Bahariya Oasis, known since ancient times as the ‘Northern Oasis’ is situated in a depression about 100km long by 40km wide and completely surrounded by high black escarpments. Bahariya is famous for its heavenly gardens of palm trees and olive, it is also known for its 398 springs of mineral water. Bahariya was an important centre of agriculture and wine production and a source of minerals since Pharaonic times, Bahariya Oasis comprises many villages; the most important of them is Bawiti & El Qasr.

Nowadays, Bahariya Oasis is connected with a paved road to Cairo that turned the life to be easier for travelers to reach there. There are many ancient monuments, springs and gardens close to the town to attract tourists and for this reason several hotels have been built in recent years. The Valley of the Golden Mummies is a Greco-Roman necropolis, located about 6 km from El-Bawiti, the capital of El Bahariya Oasis, in the Western Desert. Discovered in 1996, the valley is considered the most spectacular discovery since the finding of the Tomb of Tutankhamun. Dr Zahi Hawass, the director of the excavation project, estimates that the necropolis may contain more than 10,000 mummies.

The Temple of Alexander the Great is one of the main attractions in Bahariya built by Alexander the Great, the temple was dedicated to both Amun and Horus. It is one of the largest temples in the New Valley (Western Desert), with more than 45 mud-brick chambers built with a layer of sandstone. The temple was built to commemorate Alexander's passing on his way to Siwa.

If traveling north from Farafra to Bahariya, it is worth stopping at the ‘Crystal Mountain’, about 25km before reaching the escarpment on the modern road down into Bahariya Oasis. This small mountain is formed with a large proportion of quartz crystal, and gives a wonderful view over the desert from the top. One of the nearby rocks has a hole in the centre and there are lots of small pieces of crystal strewn around.