Founded in 1977, SEKEM is an exemplary initiative of the Egyptian pharmacist and social entrepreneur Dr. Ibrahim Abouleish. At the time, he bought a 70-hectare piece of land of dry desert soil, about 60 kilometers to the northeast of Cairo. Biodynamic cultivation and improved irrigation methods helped to transform the desert into fertile soil for the cultivation of various vegetables and medicinal plants, and to create living conditions for thousands of trees where there had previously been none.
From the very beginning, sustainable environmental management as well as economic viability were the goal in order to lay the foundation for the well-being of the local population. The initiative developed into a model for sustainable development that encompasses ever more areas of life: natural soil management, pesticide-free cotton, vegetable and medicinal plant cultivation, sustainable livestock farming according to Demeter guidelines, innovative water management - essential for a water-scarce country like Egypt - and the new possibilities of using solar energy.
Today, SEKEM has almost 3,000 hectares of its own Biodynamic farmland. With the help of the Egyptian Biodynamic Association (EBDA), SEKEM has advised and supported around 15,000 farmers in Egypt in their transition from conventional to organic and sustainable agriculture. The largest biodynamically cultivated agricultural areas are 1,000 hectares each on the Sinai peninsula and near the central Egyptian city of Al Minya as well as around 800 hectares of date plantations and wheat cultivation in the Bahareya oasis.
Over the years, SEKEM has founded various companies: Agriculture and livestock management, herbal medicine production, the production of organic textiles and clothing, the production of organic food and tea, where SEKEM products are even the market leader in Egypt. Numerous products are now successfully marketed worldwide. Furthermore, SEKEM established the independent SEKEM Development Foundation (SDF), which operates a comprehensive school, a kindergarten, a vocational training center, an outpatient hospital and many other projects. In 2012, the state-recognized Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development started teaching with 350 students.
A number of international awards show SEKEM's increasing importance in sustainability issues, such as the Alternative Nobel Prize, which was awarded to Dr. Abouleish and SEKEM in December 2003 in the Swedish Parliament.
Hereinafter, we offer you a trip where you can gain an interesting insight into SEKEM's activities and methods near Cairo and in Bahareya Oasis and, at the same time, observe the solar eclipse on August 2nd, 2027 at an excellent spot (near Bahareya Oasis). Part of the trip is also a tailor-made sightseeing program in Cairo.
Arrival in Cairo and transfer to the SEKEM farm, about 60 kilometers to the northeast of Cairo. Welcome and allocation of the rooms in the SEKEM guesthouse. Depending on the arrival time, meal or snack in the restaurant.
The SEKEM Guest House has 32 comfortably furnished rooms, all of which are air-conditioned and have a private bathroom with shower/WC and a balcony or terrace. The guesthouse has its own restaurant, where breakfast, lunch, and dinner are served. The ingredients for the dishes are organically grown on the SEKEM farm. A relatively large pool is available to guests for refreshment in between meals and in the evening (open early in the morning and from 17:00). Film screenings and presentations are sometimes organized in the spacious lobby, while a large hall on the second floor is available for bigger events.
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After breakfast, guided tour of the 70-hectare farm with its diverse biodynamic agriculture. An elaborately irrigated oasis with over 1,000 date palms, casuarinas, orange and neem trees.
After lunch, transfer to Cairo to the Heliopolis suburb in the east of the city. Visit the Heliopolis University for Sustainable Development, managed by SEKEM. Return to the farm and dinner.
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After breakfast, you will visit the companies, the schools (from the baby group to the upper school and vocational training), the medical center, the stable, the farmland, and anything else that interests you. You will be accompanied by a SEKEM employee who will be happy to answer all your questions. Lunch in the restaurant. The afternoon is at your disposal. Dinner in the restaurant.
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After breakfast, check-out, and transfer to Cairo. First, we head up to the citadel and the Mohammed Ali Mosque. The citadel is a medieval Islamic fortress built by Saladin from 1176 and further expanded by later Egyptian rulers. For almost 700 years, from the 13th to the 19th century, it was the seat of Egypt's government and the residence of its rulers. At the highest point of the citadel, the Albanian-Ottoman governor and de facto ruler of Egypt, Mohammed Ali Pasha, had the impressive mosque named after him constructed. Built between 1830 and 1848, the building is also known as the "Alabaster Mosque", as the interior is clad in alabaster.
You will then visit the Ibn Tulun Mosque, the oldest mosque still in use in Cairo. Finally, you will visit the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Inaugurated in 2017, the museum is located in Old Cairo and displays exhibits from all phases of human culture in Egypt, from prehistory and early history to the present day. A particular highlight of the museum is the mummy hall with 20 royal mummies, including some of the most important rulers of Ancient Egypt, such as the mummy of Ramses II, probably the most powerful pharaoh of all time, or the famous Queen Hatshepsut. You will be accompanied by a qualified tour guide during the visits. Transfer to the booked hotel in Cairo and dinner.
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Today we will take you to an exceptional Egyptian breakfast at Khufu's restaurant before visiting the Giza Plateau. The upscale restaurant offers particularly tasty oriental dishes and arguably the best view of the plateau of the three Great Pyramids, with the skyline of Cairo in the background. You will then visit the Giza Plateau with the three great pyramids of Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos. You will have the opportunity to visit the pyramid of Chephren from the inside (in our opinion more interesting than the Cheops pyramid from the inside and less crowded). Afterwards you will visit the Sphinx. It represents a reclining lion with a human head and was probably built under the Pharaoh Chephren to guard his tomb (however, there are several theories and the exact purpose of the structure is still not known today).
You will then visit the impressive new archaeological museum (Grand Egyptian Museum) with its world-famous exhibition of Tutankhamun's treasures and many other unique artifacts from the time of the pharaohs. It is the largest archaeological museum in the world and is located not far from the pyramids.
Subsequently, you will visit the Christian Coptic quarter of Cairo with the famous "Hanging Church" - Al Moallaka - and the Abu Serga Church, whose crypt already existed in pre-Christian times and where the Holy Family is said to have found shelter for three months during their flight to Egypt. The Church of St. Mercurius (Abu Seifein), famous for its frescoes and impressive icon collection, is also worth a visit. You can also visit the Ben-Ezra Synagogue within the walls of Old Babylonia, where, according to tradition, Moses was found in his basket in a papyrus thicket.
The day ends with a stroll through the Khan-El-Khalili bazaar. The bazaar was founded in the 14th century and is one of the oldest in the Middle East. On this day, you will be accompanied by a qualified guide. Dinner at the hotel.
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In the early morning, transfer to Bahareya Oasis in the Western Desert (4 - 5 hours drive). On the way, lunch in a local restaurant (not included in the price). Check-in at the SEKEM-managed Wahat Guest House. In the late afternoon, about one hour camel trekking in the desert. Sunset with tea and coffee in the desert. Dinner at the guesthouse.
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After breakfast, you will travel around 200 kilometers by off-road vehicle towards the Farafra oasis, where the White Desert National Park is located. The off-road vehicle will take you to the unique, bizarre limestone formations that were created around 80 million years ago, when the Mediterranean Sea still covered the desert. After a picnic in the desert, return to your accommodation in Bahareya Oasis. Dinner at the guesthouse.
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After breakfast, an off-road vehicle will take you into the Black Desert, which stretches about 20 kilometers southwest of the main town Al Bawiti, on both sides of the road to the Farafra oasis. The black color of the desert is due to the basalt rock that covers the hills and the ground. After exploring the area, we return to Bahareya Oasis. There you shall have the opportunity to visit the remains of the temple of Alexander the Great. It is probably the only temple that Alexander the Great built in Egypt. The Macedonian ruler had the temple built after his coronation as king of Egypt, presumably after his return journey from the oasis of Siwa (where he had consulted the oracle of Amun).
You will then visit the tombs of Djed-Amun-ef-Anch and his son Bannentiu, members of a rich merchant family. The tombs from the 26th dynasty impress with their beautiful wall paintings. Afterwards, you will visit the small museum where five "Golden Mummies" are on display. A few years ago, a donkey fell into a pit and the rescue operation unearthed a spectacular mummy with a gilded coffin. Successive excavations uncovered a whole series of such mummies, and it is now believed that the site of the "Valley of the Golden Mummies" could contain up to 10,000 intact mummies from the Roman era. Finally, you will have the opportunity to take a bath in a warm spring just outside Bahareya Oasis. Dinner at the guesthouse.
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Today is marked by the longest total solar eclipse until the year 2114. The duration of the total phase in the Bahareya Oasis is an exceptional 6 minutes & 16 seconds and begins shortly after 10:00 am UT (1:00 pm local time) with the sun almost vertical (81 degrees). The event will last approximately 2 hours & 45 minutes from the start of the partial eclipse.
Experience this phenomenon of the century on the property of your accommodation or we will take you to the foothills of the Black Desert, approx. 15 kilometers south of Bahareya Oasis, directly to the central line of the totality zone. There, the duration of the total phase is 6 minutes & 22 seconds.
Eye protection: Observing a solar eclipse without protective filters (solar eclipse glasses) can lead to serious and permanent damage to the eyes, including blindness. HERE you will find expert tips on how to protect your eyes.
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Very early in the morning, start the return journey to Cairo. Transfer to the airport*.
*If your return flight cannot be reached in time (you should be at the airport at least two hours before departure), an overnight stay in Cairo shall be necessary, with a return flight on 04.08.27.
Alternatively, you have the option of extending your trip with sightseeing programs in Luxor and/or Aswan or at the Red Sea.
Services included in the price: All local transfers with modern air-conditioned vehicles and off-road vehicles as described in the program*, accommodation in double rooms (3 nights in the SEKEM Guest House, 2 nights in Cairo in the Pearl Hotel & 4 nights in the Bahareya Oasis in the Wahat Guest House), meals: half board and additional lunch on the 2nd and 3rd day, sightseeing and excursions as described in the program, all entrance fees and charges, German-speaking** tour guide as noted in the program, re-usable water bottle, Eclipse T-shirt or Eclipse cap, solar eclipse glasses, individual support by Beluga staff on site, insolvency insurance.
*Small groups with 4 - 8 guests per microbus or 4 guests per off-road vehicle
**other languages on request
Price per person: from € 2.799,- .
Minimum number of participants for this program: 4 participants.
On request: Visa & airport service. One of our associates will be waiting for you inside the airport terminal to take care of the visa formalities. € 30,- per person (subject to visa price increases).
We are also happy to offer you a flight to Egypt & back (flight schedules are expected to be published in September 2026).
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