Amazing Day Trip from Cairo to Wadi El-Hitan
- Duration: 1 Day
- Location: Wadi El Hitan
- Availability: Available Everyday
- Trip Type: Private
- Pick up & Drop off: Your Hotel / Your Location
Pick up at 7:00 am from your location/hotel (The trip from Cairo to Lake Qarun takes around 75 minutes)
After breakfast, pick you up and start our trip to El-Fayoum Oasis and on to Wadi El-Hitan. El-Fayoum oasis is around 100 km southwest of Cairo. Our first stop is by lake Qarun for a morning coffee and the beautiful open scenery of the lake and Qatrani mountain behind. Afterward, we continue our trip to Wadi El-Hitan. We arrive at Wadi El-Hitan around 11:30 am and then start our tour by visiting the open-air museum, a short walk track with some whale fossils displayed where they were originally unearthed.
Lunch in Wadi El-Hitan restaurant.
After lunch, we continue our tour in Wadi El-Hitan by visiting the Climate change and fossils museum, a small museum that accommodated some of the whales’ fossils and other marine fossils found in the valley. The fossils are 40 to 200 million years old! After the Wadi El-Hitan visit, we then leave Wadi El-Hitan and continue our trip to Mudawara mountain which is overlooking the lakes of Rayan valley and the mountains of Magic lake. Afterward, we proceed to Wadi El-Rayan to see the waterfalls & possibly immigrating birds. Finally, we transfer you back to Cairo to your location address.
First stop: Time: 7:00 am: Lake Qarun
Lake Qarun is 20 km from Fayoum, and 80 km from Cairo. The lake is considered one of the most important ancient natural lakes. It is the remaining part of the ancient Moeris Lake. The lake comprises 1155 km2. It is five meters in depth in the east and thirteen meters in the west. You can practice water sports, fishing, and bird watching. The best period for fishing is from July to September.
Secondly, we visit Tunis Village
The small village of Tunis (‘izbat Tunis) is located in the oasis of Fayoum, on the way to Wadi Rayan. Located on a hill facing a large saltwater lake, the village overlooks a stunning view of the edge of the desert on the other side of the lake. It is one of the most beautiful places in Egypt.
Stop 3: Wadi El-Hitan
A UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2005 for its hundreds of fossils of some of the earliest forms of whales, the archaeoceti (a now extinct sub-order of whales). The site reveals evidence for the explanation of one of the greatest mysteries of the evolution of whales: the emergence of the whale as an ocean-going mammal from a previous life as a land-based animal. No other place in the world yields the number, concentration, and quality of such fossils, as is their accessibility and setting in an attractive and protected landscape. This is why it was added by UNESCO to the list of protected World
Stop 4: Mudawara Mountain
Mudawara Mountain is located only a couple of hundred meters to the south of Wadi El Rayyan Road, just after it passes to the north of Al Fayyum Lake. The mountain has three main summits with a few bumps rising to the west. The easternmost is a short spire of rock with a surprising pit dug into the summit. It has a small enough footprint that Google Earth doesn’t even register its presence. Interestingly, it is the hardest summit to reach and most likely has a top below sea level. Mudawara Mountain, 45 million years old, is associated with the pre-Middle Leocene period, which moved north of Egypt, resulting in arches in the northeast and southwest direction.
Finally, we explore Wadi El-Rayan
Similarly, we take our Vehicle and go to the Valley of Wadi El-Rayyan. It is an area of 1759km2, 113km2 of which are the dominating water body of the Wadi El Rayan lakes. It is located about 65km southwest of Faiyum city and 80km west of the Nile River. The reserve is composed of a 50.90km2 upper lake and a 62.00km2 lower lake, with waterfalls between the two. Among the springs, there are three sulfur springs on the southern side of the lower lake, with extensive mobile dunes. Wadi El Rayan Waterfalls are considered to be the largest waterfalls in Egypt. To conclude our experience, there is an opportunity to have a drink by the lake while watching the sunset before hitting the road back to Cairo.
Price per person in USD: (Please choose your pricing option)
Option 1: Air-conditioned transportation
- Solo: 215$ USD
- 2 to 4 ppl: 105$ USD
- 5 to 8 ppl: 85$ USD
- 9+ ppl: 70$ USD
Option 2: 4WD Transportation
- Solo: 290$ USD
- 2 to 4 people: 150$ USD
- 5+ people: 130$ USD