This tour combines some of the best sights of the Eastern Desert. Fantastic landscapes, the most spectacular archaeological sites and a night in the desert.  Although it cannot be guaranteed the sighting of wildlife like gazelles is quite common during this trip.

We leave after an early breakfast. Following the Red Sea for one and a half hours to the south we enter the National Park “Wadi el Gemal”. The park is named after the valley “Wadi el Gemal” (valley of the Camels) which cuts through the mountain range from the East to the West. This Wadi was well known throughout history as an important trading route. Along the road we find many traces of this desert’ s history: roman caravan stations, tombs of the Blemmey tribe (the ancestors of the Bedouins), and more.

After two hours off-road we reach an area where emeralds where mined since pharaonic times. There are settlements long forgotten but well preserved.

We first arrive at the roman village of Geli. There the gems were prepared for their further transport to the Nile. It is one of the biggest settlements in the area. Not so well preserved but impressive by scale. We will make a short walk up a nearby hill from where you oversee the large desert plains of this area. 

After a short drive we reach the village Marfuah. Also a roman settlement where emeralds were mined. From there we make a short walk over sand dunes to our lunch place.

From there we take a road back to the coast and arrive at the lodge during the late afternoon.