Posted on: Nov 11, 2025 | 3 mins | Written by: HDFC ERGO Team

Famous Deserts in World: Top 8 Must-Visit Deserts

Famous Deserts In World

Deserts are large, sandy places without vegetation and are extremely hot. That's the perception we have about deserts. However, it's more than that. Apart from hot deserts, there are cold deserts too. These deserted regions are the ones that receive very little precipitation.

While the Sahara is a world-famous desert, there are also cold deserts like Antarctica and Greenland. If you're visiting any of these deserts, you must have travel insurance cover. The insurance is meant to protect you against any unforeseen situation that may arise during your trip to one of these deserts.

List of famous Deserts of the World

Deserts are not a common destination to visit. However, if you want to experience various adventure activities, there are some famous deserts in the world that you must visit.

Some of the deserts in the world that you must explore are as follows:

1. Sahara Desert

The Sahara Desert, or the Great Desert, is a world-famous desert and is popular as the largest hot desert. It is smaller than the Northern Atlantic and Antarctic deserts. Located in Africa, it stretches towards the Red Sea in the East, the Mediterranean in the North, and the North Atlantic Ocean towards the west. The Sahara Desert also covers various African countries like Sudan, Morocco, Libya, Mali, Chad, Tunisia, Algeria, and Egypt.

2. Atacama Desert

Located in South America, the Atacama Desert is one of the most famous deserts in the world, extending across Argentina, Peru, Bolivia, and Chile. This desert acts as the largest source of sodium nitrate and has numerous mummified human remains. You should plan to visit the Atacama Desert during the winter in Chile from May to July. You can enjoy a wide range of activities such as taking desert trips, enjoying hot air balloon rides, and stargazing. It is indeed one of the best luxury destinations.

If you’re planning to explore more such luxury destinations, you can learn about them in our blog, 25 Unique Luxury Holiday Destinations for 2025 Travel.

3. Arctic Desert

The Arctic Desert is a cold, world-famous desert that experiences a very low amount of precipitation. It covers numerous islands across Russia and Norway. The weather is freezing in this region, which is why the inhabitants in the Arctic are known as Eskimos. During your visit, you can see various animals like walrus, polar bear, Arctic fox, Narwhal, and Arctic Hare.

4. Kalahari Desert

The Kalahari Desert is the second biggest desert in Africa, where you can witness the beauty of a variety of wildlife. The wildlife you can see here includes giant eagle owls, kudu, cheetahs, leopards, oryx, secretary birds and black-maned lions. You must have proper travel insurance cover for visiting the Kalahari Desert. If any medical emergency arises, the cover should help you with it.

5. Tabernas Desert

This semi-arid desert is located in the southeastern region of Almeria, Spain. It is one of the most popular deserts in the world, situated in Spain. However, you need to apply for Schengen travel insurance to obtain your visa for visiting this desert. The desert stretches across 30 kilometres north of Almeria. The desert received less than 250mm of annual rainfall.

6. Great Australian Desert

Ranking right below the Sahara Desert is the Great Australian Desert. It is made up of 10 deserts and numerous desert regions of Australia. Mining is one of the top activities around the Great Australian Desert. This destination is rich in various gems, including uranium ores, manganese, aluminium and iron. You can also witness some exotic animals during your visit, such as kangaroos, wombats, dingos and wallabies. Furthermore, the Great Australian Desert also has the largest feral camel population.

7. Mojave Desert

The Mojave Desert is located in North America and spans across Nevada, Utah, California and Arizona. Despite the harsh conditions, it is one of the most visited deserts, considering its extreme popularity due to its feature in Star Trek and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. You'd find a variety of scorpions, tarantulas, desert tortoises, wildflower fields and more. Considering the presence of risky animals, you must buy overseas travel insurance. If the need arises, and you need immediate medical attention due to a bite from any of these animals, your insurance will cover it.

8. Antarctic Desert

The Antarctic Desert is the largest desert in the world. This cold desert receives only 50mm of rainfall annually. Being the coldest place on earth, Antarctica is also the coldest desert. The sheets of ice in Antarctica are believed to have accumulated over a thousand years. You can visit this cold desert during the summer, from November to March. This is the perfect time to enjoy a variety of activities here, like crossing the Drake Passage, kayaking, hiking across the snowy mountains and skiing.

Conclusion

There are numerous deserts in the world that you must visit. It is recommended to get Schengen travel insurance if you're visiting Tabernas. Apart from this, the regular travel insurance should be enough. However, if you're planning to visit other deserts, it is recommended to take overseas travel insurance. You must have security while travelling to these deserts to protect yourself against any unforeseen situations.


Disclaimer: The above information is for illustrative purposes only. For more details, please refer to the policy wordings and prospectus before concluding the sales.


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