the Oracle of Amun

Morning starts at Gebel Al Mawta, the Mountain of the Dead, a low hill honeycombed with Greco-Roman and Ptolemaic tombs cut into the rock. From there it's on to the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, where Alexander the Great reportedly came in 331 BC to ask whether he was the son of a god — the priests, diplomatically, told him what he wanted to hear. Cleopatra's Spring, a natural pool nearby, has no verified link to Cleopatra, but it's cold, clear, and swimmable. Lunch is at Albabenshal, a restaurant built into Old Shali's ruins. In the afternoon, the group heads to Fatnas Island, a small palm-covered spot on Lake Siwa known for its sunset views over the water. Dinner and the night are back at the hotel.

DAY 3 — The Great Sand Sea and the Road Back to Cairo

The day starts at the Salt Lakes. From there it's back into town for lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon the group heads out to the Great Sand Sea — Bir Wahed's hot sulfur spring and cold pool, then dune crossing and sandboarding on the open dunes, timed to catch sunset over the sand. On the way back there's a stop at Old Shali, the mudbrick hilltop town abandoned after a rare 1926 rainstorm dissolved its walls — the ruins still rise over the modern town like a sandcastle left in the sun. From there it's the drive back to Cairo, arriving late evening.

Price Includes

• Round-trip transport, Cairo – Siwa – Cairo (Jeep or bus)
• English-speaking guide throughout
• 2 nights hotel accommodation
• Meals as specified in the itinerary
• Entrance fees: Old Shali, Temple of the Oracle, Gebel Al Mawta
• Sandboarding equipment and safety briefing
• Bottled water during desert excursions

Does Not Include

• International or domestic flights
• Visa fees
• Travel insurance
• Personal expenses and tips
• Optional activities not listed above

Price

$750 USD / €642 EUR / 38,155 EGP per person. Indicative rate at today's exchange rate — contact us to confirm current pricing for your group and season.