The White Desert from Farafra
In the Farafra depression, the White Desert lines up large white chalk rocks shaped by wind and sand. A protected area since 2002, the park covers 300 km², 45 km north of Qasr al-Farafra.
Key facts
Before you go.
- Starting point
- Qasr al-Farafra, in the Farafra OasisWhite Desert National Park (Wikipedia)
- GPS coordinates
- 27.27734, 28.20044White Desert National Park (Wikipedia)
Good to know
Three things to remember.
The highway is tarmac, but you need a 4WD vehicle to explore the White Desert.
Farafra (Wikivoyage)Hot desert climate: 40°C and beyond in summer, 10°C in winter, zero rainfall.
Farafra (Wikivoyage)By bus from Cairo: about 5 hours to Bawiti (Bahariya Oasis), then 3 hours on to Farafra.
Farafra (Wikivoyage)
Plan the trip
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Sources · 2 pages consulted, with the exact sentence used
- White Desert National Park (Wikipedia)
Sahara el Beyda, the White Desert Protected Area, is a national park in Egypt, first established as a protected area in 2002. It is located in the Farafra depression, 45 km (28 mi) north of the town of Qasr Al Farafra. […] The park is the site of large white chalk rock formations, created through erosion by wind and sand […] White Desert National Park covers an area of 300 km2 (120 mi2). (coordinates 27.27734, 28.20044)
- Farafra (Wikivoyage)
Farafra has a hot desert climate, 40°C and beyond in summer and 10°C in winter, and zero rainfall. […] Buses run at least daily from Cairo to Bawiti, the main village of Bahariya Oasis, taking 5 hr. From there, some of them fork west to Siwa Oasis, while others continue south to Farafra, another 3 hr. […] The highway is tarmac but you need a 4WD vehicle to explore the White Desert.
Opening hours, prices and access conditions change: check them with the official source before you go. Viafro publishes no price without a source and a date.