10 Best Camping Sites In Egypt

Egypt has some incredible camping sites from the remote sands of the White Desert to the boho beaches of Dahab.

If you want to immerse yourself in nature – and escape the tourist crowds – then you’re spoiled for choice between Egypt’s mountain ranges, Red Sea and Sahara desert.

So how do you find the best camp site that’s perfect for you?

I’m an expat living for more than a decade in Egypt – and I’ve taken dozens of camping trips across the country.

And this is my ultimate guide to the best camping in Egypt – from the best campsites to booking and insider tips.

1. White Desert and Black Desert

Location: A 5-hour drive from Cairo to the Baharia Oasis, then a 2-hour drive into the White Desert.

Egypt’s White Desert has the surreal landscapes of a science fiction movie: imagine rock formations that rise up like clouds from snow-white sands.

The enormous chalk rock formations were shaped by centuries of wind to look like whatever you can imagine – from animal figures and dwarves to trees.

Ride through these formations and pitch your tent in the sand for a Bedouin lunch of grilled meat and rice. Then catch a brilliant sunset and stargaze while listening to Bedouin songs around a bonfire.

Nearby, the Black Desert is dotted with thousands of black volcanic rocks that littered the sands after an ancient eruption.

The Black Desert is near the White Desert so you can visit both in a single trip – or pick one as your home base.

Activities: 4×4 rides through the sand dunes, swimming in natural oases, stargazing, the Valley of Agabat (for white formations in golden sand), Crystal Mountain (for loose crystals in the sand) and Djara Cave.

Book your trip: There’s a ton of local tour companies that will arrange your entire White Desert experience – from pick up in Cairo, to transportation, tents, food and nighttime entertainment.

If you’re looking for a good one, the Badry Sahara Camp is the top ranked campground in Egypt. Nestled in the Baharia Oasis, it’s a perfect home base to explore the White Desert. This camp has an outdoor pool and simple restaurant, tents, shared bathrooms with showers – and stunning nature all around to explore.

2. Nuweiba

Location: A 2-hour drive from Sharm el Sheikh.

This rugged coastal town on the Gulf of Aqaba has campsites and Bedouin-style tents with beautiful beaches you’ll get almost all to yourself.

It’s a little snorkeler’s paradise with calm waters and colorful marine life that’s perfect for new divers. And it’s a little hidden gem with none of the tourist crowds of Red Sea destinations like Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh.

Nuweiba is known for rugged beach campsites run by the local Bedouins. It’s popular with backpackers and anyone looking for non-fuss beach huts and tents with shared bathrooms, hammocks, guitars by the bonfire and afternoon snorkeling.

Nestled between the Sinai mountains and the Gulf of Aqaba, this stretch of coastline has some of Egypt’s best beachside camping. It stretches from Taba to Nuweiba with lots of campsites dotted inbetween.

Activities: swimming, tanning, diving and snorkeling, hiking at the nearby Colored Canyon (for rock formations in colorful swirls) and lunch at Castle Zaman, a slow food restaurant perched on a cliff.

Book your trip: There’s tons of campsites in Nuweiba and along the coast up to Ras Shetan and further north to Taba.

My favorite is New Moon Island with its 30 sea view bungalows and quiet beaches. I also love Al Magarra Camp for its family atmosphere and traditional Sinai-style huts right on the water.

3. Siwa Oasis

Location: a 9-hour drive from Cairo.

The remote Siwa Oasis boasts ancient Egyptian tombs, hot springs, salt lakes and a unique Amazigh culture that make it unlike anywhere else in Egypt.

And this beautiful oasis in the Western Desert is surrounded by sand dunes, fresh water lakes and mountains that are perfect for camping.

Siwa is incredible for stargazing, listening to Libyan and Amazigh songs around a campfire (Libya is just 50 kilometers away) and exploring sites where Cleopatra and Alexander the Great once trod.

And because it’s so removed from the rest of Egypt, the Siwa Oasis has preserved its local culture and traditions. There are no high-rise hotels here and Siwa is still one of Egypt’s best-kept secrets.

Activities: swimming in the salt lakes, the Mountain of the Dead (for Ancient Egyptian and Roman tombs), the Temple of the Oracle of Amun (where Alexander the Great got his prophecy to rule Egypt), sandboarding, swimming in Cleopatra’s Bath and shopping in the old town Shali (made entirely of salt and clay).

Book your trip: Siwa has a huge array of desert camps – from the rustic shared-bathroom sites to the ultra-lux eco lodges.

I recommend the Siwa Astro Camp if you want to pitch a tent in the sand and spend the night under the stars. At night, it’s perfect for stargazing far away from any city lights. At night the camp comes alive with traditional musicians and lemongrass tea by the bonfire.

4. Fayoum

Location: a 2-hour drive from Cairo.

Fayoum has sweeping landscapes where sandy dunes blend into blue lakes – and it’s all an effortless day trip from Cairo.

Nearby is Wadi al Hitan, or the Valley of the Whales, an incredible open-air museum (and UNESCO site) that contains fossil remains of one of the earliest forms of whale.

This majestic landscape is dotted with campsites and eco lodges around Magic Lake and Lake Qarun. You can also camp at the Valley of the Whales for some incredible stargazing.

Activities: The Valley of the Whales, shopping for local pottery at Tunis Village, sandboardiing, swimming in the lakes, the Wadi el Rayan waterfall,

Book your trip: Book directly with a tour company who’ll arrange everything or reserve at one of Fayoum’s campgrounds or eco lodges.

My favorite is the Zowara Ecolodge, a cluster of round stone huts surrounded by desert landscapes and farmland. There’s no electricity and the sunsets are otherworldly.

5. Ras Muhammed National Park

Location: a 30-minute drive from Sharm el Sheikh.

Ras Muhammad National Park is a gorgeous snorkeling hotspot with serene beaches, birdlife, a mangrove forest and a saltwater lake.

And there’s a small campsite called Bedawi right inside this national park where you can unwind in a simple tent on a sheltered beach teeming with coral reefs.

A communal Bedouin tent with pillows, low tables and high plates of seafood lets you enjoy the local landscapes in Bedouin style.

Activities: diving at Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef for colorful reefs, diving at Jackfish Alley, exploring the underwater wreck of the SS Thistlegorm, snorkeling, swimming, sunbathing, exloring the mangrove forest and local birdlife.

Book your trip: Book directly at the Bedawi website.

6. Ain Sokhna

Location: A 1.5-hour drive from Cairo.

Ain Sokhna is a little beach town on the Red Sea’s Gulf of Suez – and it’s a favorite weekend getaway for Cairenes.

Aside from the kilometers of beach resorts and shopping malls, there’s also a beautiful little campsite right on the water.

Dayra Camp has wooden cabins with sea vies and private bathrooms where you can get the camping experience just a short drive from Cairo.

Activities: swimming, snorkeling, yachting and fishing.

Booking your trip: Book online or directly at the Dayra Camp website.

7. Mount Sinai

Location: A 3-hour drive from Sharm el Sheikh, 6-hour drive from Cairo.

Follow in the fabled footsteps of Moses and camp at Mount Sinai for stunning sunset views of the rugged mountain landscapes.

The area is believed to be the location of the biblical Mount Sinai (where Moses got his 10 commandments). And it boasts breathtaking mountain ranges, jagged peaks and rolling valleys.

Hiking trips to Mount Sinai usually start at night from Hurghada, Dahab or Sharm El Sheikh.

The two-hour hike starts around 3 am just in time to catch the sunrise at the summit. Camping at the top of Mount Sinai is another option you can easily arrange with a travel agency.

Don’t miss the beautiful Saint Catherine Monastery at the foot of the mountain, where monks still live spiritual and simple lives. The 6th-century Greek orthodox monastery is a UNESCO site and one of the world’s oldest monasteries.

Activities: visiting the Saint Catherine monastery, hiking in the Sinai mountains, learning about plant life and nature from a Bedouin guide.

Booking your trip: Stay at one of the lodges at the foot of Mount Sinai near the St. Catherine Monastery, like Desert Fox Camp or Sheikh Mousa Bedouin Camp. Or book a tour that includes overnight camping in the mountains.

8. Marsa Alam

Location: A 2-hour direct flight from Cairo,

Marsa Alam is a quiet town on the Red Sea with pristine beaches, rugged coastlines and some of the most incredible dive sites in Egypt.

Marsa Alam is a diver’s dream with waters brimming with colorful fish and vibrant marine life. And there are some beautiful campsites right on the shore that put you in the middle of all that nature.

Whether you’re looking for simple beach huts or more luxurious glamping options, Marsa Alam has pleny of choices.

Activities: diving, snorkeling, exploring the El Qulan Mangrove Forest, swimming with dolphins, spotting the illusive dugong.

Booking your trip: Marsa Shagra is the most popular campsite in this area – and it offers options from luxury chalets to more simple and basic dome-roofed huts. Their house reef is incredible for spotting turtles and even dolphins.

Marsa Nakari is a campsite beside Marsa Alam’s Dolphin House Reef with beautiful tents pitched right on the water. Or head to the Wadi Lahami campsite in the Red Sea’s Deep South.

9. Dahab

Location: A 1-hour drive from Sharm el Sheikh.

Dahab is a small town in the Sinai known for its boho hippie vibes – and it’s a world-renowned destination for windsurfing and diving.

Dahab also has some gorgeous beaches like the Blue Hole, a favorite diving and snorkeling spot. It’s a backpacker favorite that’s growing in popularity but still hasn’t lost its rugged charm.

Campsites in Dahab put you right on the beach – whether you’re looking for a bargain-priced room or a basic Bedouin-style tent on the shore.

Activities: diving, snorkeling, kitesurfing, exploring the Colored Canyon, swimming in the Blue Lagoon.

Booking your trip: Stay at Ras Abu Galum (about 15 km from Dahab, inside a natural protectorate) for beachside camping at campsites like Girneta Camp or Makany Makanak.

Or head to the Oasis Fighting Kangaroo campsite for basic rooms with shared bathrooms. It’s right in the middle of Dahab about a minute’s walk from the sea.

10. Wadi Degla

Location: A 30-minute drive from the Cairo suburbs.

The Wadi Degla Protectorate is a deep valley surrounded by limestone cliffs and dotted with ancient fossils – all just a short drive from central Cairo.

Hike this rugged landscape and stop for a BBQ picnic at this natural wonder that’s just a 20-minute taxi from Maadi. And spend the night under the stars if you want to get your camping fix without leaving the city.

You’ll find fossils, patches of petrified wood and seashells in this valley that was underwater in ancient times. Climb to a summit for sweeping views of Cairo.

Wadi Degla is home to a wide array of migrant birds, plants and wildlife including deer, mountain rabbits, red foxes and Egyptian turtles.

Activities: hiking, birdwatching, lunching over a bonfire.

Booking your trip: Wadi Camp is a campsite right inside the Wadi Degla Protectorate where you can book a stay for an immersive outdoor experience. The camp also hosts yoga sessions, volleyball, movie nights and barbeques.