Lake Qarun
A salt lake 43 m below sea level, the last piece of ancient Lake Moeris
5.0 on TripadvisorPrivate tour Fayoum Oasis Private Day Tour from Cairo
Green fields, a salt lake, a pottery village and desert waterfalls, all within a day's drive of Cairo. A private Fayoum tour with an Egyptologist.
- Duration
- About 10 hours, door to door
- Where
- Fayoum oasis, south-west of Cairo
- Pick-up
- Hotel in Cairo or Giza
- Language
- English (other languages on request)
From, per person$956 or more travellers
- Starts any day
- Free quote, no obligation
- Change anything you like
About this tour
Fayoum is where people from Cairo go to get out of the city for a day. The oasis is a green basin about 100 km south-west of Cairo, fed by the Bahr Yussef canal, with Lake Qarun at its low point. The tour is built around water: the lake shore and its birds, the lanes of a potters' village, and the artificial falls at Wadi El Rayan in the desert behind.
The archaeology is gentle rather than grand. In the morning you visit the Greco-Roman town of Karanis, where the granaries and two temples still stand among the mounds. If you would rather see a temple that is standing nearly complete, ask us to swap Karanis for Qasr Qarun at the west end of the lake.
The day suits families, couples and travellers who have done the big monuments and want to slow down. It does not suit someone expecting a major pharaonic site, and it is not the day for the fossil whales, which have their own tour. Some of the roads are rough and some of the stops are basic.
Karanis
A Ptolemaic and Roman farming town with granaries and two temples
Tunis village
A potters' village on the shore, with a school that dates from the 1980s
Wadi El Rayan
Two lakes joined by waterfalls in the Western Desert
Qasr Qarun (optional swap)
A Ptolemaic temple where the town of Dionysias once stood
How the day runs
- 1
Around 7:30Pick-up and the road to the oasis
Your driver leaves Cairo and heads south-west. The oasis is about 100 km from the city, and the drive depends on traffic, with the last part running through farmland. Your guide explains why this basin is green when the desert around it is not.
- 2
Mid-morningKaranis
Karanis was founded in the third century BC under Ptolemy II and stayed occupied for roughly nine centuries. Excavators found houses, granaries, a bath complex and two limestone temples. Your guide takes you through the mounds and the small Kom Aushim museum next to the site, which opened in 1974. We confirm for your date that the site and museum are open.
- 3
MiddayLake Qarun and Tunis village
The lake lies 43 m below sea level and covers about 202 km2. It is salty enough that most Nile fish have disappeared, but nearly 88 species of water bird use it, and many of them winter here, so the cooler months suit birdwatchers. Tunis village sits on its shore. A Swiss potter, Evelyne Porret, started a pottery school there in the 1980s, and today you can watch the potters at work and visit a few workshops.
- 4
Early afternoonLunch on the lake
Lunch is at a lakeside restaurant. Ask for the fish if it is on the menu, but tell your guide if you would rather avoid it. Salty water and pollution have cut catches in recent years.
- 5
AfternoonWadi El Rayan
Wadi El Rayan is in the desert south-west of the city, in a protected area. The two lakes were dug out between 1968 and 1973 to take farm drainage water, and waterfalls connect them. The park has sand dunes around the lakes.
- 6
Around 17:00Back to Cairo
The drive home takes you through the same farmland as the morning. You normally reach your hotel in the evening, depending on traffic.
How much does this tour cost?
| Group size | Price per person |
|---|---|
| Single traveller | $150 |
| 2 travellers | $120 |
| 3 to 5 travellers | $105 |
| 6 or more travellers | $95 |
In US dollars, per person, for a private trip. The price in your written quote, made for your dates and group, is the one that counts. International flights are not included.
What’s included
Included
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off in Cairo or Giza
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
- Private Egyptologist guide
- Entrance fees to the sites listed in the day
- Lunch at a lakeside restaurant
- Bottled water
Not included
- Pottery you buy in Tunis
- Tips
- Optional boat trip on Wadi El Rayan lake
- Egypt visa
Booking policies
Important information
Best season
November to March is the better time. Winter brings migrating birds to the lake and the desert at Wadi El Rayan is more comfortable. In July and August it is hot and the dunes are exposed, so drink more than you think you need.
Wear
Comfortable shoes that can handle sand and mud, a hat and sunscreen. A light layer for the evening drive home. Tunis is a working village, so cover shoulders and knees.
Protected area
Wadi El Rayan is a protected area, so stay on the tracks and take your rubbish with you.
Pottery shopping
The potters in Tunis sell directly. Ask the price before you pick anything up, and your guide can point you to the workshops that make their own pieces. Breakable items travel better in a box.
Payment and deposit
- Prices are in US dollars and the price in your written quote is the one that counts.
- The deposit is 30 percent of the total price (50 percent for trips that start from 18 December to 5 January).
- The balance is due 15 days before arrival. If you book later than that, the full amount confirms the booking.
- Payment instructions come with your written quote.
Cancellation and refund
Send every cancellation by email so that we can confirm it in writing. The charge is a percentage of the tour price, and anything you paid above it is refunded.
| Days before arrival | Normal dates | 18 Dec to 5 Jan |
|---|---|---|
| Until 61 days | 20% | 35% |
| 60 to 31 days | 35% | 50% |
| 30 to 15 days | 50% | 75% |
| 14 to 1 days, or no-show | 100% | 100% |
A bank and payment fee of 6 percent is deducted from every refund. Full rules: terms and policies.
Children
- Children under 3 travel free.
- Children from 3 to 11.99 years pay 50 percent of the tour price.
- From 12 years, travellers pay the adult price.
Please give the age of every child at the time of travel when you ask for a quote.
Travel tips
Know before you go
Start early
Pickup around 8:00 gets you to the pyramids before the heat and the coach groups.
Wear
Closed shoes, a hat and sunscreen, expect sand, steps and uneven ground.
Extra tickets
Entry inside the Great Pyramid is an optional ticket bought on the day.
Photos
Photos are free outdoors; some tombs charge for cameras. Drones are not allowed.
Traveller reviews
What our travellers say
A Fantastic Tour of Egypt
“The entire trip was seamlessly executed.”
Best tour guide!!
“He made our trip to the pyramids and Alexandria fun and memorable.”
Amazing 2 week trip
“My friends and I spent two weeks in Egypt and he was with us every step of the way.”
FAQ
Questions about this tour
Still unsure? Message us on WhatsApp and a real person from our team will answer.
How far is Fayoum from Cairo?
About 100 km from Cairo to Fayoum city. Lake Qarun and the villages are a bit beyond that, and Wadi El Rayan is further into the desert.
Do we visit the whale fossils at Wadi El Hitan?
No. Wadi El Hitan is deeper in the desert and needs a longer day. We run it as its own tour.
Is Karanis worth seeing if I do not like ruins?
It is a town, not a temple complex, so it is quieter and flatter than most. If you prefer a temple that still has a roof and rooms, ask for Qasr Qarun instead.
Is the lake safe to swim in?
We do not recommend swimming in Lake Qarun, which is salty and polluted from farm runoff.
Is the day suitable with young children?
Yes for most children. There is space to run at Karanis and the falls, but the trip is long by car, so bring snacks and something to read.
Make it a trip
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Before you go
Guides for this trip
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