Farafra Oasis is located in the western desert inside the borders of the governorate of Al Wadi Al Jadid, considered the most isolated oasis in the Western Desert, according to its natural desert. The oasis can be the start point for many interesting tours in the Western desert of Egypt like to the white desert, the black desert the Crystal Mountains.

The Farafra is 170 kilometers away from the Bahaerya Oasis and 627 kilometers away from Cairo, 370 kilometers to the South West of Marsa Matroh and the Mediterranean Sea. Today Farafra has a population of more than 20 thousand people.

Farafra’s ancient history is clouded in mystery but this small oasis was mentioned in many ancient Egyptian texts especially in the reign of the 10th dynasty in the 21st BC. The Farafra was called "Ana Akhet", or the land of the cow as a symbol of fertility in reference to the ancient god Hathour. In the new kingdom, there were some evident that Ramsis II used to import stones from the Farafra Oasis to be used in constructing his many temples in Luxor precisely.

The most famous archaeological sites in Farafra Oasis is the city of Qaser Farafra which is the most ancient part in the Farafra Oasis where a fortress was built to guard this section of the ancient caravan routes to the other oases and to the Nile Valley. Qaser Farafra was the only inhibited city in the Western Desert in the 19th century with a population of only 200 people. Most of the Roman ruins are centered there.

Most visitors to Farafra Oasis go there to see the White Desert, the area to the north-east of Qasr el-Farafra which is renowned for its spectacular scenery and became a protected area since 2002. They also go to the Black Desert to visit the famous crystal mountain which has an interesting story; the Egyptian government broke parts of this mountain to construct the road between the Bahareya Oasis and the Farafra oasis, this made the crystal rocks appear and it turned this area into a famous touristic site.

Many tourists choose Farafra today as it started being famous worldwide for its quietness and warm weather. People from the United States and from Europe come to the Oasis to escape the cold weather in their homeland. They also visit the Farafra to enjoy the wonders of the Western Desert.