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Wadi El Rayan Tour: Explore Valley of the Whales
4.8
62 Ratings
Al Fayyum
Experience a private day tour from Cairo to El Fayoum Oasis and Waterfalls. Visit Wadi Hitan, Valley of the Whales, and explore the natural wonders of Wadi El Rayan. Enjoy a BBQ lunch in a Bedouin setting.
Experience a private day tour from Cairo to El Fayoum Oasis and Waterfalls. Visit Wadi Hitan, Valley of the Whales, and explore the natural wonders of Wadi El Rayan. Enjoy a BBQ lunch in a Bedouin setting.
Duration:
9 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Wadi El-Rayan - The tour guide will collect guests from their hotel in Cairo to explore the renowned sites of El Fayoum. The distance from Cairo to Fayoum is approximately 95 km. Today’s itinerary includes visits to Wadi El Rayan, which was designated as a Protected Area in 1989. This tranquil oasis in Fayoum, located a short distance from Cairo,…
- Wadi El-Rayan - The tour guide will collect guests from their hotel in Cairo to explore the renowned sites of El Fayoum. The distance from Cairo to Fayoum is approximately 95 km. Today’s itinerary includes visits to Wadi El Rayan, which was designated as a Protected Area in 1989. This tranquil oasis in Fayoum, located a short distance from Cairo, was historically known as Crocodilopolis, as it was home to priests who revered these large reptiles, adorning them with gold and offering sweet honey cakes.
Note: The English tour is complimentary, but tours in other languages (Spanish, Italian, French, German, Russian, Chinese, or others) will incur an additional charge.
- Fayoum Oasis - The tour begins with a visit to the Lake of Birket Qarun (Arabic for Lake of Qarun), situated in the Faiyum Oasis. The lake is rich in fish, particularly bulti, with significant quantities being sent to Cairo. In ancient times, this lake was much larger, and the Greeks and Romans referred to it as Lake Moeris. Following this, guests will visit Mudawara Mountain and the enchanting Magic Lake.
- Western Desert - Wadi El Rayan is a natural depression in the western desert, comprising two lakes connected by Egypt’s only waterfalls, created in 1970 by the overflow of drainage water from Fayoum’s farmlands. A late lunch will be provided at a high-quality restaurant, followed by a return transfer to Cairo.
Important Note: French tour guides are not available.
What's Included
- Sandboarding
- All taxes & service charge
- BBQ Lunch at Bedouin Camp with Bedouin tea
- Snacks during the tour
- English-speaking guide or driver (other languages available at extra charge)
- Lunch with local Egyptian food (fish or grilled chicken by the lake)
- Entrance fees for the waterfalls included
- Private tour (VIP visit)
- Valley of Wales…
- Sandboarding
- All taxes & service charge
- BBQ Lunch at Bedouin Camp with Bedouin tea
- Snacks during the tour
- English-speaking guide or driver (other languages available at extra charge)
- Lunch with local Egyptian food (fish or grilled chicken by the lake)
- Entrance fees for the waterfalls included
- Private tour (VIP visit)
- Valley of Wales with 4x4 Jeep Safari
- Pick-up service from your hotel in Cairo and back
- No French-speaking guides or drivers available
What's Not Included
- Any extras not mentioned in the program.
- Drinks at restaurant
- Entrance fees for Valley of wales not included
- Tips
- Any extras not mentioned in the program.
- Drinks at restaurant
- Entrance fees for Valley of wales not included
- Tips
Additional Information
We’ll collect you from your Cairo hotel to take you on a journey through El Fayoum’s renowned locations. The distance from Cairo to Fayoum is approximately 95 km. Today’s expedition leads us to the attractions in Wadi El Ryan, recognized as a Protected Region in 1989. Our trip begins with a tour of the Wadi Hitan Protected Area (Valley of the Whales),…
We’ll collect you from your Cairo hotel to take you on a journey through El Fayoum’s renowned locations. The distance from Cairo to Fayoum is approximately 95 km. Today’s expedition leads us to the attractions in Wadi El Ryan, recognized as a Protected Region in 1989. Our trip begins with a tour of the Wadi Hitan Protected Area (Valley of the Whales), which is included in the cost and lies about 90 km from Fayoum. The Valley of the Whales or Wadi Hitan can be found within the Protected Division of Wadi El Rayan. It’s acknowledged as a World Heritage Site by UNISCO thanks to the discovery of 40-million-year-old whale fossils. As we proceed towards Wadi El Rayan Water Falls, we mak a stopover at Mudawara Mountain, then continue to Wadi Al Ryan Water Falls. Wadi El Rayan is a natural sinkhole in the western desert, uniquely housing Egypt’s only waterfalls. These were created in 1970 due to the overflow of agricultural drainage water from Fayoum. A late lunch will be served at quality restaurant, followed by a transfer back to Cairo. During this journey, you will experience a BBQ Lunch with the Bedouins.
Location
Wadi El-Rayan
65 km southwest of Faiyum city, 80 km west of the Nile River
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.8
(62 Ratings)
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Barbaragb1992kf
Jan 16, 2025
Fun experience in the desert - At the end of our stay in Cairo, after taking a week of Nile cruise, we still had 3 days to spend here. I searched for a last-minute excursion and used the never-before-used Viator website. I booked the desert tour with the visit to the whale valley. The reservation was confirmed even if there were less than 24 hours left before departure. I was really surprised in a positive way by the professionalism of these organizers as at the time they realized that for the private tour with desert Jeep and guide in Italian there were no great possibilities they began to send me emails and messages on WhatsApp indicating that they were doing everything possible to be able to organize this excursion. About 5:20 in the morning, so from 0:00 until 5:00 they looked for solutions, not finding them, at 5:20 I was informed that the trip had been canceled and the refund made on my credit card because they had not been able to find guide or Jeep disponiboli given the high number of reservations received on the same day. At this point I sent a new message saying that I could even join a group that spoke French because I really wanted to do this trip. This message was clearly not followed up but soon after I received a phone call from an operator here in Cairo who spoke very good Italian informing me that they had managed both to find a guide and to find the Jeep and that we would be together with another couple of Italians if we were okay. So we left, our guide is called Adel, translated into English Just for all Giustino. Great and really good and super nice. we had a great time. The desert is very impressive as well as seeing the whale fossils in the spot where they were found. The falls are not real waterfalls as we understand them but a portion of the river that falls for about 4-5 meters. In all cases I recommend it to everyone. We had a very good JEEP driver who made us jump over the dunes. We really enjoyed it and I really recommend it.
Thanks to the Viator Cairo team and Giustino, I don't know how many would have gone to so much trouble to find a solution on such short notice. So I recommend this association to everyone I have used it in Egypt but probably if I find myself in other parts of the world I will certainly use it, so I recommend it to 1000 × 1000. Have a nice trip, everyone.
Thank you very much to everyone and to Giustino
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Climber33020364155
Jan 8, 2025
The best day of our trip! An experience worth every euro. - Hello everyone,
We were a troupe of four on this trip to Fayoum and would like to add our mustard: It was worth every euro!
At first we hesitated to spend €75 (or dollars) per person, but the trip and our guide were just incredible and our favorite day in the two-week trip to Egypt.
The guide not only knew the region extremely well, but was also courteous, warm and really fulfilled every wish. Because he is an English teacher, he speaks perfect English and there were no communication problems at all. The remarkable thing about this trip was not only the insider spots and the great nature experiences (desert jeep ride, sand dune surfing) but also the authentic relaxation and unique atmosphere. We were warmly welcomed, felt like guests and friends at the same time and everyone took time to make this day very special for us. No hustle and bustle, no tribulations and no touri traps. We felt safe throughout the trip (the guide’s driving style is also very safe) and knew what happened next or coordinated this again on the spot, so that you could extend some program points and shorten some. Visiting the whale fossils took only 20 minutes (the skeletons are also partly repeated), but we spent more time in the nature of the desert. We ended the evening with a meal (also vegetarian with early registration) and drove back home satisfied with some fossils (nummulites) and ceramic goods from the pottery village in our pockets. The guide was even more punctual than we (Germans).
For financial guidance: For the admissions you should plan an additional 15 € per person. The pottery costs around €6 per ordinary cup or bowl and additional, voluntary but valued tip for the guide may also be included.
In summary: Warmest recommendation!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Z2961rmluigil
Dec 31, 2024
Unforgettable day - We visited Fayoum Oasis and Wales Valley via Sopy Egypt Tours and it was a fantastic experience. The agency took care of everything in a professional and impeccable manner. We were picked up and dropped off directly at the hotel and throughout the day our guide, Giustino, accompanied us on a fantastic tour, in which we admired the Fayoum oasis and the valley of Wales, and made us discover unforgettable views and made us try an excellent lunch in the desert. We are absolutely delighted with this experience, which we recommend to everyone. Bravissimi Sopy Egypt Tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
W9631gyelenab
Dec 31, 2024
Unforgettable day - Our guide advised us to do this excursion
We took a jeep ride in the desert
Valley of whales view
Magic lake and waterfalls
A wonderful day with breathtaking views
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Simonavittorianac
Dec 1, 2024
Friends in the Valley of Whales - Wonderful experience driving very attentive to the needs of the tourist very kind and professional.
Very in-depth cultural explanations
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Antonija_p
Nov 5, 2024
Great day - The tour was great, mostly thanks to our guide Ahmed.
He explained the whole tour to us, guided us the whole day, made sure we had fun.
If you want to enjoy the whale valley fully, you will need more time. Our tour finished later than planed, so take this into account. Or skip the waterfalls, those are really nothing special.
Review provided by Viator
Traveler799177
Nov 4, 2024
Thank you Ahmed for great experience - Great trip thanks to our fantastic guide Ahmed, who organise everthing very well. He is very nice and friendly, knows all sorts of things about Egypt-from history to every day life. This was my first desert trip and I will never forget it. 🤗 Valley of whales was magnificent!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
An2nijap
Nov 4, 2024
Great day - The tour was great, mostly thanks to our guide Ahmed.
He explained the whole tour to us, guided us the whole day, made sure we had fun.
If you want to enjoy the whale valley fully, you will need more time. Our tour finished later than planed, so take this into account. Or skip the waterfalls, those are really nothing special.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Mason
Oct 6, 2024
Fanrastic - Met a very good and passionate guide Samy. With his great help, we left many nice photos and video. Had a nice day in the dessert. One of the most fantastic and excellent experience that I have in Egypt. Also our driver driving fast and stable, great thank to all of them.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
G7890ckannes
Jan 4, 2025
Too bad... - Excursion rather disappointing, program followed approximately, we did not have the opportunity to walk in the oasis of Fayoum, the “Whale Cemetery” and its museum were the most interesting point, beautiful trips in the desert and beautiful views of the lakes. surcharge of 65 EUR for the French-speaking guide completely unjustified: this guide was charming and helpful but clearly lacked training both from the point of view of language and Egyptian culture. For this award, the managers must entrust the mission to a professional guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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