Living in Luxor - Excursions: 4-Day Desert Trip to Dakhla Oasis

Dakhla Oasis is situated in the heart of the Western Desert in a 80 km long depression surrounded by limestone plateaus, about 350 km away from Luxor. The oasis was settled since the 5th dynasty (2494–2345 BC) and densely populated during the Roman reign (30 BC–641 AD). Nowadays, Dakhla is part of the New Valley Governorate. More than half of the lands of Dakhla Oasis are agriculturally cultivated. This is possible because it has a large number of water springs. The archeaological sites of Dakhla class among insider tips.

Dakhla Oasis

At the time of the Pharaohs giraffes, lions and elephants presumably lived in the area around Kharga and Dakhla. Then there occured a climate change, and the desert developped. Since only some depressions - the oases - offered a suitable habitat for man and beast. Dakhla Oasis was located in the center of an important caravan trading route that linked it with the Kharga and Farafra Oases as well as the Nile Valley in the west and Libya in the east. During the rule of the Romans, who built irrigation systems and numerous fortresses, the oases get rich and were famous for their date palm and vineyard cultivation.

Dunes at the Dakhla Oasis

 

 

Our Offer: 4-Day Desert Trip to the Dakhla Oasis

Our 4-day desert trip provides a rich program. Let us take you to sites that span a time of 4500 years - from the Pharaonic Old Kingdom to the Early-Christian and the Roman period down to the present day.

Itinerary:

Day 1:

• Drive from Luxor to Kharga City (Kharga Oasis)
• Visit of the Temple of Hibis, which was built in the Saite-Persian period (664-404 BC) and devoted to God Amun
• Continuation of the journey to the Dakhla Oasis
• Overnight stay at a pittoresque Bedouin camp located on a little hill in a village near the city of Mut, the capital of Dakhla

Temple of Hibis, Kharga Oasis

Temple of Hibis, Kharga Oasis

Bedouin camp, Dakhla Oasis

Day 2:

• Visit of the Tombs of Qarat el-Muzawwaqa, which were reopened in 2013. They belong to the Roman priests Petosiris and Petubastis and show a creative mixture of ancient Egyptian and Roman motifs
• Visit of the Roman Temple of Deir el-Haggar, the best-preserved temple in the Dakhla Oasis, dedicated to the Theban triad of Amun-Re, Mut and Khonsu.  It was built between the reigns of Nero (54–68 AD) and Domitian (81–96 AD)
• Four-by-four excursion to the dunes of Dakhla
• Overnight stay at the Bedouin camp

Tomb of Petosiris in Qarat el-Muzawwaqa, Dakhla Oasis

Temple of Deir el-Haggar, Dakhla Oasis

Four-by-four excursion at the dunes of Dakhla

Dunes, Dakhla Oasis

Bedouin camp, Dakhla Oasis

Day 3:

• Visit of the lovely ethnographic Museum in Mut. Displays of clothing, baskets, jewellery and other domestic items give an insight into oasis daily life
• Excursion to Qasr, a beautifully restored medieval town built from mudbricks. The minaret of the mosque even dates to the Ayyubid period (1171–1250 AD)
• Desert walk at the sanddunes of Dakhla
• Overnight stay at the Bedouin camp

Ethnographic Museum in Mut, Dakhla Oasis

Mosque in Qasr, Dakhla Oasis

Street in Qasr, Dakhla Oasis

Walk at the dunes, Dakhla Oasis

Tea at the dunes, Dakhla Oasis

Bedouin camp, Dakhla Oasis

Day 4:

• Return journey to Luxor
• On the way stop at the necropolis of Qila' el-Daba in the village of Balat and visit of two mastaba tombs. The local governors of the 6th dynasty (2345–2181 BC) were buried here in tombs with brillant colors. Currently, the mastaba of Khentika and the mastaba of Betju and Ideki are open

Mastaba of Khentika in Balat, Dakhla Oasis

Mastaba of Betju and Ideki in Balat, Dakhla Oasis

 

Included in the Rates:

• Air-conditioned minibus for the whole trip
• 2 excursions by four-by-four
• 3 overnight stays at the Bedouin camp
• Breakfast, picnic and dinner

Air-conditioned minibus

Not ncluded in the Rates:

• Flights and visa
• Airport transfers to your hotel in Luxor and back
• Guided tours
• Tips for the drivers, staff etc.
• Any kind of insurance

Artificial lake, Dakhla Oasis

Optional:

• Airport transfers to your hotel in Luxor and back
• Overnight stay at a hotel in Luxor
• Sightseeing program in Luxor
  
  

Rates:

• Price on request

Dunes at the Dakhla Oasis

 

Geographical Position:

Luxor and the oases of Kharga and Dakhla, © Google

 

To the list of excursions ...