A guide to the Siwa Oasis
In this Siwa guide, I will cover everything you need to know before visiting.
The oasis is most famous for it’s salt lakes but has much more to offer. From the history of Siwa to how to get to Siwa and best things to do in Siwa, you can find it all below.
1. About the Siwa Oasis
If you have not done extensive research about Egypt as a travel destination, you probably have never heard of the Siwa Oasis.
Even though this small town in the middle of the desert, close to the Libyan border, has recently gained a lot of popularity due to its picturesque salt lakes, it can still be considered a hidden gem in Egypt.
But Siwa has much more to offer than its super cool salt lakes. In this oasis you can also find ancient temples, hot springs and much more. Also, the desert is just a short ride away and you can wander on seemingly endless dunes.
One of the reasons why it is probably still not overrun by tourists, is that getting there is quite a pain, which I will cover in more detail further down in this Siwa guide.
History of the Siwa Oasis
The history of this oasis is remarkable that can be tracked back to at least 10.000 B.C. In ancient times, Siwa was the seat of the oracle Amun, which has even been visited and consulted by Alexander the Great in 331 B.C.
The area has been inhabited by Berbers since many generations and has it’s own language. The Oasis has been inaccessible for a very long time and was not even governed by Egypt until mid 20th century. Until now the unique culture and way of living in Siwa are very present and can be experienced by travelers, who go off the beaten path.
2. How to get to and around Siwa
This is where things get tricky. There are a few different options, but generally getting here isn’t very easy or quick.
The most common option is to go by minibus from Cairo. The drive takes about 8 hours and (by the time of writing this) costs about 360 EGP. The company I used was “Siwa bus”. Busses typically leave late in the evening from Cairo and arrive to Siwa in the early morning.
Another option is to take the regular bus (Go Bus) to Marsa Matruh and after a stop, continue onwards to Siwa with another bus. Personally, due to the needed change of bus in Marsa Matruh as well as quite bad reviews about cleanliness and comfort of these busses, I would definitely choose the minibus over the regular bus.
Every now and then, there seem to be charter flights from Cairo to Siwa as well, however when googling, I could not find any details about it.
I met someone along the way that took a flight to Siwa, but they told me that flights take place very irregularly and are announced only some days before. But again, no details on it, so guess the bus options will have to be it!
How to get around Siwa?
Once you are in Siwa, the most common option to get around is by tuk tuk. Rides are very affordable, if you know how to negotiate a little. There are also many drivers with cars, which you can pre-order to get you around Siwa.
I hired a driver for 4 hours and paid 400 EGP. His name was Youssef and his number is +201062620695.
3. Best things to do and places to visit in Siwa
Of course, this Siwa guide would not be complete without “the best things to do in Siwa”.
If you would only have time for one thing in Siwa, it would have to be visiting the salt lakes and floating in their super salty water.
The water is crystal clear and super instagrammable, but be aware that the salt pools are actually located in an active salt mining area, so there are machines working there.
Another thing to note is that the pools constantly change size, location etc. due to the ongoing mining works there and it can be a bit difficult the find the “picture-perfect” pool for your photos. But nonetheless it’s a really cool experience, floating in the water without any effort whatsoever.
Other things to do & places to visit in Siwa
- Explore the Shali fortress
- Take a dip in Cleopatra Springs
- Visit the Mountain of the Dead
- Enjoy a sunset at Fatnas island
- Soak in one of the many hot springs (e.g. Almaza hot springs)
- Go on a tour to the desert
- Visit the Amon temple
4. Where to stay in the Siwa Oasis
Last but not least in this Siwa guide: Where to stay in the Siwa Oasis.
There are a bunch of options, suitable for all budgets. Compared to bigger cities, there are not so many luxury options here, which I consider a good thing.
I personally stayed at Seliyaa hotel, which is a great and unique place to stay at an affordable rate.
Here are some other options to stay in Siwa:
Budget accommodation options:
- Cafour House Siwa
- Olive Garden House Siwa
Mid-Range accommodation options:
Luxury accommodation options:
I hope this blog post with the complete Siwa guide was helpful.
More Egypt blog posts to help plan your trip here:
