The New Valley is the biggest governorate in Egypt, covering an area of 458,000 square kilometers, about one fifth of the total surface area of Egypt. It extends in the north as far as Marsa Matrouh, in the south as far as Sudan and in the west as far as Libya. In the east it is coterminous with the governorates of Assiut, Qena and Aswan.
A series of medium height rocky hills are the most prominent geographical features of the New Valley. In some regions they resemble small mountains with sand plains, hard rocky outcrops and dunes between them. All these natural factors have contributed to the making of the New Valley into an attractive tourist destination.
Desert Tourism The New Valley is well known for its desert tourism facilities, with its wealth of springs, dunes, palm groves, suitable for camping.