Last verified: October 13, 2026. Room rates were read off live listings on this date for the night of November 17, 2026, and two of the best-known lodges had no online rate for that night. I re-check this page monthly.
A Siwa eco lodge sells a picture: thick walls of kershef, the salt-and-mud brick of the oasis, and candlelight after dark. Yet one night for two ran from $45 at Shali Lodge, taxes in, to a listed $605 with all meals at Adrère Amellal. The lists online don’t help much. Most give undated ranges, with no word on tax or meals.
Disclosure: Some links in this guide may earn us a commission, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend.
So I priced them all for one fixed night, checked what each says about its power supply, and set Bahariya and Dakhla beside them. Here’s what the money actually buys. For how desert lodges fit with the rest of Egypt’s beds, see my guide to where to stay in Egypt.
Key Takeaways
- A night for two ran $45 to $183 with taxes, read October 13, 2026, for November 17. Adrère Amellal lists from $605, all meals included.
- The look is shared. The wiring isn’t. Only Adrère Amellal, Talist and Taziry are described as lighting rooms by candle or lamp.
- Siwa and Bahariya are two trips. The road between them is closed.
Table of Contents
What Does a Siwa Eco Lodge Cost per Night?
A Siwa eco lodge cost $45 to $96 a night for two, taxes in, for November 17, 2026. That’s the cheapest room at each lodge I could price, read on Booking.com on October 13. Taziry lists from $140 and Adrère Amellal from $605, neither with a rate for that night. The first 20 Siwa results had a median of about $64.
That median is the useful yardstick. Most of Siwa’s first page is guesthouses and small hotels, and 17 of the 20 included breakfast. The middle half ran $40 to $76. It was $57 on a similar read on October 4. Of the lodges in this guide, only Albabenshal made the first page. You have to search for the rest by name.
There’s a trap in that search, too. On the results page, Talist, Shali Lodge and two Bahariya lodges all read “unavailable for your dates”. Each lodge’s own page, for the same night, had rooms to sell. If a lodge you want looks sold out, open its page or message it before you give up.
| Lodge | Base | Cheapest night for two, taxes in | Included | With all meals, for two | Power |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shali Lodge | Siwa, 5 km out | $45 | Breakfast | $125 | Mains, fans |
| Albabenshal | Siwa town, in Shali | $71 | Breakfast | $174 | Mains, wifi |
| Talist | Siwa, lake edge | $96 | Breakfast | Ask the lodge | Charging only, candles at night |
| Taziry | Siwa, far west | From $140 (listed) | Room | Add $20 a person per meal | Oil lamps and candles |
| Adrère Amellal | Siwa, White Mountain | From $605 (listed, tax not stated) | All meals, local drinks | Same | No electricity |
| Tzila | Bawiti, Bahariya | $144 | Breakfast and dinner | n/a | Not stated |
| Aliyah Eco-Lodge | Bawiti, Bahariya | $167 | Breakfast | n/a | Mains, air conditioning |
| Shanda Lodge | Al Qasr, Dakhla | $183 | Breakfast and dinner | n/a | Not stated |
Count the meals before you compare. At Shali Lodge, half board added $40 for two and full board $80. At Albabenshal it added $51 and $103. Adrère Amellal includes everything, down to the local wine. So against Albabenshal with every meal, it costs about three and a half times as much, not eight times.
That’s the same lesson I found on the coast, where counting meals, not nights, changes which Red Sea hotel is cheaper. Out at the lake-edge lodges, town is a ride away after dark. A lodge dinner isn’t a luxury there. It’s usually the plan.
What Does “Eco Lodge” Actually Mean in Siwa?
“Eco lodge” in Siwa usually means the building, not a certificate. Egypt’s Green Star Hotel label was set up for the Red Sea and South Sinai first (Egypt Independent, 2013), and I couldn’t find a single Siwa or Western Desert lodge on it. What you can check is the wiring, and that varies a lot.
The building really is the same. Kershef is salt rock and mud cut from the lake beds, and it’s what Shali, the old fortress town, is made of. It keeps rooms cool by day and holds the warmth at night. Its weakness is rain. Three days of heavy rain in 1926 damaged Shali so badly that people moved out (Wikipedia).
The walls are the oasis’s shared tradition, so they aren’t really what you pay for. What the bill buys is seclusion, food, staff and how far from the grid you sleep. The chart sorts the lodges by what their listings and write-ups say about power.
Four questions sort out any listing before you book:
- Is there power in the room, or only a charging point? Talist gives you electricity only to charge your devices, with candles and lanterns after dark (Uniqhotels).
- Is the shower hot? Adrère Amellal heats its water, even with no electricity in the rooms (Egypt Adventures Travel).
- Is there heating? None of the listings I read mentions it. Ask for blankets in winter.
- Is there air conditioning? If the answer is yes, it’s a hotel built to look like a lodge. That’s fine, but know what you’re buying.
Is Adrère Amellal Worth It?
Adrère Amellal is listed from $605 a night per room, all-inclusive, with 40 rooms (Hotel Guru, read October 13, 2026). It isn’t on Booking.com, and its own site was down when I checked, so I couldn’t read a rate for November 17. It’s worth it only if the silence is the trip.
What you get is the most famous hotel in the Western Desert. It sits at the foot of the White Mountain, built in kershef (Prior), with no electricity and no wifi (SceneTraveller, June 2025). Rooms are lit by beeswax candles (Knowledge at Wharton, 2010). Phones are charged in a separate area.
The rate covers all meals plus local beer, wine and spirits. One undated account prices a standard room at $840 for two, with the Salt Suites at $1,845 (Egypt Adventures Travel). Treat those as a ladder, not a quote. Ask about a minimum stay, too, before you plan a single night.
It was founded by Mounir Neamatalla, who also led the restoration of Shali (Prior). He’s now taking the idea to the North Coast, with a Ramla Nature Lodge due in summer 2028 (SceneTraveller). It isn’t a heritage hotel in the Old Cataract sense. The building isn’t old. The idea is.
Verdict: Book it for two or three nights if you want to switch off completely and the budget is genuinely spare. If you came to see Siwa rather than to stop, the same candlelight costs a fraction at Talist or Taziry.
Which Mid-Range Siwa Eco Lodge Should You Book?
For most people, the best Siwa eco lodge is one of three. Talist cost $96 for two with breakfast on November 17, Albabenshal $71, and Taziry lists from $140 (Booking.com, read October 13, 2026; Taziry via Glamping.com). The choice is really between candlelight out by the lake and a room you can walk home to.
Taziry: the off-grid one at a mid-range price
Taziry is the closest thing to Adrère Amellal without the bill. It sits west of town, looking over the White Mountain, a salt lake and the edge of the Great Sand Sea. Oil lamps and candles light it, and small windows catch the wind instead of air conditioning (Booking.com listing).
It had no rate for my night on Booking.com. Glamping.com lists it as open September to June, and from $140 a night, taxes in, with each extra meal at $20 a person (Glamping.com). Lunch and dinner for two would take that to about $220. The catch is distance. You’ll need a car or a tuk-tuk for everything in town.
Verdict: The best value for real off-grid nights. Book direct, and arrange transport with the lodge.
Talist: candlelight with a family kitchen
Talist cost $96 for two on November 17, for a bungalow with breakfast, taxes in. It sits next to Siwa Lake, with bungalows and suites around a spring-fed pool. Electricity is for charging only, and the owner cooks (Uniqhotels). It scored 9.2 on Booking.com, but from only 15 reviews.
Verdict: The best balance of off-grid and price. Ask whether dinner can be added, because you won’t want to leave in the evening.
Albabenshal: sleep inside Shali
Albabenshal cost $71 for two with breakfast, or $174 with every meal. It’s built into the edge of the old fortress town in the centre, so the market, the springs and the evening walk up Shali are all on foot. It’s on the grid, with wifi listed in the room. The double I priced was a generous 70 square metres.
Verdict: Book it if you’d rather walk than ride. You trade candlelight for convenience, and on a first visit that’s a fair trade.
Whichever you pick, how to get to Siwa and what the oasis costs covers the night bus, the permits and the days themselves.
Can You Stay in Siwa on a Budget?
Yes, and cheaply. Shali Lodge cost $45 for two with breakfast, taxes in, on November 17. Simple family guesthouses ran 600 to 900 EGP a double, about $12 to $18 at 50 EGP to the dollar, in my September 2, 2026 price check. Many of those aren’t on any booking site. You message them directly.
Shali Lodge is the budget pick with the lodge feel. It’s a small place about 5 km from the centre, with a fan in each room and a restaurant on site (Booking.com listing). Full board for two came to $125, an easy way to eat well without hunting for dinner.
I came in on the night bus and was walking up into Shali at first light, before the tuk-tuks woke. On a tight budget, that’s the shape I’d copy: a family guesthouse in town, everything else on foot or by bike. Bring all your cash from Cairo or Alexandria. Cards are rarely taken, and the ATMs are unreliable.
One honest note on Siwa Shali Resort. It turns up on eco lodge lists, but its rooms come with satellite TV and a minibar, and it had no rooms on Booking.com for my night. It’s a comfortable resort in a traditional style. It just isn’t what “eco lodge” promises.
Bahariya, Farafra and Dakhla: Where to Sleep
In Bahariya and Dakhla, the lodge is a base for the desert, not the reason to go. For November 17, Tzila in Bawiti cost $144 for two with dinner, and Shanda Lodge in Dakhla $183 (Booking.com, read October 13, 2026). A night either side of a White Desert camp is the usual reason to book one.
First, the map. Siwa and Bahariya aren’t one trip. The UK Foreign Office advises against all but essential travel on the road between Bawiti and Siwa, and says it’s closed, with military checkpoints (GOV.UK, read October 13, 2026). Older itineraries that loop from one to the other no longer work. Each trip starts from the Nile side.
The oasis towns themselves are listed as exceptions to that warning, along with the road from Farafra through Dakhla to Kharga. Bahariya and Farafra also need a permit in advance and an official guide (GOV.UK). Ask your tour operator or lodge to arrange both. Is Egypt safe right now covers the wider advisory.
Bawiti, Bahariya
Bawiti is where the White Desert trips start. Tzila, about 6 km from town, cost $144 for two with breakfast and dinner and scored 8.7 from 82 reviews. Aliyah Eco-Lodge cost $167 with breakfast, but its rooms list air conditioning and a TV, and it scored 5.8 from just 7 reviews. Simple safari camps near town ran $46 to $55.
Desert Rose Eco Lodge, built of palm branches and clay, isn’t on Booking.com. It takes bookings by email or by WhatsApp to the manager (Desert Rose). Ask for a dated quote with meals. For the night in the sand itself, the White Desert overnight and how to book it covers operators, prices and the cold.
Farafra
Farafra is the far end of the White Desert run, and the beds there are simple. Booking.com priced three safari hotels there at $43 to $49 for two, taxes in. The Historical Mayor’s House, at $45 with breakfast, has the most character. Sleep here only if your tour starts from the south.
Dakhla
Dakhla is the quietest of the chain. Shanda Lodge, near the old mud-brick town of Al Qasr, cost $183 for two with breakfast and dinner, for a triple room. It had only 3 reviews. Al Tarfa Desert Sanctuary, the luxury lodge in the dunes, had no listing I could find, and the latest write-up I found is from a January 2025 visit. I’ve left it unpriced.
When Is the Best Month for a Desert Lodge?
November to March is the season, with Siwa’s average highs of 20 to 26°C. The catch is the night. Lows fall to 6 to 8°C from December to February, on 1991 to 2020 normals (Wikipedia climate table, citing NOAA and the WMO). In a room with no heating, that’s cold.
My basket night, November 17, sits at the easy edge of the season: about 26°C by day and 12°C at night. From May to September, days pass 35°C. That’s when “no air conditioning” stops being charming, and Taziry closes for July and August, so a June or September stay there is a hot one.
So pick the lodge by the month. Off-grid lodges are at their best from November to March, with October and April warm but workable. In midwinter, ask for extra blankets before you arrive, not after. My Egypt packing list covers the desert-night layers, and the best time to visit Egypt sets the oasis season against the Nile and the coast.
Siwa Eco Lodge FAQs
How much does Adrère Amellal cost per night?
Adrère Amellal is listed from $605 a night per room, all-inclusive, read October 13, 2026 (Hotel Guru). That covers all meals and local drinks. It isn’t on Booking.com, and its own site was down when I checked, so ask the lodge for a dated quote and any minimum stay before you plan around it.
Is there electricity at Siwa eco lodges?
It depends on the lodge. Adrère Amellal has none in its rooms. Talist gives electricity only for charging devices, and Taziry is lit by oil lamps and candles. Shali Lodge and Albabenshal run on mains power, at $45 and $71 a night for two. Check the listing before you book.
What is the best eco lodge in Siwa?
For real off-grid nights at a fair price, I’d book Taziry, listed from $140, or Talist at $96 for two with breakfast. To walk everywhere, Albabenshal at $71 is the pick. Adrère Amellal, from $605 all-inclusive, is the splurge. All prices were read October 13, 2026, for November 17.
Can you drive from the White Desert to Siwa?
No. The UK Foreign Office says the road between Bawiti and Siwa is closed, with military checkpoints, and advises against all but essential travel on it (read October 13, 2026). Siwa is reached from the coast via Marsa Matruh. Bahariya and the White Desert are reached from Cairo.
Do Siwa lodges take cards?
Mostly not, so bring cash for anything beyond a room booked online. Family guesthouses at 600 to 900 EGP a night, about $12 to $18, are booked by message and paid in cash. Plan on cash for extras too. Siwa’s ATMs are unreliable, so carry everything from Cairo or Alexandria.
Is it safe to stay in Bahariya and Dakhla?
The UK Foreign Office lists the oasis towns of Siwa, Bahariya, Farafra, Dakhla and Kharga as exceptions to its Western Desert warning (read October 13, 2026). Bahariya and Farafra need an advance permit and an official guide. Ask your lodge or operator to arrange both before you travel.
The Bottom Line
- The look is shared at every price. A night for two ran $45 to $183 with taxes for November 17. Adrère Amellal lists from $605 with every meal and local drinks included.
- My picks: Taziry or Talist for candlelight, Albabenshal to walk everywhere, Shali Lodge on a budget, and Adrère Amellal only if switching off is the whole trip.
- Two trips, not one loop. Sleep in Siwa from the coast, and in Bawiti or Dakhla from Cairo.
That closes my run of where-to-stay guides. For the beds in every other part of the country, start from where to stay in Egypt.
