Skip to content
Egypt City Trip

Fayoum Oasis & Wadi El Hitan Valley of the Whales

A UNESCO fossil valley, a waterfall in the desert and Egypt's oldest pyramid road

NewRef ECT-T1245 Instant confirmation
  • Duration10 hours
  • AvailabilityDaily
  • Languages6 languages
  • PickupHotel pickup included
  • CancellationFree up to 24h

Overview

Wadi El Hitan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site holding the best record anywhere of how whales lost their legs. Dozens of skeletons of Basilosaurus and Dorudon, forty million years old, lie exposed in the sand exactly where they were found — some with the vestigial hind limbs still articulated. The open-air museum trail runs about two kilometres and is genuinely extraordinary.

The rest of the day covers Fayoum: the Wadi El Rayan waterfalls between the two lakes, the Magic Lake that changes colour with the light, sandboarding on the surrounding dunes, and lunch at a lakeside village. It is the single best day trip from Cairo for anyone who has already done the pyramids.

Highlights

  • 40-million-year-old whale skeletons in situ
  • Wadi El Rayan waterfalls
  • The Magic Lake and the surrounding dunes
  • Sandboarding included
  • Lakeside lunch in a Fayoum village

Itinerary

  1. 07:00

    Cairo hotel pickup

    South-west out of the city.

  2. 09:00

    Wadi El Rayan waterfalls

    The falls between the upper and lower lakes.

  3. 10:30

    Wadi El Hitan

    The fossil trail and the open-air whale skeletons.

  4. 12:30

    Magic Lake & sandboarding

    The colour-changing lake and the dune slope above it.

  5. 14:00

    Lakeside lunch

    Fresh fish at a Fayoum village restaurant.

  6. 15:30

    Tunis Village

    Pottery studios and a viewpoint over Lake Qarun.

  7. 18:00

    Return to Cairo

    Back at your hotel in the evening.

What's included

Included

  • Private 4x4 or air-conditioned vehicle from Cairo
  • English-speaking guide
  • All entry fees and desert permits
  • Lunch at a lakeside restaurant
  • Sandboards
  • Bottled water

Not included

  • Any extras not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Personal spending and souvenirs
  • Tipping (entirely at your discretion)

Optional extras

Optional add-ons and prices
ExtraPrice
Tunis Village pottery workshop$22per person
Birdwatching at Lake Qarun$25per person
Hawara & Lahun pyramids$20per person

Meeting point & route

Free pickup and drop-off from your hotel, apartment or Nile cruise dock.

Meeting point: Your hotel lobby in the tour city.

Important information

  • Wear comfortable closed shoes — most sites have uneven stone ground.
  • Bring a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen; shade is limited at open-air sites.
  • Modest dress is required for mosques and churches: shoulders and knees covered.
  • Photography is free at most sites; some tombs and museums charge a small camera fee.

Cancellation policy

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Cancellations inside 24 hours are non-refundable, but we will always try to move your date instead.

EnglishArabicSpanishFrenchGermanItalian

Frequently asked questions

Traveller reviews

No reviews yet. Travellers can review this tour from their account once the trip is complete.

No reviews for this tour yet — be the first once you have travelled with us.

You might also like

Similar tours

All tours
Frequently booked together

Travellers who booked this also booked