Bahariya Oasis

Bahariya Oasis is a depression in Egypt's Western Desert, about 365 km southwest of Cairo, administratively part of Giza Governorate. A cluster of palm-fringed springs surrounded by black quartz hills, it is the main gateway for Western Desert excursions to the volcanic Black Desert and the surreal chalk-formation landscapes of the White Desert National Park. The oasis is also home to the Valley of the Golden Mummies, discovered in 1996 by archaeologist Zahi Hawass, which yielded hundreds of Greco-Roman-era mummies (332 BCE–395 CE) noted for their gilded funerary masks; many of the finds are displayed at the local Golden Mummies Museum. Hot and cold natural springs dot the oasis and are a draw in their own right.

By Car / Road

Bahariya Oasis is reached by desert road from Cairo, roughly 365 km to the northeast.

By Bus

Long-distance buses connect Bahariya's main town, Bawiti, to Cairo.

Local trips within the oasis run by taxi or on foot; excursions into the Black Desert and White Desert require a 4x4 and are normally arranged with a local guide or tour operator.

The Valley of the Golden Mummies and its associated Golden Mummies Museum, the volcanic Black Desert, and the chalk-formation White Desert National Park are the region's headline sights, along with the oasis's natural hot and cold springs and scattered ancient tombs.

Soak in the natural hot springs, and arrange a 4x4 desert safari into the Black Desert and White Desert — typically overnight camping trips among the White Desert's chalk formations.

Simple Egyptian meals, often built around the oasis's dates and local produce, are served in Bawiti and at desert safari camps.

Tea and fresh juices; some safari camps serve meals around a campfire in the desert.

Bawiti has a small selection of guesthouses and hotels serving oasis visitors; desert-safari operators also run overnight camping stays in the White Desert.

Local handicrafts and dates from the oasis's palm groves.

Cairo and Giza to the northeast, or onward through the Western Desert oases circuit toward Farafra.