The Farafra Oasis is smaller than its neighbors in the Western Desert. In addition, it is not as easily accessible from Cairo or the Nile Valley as Bahariya, Kharga, or Dakhla. This makes it more limited in terms of tourist attractions and much less visited than the others. However, as a counterpart, it offers greater tranquility and a more genuine appearance, which may be an attraction for many travelers.
On this page, we tell you everything you need to know if you wish to visit it. And we suggest you contact Egipto Exclusivo: although the Farafra Oasis is not part of the major circuits of our agency, we can organize a tailor-made and personalized program that takes you there, with transportation, accommodation, and any other services you may need.
The Farafra Oasis is nestled in the heart of the Western Desert, about 300 km in a straight line from the Nile Valley, at a latitude similar to that of the city of Asyut. However, the route to access this oasis is not direct, but necessarily involves tracing a much longer route that will take you through the other oases of the Western Desert first: Bahariya if you are coming from the north (Cairo) and Kharga and Dakhla if you are coming from the Nile Valley. And that considerably increases the distance of the trips.
In addition to being a relatively small oasis in terms of extension, its population is not very high either. However, in recent years, efforts have been made to revitalize it by launching new crops (orange trees, sunflowers, dates, etc.), which has attracted workers from the Nile Valley. According to some estimates, the number of inhabitants of the Farafra Oasis could exceed 20,000.
One of the main attractions of the Farafra Oasis are the 4×4 safaris to places of surprising beauty in the desert. Specifically, to the Black Desert, the White Desert, and the Crystal Mountain. All of them are located north of this oasis, on the road that leads to the Bahariya Oasis.
Therefore, if you wish to visit these natural landscapes in an excursion format, we recommend visiting our page about the Bahariya Oasis, where we explain each point in detail. And in that place, you will also find a greater offer of professionals and specialized companies, as it receives a greater flow of tourists.
As for the Farafra Oasis, the largest town is Qasr Al Farafra, although its list of tourist proposals is not too extensive. It had a Roman fortress to protect this caravan route, but it is currently in ruins. The adobe structures of the center are also very deteriorated, in some of which you can sense medieval elements of ancient air, such as locks or doors. A walk through its palm grove, located next to the center, which gives a characteristic touch of greenery and nature to the town, will be more evocative.
But without a doubt, from a cultural point of view, the Badr Museum is the most original and suggestive place you can visit in the Farafra Oasis. This is the workshop-museum of a local artist, Badr Abdel Moghny, who imprints a very personal style on his works, especially his sculptures. To do this, he not only draws inspiration from the unique ecosystem of the desert and the oasis, but also uses it as a source of extraction of his raw materials, obtaining from the environment the pigments and materials for paints and supports. His Sculpture Garden will leave anyone who dares to visit it speechless.
And if you travel around Qasr Al Farafra, you can get in touch with different hot springs and small bodies of water, which serve as entertainment for the local population. They are Bir Sitta, Ain Bishay, and Lake Abu Nuss.
The only way to get to the Farafra Oasis is by road. Located in the depths of the Western Desert of Egypt, there are no nearby airports, nor train stations.
There are two possible entry routes by road:
There is a regular bus that leaves from Cairo and arrives at the Farafra Oasis, passing through the Bahariya Oasis. If you have the soul of a globetrotter and you do not mind spending about 10 hours of travel in a collective bus with limited amenities, you can consider this option.
In any case, it is not the most recommended option. Nor is it to travel directly to the Farafra Oasis, since the journey can be equally long. The most viable solution is to organize a circuit through the oases of the Western Desert, following the ancestral caravan route, which will allow you to schedule breaks and other visits of interest before your arrival.
So if that is your intention, put yourself in the hands of a trusted agency like Egipto Exclusivo and start planning your route to the Farafra Oasis, which will be etched in your memory forever.
