Cairo to El Fayoum Day Trip: Wadi El-Hitan (Valley of the Whales) & Waterfalls

The Best Day Trip from Cairo to El Fayoum Oasis

If you want to spend a day outside of Cairo to get away from the large city with its noise and heavy traffic, and you’ve decided to do the best day trip from Cairo to El Fayoum oasis, here’s a detailed description of The Best Day Trip from Cairo to El Fayoum Oasis, including places to see, where to stop, and the best things to do during the day.

FUN

You should not miss the following places:

A day trip to El Fayoum used to be unappealing. Guests were disappointed when they arrived to see the lakes and waterfalls. It felt like a day without any major attractions.

You should not go on a day trip from Cairo to El Fayoum just to see the lake and the Wadi El Rayan Waterfalls. You can see and experience much more than just lakes. Some of the sights are the remarkable Valley of the Whales, the Climate Change Museum, and the Magic Lake. The best day trip from Cairo to the El Fayoum Oasis should include a stop in Tunis, with all of its stunning architecture and pottery artwork.

FUN

The Best Day Trip from Cairo to El Fayoum Oasis

Wadi El Hitan (Valley of the Whales)

Wadi El Hitan protectorate in Egypt

For the best day trip from Cairo to the El Fayoum Oasis, explore antiquity by seeing 5,000-year-old tombs and temples. Imagine 40-million-year-old whales!

Wadi Al-Hitan, located 150 miles southwest of Cairo, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It contains remnants of the ancient Tethys Sea when Egypt was submerged. Sea cows, crocodiles, and turtles once roamed its waters. Its most significant aspect, however, is the information it provides about whale growth.

Whale ancestors walked on land fifty million years ago while hunting in shallow seas, much like sea otters do now. During the next 10 million years, archeocetes (ancient whales) adapted to a more aquatic existence. The Wadi Al Hitan Fossil and Climate Change Museum, which opened in 2016, has remarkable exhibits in English and Arabic that show the area’s climatic changes over time as well as how land-based creatures evolved to return to the sea.

The fossils, however, are not only on display. Whole skeletons of Basilosaurus and Dorudon are on display along a walking path packed with invertebrate fossils and bone pieces, some of which still retain small hind limbs not present in modern whales. Each year, only about 3000 individuals visit Wadi Al-Hitan. Previously, access was through a sand-blown path that required 4WD vehicles, but lately (as of May 2022), a paved road has allowed regular autos to make the trip.

The Magic Lake

The Magic Lake in Fayoum

The Magic Lake, with views of dunes, is one of Egypt’s most beautiful lakes. You’ll be able to watch one of the most magnificent sunsets you’ve ever seen as you walk around the lake. Magic Lake is a beautiful lake located near Fayoum’s Wadi El Rayan. The name “Magic Lake” came from its changing colors. The lake’s colors shift several times each day, depending on the season and the amount of sunlight.

It’s a breathtakingly beautiful desert location. Around Magic Lake, people enjoy hiking, sandboarding, and swimming in the lake. The lake’s minerals are believed to help patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Tunis Village

Tunis Village In Fayoum - Egypt Fun Tours

In 1962, an Egyptian novelist and his Swiss wife visited Tunis Village. They fell in love with it and built a house and a pottery factory. Their goal was to revive the Fayoum pottery industry and teach future generations how to make pottery. They also wanted to promote eco-tourism in the area.

Tunis Village is well known for its beautiful architecture. It has hotels with views of Qarun Lake and several tourist restaurants. On a day trip from Cairo to the El Fayoum oasis, you can see all of these monuments. You can also visit Lake Qarun, Wadi El Rayan waterfalls and lakes, and Mudawara mountain. Egypt Fun Tours’ driver and tour guide will manage the time and make your trip a reality.

10 Luxury Hotels in Cairo: Pyramids, Nile, and Downtown

Explore the top 10 luxury hotels in Cairo, precisely categorized by location and prestige. Choose...
Related post
FUN

Tours to El Fayoum Oasis From Cairo

If you live in Cairo or are visiting Egypt as a tourist, you should take this Best Day Trip from Cairo to El Fayoum Oasis to appreciate the nature, landscape, and ancient sites that El Fayoum has to offer.

Pyramids Visitor’s Guide: Expert Tips, FAQs & Logistics

Master the mysteries of the ancient world with this essential guide to Giza Pyramids Visitor’s...
Related post
FUN

10 Luxury Hotels in Cairo: Pyramids, Nile, and Downtown

Explore the top 10 luxury hotels in Cairo, precisely categorized by location and prestige. Choose...
Related post
FUN
4 Days Wheelchair Accessible Tour of Cairo and Luxor....
Witness the splendor of ancient Egypt on a 10 days tour....
13-day Egypt guided tour package - Egypt Fun Tours

Easily the best two days of the year!

We were doing the 14-day Mediterranean cruise and were in Egypt for two days. I was searching the internet for about 4 days and finally found Egypt Fun Tours as my guide in Egypt. It ended up being the best 2 days of the entire cruise trip. Since this is

More »

What an amazing day!

I had a 12 hour layover on my way to Dar es Salaam and wanted to take full advantage of my time in Cairo. After researching for many hours, I came across Egypt Fun Tours and emailed for more information. I received a prompt reply with full details of several

More »

Great shore excursion of Cairo & Giza

We are glad that we arranged our private shore excursion with Egypt Fun tours in last week of October 2012. Booking process was very easy with Hamada and she took care of all our questions promptly just via E-mail. Our group was little worried about safety in Egypt especially because

More »

Day trip to Wadi el Hitan and Wadi el Rayan

We went on a full-day trip to Wadi el Hitan and Wadi el Rayan with Mohamed (Hamada). Mohamed was a wonderful guide, always making sure we had plenty of water and enough to eat, and providing us with information about the area and Egypt more generally. He also gave us

More »

Absolutely the best

We visited Cairo over a 15-hour layover. Egypt Fun Tours organized a customized and wonderful experience for us. We could not be happier. The day included a visit to all the great sites, the marketplace, dinner, a boat ride on the Nile, and a host of other special requests. I

More »
Isis with wings

Top-rated Tour Packages

Isis with wings