Dates: July 28 – August 3, 2027

Duration: 7 days / 6 nights

Number of participants: 6 – 12

Cost per person:

• 1 350 EUR subject to 12 participants,
• 1 450 EUR subject to 10 – 11 participants,
• 1 550 EUR subject to 8 – 9 participants,
• 1 650 EUR subject to 6 – 7 participants

Everything is included, except for:

• international flight to Cairo roundtrip,
• international medical insurance,
• visa of Egypt (25 USD, to be obtained upon arrival in Cairo airport. Cost may change),
• lunches and dinners in Cairo.

Estimated cost of flight Moscow – Cairo – Moscow: 350 – 550 EUR (Usually bought on your own, we consult).

Single supplement in hotels: 150 EUR


TRAVEL PROGRAM: TOUR TO SAHARA

Day 1. July 28, 2027 (Wednesday). ARRIVAL IN CAIRO – GIZA

Arrival in Cairo – capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world, located near the Great Nile delta. Its metropolitan area, with a population of over 20 million, is the largest in Africa and the 6th-largest in the world.
Cairo houses hundreds of mosques, citadel, the world's second-oldest institution of high education, Al-Azhar University, and the world's famous Egyptian museum – home to the most extensive collection of ancient Egyptian antiquities in the world. It has 136 000 items on display, with many more hundreds of thousands in its basement storerooms. Among its most famous collections on display are the finds from the tomb of Tutankhamun.
Transfer to Giza to Sphinx Golden Gate Pyramids View hotel 4*. Check-in at the hotel. Сheck-in time is normally after 1 pm, but in case the rooms are available, we are welcome to early check-in starting from 10 am.
Time to sleep after night flight and free time in Giza. Sphinx Golden Gate Pyramids View hotel has one of the best locations in Giza with the amazing view onto Great Pyramids and Sphinx. It is just 400 meters aside of Great Sphinx!
The Giza Necropolis includes the Great Pyramid of Giza (Pyramid of Cheops), the Pyramid of Khafre, and the Pyramid of Menkaure, along with their associated pyramid complexes and the Great Sphinx of Giza. All were built during the Fourth Dynasty of the Old Kingdom of Ancient Egypt (c. 2580 – c. 2560 BC). The Great Pyramid and the Pyramid of Khafre are the largest pyramids built in ancient Egypt. They were popularized in Hellenistic times, when the Great Pyramid was listed by Antipater of Sidon as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It is by far the oldest of the Ancient Wonders and the only one still in existence.
You can spend time photographing views or visiting this famous historical site, or set off to explore Cairo historical city center. We can arrange (at extra cost) the afternoon group visit to the Giza pyramids for photography.

Meals included: no
Accommodation included: Sphinx Golden Gate Pyramids View hotel 4* (double/twin accommodation)

* Recommended flight to Cairo:
– any flight with arrival on July 28 after 10:00 am.


Day 2. July 29, 2027 (Thursday). GIZA – BAHARIYA OASIS – CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN – AL AQABAT OFF ROAD

After having breakfast and taking pictures of Giza Pyramids at sunrise, depart at 8:00 in the morning for the Oasis of Bahariya that is located in Sahara desert (360 km, 5 hrs driving).
El-Bahariya is a depression and large oasis in the Western Sahara. It is here, where once mummies have been found on which genetic studies have been conducted. The people of the oasis, or the Wahati people (meaning "of the oasis" in Arabic), are the descendants of the ancient people who inhabited the oasis, Bedouin tribes from Libya and the north coast, and other people from the Nile Valley who came to settle in the oasis. They successfully grow here guavas, mangos, dates and olives.
After lunch in the Bahariya oasis hotel, we jump into our 4×4 Land Cruisers and continue off road southward, to the desert.
We start exploring the Western Desert of Egypt – an area of the Sahara which lies west of the river Nile, up to the Libyan border, and south from the Mediterranean Sea to the border with Sudan. It is named in contrast to the Eastern Desert which extends east from the Nile to Red Sea. The Western Desert is mostly rocky desert, though an area of sandy desert, known as the Great Sand Sea, lies to the west against the Libyan border. The desert covers an area of 681 thousand square km, which is two-thirds of the land area of the country.
Today we reach Crystal Mountain, rich in bizarre crystal formations. And our expedition goes deeper to the desert in order to explore the part of Al Aqabat where there are no any roads and which is almost not visited!
Photographing at "Al Aqabat off-road" at sunset.
Enjoy dinner and Bedouin music around the campfire. Overnight in tents in the valley where we set up our camp.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: tents (single accommodation)


Day 3. July 30, 2027 (Friday). AL AQABAT OFF ROAD – KRAWEEN SAND DUNES – MAGIC SPRING – BIG AND SMALL VALLEYS – AL AQABAT ON ROAD

Photographing Al Aqabat off road at sunrise. 
After breakfast, depart for the Kraween sand dunes situated to the east from the edge of what is called Great Sand Sea – the place where big sand dunes begin.
After that we head to Magic Springs where we stop for rest in the shade and have lunch. You are welcome to bath in the springs.
Continue driving off road westwards, towards Big and Small valley to Al Aghabat on road, meet sunset and camp. Photography session Al Aquabat at sunset.
Al Aqabat appears arguably the most impressive place of Western Desert with its amazing pillar-like rocks having smooth tops. This "pillars" are popped up here and there and it creates unearthly landscape.
Enjoy dinner and Bedouin music around the campfire. Overnight in the area of Al Aquabat.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: tents (single accommodation) or under the sky


Day 4. July 31, 2027 (Saturday). AL AQABAT ON ROAD – NEW WHITE DESERT – OLD WHITE DESERT

After sunrise photography at Al Aquabat and breakfast we continue our desert adventure.
Today we reach the main attraction – White Desert (known as Sahara el Beyda, with the word "sahara" meaning "desert"). It is already closer to Farafra Oasis and comprises the White Desert National Park.
Explore the White Desert, first the part called New White Desert and then Old White Desert that dates back thousands of years. We are in the most interesting part, full of unearthly views – white chalky desert covered with bizarre white rocks of all imaginable shapes.
Arriving on time to admire the magnificent sunset at the iconic place of New White Desert – the famous rock formation called Mushroom & Chicken. Here we set up our camping and do sunset photography.
Wind-carved "mushroom" rocks colored from snow-white to cream are the centerpiece of White Desert national park. It has massive chalk rock formations that are textbook examples of ventifact and which have been created as a result of occasional sandstorm in the area. It is believed that once this place was a bottom of the world ocean.
Camp in Old White desert under the stars. Sunset and night photography
Enjoy dinner and Bedouin music around the campfire. Sleep under the starry sky at the one of the most surreal places on Earth.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: tents (single accommodation)


Day 5. August 1, 2027 (Sunday). WHITE DESERT – COLD SPRING – BEDOUIN VILLAGE – BLACK DESERT

Sunrise photography in White Desert, breakfast and continue driving back to the north east to visit nomadic Bedouin village to meet these traditional camel herders.
Today we reach the Black Desert, where we will choose a beautiful location to take photos.
We explore the Black Desert – an area of black volcanic hills and dolerite deposits. Volcano-shaped and widely spaced mounds, distributed along about 30 km, are capped by basalt sills, giving them the characteristic black color. The mounds of the Black Desert, up to 100 m high, vary in size, composition, height, and shape. On the outskirts of the Black Desert are volcanic hills proving the eruption of dark volcanic dolerite, dating back to the Jurassic period 180 million years ago. After discovering a large dinosaur skeleton on its borders, the Black Desert has been declared a natural reserve as of 2010. 
Meet sunset, have dinner and sleep under the stars in Black Desert.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, dinner
Accommodation included: tents (single accommodation)


Day 6. August 2, 2027 (Monday). ECLIPSE IN BLACK DESERT – BAHARIYA OASIS – GIZA

This morning we have rare event of full solar eclipse in North Africa. In the place we spend overnight, in the very surreal place of Black Desert with many conical mounds until the horizon, this astronomical phenomenon will be visible to the fullest. 
Eclipse photography with our professional astronomer and photographer. Breakfast.
Today we have long drive through the desert and up to Giza (some 450 km, 6-8 hrs driving).
Head back to Oasis of Bahariya where we have lunch in Bahariya oasis hotel. Proceed driving back to Cairo in the afternoon.
Evening return (at 8 pm or so) from the desert to Giza to our Sphinx Golden Gate Pyramids View hotel 4*. Shower, rest and exchange of impressions at the hotel.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch
Accommodation included: Sphinx Golden Gate Pyramids View hotel 4* (double/twin accommodation)


Day 7. August 3, 2027 (Tuesday). CAIRO – FLIGHT BACK HOME

After breakfast, transfer to the Cairo airport. Flight back home.

* Recommended flight from Cairo:
– any flight with departure from Cairo at any time on August 3.

Meals included: breakfast
Accommodation included: no

• Accommodation in hotels in Cairo (in double/twin rooms)
• Accommodation in tents in a desert (single accommodation)
• Full board: three times a day meals throughout entire expedition part of the itinerary, i.e. except for lunches and dinners in Cairo
• Breakfasts in Cairo
• Drinking water throughout the whole trip, except for Cairo
• All transfers according to the itinerary by 4WD cars in a desert and in ordinary minibus/cars until Bahariya, all with air-conditioning, driven by local experienced drivers
• Airport transfers
• Tents, mattresses and sleeping bags
• All permits for visiting protected areas, National parks
• English-speaking local Bedouine guide throughout all expedition route 
• Russian- and English-speaking team leader and professional photographer throughout the entire itinerary
• lectures of Russian- and English-speaking astronomer throughout the entire itinerary

Cost excludes (to be additionally paid):

• International air ticket to Cairo roundtrip
• International medical insurance
• Egyptian visa
• Tips and personal expenses
• Single accommodation

To take with:

• long-sleeve set - best long-sleeve t-shirt with UV protection, hot weather set (pants, shorts, dresses for photos)
• fleece jacket/light jacket for cool nights
• comfortable shoes for sand (special boots for the desert or Velcro sandals with closed toes, light footwear (sneakers, crocs for the evening and the city)
• cap/hat
• buff for protecting from the dust (optional)
• head torch with batteries
• large backpack / suitcase / trolley on wheels, better rubberized from dust (a suitcase is less convenient)
• a small backpack for radial walks (20-25 l) / a small bag (for water, phone, napkins)
• sleeping bag for +5 degrees weather (can be cold in the night) (provided in the desert as well as mats and blankets)
• sunblock cream, sunglasses
• personal hygiene items (towel, wet tissues, toilet paper)
• personal medical kit (analgesics, antiseptic, antibiotic, antiviral, intestinal, multivitamins, rehydration, court plaster, your personal medications)
• photo and video camera, tripod
• spare batteries, power bank