Egypt - Traces of Lost Civilizations
Extreme Adventures Difficulty Rating System
4 - SEVERE
These programs take place in the most inhospitable places on earth and entail prolonged strenuous activity. Superior physical and mental condition is required to participate.
3 - DEMANDING
These programs take place in remote environments or require prolonged activity such as rafting, horseback riding and hiking. Participants should be in good physical condition and able to "rough it" for long periods.
2 - MODERATE
These programs take place in environments with potentially extreme temperatures, and may include light physical activity.
1 - MILD
These programs make no physical demands on the participant.

Purchase Equipment & Clothing

Environment & Conditions

  • difficulty 4 3 [ 2 - moderate ] 1
  • Temperatures of 16-27° C
  • Sea level elevation
  • Desert camping, camel riding, hiking
  • Good physical condition required
  • Latitude 30° 08' N
  • Longitude 31° 24' E

Travel Facts

Country Name
Egypt
Capital
Cairo
Coordinates
27 00 N, 30 00 E
Area
  • Total: 1,001,450 sq km
  • Land: 995,450 sq km
  • Water: 6,000 sq km
Elevation Extremes
  • Low: Qattara Depression -133 m
  • High: Mount Catherine 2,629 m
Population
80,335,036
Demonym
Egyptian
Climate
Month High Low Rain
Jan 65 49 0.20
Feb 68 50 0.20
Mar 73 54 0.10
Apr 82 59 0.10
May 89 64 0.00
Jun 93 70 0.00
Jul 93 72 0.00
Aug 92 72 0.00
Sep 90 69 0.00
Oct 85 65 0.00
Nov 75 58 0.10
Dec 67 51 0.20
Time Zone
EET (UTC+2)
Currency
Egyptian pound (EGP)
Voltage
220 V
Calling Code
+20

The colors on the rock were vivid and rich, as if the figures had been painted yesterday. We'd trekked thousands of miles to reach the middle of nowhere, and found ourselves in the heart of a civilization long past.

Expedition Log: Days 6 - 8

We have travelled for days over the desert in 4X4 vehicles to arrive here. We've brought everything with us: water, food, fuel, supplies, GPS locator and our indispensable guide. We seek out primitive paintings in caves and on rock, as well as the tools, axes, beads and bones of a people who inhabited this area 18,000 years ago. The occasional piece of WWII military debris, untouched in this harsh but stunning desert environment, makes our quest all the more intriguing.

People once thrived here when a branch of the Nile supplied life-sustaining water, and each stop brings new hope of uncovering a pottery shard or some other clue to a culture long departed. This region once pulsed with life; a lake, now vanished, once reflected the crisp blue desert sky. Now it's an uninhabitable expanse of pure white sand punctuated with mushroom-shaped chalk formations and rife with archaeological mysteries. Uninhabitable, but not inaccessible, not to us.

Expedition Guide

Expedition Timeline

Days 1-2
United States/Cairo, Egypt

Fly to Cairo where you meet your expedition guide and team members early in the day. Rest at the Four Seasons before heading into the desert.

Four Seasons Hotel First Residence
Day 3
Cairo/Baharia Oasis

Venture south to Baharia Oasis, site of a massive Greco-Roman burial ground and rich in antiquities. This evening, you camp in Egyptian-style tents in Abou Mouhkarik, where the dunes reach heights of more than 200 feet.

Mobile Camp B L D
Day 4
Baharia Oasis/Wadi Bateekh

Drive overland to explore Djarra Cave, noting its large stalagmites and stalactites. Continue to your next campsite, driving through the Watermelon Valley (Wadi Bateekh), a flat landscape dotted with naturally smoothed black stones.

Mobile Camp B L D
Days 5-6
Wadi Bateekh/White Desert/Bir El Dakar

Arrive in the White Desert, with its Dali-esque white chalk formations that rise out of the desert sand like huge mushrooms. Explore this striking region for two days, traversing more than 100 miles.

Mobile Camp B L D
Days 7-8
Bir El Dakar/Dakhla Oasis/White Desert

Set out this morning toward Dakhla Oasis, stopping at the old Islamic village of Al-Qasr, its narrow cobblestone streets and baked brick buildings still hearkening back to the days of the Mamluk Sultanate in the 14th century. Explore the ruins before setting off into the Western Desert and your next campsite. The next day, you can bathe in the natural hot springs of El-Mufid Lake en route toward the White Desert.

Mobile Camping B L D
Day 9
White Desert/Baharia Oasis/Umm El Lephah

Your last day in the desert includes visits to sites rarely seen by the outside visitor including Baharia Oasis, location of the Hall of the Mummies. This site contains more then 1,000 mummies and was discovered by pure chance in 1997. Later, review artwork from the Greco-Roman period at the tomb called Penantio, discovered in 1946.

Mobile Camping B L D
Day 10
Umm El Lephah/Cairo

Arrive back in Cairo and join your expedition team members for a farewell dinner this evening.

Four Seasons Hotel First Residence B L D
Day 11
Cairo/Departure

Transfer to the airport for flights home.

B

Departure Dates & Pricing

Price Per Person
  • 2011:On Request
  • 2010:US $5,975
Single Supplement
  • 2011:On Request
  • 2010:US $720
Internal Air
  • 2011:N/A
  • 2010:N/A

Alternate Departure Dates can be arranged. Prices are subject to change.

2010 Departure Dates
  • October 01, 2010 - October 11, 2010
  • November 01, 2010 - November 11, 2010
  • December 01, 2010 - December 11, 2010
Price Per Person
  • 2010:US $5,975
  • 2011:On Request
Single Supplement
  • 2010:US $720
  • 2011:On Request
Internal Air
  • 2010:On Request
  • 2011:On Request