A place I had never even heard of or even considered visiting became one of the most unique places I have ever visited! It may not be the easiest place to get to, but for a small region in the middle of nowhere, Siwa has so much to offer and I can guarantee you will not be disappointed!
The remote location of Siwa means it has preserved its own unique culture, language and the people are the kindest souls. It is also one of the very few places in the world that has not been destroyed by over-tourism or influence from the outside world and because of this, it makes it a truly incredible and bucket list destination!
Where is it?
Siwa Oasis is located around 350 miles from Cairo in the Western Desert. It is just 50km east of the border of Libya.
How to get there?
Due to its remote location, getting to Siwa can be a bit of a challenge and to be truthful, it does take some dedication and time.
Option One– Take the public bus. The Western Delta bus company has a direct service from Cairo to Siwa. It takes 12 hours +. We attempted to take this service, but for some reason the police wouldn’t allow it so we went with option 2. I do know others who have taken this bus and managed just fine so you may just have to try your luck- that’s Egypt for you!
Option two– From Cairo take the Go Bus (best company- reliable, comfortable and spacious) to Marsa Matruh (7-8 hours) and then from there take the Western Delta Bus to Siwa (4 hours). We left Cairo at 8am and arrived in Siwa at 9pm- with a one hour stop in between in Marsa Matruh.
Option three– From Alexandria, take the bus direct to Siwa. (9 hours +).
To know– I have added + at the end of the duration times as they are estimates. The majority of bus times were unreliable and a journey that stated 5 hours, always ended up taking about 7/8.
What to do?
For a small region of around 50,000 people, there are plenty of amazing things to see and do in Siwa and you can easily spend a few days exploring everything.
Visit the salt lagoons
Surprisingly, the salt lagoons were only discovered in 2011 as part of a large salt mine. Now, there are hundreds of salt lagoons spread throughout Siwa and Egypt is exporting salt all around the world. In the lagoons, the salt concentration is more than 95% meaning that you literally cannot sink!
If you do one thing whilst in Siwa, it has to be visiting these beautiful salt lagoons. It is honestly a once in a lifetime experience like no other and the best thing, they are FREE!
Bathe in the Cleopatra Well
Take a refreshing dip in the warm water spring located in the centre of town. This is the ideal place to relax and wash the salt off your body after visiting the salt lagoons.
Explore the Shali Fortress
Entering Siwa old town, you cannot miss the large Fortress. Built between the 12th and 13th century, from a mixture of mud, salt and other minerals, this fortress used to house hundreds of people and was used as a place to protect the people of Siwa from neighbouring tribes. Climb up to the top of the old houses for a great view over the city.
Check out ‘The Temple of the Oracle’
Visit a temple constructed in the 6th century and dedicated to the god Amun. The temple was famous for being visited by Alexander the Great back in the days! Explore the mud-brick ruins and climb to the top for the view.
Visit the tombs of the mountain of the dead
Lying on the edge of Siwa, is a mountain which is home to over 2000 Roman and ancient Egyptian tombs. With a guide, it is possible to enter one of the tombs and see the interesting carvings and paintings. You can also climb to the top of the mountain for another great panoramic view of Siwa.
Watch the beautiful sunset at Fatnas Island
This picturesque little island on the edge of Siwa offers some of the most incredible sunset views and is a popular spot for locals and visitors. Enjoy drinks at one of the two cafes, chill out on the jetty, in a hammock or rent a pedal boat on the lake.
Go on a desert safari- sandboarding and dune bashing
Fly down the sand dunes on a bodyboard or hold on tight whilst you tear up and down the dunes in a landcruiser! Finish off the tour with a traditional Bedouin tea whilst watching the sunset.
Wander through Siwa town and see the local life
Arriving into Siwa town you will feel like you have stepped back 100 years ago. Siwa is as authentic as it gets- old mud brick buildings, typical Egyptian dress and donkeys outnumbering cars. Our only regret is that we didn’t have enough time to simply wander around and take in the experience.
Where to Stay?
There are a handful of hotels/guesthouses in Siwa and something to meet all budgets. After a recommendation of some friends on Instagram, we decided to stay at the Dream Lodge Siwa. It was conveniently located close to the centre and had a beautiful pool, fire pit and breakfast was included.
Another recommended hotel is Siwa Shali resort.
Do I need a tour?
No, you can easily travel to Siwa on your own by bus – definitely the cheapest way, but when you get there you do need a driver to visit all of the sights. As we were limited on time, we organised a day tour with Mohammed. He was a fantastic tour guide- the best we had in the whole of Egypt. He is friendly, reliable and knowledgeable and I can guarantee he will show you the very best of Siwa. Check out his Instagram page @oasisnaturallife to book a tour.
Things to know:
- It is a long way and the journey is tiring so give yourself at least a couple of days to fully enjoy everything that Siwa has to offer.
- If you’re looking for a luxurious experience, this is not the place. It is remote and basic but comfortable and authentic.
- Due to its location to Libya, there are many military check points along the way- we had 4 passport checks and one bag search. They also questioned whether we had alcohol in our bags.
- Try and bring cash as there is only one ATM in Siwa.
- Bring warm clothes as it gets very cold at night/early morning and also mosquito spray.
- Buses are very busy so book your return journey from the bus station one day in advance.
- The people are extremely kind and friendly and you can freely walk around without any hassle or harassment- very different from the major tourist cities in Egypt.
- It is safe to walk around during the day or night as crime is rare.