Dakhla Oasis

Dakhla (Arabic الداخلة) is an oasis in the Western Desert of Egypt, 740 km from Cairo. It extends some 80 km from east to west and 25 km from north to south.

Towns and villages

 * (or Mout, Madinat el-Dakhla) – The main town in the oasis, at the junction of roads (and historic trade routes) from Kharga, Farafra and south all the way through Sudan.
 * – Less built up and has retained its traditional village centre.
 * – A village 21 km north of Mut with many 18th century buildings. Note the old mosque and Ottoman-era graveyard.
 * – A village with an interesting old centre; more accessible from Mut than similar such villages. Five km further on is the Roman graveyard of Beit el Ara'is, which you can't enter, but can view from besides the watchman's hut.
 * – 4 km from Ed Duhus, an interesting old village but sadly tumbledown. The old mosque is 12th C.
 * – 11 km east of Mut is mostly modern, and the old village is a sorry ruin.
 * (or el-Qasr) – Another attractive traditional village with well-preserved old buildings.
 * – 43 km from Mut, a large village with a ramshackle old quarter, still inhabited. There is a small museum, and southside an old graveyard.

Understand
Like the other western oases, the climate is hot desert, 40°C and above summer and 5–10°C in winter. There is zero rainfall and all the oasis supply is "fossil water" extracted from the aquifer, a non-renewable resource.

By bus
Upper Egypt Bus Co. runs daily buses from Asyut, which is on the Cairo-Luxor main road and railway line. These leave around 8AM and take 3-4 hr to Kharga Oasis, then the same again to reach Dakhla towards 4PM.

They also in the past ran direct buses from Cairo Turgman Terminal, via Bahariyya and Farafra oases, but it is not known if these still run in April 2020.

By taxi
Getting here direct from Cairo, Luxor or northern oases, you will probably need a taxi. The price might be reasonable between two or more visitors.

By plane
Dakhla has an airport but no longer has scheduled civilian flights.

Get around
There are 4 or 5 buses per day from Mut to Balat at the east edge of the oasis, and to Qasr at the north edge.

The bus stand is just north of the main road junction in Mut.

See

 * 8.5 km from Mut along the highway to Farfara is the cemetery of El Uweina and El Hinda villages.
 * 8.5 km from Mut along the highway to Farfara is the cemetery of El Uweina and El Hinda villages.
 * 8.5 km from Mut along the highway to Farfara is the cemetery of El Uweina and El Hinda villages.
 * 8.5 km from Mut along the highway to Farfara is the cemetery of El Uweina and El Hinda villages.
 * 8.5 km from Mut along the highway to Farfara is the cemetery of El Uweina and El Hinda villages.
 * 8.5 km from Mut along the highway to Farfara is the cemetery of El Uweina and El Hinda villages.
 * 8.5 km from Mut along the highway to Farfara is the cemetery of El Uweina and El Hinda villages.

Do



 * Dakhla Oasis Project has since 1978 directed archaeological research in this region. Their base is 3 km east of Mut.
 * Dig deeper into Egyptian history. The German description of Dakhla (on sidebar left) runs to 24 pages of documentation, and that on Gilf Kebir (below) to 18.
 * The historic route between Dakhla and Farafra, used since Roman times, continues north for 200 km; but the modern road swings west and is 300 km. That's to avoid the mountains, shifting sands and the difficult, littered with huge limestone blocks. The crest is only 200 m, but the terrain will defeat all but a rufty-tufty experienced off-road driver. Or take an 11 km hike from the nearest roadhead to enter through Bab el Cailliaud, named for Frédéric Cailliaud (1787-1869) of Nantes, whose work in these regions helped decipher ancient hieroglyphics.

Eat

 * Also in Mut are Dawia, Shahab, and Abu Zeid Qalamuni cafe.
 * Also in Mut are Dawia, Shahab, and Abu Zeid Qalamuni cafe.
 * Also in Mut are Dawia, Shahab, and Abu Zeid Qalamuni cafe.
 * Also in Mut are Dawia, Shahab, and Abu Zeid Qalamuni cafe.
 * Also in Mut are Dawia, Shahab, and Abu Zeid Qalamuni cafe.

Drink
Mint tea is always a good choice hereabouts.

Mid-range

 * Also in Mut are Anwar Hotel and El Negoom Tourist Hotel.
 * In Bier El Gabal is Hathor-Chalet.
 * Also in Mut are Anwar Hotel and El Negoom Tourist Hotel.
 * In Bier El Gabal is Hathor-Chalet.

Splurge

 * Qaṣr ed-Dāchla has the Badawiya Dakhla Hotel and Desert Lodge Hotel.
 * Qaṣr ed-Dāchla has the Badawiya Dakhla Hotel and Desert Lodge Hotel.
 * Qaṣr ed-Dāchla has the Badawiya Dakhla Hotel and Desert Lodge Hotel.

Cope

 * Tourist Information – New Mosque Square, tel: 820407, fax: 820782, and on the main road to Qasr, tel: 821686, fax: 820782, open daily 8AM-2PM.
 * Mut Hospital – Beside the petrol station on the main road.
 * Bank Misr – Tahir Square, open Su-Th 8:30AM-2PM, money change only Sa-Th 7PM-9PM.
 * Gasoline stations – At each entrance of Mut, and several tire repair shops on the main road.

Stay safe
See the Egypt article for information on the security situation.

Stay healthy
Do not swim or fish in the lake north of Mut, it is heavily polluted.

Go next

 * The usual route is back to Asyut, then either north to Cairo or upriver to Luxor and Aswan.
 * You can hopscotch north through the oases of Farafra, Bahiriya, then west to Siwa and reach the Med coast at Marsa Matrun.