Tours
Desert Walking Tour- 15th January to 26th January 2027
Wind, sand, and stars- as St. Exupery put it- is the essence of the desert. And emptiness. And silence. “You cannot hide from yourself in the desert. It reveals who you are.” Ahmed Mestakawi, desert explorer and discoverer of the largest rock art site in the Egyptian Desert.
Want some ‘me time’ without any interruption at all?
Want to walk for hours and see nothing but the horizon and the sky? Want to yoga as the sun comes up over a pristine sand dune?
Want to live a Lawrence of Arabia fantasy?
All of the above is possible!
We walk 4 hours a day- with a break after first hour, long lunch break after the second. If someone feels like they don't want to walk the full four we can get a car to pick them up. If people are still wanting to walk they can explore the area when we camp but four hours with yoga and then just sitting round the campfire… is usually enough...
These pics from the recce trip we just did cover four days and we did not see a single person or vehicle in the whole 180 km section of desert we covered…
The details: 12 days arriving in Cairo on the 15th January 2027 and leaving on Jan 26th 2027.
Day One: We will meet your flight and whisk you across Cairo to a hotel within close distance of the Pyramids ready for an early start the next (we will return to this hotel after the trip so you can stay and do more Cairo stuff if you want).
Day Two: We head south for about six hours to the Gara cave above- one of the few sand filled stalagmitic caves in the world- a huge cathedral like space with rock art. And all around the entrance you can find fragments of stone tools and if you’re lucky, complete ones too. People lived here for thousands of years before the dry times started about 4500 years ago.
We then drive two more hours and then head deep into the dunes south of Farafra oasis for our first desert camp.
very day we camp 15-18 km further in- walking four hours a day to make this distance. We will walk great lines of dunes, across dried up lakes, sand sheets and among strange eroded mountains. At night we will eat magnificent Egyptian food cooked by Karim- and then it is time to stare into the night fire and then up to the incredible starscape above.
Day Three: Our first day walking. But first a sun salute- daybreak yoga for those who want to participate. A hearty breakfast and we start walking. An hour followed by a break, another hour followed by lunch. Then one more hour, a break and the last walk. We arrive at the campsite - already set up by the vehicles. Dinner and sitting round the campfire. First view of the stars in the desert.
Day Four: Yoga. Walking dune exploration. Night Star viewing.
Day Five: Yoga. Walking. Story Telling. Night Star Viewing.
Day Six: Yoga. Walking. Dried lake exploration. Night Star Viewing.
Day Seven: Yoga. Walking. Story Telling. Night Star Viewing.
Day Eight: Yoga. Walking. Exploring the dunes. Night Star Viewing.
Day Nine: Yoga. Walking. Exploring the mountain where we camp. Night Star viewing.
Day Ten: Walk over the mountain. Down through the conical hills. Epic drive down the escarpment. We reach the Oasis. Here we head for the town of Mut- the oldest continually inhabited town on the planet according to the Dakhla Oasis Project archaeology team. Here we stay the night at wonderful 9 bedroom ecolodge hotel- with hot showers and great food!
Day Eleven: We start back for Cairo after a great breakfast with fittir, a local pancake delicacy. Drive 7-8 hours back along Asyut road. Stay at Hotel near Pyramids.
Day Twelve: For those not staying an extra few days to see the Pyramids, Museum etc we will whisk you to the airport. Let us know if you want to stay using the contact form on the first page.
There is only room for eight people as this is a little visited area and we want to keep it that way.
The three vehicles we use are managed by top desert guide and logistics expert Hany Amr- a veteran of 20 years of desert travel and simply the best at the job. We will be in very safe hands. The cars will deliver us to the desert and then drive a circuitous route to the next camp site. We won’t see them until we arrive. As we walk we only carry water, camera and a lunchtime time snack. Everything else can be left in the car and brought forward each day.
There is a canvas communal tent for eating, and each person will have their own tent for sleeping- or they can sleep just on the sand staring up into the night sky- it should be definitely tried at least once. To wake at midnight and see nothing but a dense carpet of stars seemingly so close you can touch them is an experience everyone should have.
The temperatures are perfect- about 10 degrees at night and 20- 25 degrees max by day with full sun most days. It is winter so the light is gone by six.
The price including all hotels, transfers, food, everything in fact except your flight to Egypt is £1995- an exceptional bargain price for such an original trip- there are none like it in the whole of the Sahara- and if you find one- go on it! No single occupancy charge either.
Any more questions do let us know-spaces are limited so you may have to book early.
MORE Information? Get in Touch Below.
Bespoke Tours at Samia’s Egypt we can design an our specifically for you and your own group- be it four people or twenty. who follows here are some ideas so that when we talk you can make some suggestions which we can then add to.
Some of our Previous Tours…
1001 Nights Writing Tour
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1001 Nights is the name of the collection of famous stories from India, Persia and Arabia that were first gathered in Cairo about 800 years ago- though the stories date from much earlier. In Cairo they acquired the frame story of a King and his new wife who aims to entertain him with such good stories she hopes he will stop his habit of killing wives….The very feel of those Arabian nights can still be felt as you walk the alleyways and bazaars of old Cairo…
We will be visiting the very sites that inspired Robert and other writers in their storytelling, gathering for talks and exercises all themed around the idea of creating better storytelling.
The places we visit will include taking a new look at ancient wonders like the Pyramids, to visiting street cafes known only to locals or exploring the Nile islands during a felucca sailing boat trip at the southern end of the Cairo Nile. We’ll meet in the hotel where Agatha Christie preferred to stay and walk the alleys of the Gamaleya district made famous by Novel prize winning writer Naguib Mahfouz- the traditional home of the 1001 Nights collection of stories.
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We have chosen a charming and convivial hotel on Zemalek island with an attached bar and restaurant for this tour. It has great rooms of a good size, all en-suite. You can write in these rooms if you want- as well as rest and sleep in them…And there are other places to hang out too- the cellar bar and outdoor restaurant and the indoor restaurant too. Also available are a spa and a gym should you be in need of such things.
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WED 21 Jan. Arrive Cairo- We will meet you personally at the airport and fast track you through customs. We then head to our hotel on the cool island of Zemalek in the middle of the Nile.
THUR 22 Jan. Pyramid Power. You can’t visit Cairo without seeing the pyramids, the Sphinx and the mysterious Sphinx temple! We get there early, before the crowds and no matter how many times Robert has visited he always finds something new and inspiring to see!- Lunch near the pyramids followed by a trip to the highly acclaimed Grand Egyptian useum in Giza. Driving back through the crowded streets of Cairo we will begin to absorb the magic of a place where the strangest sights happen so regularly that you begin to take incongruity almost for granted…A bit of free time before a hotel dinner.
FRI 23 Jan. The Magic of Old Cairo. We visit the area beyond khan al Khalili: Gamaleya- and have lunch in the incredible Gamaleya hotel where we will have a session on what actually makes a story sing. Later on we will return to downtown and gather for dinner at the Odeon Palace rooftop bar/restaurant.
SAT 24 Jan. The Best Museum in the World? Though the new museum may be all the rage, the old museum, with its sheer volume of antiquities is a mind blowing excursion into the ancient world in all it strangeness- and finding strangeness in the everyday is the theme of the day. We will lunch downtown at Felfela – and then a writing session on finding strangeness and incongruity. We will have dinner at the hotel where we will also meet an Egyptian story teller….
SUN 25 Jan. The Nile Speaks. We journey south down the Nile Corniche to Maadi where we will take a meandering sailing journey in a felucca. The pilots of these craft are masters at navigating the currents and winds of the Nile. Relaxing or writing as you choose.
MON 26 Jan. Into the Desert. We board our trusty Toyota 4x4s and head off road into the desert. We’ll traverse the Giza plateau and pass through the petrified forest above the Fayoum oasis. We then drop by the incredible and still only half explained old kingdom temple of Qsar El Sagha- with its secret passage and oracle door. We then head on to Wadi Hitan to view the extraordinary remains of multiple whales stranded and fossilised when the waters covering northern Egypt retreated. We will the stay night in the desert and see the incredible stars from our campfire….
TUE 27 Jan. We head back to Cairo quite early for another writing class on Zamalek island, this time in the old Gezira Palace Hotel gardens, now part of the Marriot, and Agatha Christie’s favourite hotel in Cairo. After lunch at the hotel we will have some free time before our last celebratory dinner and a visit to the Cellar bar afterwards.
WED 28 Jan. A final lesson in bringing out the best of any story you wish to tell. For those who have time before their flights a stroll to a cafe in Zamalek for a final coffee in the sun!
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January 21st to 28th 2026
8 days, 7 nights
£2100pp (everything included except flights and most alcoholic drinks).
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Booking, payment and other terms and conditions.
Booking & Paying For Your Arrangements
A booking is made with Samia’s Egypt when you pay us a deposit (or full payment) and we issue you with a booking confirmation. We reserve the right to return your deposit (see the tables below) and decline to issue a booking confirmation at our absolute discretion. A binding contract will come into existence between you and us as soon as we have issued you with a booking confirmation that will confirm the details of your booking.
Due to nature of variable pricing adopted by many of our suppliers our own prices are continuously reviewed but typically the lowest prices will be offered to those who book the earliest. However, once we confirm your booking, we guarantee your tour price regardless of any subsequent cost increase in travel arrangements.
Payment can be made by credit card (excluding AMEX) debit card, or bank transfer (in Sterling GBP only and the client is responsible for all bank charges). For bank transfers originating from bank accounts outside the United Kingdom an additional fee of £15 is payable. There is no charge levied against payments made by consumer debit and credit cards. If another type of card incurs a processing fee we will inform you and pass that fee on to you.
Fitness And Health
All tours involve a fair amount of walking often over uneven cobbled streets, hillsides or steps. Participants on all tours should be able to walk or stand for at least sixty minutes without aid or requiring a rest. If you have any concerns in this regard, please contact us for advice. We will refuse to carry anyone who has failed to notify us of any disability requiring assistance during the period from booking the tour to its departure.
If for any reason the Tour Manager and/or the Tour Guide deems a client unfit to participate in any activity, the client must accept that decision as final and no compensation of refunds will be given.
Should the client fall ill, test positive for an infection or be injured during the holiday, the client must inform the Tour Manager and/or the Tour Guide immediately. The client is responsible for adhering to any local or self-isolation requirements and must contact their insurance company.Travel/Trip Insurance
To participate in any of our tours you must ensure that you have adequate insurance to at least cover medical expenses and emergency repatriation. We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party be adequately insured at time of booking to cover cancellation and curtailment up to the cost of the holiday for each participant. You must provide us with details of your insurance policy at least four weeks prior to departure.
Passport & Visas
For many countries, your passport needs to be valid for at least six months beyond your date of return. In Egypt the visa is usually acquired on entry and we do that with you when you arrive. The cost of a visa is included in the prices of our tours. You are responsible for checking your passport in valid. We will not be liable for any failure by the Client to discharge these responsibilities and the Client will have to reimburse us for any costs they incur as a result of such failure on the part of the Client.
Booking Terms
IF YOU CHANGE OR CANCEL
If you or any other member of your party has to cancel your confirmed booking, the following charges apply dependent upon the period of notice that you give:Cancellation period before departure Charge as a proportion of total invoiced cost
85 days or more 10%
84 days to 64 days 30%
63 days to 43 days 50%
42 days to 29 days 70%
28 days to 15 days 90%
14 days to 0 days 100%
All non-refundable supplements or upgrades will incur in a 100% cancelation charge regardless of when they are cancelled.Your cancellation takes effect from the date we receive your written confirmation. The balance of the tour price is due no less than 84 days prior to departure. If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges above will become payable. If you are forced to return home early or choose to do so where you have no reasonable cause for complaint, we will not refund the cost of any services you have not used or be liable for any associated costs you may incur.
If you wish to change any part of your booking arrangements after our confirmation invoice has been issued, we will do our best to assist, but cannot make any guarantees. Where we are unable to assist you and consequently you do not wish to proceed with the original booking, we will treat this as a cancellation by you.
If you are prevented from travelling it may be possible to transfer your booking to another suitable person providing we receive your request in writing. Should you make such a request less than 85 days prior to departure, our cancellation charges will be applied to the original booking.
IF WE CHANGE OR CANCEL THE TOUR
It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your travel arrangements, but we do plan arrangements many months in advance. Occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor and we will advise you of them as soon as possible. In exceptional circumstances this may include a change of guide/historian.
We reserve the right to cancel a tour no less than 15 days prior departure in the very unlikely event of an unforeseen reason such as but not limited to: war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, pandemics or diseases, fire, flood, adverse weather conditions or the threat of any of these.
If we have to make a major change or cancel a tour, we will tell you as soon as possible and if there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of: i) accepting the changed arrangements, ii) receiving a refund of all monies paid to us; or iii) accepting an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us, if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value). Any non-refundable accommodation or travel booked by yourself is made at your own risk and will not be compensated by us in the event of the tour being cancelled.
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
Any dietary requirements must be informed at the time of booking. We will make best efforts to accommodate such requirements and will inform hotels and restaurants. However, it is the responsibility of the client to ensure that such requirements are confirmed with the tour manager, hotel or restaurant upon arrival.This contract and any matter arising from it are governed by the law of England and Wales and are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
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There is the Cairo the tourists see and endure: the obvious sites, the gift shops, the perfume sellers, the papyrus shops and the fake antiquities…and there is the REAL Cairo with a thriving cultural scene - over 70 modern art galleries in Zamalek and Downtown alone, film makers, writers, fantastic architecture from the Belle Epoque and Art Deco periods and the continuing modern use of the ancient neighbourhoods of Old Cairo made famous by the Nobel Prize winning author Naguib Mahfouz.
Guided by Samia and her friends, experts revealing Cairo’s hidden places, galleries, museums and overlooked sights. Wander the streets in safety and enjoyment with a guide on hand.
Have the chance to meet and chat with local artists and film makers.
The tour includes visits to galleries, cool buildings and artists’ studios. And of course the incredible historical sites such as the Pyramids and Sakkara add to the weave of stories that is the Cairo of today.
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We have chosen an upmarket 4 star hotel with wonderfully big rooms on Zamalek island for this tour. Near to the tree lined Nile, and being away from a main road, this is a great place to relax. As mentioned, lovely big rooms, all en-suite…Other places to meet include the two excellent restaurants and the bar.
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Wed 18 Feb: Pick up at the airport where we fast track you through customs. We then travel to our fab four-star hotel in Zamalek. An introductory talk with drinks at the hotel, dinner available for earlier flights and if needed. Zamalek, a former island of farms, now the coolest neighbourhood of Cairo…
Thur 19 Feb. The Pyramids are a must…These ancient wonders, along with the Sphinx and the Sphinx Temple help define Cairo- ancient and modern, and no matter how many times we have been there is always something new to discover here. We follow with lunch nearby and then a visit to the much applauded Grand Egyptian Museum. A welcome dinner at the hotel afterwards.
Fri 20 Feb We make use of the Friday morning calm to take a downtown Cairo cinema tour with an architect guide. People may not know but Cairo is the Hollywood of the Middle East, and some of these classic cinemas are amazing! Samia remembers going to see Gone with the Wind and standing outside the cinema while Papa Noel handed out Christmas presents! This is also where some of the highly acclaimed art films of Yusef Chahine were first screened. A chance also to see downtown galleries. Lunch at classic restaurant Felfela then out to Sakkara to see the incredible Serapeum and the almost modernist Djoser temple. Dinner in a restaurant in Zamalek.
Sat 21 Art around Zamalek Island. We visit the extraordinary Museum of Mohamed Khalil- an early collector of Renoir, Gaugin and Van Gogh. We then have lunch at Granita- an excellent restaurant inside the All Saints cathedral and near the famed Gezira Club, an expanse of green dominating the island. Next we will start working our way through the superb art galleries of Zamalek- followed by dinner at the Hotel or other Zamalek location – meet artist at gallery.
Sun 22 Feb Cave Church. An extraordinary sight in Cairo, found in the Moquattam hills where much rock for the pyramids came from. The huge cave was dug out slowly over time in the area where poor Christians lived and could not afford a cathedral building and is filled with art and sculpture. This will be followed by lunch at Al Azhar park- a reclaimed area paid for by the Aga Khan- crafts in Moquattam/ meet artists - dinner at Ikonos Zamalek with a Cairo artist.
Mon 23 Feb Street photography in Old Cairo. We visit the Qait Bey restoration project and take a photography tour from there. Lunch will be at the Gamaleya hotel- a place of refuge in the teeming streets of Old Cairo. We’ll have a tour of the old neighbourhood (offered by Gamaleya hotel) and the Gayer-Anderson Museum- the site of a scene from the James Bond film The Spy who Loved Me! Dinner at the hotel- where we meet a Cairo film producer.
Tue 24 Feb We visit the interior and gardens of the Omar Khayyam Hotel which was built as a palace for Empress Eugenie to celebrate the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. The grounds used to cover 60 acres. This was Agatha Christies favourite hotel! We then visit the Mahmoud Mokhtar museum– a fabulous gem of a place dedicated to the father of modern sculpture in Egypt. After that have a leisurely packed lunch on a Felucca, a wonderful way to see the middle of Cairo from the Nile, followed by free time for shopping or relaxing and a last celebratory dinner at the hotel.
Wed 25 Feb A last chance for those whose flights are later in the day to look at some little known galleries with some free time to shop- airport.
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February 18th - February 25th 2026
8 days, 7 nights
£2250pp (everything included except flights and most alcoholic drinks).
______________________________________
Booking, payment and other terms and conditions.
Booking & Paying For Your Arrangements
A booking is made with Samia’s Egypt when you pay us a deposit (or full payment) and we issue you with a booking confirmation. We reserve the right to return your deposit (see the tables below) and decline to issue a booking confirmation at our absolute discretion. A binding contract will come into existence between you and us as soon as we have issued you with a booking confirmation that will confirm the details of your booking.
Due to nature of variable pricing adopted by many of our suppliers our own prices are continuously reviewed but typically the lowest prices will be offered to those who book the earliest. However, once we confirm your booking, we guarantee your tour price regardless of any subsequent cost increase in travel arrangements.
Payment can be made by credit card (excluding AMEX) debit card, or bank transfer (in Sterling GBP only and the client is responsible for all bank charges). For bank transfers originating from bank accounts outside the United Kingdom an additional fee of £15 is payable. There is no charge levied against payments made by consumer debit and credit cards. If another type of card incurs a processing fee we will inform you and pass that fee on to you.
Fitness And Health
All tours involve a fair amount of walking often over uneven cobbled streets, hillsides or steps. Participants on all tours should be able to walk or stand for at least sixty minutes without aid or requiring a rest. If you have any concerns in this regard, please contact us for advice. We will refuse to carry anyone who has failed to notify us of any disability requiring assistance during the period from booking the tour to its departure.
If for any reason the Tour Manager and/or the Tour Guide deems a client unfit to participate in any activity, the client must accept that decision as final and no compensation of refunds will be given.
Should the client fall ill, test positive for an infection or be injured during the holiday, the client must inform the Tour Manager and/or the Tour Guide immediately. The client is responsible for adhering to any local or self-isolation requirements and must contact their insurance company.Travel/Trip Insurance
To participate in any of our tours you must ensure that you have adequate insurance to at least cover medical expenses and emergency repatriation. We strongly recommend that you and all members of your party be adequately insured at time of booking to cover cancellation and curtailment up to the cost of the holiday for each participant. You must provide us with details of your insurance policy at least four weeks prior to departure.
Passport & Visas
For many countries, your passport needs to be valid for at least six months beyond your date of return. In Egypt the visa is usually acquired on entry and we do that with you when you arrive. The cost of a visa is included in the prices of our tours. You are responsible for checking your passport in valid. We will not be liable for any failure by the Client to discharge these responsibilities and the Client will have to reimburse us for any costs they incur as a result of such failure on the part of the Client.
Booking Terms
IF YOU CHANGE OR CANCEL
If you or any other member of your party has to cancel your confirmed booking, the following charges apply dependent upon the period of notice that you give:Cancellation period before departure Charge as a proportion of total invoiced cost
85 days or more 10%
84 days to 64 days 30%
63 days to 43 days 50%
42 days to 29 days 70%
28 days to 15 days 90%
14 days to 0 days 100%
All non-refundable supplements or upgrades will incur in a 100% cancelation charge regardless of when they are cancelled.Your cancellation takes effect from the date we receive your written confirmation. The balance of the tour price is due no less than 84 days prior to departure. If we do not receive this balance in full and on time, we reserve the right to treat your booking as cancelled by you in which case the cancellation charges above will become payable. If you are forced to return home early or choose to do so where you have no reasonable cause for complaint, we will not refund the cost of any services you have not used or be liable for any associated costs you may incur.
If you wish to change any part of your booking arrangements after our confirmation invoice has been issued, we will do our best to assist, but cannot make any guarantees. Where we are unable to assist you and consequently you do not wish to proceed with the original booking, we will treat this as a cancellation by you.
If you are prevented from travelling it may be possible to transfer your booking to another suitable person providing we receive your request in writing. Should you make such a request less than 85 days prior to departure, our cancellation charges will be applied to the original booking.
IF WE CHANGE OR CANCEL THE TOUR
It is unlikely that we will have to make any changes to your travel arrangements, but we do plan arrangements many months in advance. Occasionally, we may have to make changes and we reserve the right to do so at any time. Most of these changes will be minor and we will advise you of them as soon as possible. In exceptional circumstances this may include a change of guide/historian.
We reserve the right to cancel a tour no less than 15 days prior departure in the very unlikely event of an unforeseen reason such as but not limited to: war, riot, civil strife, terrorist activity, industrial dispute, natural or nuclear disaster, pandemics or diseases, fire, flood, adverse weather conditions or the threat of any of these.
If we have to make a major change or cancel a tour, we will tell you as soon as possible and if there is time to do so before departure, we will offer you the choice of: i) accepting the changed arrangements, ii) receiving a refund of all monies paid to us; or iii) accepting an offer of alternative travel arrangements of comparable standard from us, if available (we will refund any price difference if the alternative is of a lower value). Any non-refundable accommodation or travel booked by yourself is made at your own risk and will not be compensated by us in the event of the tour being cancelled.
DIETARY REQUIREMENTS
Any dietary requirements must be informed at the time of booking. We will make best efforts to accommodate such requirements and will inform hotels and restaurants. However, it is the responsibility of the client to ensure that such requirements are confirmed with the tour manager, hotel or restaurant upon arrival.This contract and any matter arising from it are governed by the law of England and Wales and are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.
Cool Cairo Tour
Art. Architecture. Photography.
An insider’s view.
8 days, 7 Nights
18th February to 25th February 2026
Frequently asked questions…
How do I book the holiday?
Simply get in touch with us using the form lower down this page and ask us any question you may have about the holidays.
What do I pay?
You can either pay everything for the holiday now or pay a deposit of £300 and the balance four weeks before the tour starts.
Who do I pay?
We can accept payment through this site if you click on the tour you are interested below. You can also get in touch with us through the form and pay us direct by bank transfer. It’s up to you.
Get in touch.
With a real human being! Of course you have loads of questions- and this site can only scratch the surface- that’s why we are here to answer any question you may have. And if you want to talk let us know and we can speak on zoom or by phone at your convenience.