Fayoum and Wadi El Rayan: The Desert Day Trip Most Visitors Miss

Most travellers leave Cairo for Luxor or the Red Sea and never hear about Fayoum. That is a pity, because two hours south-west of Giza you find a lake that stretches to the horizon, Egypt’s only waterfalls, a valley full of ancient whale skeletons and dunes high enough to slide down. For our team it is the perfect first taste of the desert – and the easiest one to fit into a short trip.

How far is Fayoum from Cairo?

Fayoum lies about 100 km from Giza, around two hours by car on a good desert road. We pick you up from your hotel early in the morning, drive to the edge of the protected area and switch to one of our 4x4s for the sandy tracks. You are back in Cairo the same evening.

Wadi El Rayan: waterfalls and the Magic Lake

Wadi El Rayan is a protected area of two lakes joined by a short channel. Where the water drops from the upper lake to the lower one you get the waterfalls – small by world standards, but in the middle of the Sahara they feel like a small miracle, and people from Cairo come here to picnic and swim on Fridays.

A little further on is the Magic Lake, a long blue lake lying between golden dunes. Its colour changes through the day, from pale green in the morning to deep blue at noon and gold at sunset, which is how it got its name. This is where we stop for tea and photos.

Wadi El Hitan: the Valley of the Whales

The highlight for many of our guests. Around 40 million years ago this desert was the bottom of a sea, and the fossil skeletons of early whales still lie where they died, some of them more than 15 metres long. The valley is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a marked walking trail, a small open-air museum and wind-carved rock formations along the way. Walking here, with seashells under your feet in the middle of the desert, puts time into perspective.

Sandboarding and a desert picnic

The dunes around the Magic Lake are some of the best near Cairo for sandboarding. We bring the boards; you climb, sit or stand, and slide down. No experience is needed – the sand is soft, and falling is half the fun. Afterwards we lay out carpets on the sand for a simple picnic lunch while the drivers make tea on a small fire.

Lake Qarun and Tunis village

On the way back we often pass Lake Qarun, one of the oldest lakes in Egypt, and the village of Tunis, known for its pottery workshops. You can watch the potters at work and pick up a hand-painted bowl directly from the person who made it.

Stay the night under the stars

Fayoum is close enough for a day trip, but if you have one more day, stay overnight. Away from the city lights, the sky over Wadi El Rayan fills with stars, and our camp by the dunes is quiet, simple and very beautiful. Sunrise over the Magic Lake is worth the early alarm.

Best time to go

October to April is the most comfortable time, with warm days and cool evenings. In summer we still run the trip, but we start very early and plan the walking for the morning. Winter nights can be cold if you camp, so bring a warm layer.

What to bring

• Comfortable closed shoes for the walk in Wadi El Hitan
• A hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
• Swimwear if you would like to swim at the waterfalls
• A light jacket – mornings and evenings in the desert are cooler than in Cairo
• Cash in small notes for the pottery workshops and protected-area tickets if they are not included