Fayoum Oasis and Wadi El-Rayan Waterfalls Tour: Exploring Ancient Egypt from Cairo
4.8
151 Ratings
Al Fayyum
Escape the crowds of Cairo and embark on an 8-hour private tour to Fayoum Oasis. Explore ancient Egypt, visit the Fayoum Museum, and marvel at the stunning Wadi El-Rayan waterfalls. A paradise for photographers and nature enthusiasts.
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Fayoum Oasis - After hotel pickup in Cairo or Giza by private air-conditioned vehicle, your day trip starts with the drive to Al-Fayoum Oasis, situated 65 miles (105 km) southwest of Cairo.

Visit the third-largest lake in Egypt, Birket Qarun, about 49 miles (80 km) southwest of Cairo, and keep a lookout for the many different species of birds who inhabit this saltwater lake.

Lunch is included at a local restaurant.

  • Wadi El-Rayan - Then visit Wadi El Rayan which are man-made waterfalls created by agricultural excess waters in the middle of the desert. (in Case Wadi Rayan waterfalls are closed due to any circumstances a visit to Fayoum water wheels will be done instead). Take a ride on a traditional wooden sailing boat known as a felucca, and go for a walk to snap photos.
What's Included
  • Hotel pickup and drop-off
  • Professional guide
  • National Park fees
  • Lunch
  • Transport by private vehicle
What's Not Included
  • Drinks
  • Gratuities
  • The extra charge of Pick up from the hotels and points outside the city
Additional Information

On this 8-hour private tour to Al-Fayoum Oasis from Cairo, you’ll see Lake Qarun, visit the Fayoum Museum, and stop by one of the top natural sights in Egypt, Wadi El-Rayan. One of the oldest cities in Egypt, Fayoum is a paradise for photographers, bird-watchers, desert dwellers, archaeologists, or anyone looking to enjoy a day away from the hustle and bustle of Cairo. Enjoy a more personalized experience with a private guide.

  • Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
  • In case of the closure of Waterfalls of Wadi El Rayan due to any circumstances an alternative visit to Fayoum Waterwheels or Ain El Selein will be offered
Location
Fayoum Oasis
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(151 Ratings)
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Kamillao2015
May 17, 2024
The experience of a lifetime - I expected an okay trip because I don’t like anything fake or too “touristic” (or guides in that matter), so I was a little bit sceptic. I couldn’t be more surprised because this trip was honestly more than I could ever imagine. The guide, Zizou and even the driver was extremely friendly but not in the usual “guide” way. They acted as we were friends, we sit together and drunk coffee and talked, eat amazing traditional lunch, which we couldn’t eat anywhere else because I don’t think I’ve ever find a place like this. For a moment we forgot about that we payed for this because it felt natural, like you were on a trip with your friends. I was on a couple of similar trips and although all guides were nice and friendly, I never felt this way. So honestly I can only recommend. For us this experience was one of the highlights of our trip. + When we were interested in the train schedule he causally called the train station to confirm the data he find online. Seriously amazing guy.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
901kierrai
May 3, 2024
Amazing visit to El Fayoum & Wadi Rian - Zizou is amazing! He makes you feel smarter and connected to the history of ancient Egypt. He took several amazing photos of us. And, the way Zizou takes careful attention to detail when explaining the history or origin of an exhibit is "tourademic" (tourism and academic).😀 I would absolutely book him again, as I plan to return to Egypt. (And, Ibrahim is an awesome driver - great sense of humor, such a cool demeanor and a wonderful driver. The roads in El Fayoum are not the smoothest and Ibrahim did a great job navigating them.😅)
Review provided by Tripadvisor
284mariab
May 1, 2024
Fun, informative and a chance to see lovely scenery - We had a wonderful day. Our tour guide and driver, Zizou and Omar did a great job. Zizou was extremely knowledgeable and we learnt so much about the history and present day customs of the people of Egypt. I would highly recommend this tour.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Laetitiar567
Apr 19, 2024
A really satisfying activity not too far from Cairo - I would like to sincerely thank my guide for this tour, Zizou, and his driver Omar. Concerning the tour, everything was following the planned program : museum of Fayoum, stop to the Karoun lake, and then the waterfalls which seemed to be an absolutely magical and unreal place on this earth. The journey on boat was a happy moment, with a lot of people singing and playing music all around us. The lunch was excellent, and once again, we enjoyed a lot this moment. Zizou was a wonderful guide, explaining very well about the history of each place, and really kind. We loved the complete visite thanks to him. Omar made us laugh all the day and it was really pleasant. Thank you both of you for all the unforgettable memories you brought us that day !
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Cosmopolitan589343
Mar 25, 2024
First time seeing oasis - First time seeing oasis and it was definitely worth it. Lakes in the middle of the desert are gorgeous! Our guide Zizou made sure our tour would be interesting as well with the stop at a small but nice museum of Fayoum.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sha
Jan 1, 2024
Long journey but worth it - Zeezu was very good guide and made our trip smooth and fun. Wasn’t great English but tried his best to make our time memorable. Museum wasn’t great as we had visited super ones like GEM/civilisation, but he was knowledgeable in local Fayoum culture which still made our visit remarkable. Water falls were great, never expected something in desert like that in the first place and boat trip was quite good. Lunch was good. My son got insect bites earlier day, Zeezu really helped us find the pharmacy straight away when I told him, great help, never forget. Definitely recommend.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sherpa00435433231
Dec 19, 2023
Get out of Cairo and see the Valley of the Whales - It was amazing to get out of Cairo and see some of the surrounding areas! Getting to the Valley of the Whales takes a few hours by van, but our guide Hosni reviewed Egyptian history with us during this time. The Valley of the Whales itself consists of an indoor museum and an outdoor walk to see the fossils still in place - it was a very unique experience! The ride to the waterfall and boat ride was less than an hour. The included lunch was good, but overall the waterfall and boat ride felt very much like a tourist attraction. Overall I would recommend the Valley of the Whales, but maybe on a different tour that does only that stop without the waterfall.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
J136hxandyw
Nov 20, 2023
Great day out at the Whale Museum - Zizou was a great tour guide. He was very knowledgeable about this subject. The trip was very comfortable and our driver was great. The whale skeletons were amazing and I reccomend anyone to go and see this. We were also taken to the waterfalls where we enjoyed a lovely dinner.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mathieuds9683jb
May 30, 2024
Very average - Very average experience, we did not have the impression of finding the photos posted by previous comments. The waterfall area is very dirty and without much charm. There is no felucca ride on the lake but a boat trip which lasts 15 minutes (far from the 30 advertised). Our guide Zizou was friendly and interesting during the museum visit but unfortunately we didn't learn much about the places during the rest of the visit. A little disappointed overall
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Elizabeth_p
Dec 10, 2023
Disappointed that the tour was not what was advertised. Would recommend you find something else - The description of this tour does NOT match what actually happened. Started off with our tour guide telling us we needed to give him $20 for the national park entrance tickets - even though the entrance tickets are advertised as included. Found out the tickets are only $5 a piece (there were two of us) so that was also an incorrect price. Only after a lot of back and forth did he finally pay for the tickets. The ride there takes about 2 hours - made longer by the guide stopping for smoke breaks and the driver stopping for snacks for himself. We did not stop at Lake Qarun (only drove past) and we did not stop at a museum, which was disappointing because we were looking forward to learning and seeing some more history. We arrived at Wadi el Rayan and looked at the waterfalls, which are okay, then were hurried along by our guide to the lake to take a rowboat out. It is NOT a felucca/ not a sailing boat. The boat ride was short - about 20 min. We were allowed to row a little bit which was nice, but overall, pretty underwhelming. Then we were taken “sand boarding” which was NOT in the description. We specifically chose a tour that didn’t include sand boarding because we weren’t interested in that but whatever. Then lunch - which was actually very nice. Chicken, rice, and bread. The seasoning was good and it was an average amount of food. This tour was advertised as a full day tour, but we were finished with the waterfalls, boat ride, sand boarding, and lunch by 12:00pm after less than 2 hours at the site. Our guide/driver wanted to immediately head back to Cairo, but only after we said we wanted to stay longer and get back at the advertised time, 4:00pm, did they allow us to stay a little longer and walk around. That part was very nice as you can walk upstream and see a couple more (small) waterfalls away from all the people. The way back was spent with the guide begging us to give him a five star review. At least they didn’t stop as much on the way back. Overall, the day was fine and we made the best of it, but we are pretty disappointed that the tour was not what was advertised, especially since it was over $100/person. We would recommend booking a different tour.
Review provided by Viator
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up to 10 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
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