Egypt / The Western Desert / Siwa OasisSiwa Oasis
Salt Lakes, Palm Groves and the Oracle of Amun
A remote oasis of date palms, olive groves and salt lakes near the Libyan border, home to the Amazigh (Berber) Siwi people with their own language. The crumbling mud-brick fortress of Shali stands over the town; the Temple of the Oracle of Amun, which Alexander the Great consulted, sits on a rock nearby; and you can float in the salt pools, swim in Cleopatra's Spring, and take a 4x4 into the Great Sand Sea to hot and cold springs among the dunes. A 9-10 hour drive from Cairo, or 8 from Alexandria; conservative, with little alcohol sold.
Highlights
- Shali mud-brick fortress at sunset
- Temple of the Oracle of Amun
- Floating in the salt pools
- Cleopatra's Spring
- Great Sand Sea 4x4 and sandboarding
- Bir Wahed hot spring in the dunes
- Painted tombs on the Mountain of the Dead
- Fatnas Island sunset
- Siwan dates and olive oil
Things to do
- Great Sand Sea 4x4, sandboarding and Bir Wahed hot springAfternoon · 5h
- Float in the salt lakesMorning · 2h
- Shali Fortress and the old townEvening · 1h 30m
- Temple of the Oracle of Amun and Cleopatra's Spring by bicycleMorning · 3h
- Mountain of the Dead tombsMorning · 1h 30m
- Sunset on Fatnas IslandEvening · 1h 30m
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: October – April
Worth knowing
Desert Summer Heat
From May to September the Western Desert passes 40 °C by day: White Desert camping and Great Sand Sea trips run early and late, and many operators stop in July and August. October to April is the season (with nights near freezing in December and January).
Heads up
Khamsin Dust Winds
In spring the khamsin, a hot, dusty wind off the Sahara, blows for a few days at a time: the sky turns orange, visibility drops, Luxor's balloons are grounded and flights can be delayed. Keep a scarf and sunglasses handy, and a spare day for the balloon or desert trip.
Heads up
Ramadan: Shorter Hours
Ramadan falls about February to March in 2027 (the dates move about 11 days earlier each year). Museums, sites, shops and offices keep shorter hours, many local restaurants open only after sunset, traffic jams just before the evening meal, and the evenings are lively. Tourist hotels and resorts serve food and drink as usual; eat and drink discreetly in public by day.
Worth knowing
Western Desert: Permits and Border Zones
The border areas with Libya and Sudan are military zones closed to visitors, and off-road trips (the Great Sand Sea, the White Desert, the Siwa–Bahariya track) need police permits that licensed operators arrange. Expect checkpoints and carry your passport. Some governments advise against travel to the Western Desert: check your own government's advice and your travel insurance.
- Ramadan — The fasting month: many cafés and restaurants outside the tourist hotels close by day, sites and offices keep shorter hours, and the streets come alive after the sunset meal (iftar), with lanterns (fanous) and late-night crowds in Islamic Cairo. Eat and drink discreetly in public by day. It falls about February to March in 2027.
- Eid al-Fitr — Three days of holiday at the end of Ramadan: Egyptian families head for Alexandria, the Red Sea and Sinai, so beach hotels, trains and buses fill and prices rise. Banks and offices close.
- Eid al-Adha — The feast of the sacrifice, a four-day holiday: sheep are slaughtered in the streets on the first morning, and the beaches and trains fill with Egyptian holidaymakers. About May in 2027.
- Siyaha festival on Gebel Dakrour — For three days around the October full moon, Siwi men gather on Dakrour mountain to share communal meals, pray and settle disputes, a reconciliation festival with Sufi chanting at night. Visitors are welcome to watch respectfully.