Egypt Tours after the 2011 Arab Spring

Following the turbulent Arab Spring of 2011 and the end of the Mubarak era, two major incidents in the desert led to desert tours being suspended for several years from summer 2014, with the exception of day trips to areas near the oases. The entire area of the Great Sand Sea towards Libya and the “Gilf al Kebir” area in the southwest, in the Libya/Sudan border region, have been closed ever since.

However, the situation improved somewhat around 2019, allowing desert tours with overnight stays in the White Desert National Park to become possible again in consultation with local authorities. Soon after, from 2020-2022, the COVID-19 pandemic led to a collapse in Egypt’s entire tourism industry.

From 2022 until today, 2025, desert tours in certain areas have been possible again, in accordance with the currently applicable official regulations, and we have been and continue to be fortunate enough to be able to conduct tours again.