The Best Trips for Desert Adventures
Content and CRM Executive
Dreaming of a desert safari? Live your camel-riding, campfire-stargazing fantasies with Culture Trip on our best desert trips.
If you stare at the air long enough it begins to wobble. That’s the surreal effect of the desert, sun shining intensely onto a seemingly sizeless expanse of sand, folding over itself in the shape of epic dunes, slowly dismantled and reassembled by the power of the desert breeze. A noticeable hint of danger permeates across the dust, and the sense of adventure is palpable, but there’s also a strange serenity to the desert. It’s rare in modern life to be dwarfed so much by the scale of nature, and the vastness of empty space. Quite simply, these sandy wildernesses offer a truly unique travel experience. Marvel at the majesty of Mother Nature and live your wildest cinematic dreams with Culture Trip on these memory-making desert tours.
Discover Jordan
The red rock, dusty expanses of Jordan’s Wadi Rum have long been one of Hollywood’s favourite sandboxes, with all sorts from Lawrence of Arabia (1962) to Star Wars TV shows and Dune (2021) making the most of this otherworldly adventure playground. Having already dined on street food and local wine in Amman, as well as visiting the iconic ancient city of Petra, you’ll get to explore this cinematic desert for yourself on our eight-day Jordanian odyssey. We’ll zoom across across Wadi Rum in 4x4s, leaving a trail of dust behind as our Local Insider shows you the unseen secrets and hidden beauty spots of this mystical desert. Having spent a day scrambling up sand dunes and discovering incredible rocky viewpoints, we’ll retire to a magical luxury desert camp for an unforgettable night of desert stargazing. We’ll eventually reach the oasis of the Red Sea for a snorkelling experience, followed by a relaxing float in the Dead Sea.
From US$2379
Next available from 6th Jan 2024
Secure your spot with a low deposit
Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Amman, Jordan
ENDS AT
Amman, Jordan
DURATION
8
GROUP SIZE
16
PHYSICAL RATING
Moderate
STYLE
Discovery
Epic Morocco
Morocco’s natural diversity is remarkable, with dreamy coastlines, giant mountains and a fascinating range of towns, cities and cultures. All roads lead to the desert, however, and that nomadic spirit and those ancient Berber traditions are still infused across the land. Our 11-day trip is a comprehensive tour of Morocco, taking in all of the above. You’ll explore Casablanca, Fes and Marrakech, as well as the quirky blue town of Chefchaouen. We’ll explore Dades and Todra Gorges high in the Atlas Mountains, and visit the extraordinary desert kasbah of Aït Benhaddou. The proper dust-bowl adventures take place in the world’s most famous sandy expanse, the Sahara. We’ll go to Merzouga near the Algerian border to stay at a luxury desert riad, with sublime sunset views over the towering Erg Chebbi dunes. We’ll also visit a remote Gnawa village by 4×4, before ploughing on through bouncy sand dunes to a luxury desert camp. We’ll sip on mint tea, sing songs around the campfire and dine Berber style under the stars, before enjoying a wine tasting session – perfect prep for a mind-blowing telescope stargazing session with an expert astronomer. Finally, before leaving the Sahara behind, you’ll get to go on a once-in-a-lifetime sunrise camel ride. Now that is something you will never forget.
From US$1897
Next available from 7th Oct 2023
Secure your spot with a low deposit
Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Casablanca, Morocco
ENDS AT
Marrakech, Morocco
DURATION
11
GROUP SIZE
16
PHYSICAL RATING
Moderate
STYLE
Discovery
Ultimate Egypt
Perhaps the nation most synonymous with deserts, Egypt has always been one of the most common entries on bucket lists across the world. There’s good reason for that, too. Visiting the Sphinx and the Great Pyramids might not be the most original travel ideas, but these otherworldly man-made desert structures are something to behold in person. Today, the contrast between the ancient pyramids and nearby modern cities is a fascinating glimpse at how different civilisations have attempted to tame the desert with grand works of architecture. On this nine-day epic we’ll guide you all the way down from Cairo and the most famous sights of Giza to the islands of Aswan, spending four nights floating through the desert on a luxury Nile cruise. Expect plenty of temples, souks and authentic Nubian delicacies along the way.
From US$2116
Next available from 11th Jan 2024
Secure your spot with a low deposit
Trip highlights and details
STARTS AT
Cairo, Egypt
ENDS AT
Aswan, Egypt
DURATION
9
GROUP SIZE
16
PHYSICAL RATING
Light
STYLE
Discovery
Volcanic Iceland Epic Trip
meet our Local Insider
Hanna
HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN A GUIDE?
2 years.
WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
It's the personal contact, the personal experiences. I love meeting people from all over the world... I really like getting to know everyone and feeling like I'm traveling with a group of friends.
WHAT DESTINATION IS ON YOUR TRAVEL BUCKET-LIST?
I have so many places on my list, but I would really lobe to go to Africa. I consider myself an “adventure girl” and Africa feels like the ULTIMATE adventure!
Every CULTURE TRIP Small-group adventure is led by a Local Insider just like Hanna.
KEEN TO EXPLORE THE WORLD?
Connect with like-minded people on our premium trips curated by local insiders and with care for the world
Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.
Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.
Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.
Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.
We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.
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