Sinai Bedouin Camp 2 Days: Canyons, Dunes and Hudra Oasis

This is a two-day 4×4 trip into the South Sinai desert with one night at a Bedouin camp in Zigzag Canyon. You set off from Dahab or Sharm El Sheikh, explore Jebel Hamata Canyon and the Red Canyon, try sandboarding, ride a camel and stop for lunch at Hudra oasis. The next morning you see the sun come up over the desert before the drive back. It runs every day for at least two travelers, from $525 per person.

What you will see and do

Most of the action happens on day one. After an early pickup, a jeep leaves the paved road and heads into the mountains behind the coast. You stop at Jebel Hamata Canyon and the Red Canyon, two valleys cut through the rock, and spend time on the dunes with a sandboard. A camel ride gives you a slower look at the landscape and a taste of how the Bedouin have long moved through this land.

Lunch is a Bedouin meal at Hudra oasis, a patch of palms in a dry valley. The drive then continues to Zigzag Canyon, where the camp is set for the night. With no town lights nearby, the desert turns quiet and dark after sunset. On day two you get up early for sunrise, have breakfast at camp and return to your hotel.

How the two days work

Day one is long and active, with canyons, dunes, the camel ride and lunch on the move. Day two is short and easy: sunrise, breakfast and the road back to the coast. Because the trip starts and ends at your hotel, you only give up one night of your beach stay.

Who this trip suits

It suits people staying in Dahab or Sharm who want a real night in the desert without booking a long tour. You walk on sand and rocky ground in the canyons, so you should be steady on your feet, but the program lists canyon visits, sandboarding and a camel ride rather than a long trek. Couples and groups of friends get the most out of the camp evening. If you are more interested in the high mountains and the monastery, the St. Catherine shore excursion from Sharm El Sheikh covers them in a single day.

Practical details

• Departures: every day, minimum two people.
• Pickup: early morning from your hotel in Dahab or Sharm El Sheikh. The exact time is confirmed when you book.
• Transport: private air-conditioned vehicle, with 4×4 jeeps inside the desert.
• Guide: a private English-speaking guide.
• Included: the camp night, entrance fees, the meals listed in the itinerary, bottled water and all taxes.
• Not included: international flights and your Egypt entry visa.

Pack a warm layer for the evening and early morning, closed shoes for the canyons, a hat, sunscreen and a small flashlight, plus a light bag with what you need for one night. For weather month by month, read our guide to the best season to visit Egypt. Our Red Sea Egypt travel guide covers Dahab and Sharm if you are still choosing a base. For a desert night in a very different landscape, compare the White Desert and Bahariya 2-day camping trip from Cairo, or browse all our Sinai tours.

Comparing options? See also our Sinai 4-Day Tour and Mount Saint Catherine Hiking.

Photos: The seafront at Dahab. Photo: Dr. Ondřej Havelka (cestovatel) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · View of the Sinai summits from Mount Sinai. Photo: Ahmed Azam / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Reef and mountains at the Blue Hole, Dahab. Photo: No machine-readable author provided. Nowic assumed (based on copyright / Wikimedia Commons, public domain