Egypt Desert Jeep Safari

  Egypt

Cairo,  Luxor,  Siwa

Dates: Please inquire

Description:
Program # 01: The Oases and Western Desert of Egypt: 6 Days Jeep Safari
Including Siwa, Baharia and Fayoum

Day 1: El Alamein
Drive North from Cairo towards the Mediterranean Sea and then West to El Alamein. Visit the British, Greek, Italian and German memorials from the Second World War. Drive to Marsa Matruh, a pretty town of the shore the Mediterranean. Overnight hotel.

Day 2: Siwa
Early morning drive through the desert to Siwa Oasis. Visit the spring of Sita before seeing Shalli, the remarkable old city of Siwa. Overnight camp.

Day 3: The Temple of Amun
Visit the Temple of Amun, built by Alexander the Great overlooking the palm tree forests. A chance to bathe in Cleopatra's Spring before driving to visit Beir Wahad one of the hot springs in the Great Sand Sea . Overnight camp

Day 4: Baharia
Early morning drive to Baharia. Visit Gebel Aswid (the fabulous black mountain covered by volcanic rock). Visit the ancient Roman Springs. Overnight hotel.

Day 5: The Waterfall
Drive to Wadi EL Rayan where we find two beautiful lakes fed by magnificent waterfalls. Overnight camp.

Day 6: Fayoum
Drive to Fayoum and visit Lake Quaron and the seven waterwheels. The monastery of the Virgin Mary is also found nearby. Return to Cairo

Program # 02: The Oases and Western Desert of Egypt: 8 Day Jeep Safari
Including Fayoum, Baharia, Farafra, Dakhla, Kharga and Luxor

Day 1: Fayoum
Drive from Cairo to Fayoum .Visit Lake Quaron and the seven waterwheels.
Continue to Wadi El Rayan where we find the beautiful lakes fed by waterfalls. Overnight camp.

Day 2: Hot Spring
Drive through the area of shifting sand dunes to Bawiti, before finding the hot springs of Baharia. There is an opportunity to bathe in this natural source of warm water Overnight hotel.

Day 3: The Black Mountain
Visit Gebel Aswid (the black mountain) and the small Bedouin village of alheiz. Visit the ruins of the oldest church in the western oases, dating from the 1st century. Continue to drive the white desert. Overnight camp.

Day 4: The White Desert
Drive to the area of Gazal and the white desert to see impressive limestone formations where the forces of erosion have created fantastic natural rock sculptures. Drive to farafra. Visit the local museum with local artists' exhibits of art and craft. Overnight camp.

Day 5: Dakhla
Drive to the oasis of Dakhla. Visit el Qasr, a traditional Islamic style building, before seeing the room burial ground at mezawak. Overnight hotel.

Day 6: Mut
Visit the local museum at which documents the daily life in the oasis. Drive to Baalat, the Pharaonic tomb from the 6th Dynasty before a visit to the Pharaonic style village of Bashandi. Drive to Kharga. Overnight hotel.

Day 7: The Temple of Hibis
Visit the Temple of Hibis with its remarkable wall relief. On the edge of the oasis is one of the earliest Christen cemeteries, Bakawat. The doomed tombs and early churches, still contain some of the earliest Christian frescoes intact. Visit Qasr El Ghueita, then drive to the oasis of Baris. Overnight camp.

Day 8: The Temple of Isis
Visit the Temple of Isis in the oasis of Dush then drive to Luxor where we finish the safari.

Program # 03: The Oases and Western Desert of Egypt: 6 DAY Jeep Safari
Including Bahariya, Bahrein, Siwa, El Qara and El Alamein

Day 1: Cairo / Bahariya Oasis
Drive to the Oasis of Bahariya on the surfaced road. Visit of Bawiti and El Qasr Village, the Capital of Bahariya in Pharaonic times. Lunch en route. Continue to Ain El Bishmu ( Roman spring ), Ain El Muftillah, Dinner and overnight camping in the proximity of one of the oasis hot springs.

Day 2: Bahariya / Sitra / Nuwamisa / Bahrein
After breakfast, leave Bahariya and head west to the Oasis and lake of sitra, with Lunch en route. Continue to Nuwamisa and its blue salt lakeshore, before reaching your destination for today: the Oasis of Bahrein, the Oasis of the two lakes. Dinner and overnight camp.

Day 3: Bahrein / Siwa
Siwa, Egypt's westernmost Oasis is unique in its history, traditions, people and natural beauty. Alexander the Great, after conquering the country, came all the way here to consult the famous oracle of Amon. Your arrival in this beautiful Oasis is foreseen around lunchtime. After lunch, enjoy the afternoon of exploring and sightseeing in this wonderful Oasis, visiting the temple of Oracle, the tombs of Gebal El Mauta and the fortress of Shalli. Dinner and overnight camp.

Day 4: Siwa / El Qara
Today's journey takes you deeper into the western desert, to El Qara. This is a tiny Oasis. Isolated and unspoilt. It is said that Alexander the Great camped here on his way from Siwa to Memphis. Dinner and overnight camp.

Day 5: El Qara Oasis / Mersa Matrouh
After breakfast, leave El Qara and rejoin the surfaced road of Mersa Matrouh. Dinner and overnight at your Hotel.

Day 6: Mersa Matrouh / El Alamein / Cairo
Your return journey to Cairo today is enhanced by visit to war cemeteries of El Alamein, of World War II fame. Arrival in Cairo is foreseen in the late afternoon.

Program # 04: Sinai Desert: 4 Days Jeep Safari

Day 1: Serabit El Khadem
We journey early in the morning across the Eastern Desert to the Suez Canal. We cross into Sinai, the land bridge between Africa and Asia. The drive takes us along the coast of the Gulf of Suez Canal to Abu Zeneima and from here we travel east to the area of Serabit El Khabem. Overnight Camp.

Day 2: Temple Of Hathor
We visit the ancient Egyptian Temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor high on the sandstone plateau above the Bedouin Village. Visit the ancestral shrine of Sheikh Habus. Drive to Ramlat El Khamala, Wadi Barak, Wadi Sleef and Wadi Fieran to the Monastery. Overnight hostel.

Day 3: Mount Sinai
An early morning climb to see the dawn from the summit of Mount Sinai (Gebel Musa 2285m). Visit inside the magnificent Basilica Church of St. Catherine, founded in the 6th Century by the Emperor Justinian. It houses on of the world's most famous collections of early Christian Art (The Monastery is closed on Holy Days). Drive to the village and on to the Crusader Pilgrimage route which brings us to the Rock of Inscriptions (Nabatean and early Christian inscriptions survive side by side). A short walk brings us to the late palm gardens of Ein Khudra. The oasis is the traditional Hazerot, a resting plce for the children of Israel. Meet the jeeps and drive through Wadi Ghazala to Wadi Nakhel to the colored Canyon. Overnight camp.

Day 4: Colored Canyon
Walk through the Colored Canyon before driving to the Gulf of Aqaba for swimming and snorkeling. Return to Cairo.

Program # 05: Sinai Desert: 6 Days Jeep Safari

Day 1: Serabit El Khadem
We journey early in the morning across the Eastern Desert to the Suez Canal. We cross into Sinai, the land bridge between Africa and Asia. The drive takes us along the coast of the Gulf of Suez Canal to Abu Zeneima and from here we travel east to the area of Serabit El Khabem. Overnight camp.

Day 2: Temple of Hathor
We visit the ancient Egyptian Temple dedicated to the goddess Hathor high on the sandstone plateau above the Bedouin Village. Visit the ancestral shrine of Sheikh Habus on the way to the Forest of Pillars - a rare geological phenomena - set under the great limestone plateau of El - Tih. Drive through Wadi Sieh to Wadi Maghara. Overnight camp.

Day 3: Old Kingdom Turquoise Mines
The Ancient Egyptian turquoise mines are set above the acacia lined valley. Hanging over the entrances are old Kingdom inscriptions. Drive to wadi Mukattab, the Nabatean trade passage, with inscriptions marketing the route which brings us to Fieran. Here in the midst of the beauty of South Sinai's largest oasis is the convent of Moses. Its small church is built from the remains of the Archbishop's palace. Overnight hostel.

Day 4: Mount Sinai
An early morning climb to see the dawn from the summit of Mount Sinai (Gebel Musa 2285m). Visit inside the magnificent Basilica Church of St. Catherine, founded in the 6th Century by the Emperor Justinian. It houses on of the world's most famous collections of early Christian Art (The Monastery is closed on Holy Days). Drive along Wadi Safra with an opportunity to climb sand dunes surrounded by the great sandstone lattice work. Overnight camp.

Day 5: Ein Khudra
We pass the great pilgrimage landmark, Gebel El Makhroom, before visiting the Nawamis. There extremely well preserved burial chambers from the Early Bronze Age, cover the nearby red sandstone. From here the Crusader Pilgrimage route brings us to the Rock of Inscriptions (Nabatean and early Christian inscriptions survive side by side). A short walk brings us to the date palm gardens of Ein Khudra. The oasis is the traditional Hazerot, a resting place for the children of Israel. Meet the jeeps and drive through Wadi Ghazala to Wadi Nakhel to the colored Canyon. Overnight camp.

Day 6: Gulf of Aqaba
Drive to the Gulf of Aqaba for swimming and snorkeling. Return to Cairo.

Highlights: Black Horse Travel Jeep Safari and Expeditions

We organize jeep safari (3-14days) or walking tours (4-7days), as well as camel caravans (4-10days) through the colorful canyons and high mountain ranges of Sinai or the oases of the Western Desert with their characteristic culture. Visit Siwa, Baharija, Farafra, Kharga and Dakhla, and cross the Great Sand Sea or the White Desert. Our programs also include expeditions to Gilf el Kebir and Djebel Uweinat. Our programs are designed as independent modules that can be combined with each other or one or two days in Cairo to see the Pyramids and the treasures of the Egyptian Museum. There is also the possibility of attaching some days in Luxor to see Karnak temple and the Valley of the Kings, or have a relaxing time on the beach in Sinai or Hurghada. We will help you to find the program best suited to your clients needs and your flight schedule.

We operate all tours with a min. of 2 pax per group at any given time.
Some routes in the Western desert must be done with two jeeps. In this case, this is noted in the program.

Trekking Tours and Camel Caravans:
Surrounding the Western oases are areas well known for their scenic beauty, which provide ample opportunity for walking trips, accompanied by pack or riding camels. There is, for example, the Wadi Mushroom, with its typical white limestone formations resembling mushrooms, which is only a part of the White Desert. Then there is Djebel el Makhroum, a rock formation with a natural hole, and its surroundings, as well as Khayyam el Inglis with its tent-shaped rocks. Walks begin after breakfast, for app. 2-3 hrs. After lunch the walk can be continued for another 2 1/2 or 3 hrs until one hour before sunset, when the camp is made. Tents and bags are unloaded, and everybody prepares his or her sleeping place in the tent by daylight. Beneath the sparkling stars a hot soup and a hearty Egyptian-style meal is dished out. The bedouin prepare dinner bedouin style, with bread baked in the ashes (Libda), and sometimes sweet pancakes (Faraschih). After dinner there is singing and music with hand drums and double flute (Arghul). The starlight and the fires warmth make an unforgettable setting for a gregarious evening.

Exploring the heart of the Sinai Peninsula you have to resort to your own feet - and those of the Bedouins' trustworthy pack animals, the camels. After climbing the summits of Djebel Musa, where the Ten Commandments were revealed, and Djebel Catherine, both overlooking the mediaeval monastery of the saint, founded by emperor Justinian, you may want to follow the trails of the Bedouin at a leisurely pace. Nestled among Sinai's mountain ranges you will discover amazingly green oases as well as carefully cultivated olive groves tended by black-veiled women. The famous Arab hospitality is demonstrated during tea breaks in goat-hair tents along the way. Our well-trained staff and our Bedouin guides take care of your well-being by choosing picturesque spots for lunch as well as the night camp, and by preparing lavish Egyptian dishes for a well-deserved dinner in the evening. You will explore a part of Djebel et Tih, the central massive of Sinai, discovering the White Canyon and the Wadi Arada, the ruined palace of Abbas Basha and the waterfalls of Talaa. During your trip, you'll also see the biblical Hazeroth, the little oasis of Ain Hudra, and its neighbouring canyons, as well as the bizarre perforated sandstone formation of the Djebel Makhroum. Afterwards you may decide to take a break on one of the beautiful beaches of South Sinai for swimming and snorkeling.

A Day in the Desert:
In the morning the drivers have already been up to prepare breakfast when everyone gets up. Afterwards the guide takes the clients for a short stroll. Meanwhile, the drivers dismantle and stow the tents and equipment, then the tour commences. The routing is designed to show a change of scenery every day. Lunch break is at a well-suited, beautiful spot, sometimes providing an opportunity to wash or swim. After lunch the tour continues to the landscapes and points of interest of the days program until finally, app. one hour before sunset, the site of the nightly camp is reached. Tents and bags are unloaded, and everybody prepares his or her sleeping place in the tent by daylight. Beneath the sparkling stars a hot soup and a hearty Egyptian-style meal is dished out. The starlight and the fires warmth make an unforgettable setting for a gregarious evening.

Felucca Sailing:
After crossing the desert or even as extension to a tour in the Nile valley a sailing trip on local sailing boats known as feluccas, along the most beautiful stretch of the river Nile has become more and more popular.

Nubian sailors welcome you aboard the typical Nile felucca with its up to nine metres high mast and triangular sail, which is in use since ancient times. An average felucca takes 2-8 passengers. The space between the benches is used for storing luggage and covered by planks, which form the deck. Rugs are provided for comfortable sitting. Sailing usually starts at 8.00a.m., with stops for lunch. The Nile valley between Luxor and Aswan is considered the most beautiful stretch of landscape in Egypt. Lush vegetation on the riverbanks contrasts sharply with golden sand dunes and rock formations in the background. You pass colourful Upper Egyptian and Nubian villages, cattle bathing and children splashing in the water. In Kom Ombo visit to the Ptolemaic twin temples set between reeds and islets used for grazing. Another attraction is a stroll through the lively camel market in the Upper Egyptian hamlet of Darau (Tuesdays only!). In Edfu you'll see the temple of Horus, nearly fully preserved and dating back to the Ptolemaic kings. Especially beautiful are the Nile islands of Aswan, set in front of a desert background.

Days begin with breakfast on board, consisting of coffee or tea, cheese, eggs, jam, and bread. Sometimes there are fuul beans or eggs with tomato sauce. At noon there is a break for lunch. Usually lunch is the lightest meal of the day and consists of different kind of cheese and vegetables, or scrambled eggs with bread and salad, tuna fish or the like, with tea or coffee afterwards. About 1hr before sunset the boatman starts to prepare for the night. Dinner is cooked in the Upper Egyptian or Nubian way and spicy. It is the main meal of the day and leisurely prepared: soup of the day, rice or pasta and vegetables with meat or chicken, fruit for dessert and coffee or tea.

During the night the deck is covered with a kind of tent, which opens to one side for ventilation.

Four or five days aboard a felucca can be combined with an extension in Luxor and /or Aswan, as well as a tour to the Western oases, and a short stay in Cairo!

Each of our programs has been minutely researched over a period of years as we do our effort in order to find out a new fascinating ways to travel through these cities just to give a first hand book at the country and its people.

Qualified tour leaders and guides let our clients feel at home right from the start and for the whole duration of their trip. They are flexible, knowledgeable and take the time to show our clients the treasures of our country and lead them off the beaten tracks now and then, giving them the chance to explore and experience the atmosphere and charm of the real Egypt.

We cooperate with a broad range of hotels and cruises of all categories all over Egypt and can offer you very competitive rates.
Our experts visit the cruise ships regularly to make sure we are always up to date about their standard; thus we can choose the cruises which offer the highest level of service and cleanliness combined with tasteful food and elegant ambience.
For tours and transfers we use our own vehicles, and for desert tours and expeditions our own 4x4 Toyota Landcruiser,

Our services extend into the neighbouring countries through a chain of affiliated companies in Syria and Lebanon, Jordan, Libya and Sudan, thus enabling us to offer you complete handling of your combined roundtrips in the Middle East!
It will be our pleasure to welcome you to Egypt!

This Program is open to American, Australian, Canadian, European, Kiwi, South African and Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel to Egypt Independently Or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently Or in Groups of 8 persons

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview Required
• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Other
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Resume
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit DebriefingAbroad
• Job and Internship Network
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Black Horse Travel 's Mission Statement: Black Horse Travel of Egypt is a tour operator and a full services travel agency with governmental license as Class A-1 by the Egyptian Tourism Ministry since the foundation in 1990. It is managed by a team of multilingual professional travel consultants and provides full services for group and individuals traveling to Egypt for leisure and business. Black Horse Travel offers tours of the world-famous Egypt from an unusual perspective with each itinerary carefully constructed to ensure maximum satisfaction from our Egyptian experience from the start to the end of their trip. We provide travel programs that will accommodate your travel needs, schedules and budget. With a team of enthusiastic, efficient staff, we aim to provide the best that Egypt can offer.

Year Founded: 1990