Desert · Giza
Bahariya Oasis
The closest of Egypt's great oases to Cairo: palm groves, warm springs and Roman-era antiquities, and the gateway to the Black and White Deserts.
Listen to the guide
The story
Bahariya lies in an oval depression of the Western Desert, within Giza Governorate, covering roughly 2,000 square kilometres, with the town of Bawiti as its main settlement. People have lived here since very early times, and the oasis flourished under Greek and Roman rule. In the 1990s a vast Roman-era cemetery was found near Bawiti, known as the Valley of the Golden Mummies, with gilded coffins and golden masks. The oasis also holds the remains of a temple linked to Alexander the Great and monuments from the Late Period. Agriculture still sustains it, with dates, olives, mangoes and guavas, and its warm springs and desert excursions draw visitors today.
Good to know
- The oasis lies in the Western Desert within Giza Governorate and is sometimes called the Northern Oasis.
- The Roman-era Valley of the Golden Mummies is estimated to hold thousands of burials.
- Some of the mummies are displayed in a museum in Bawiti and in the Golden Mummies Hall.
- The oasis is known for its many warm and cool mineral springs, which water its gardens.
- It is the usual starting point for the Black Desert, with its dark volcanic hills, and onward to the White Desert.
Visiting tips
Archaeological sites in the oasis are ticketed separately, and a rise in the foreign-visitor ticket to EGP 400 was announced from October 2026. Desert excursions to the Black and White Deserts are usually arranged with a guide and a 4x4. Please check hours and prices before visiting, as they can change.