Siwa Salt Lake Tour Guide 2026: Prices & Tips

Siwa Salt Lake Tour

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Prices, Essentials, and Honest Review

ⓒYeong's Journeys

Right after our desert safari, we headed out for the absolute must-do experience in Siwa:

the Salt Lake Tour.

Since most travelers visiting Siwa book the

Salt Lake and Desert Tours together,

I've put together a complete guide covering prices, packing essentials, and key tips to help you prepare!

01. Siwa Salt Lake Tour Price

We booked our desert safari and salt lake tour

as a package deal directly through our accommodation.

The combined price for both tours was 815 Egyptian Pounds (EGP) per person.​

One important tip:

when booking, make sure to double-check that your ride is an air-conditioned SUV!

02. What to Pack for the Siwa Salt Lake Tour

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Since the salt crystals forming along the edges of the lake are razor-sharp, your hands or feet can easily get scraped.

Bringing a few waterproof band-aids will make your experience much more worry-free!

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03. The Tour Meet-Up

Our tour was scheduled for 11:00 AM,

and right on time, our requested SUV

pulled up right in front of our hotel to pick us up.

With the AC blasting,

the ride through the desert was super comfortable and refreshing.

When the hotel owner heard we were off to the salt lakes,

they came out to wave us off

and packed us a ton of ice-cold bottled water!

Seeing them wave us goodbye with such genuine care

warmed my heart...

If you're looking for a place to stay in Siwa, you absolutely must book Azad Siwa🤍

▶ Book the Best Tour-Friendly Hotel in Siwa, Egypt ◀

Filled with warmth from their hospitality,

we finally set off for the salt lakes!

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04. Location & Travel Time

The salt lakes are located about a

30-minute drive from the center of Siwa.

Since Siwa is a tiny oasis town nestled right in the heart of the desert,

the vast sandy landscape unfolds the moment you leave the town center.

As we cruised through the desert,

a vast, snowy-white salt flat landscape suddenly opened up before our eyes.

It was a landscape unlike anything I'd ever seen—

I couldn't take my eyes off the window!

We even spotted heavy machinery

like excavators scattered across the salt flats.

I wasn't entirely sure if they were actively mining the salt

or if it was just for display,

but it created an incredibly unique, surreal scenery.

If you run into a green sign like this while driving through the salt flats,

it means you've arrived at the salt lakes.

05. Siwa Salt Lake Tour Review

Following the signs further in,

the salt lakes I'd only seen in photos started appearing one by one.

There were several salt lakes inside the area,

and our guide first showed us two different lakes,

telling us we could swim in whichever one we liked best.

This was the first lake they showed us.

While the color was absolutely gorgeous, there was a construction site visible in the background,

so we decided to move on to the lake right next to it.

And here is the salt lake we chose to plunge into!

Emerald-colored water sparkling against a brilliant white salt border...

In the middle of a barren desert,

finding such a glittering, vibrant lake

felt completely surreal.

The Siwa Salt Lakes have an extremely high salinity level,

which means you float automatically the second you step into the water!

It is such a mind-blowing experience.

Thanks to that, even if you don't know how to swim,

you can jump in without any worries.

After wrapping up our time at the first salt lake,

we hopped back in the car and drove to another lake nearby.

The sparkling lake and salt crystals shimmering under the sun...

It's unrealistically beautiful, isn't it?

I'm so bummed that photos just don't do it justice.

Since I got cut at the first salt lake,

for this second lake,

I made sure to wear my Crocs inside.

This particular salt lake had tons of

round, bead-like salt crystals scattered along the edges.

Wearing Crocs definitely kept

my feet safe, but

barefoot photos definitely turn out much prettier.

Even so, the color of the water

was absolutely breathtaking.

06. Siwa Salt Lake Tour: Essential Tips & Warnings

Before you dive in,

here are some crucial safety tips for your Siwa Salt Lake tour.

Because of the high salinity, the moment you step out of the water,

the areas touched by the water

will instantly dry into a white layer of salt crust.

This is why you must protect your eyes and ears from the water!

(I ended up getting cut by a salt crystal,

and going back into the water with that cut

stung so badly... 💀)

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Also, that classic pose you always see in salt lake tour photos—

the "hands behind your head" pose—

now I finally understand why everyone does it!

If you don't support your neck with your hands like that,

the water will seep right into your ears...

Since your body naturally floats straight to the top,

keeping your balance on the water was actually trickier than I thought!

But on the bright side, even the gentlest little kick let me glide around effortlessly.

07. Rinsing Off the Salt & What's Next

When I was reading other tour reviews beforehand,

many people mentioned that they charge you extra for fresh water to rinse off,

so they recommended bringing some spare change.

But luckily for us, as soon as we got out of the water,

our guide poured fresh water from a huge container over us,

allowing us to wash away all the salty crust right then and there.

I'm pretty sure it was already included in our tour price!​

Just to be safe, when you're booking your tour,

be sure to ask in advance if rinsing water is included in the price.

After visiting just two of the salt lakes,

we headed to our next destination: Cleopatra’s Spring.

Most groups hop around several different salt lakes,

so when we told him we were ready to head out,

our guide kept double-checking if we were absolutely sure!

Getting to Cleopatra's Spring

took about 20 minutes by car,

and we got to enjoy the stunning, surreal salt landscapes all over again on our way out.

It's absolutely mind-blowing to see this kind of landscape in the middle of a desert.

It was such a magical sight,

so if you ever find yourself in Siwa,

I highly, highly recommend booking a salt lake tour.

The Salt Lake Tour: A must-do experience when visiting Siwa!

If you're planning a trip to Siwa, book a hotel that can arrange tours for you

so you can enjoy a completely hassle-free adventure!

▶ Book a Hotel for Your Siwa Tour Here! ◀