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Egypt Short Break: Cairo to Fayoum





Explore Egypt’s layered past, from pyramids to pottery
Combine Cairo’s headline sights with the natural and cultural surprises of Fayoum on this three-day Short Break. Stand before the iconic Pyramids of Giza – the last remaining Ancient Wonder of the World – and explore the massive Grand Egyptian Museum. Shift pace and share conversation and a home-cooked meal with locals for an insightful look at life in the Middle East. Travel to Whale Valley’s fossil-strewn desert and set out on a 4WD adventure, then marvel at the scenic Wadi El-Rayan waterfalls, Magic Lake and the towering, colour-shifting sand dunes. Visit Tunis Pottery Village, meeting artists and supporting community initiatives, and enjoy a Bedouin tea next to Magic Lake. With a mix of guided activities and time to take it all in, this short trip covers history, landscape and culture in an approachable timeframe.
Start: Fayoum, Egypt
End: Cairo, Egypt
- Duration
- 3 days
- Group size
- 1 to 14
- Minimum age
- 15 years old
- Style
- Original
- Theme
Our themes categorise trips based on a common interest or activity, while showcasing the highlights of a destination.
- Short breaks
- Physical rating
Indicates how physically exerting a trip is, and how fit you will need to be to enjoy it. More info on physical ratings
Why you'll love this trip
- Stand before the Pyramids of Giza, then trace Egypt’s story at the Grand Egyptian Museum – the world’s largest archaeological museum dedicated to one civilisation.
- Share a home-cooked meal with a local family, chatting about everyday life in the Middle East and learning to make traditional Egyptian favourites.
- Walk through Whale Valley (Wadi Al-Hitan) – a UNESCO World Heritage site where 40-million-year-old whale fossils set within a desert landscape reveal the evolution from land mammals to ocean giants.
- Take a 4WD desert safari to the Wadi El-Rayan area, stopping at Egypt’s largest waterfalls, taking a boat ride on Magic Lake and capturing sunset from the colour-shifting sand dunes.
- Visit Tunis Village to meet local artists and learn how community-led initiatives are supporting traditional pottery and creative industries.
Itinerary
Marhaba! Welcome to Egypt. Your adventure begins bright and early today at 7.45 am. Meet your local guide and driver at the hotel, then drive directly to Fayoum, where you’ll hop into a 4WD vehicle for an unforgettable safari in the Western Desert and protected Wadi El Rayan area. Stop at Egypt’s largest waterfalls and snap some incredible photos in the sand dunes, which are known for their changing colours. Enjoy a freshly prepared desert picnic before continuing to Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley). Within this open-air UNESCO World Heritage site, you’ll have the rare opportunity to see 40-million-year-old whale fossils as you walk through ancient seabeds. Get a glimpse into the whale’s fascinating evolutionary journey as you see fossils representing their transition from land to fully sea-based mammals (even some fossils that still have hind legs!). Sip traditional Bedouin tea next to the lake and watch the spectacular desert sunset before dinner.
- Hotel (1 night)
There are no meals included on this day.
- Fayoum- Stargazing Experience
- Fayoum- Traditional Bedouin Tea at the Magic Lake
- Fayoum-Whales Valley visit
- Fayoum - 4x4 Western Desert Safari Experience- Wadi El Rayan
Your adventure begins bright and early today at the joining point hotel. To ensure you don’t miss this important start, we highly recommend arriving in Cairo the day or evening before.
It’s very important that you attend the welcome meeting as we will be collecting insurance details and next of kin information at this time. Ask reception or look for a note in the lobby for more information on where the meeting will take place.
Your travel time today will be approximately 1.5 to 2 hours.
After breakfast, set off for Tunis Village – a charming artistic village overlooking Lake Qaran that was transformed in the 1960s from a fishing outpost into a cultural art centre. In the 1980s, a Swiss woman founded a now-famous pottery school that, along with the Fayom Art Centre, continues to give young artists a bright future. Visit the school and try your hand at some pottery, then you’ll have some free time to explore the workshops and studios – maybe pick up some handmade ceramics to take home. Head back to Cairo in the afternoon, where you’ll share a local meal with a family in their home. Chat about their life in the Middle East and maybe pick up some cooking tips to take home.
- Hotel (1 night)
There are no meals included on this day.
- Fayoum- Tunis Pottery Village Visit
- Fayoum - Tunis Village Pottery-making experience
- Cairo- Home Cooked Experience
- Cairo - The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization & The Royal Mummy Room (entrance fee) - EGP550
Your travel time today will be approximately 2 hours.
Today you’ll stand before the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, the Great Pyramid of Giza. After marvelling at this 4th-dynasty pharaonic tomb, visit its neighbours, the Pyramids of Khafren and Menkaure. Then, drive up to the panoramic viewpoint to get a wide-angle photo of all three. Continue to the Valley Temple of Khafre and come face to face with the Great Sphinx. Built over 4500 years ago, these monuments reflect the engineering precision and spiritual beliefs of ancient Egypt, and still shape how we understand history, power and the afterlife. Around midday, head inside for a guided tour of the Grand Egyptian Museum – the world’s largest archaeological museum dedicated to one civilisation. Explore vast modern galleries, including the colossal statue of Ramses II and the treasures of King Tutankhamun. After, your adventure comes to an end. If you’d like to extend your stay, just speak to your booking agent ahead of time.
There are no meals included on this day.
- Cairo - Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
- Cairo - Grand Egyptian Museum
An optional airport transfer to your departure is available. To arrange, just get in touch with your booking agent. If you are planning to fly out today, it’s recommended that you book a flight no earlier than 5.30 pm.
Inclusions and activities
Included activities
- Fayoum- Stargazing Experience
- Fayoum- Traditional Bedouin Tea at the Magic Lake
- Fayoum-Whales Valley visit
- Fayoum - 4x4 Western Desert Safari Experience- Wadi El Rayan
- Fayoum- Tunis Pottery Village Visit
- Fayoum - Tunis Village Pottery-making experience
- Cairo- Home Cooked Experience
- Cairo - Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
- Cairo - Grand Egyptian Museum
Optional activities
- Cairo - The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization & The Royal Mummy Room (entrance fee) - EGP550
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Before you book you should know
- This trip starts early on Day 1. Please review the itinerary before booking other travel arrangements like flights. This trip is designed to make the most out of just a few days, which means there isn’t a lot of free time. If you would like to extend your trip, just speak to your booking agent.
1. Your adventure begins bright and early with a welcome meeting at 8 am at the Santana Hotel. Afterwards your adventure awaits. To ensure you don’t miss this important start, we highly recommend arriving in Cairo the day or evening before.
2. A single supplement is available if you’d prefer not to share a room on this trip. The single supplement applies to all nights of your trip and is subject to availability. Please speak to your booking agent for further information.
3. Temperatures in the Egypt can be extreme, and it can get hot between June and September, but this is normally a dry heat and easier to cope with than humidity. Layers will come in handy for sun protection as well as warmth in the colder months.
4. This trip finishes upon arrival in Cairo on Day 3. Please do not book any flights until after 5.00 pm this evening.
5. Ramadan is an annual month-long festival, during which travel can be a rewarding cultural experience, however some regular services may not be available during the day, such as restaurants or cafes, and occasionally travel can be disrupted by events. Your leader will adjust the itinerary accordingly, but please consider this when selecting your travel dates. You’ll find dates and further information in the ‘Climate and seasonal information’ section of the Essential Trip Information.
Visa information is provided by Sherpa, a third-party. The "Add connection" feature shows transit visa requirements only and does not include full entry visa needs. Please note, additional service fees apply if you choose to purchase a visa through Sherpa.
Travel and visa requirements
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline only and may change. On some occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our preferred accommodation. In these cases, we will use a similar standard of accommodation.
Throughout the trip, we request that our properties prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination or on some trips, have use of shared day rooms until all rooms are available.
OCCASIONAL ALTERNATIVE ACCOMMODATION
The style of accommodation indicated in the day-to-day itinerary is a guideline. On rare occasions, alternative arrangements may need to be made due to the lack of availability of rooms in our usual accommodation. A similar standard of accommodation will be used in these instances.
ACCOMMODATION STYLE
Some of the accommodation along the way is basic or simple, three and four-star accommodation in the Middle East (with the exception of Israel) is often not equal to same-star facilities in some western destinations. Rooms are clean and comfortable, however, you may note some small maintenance issues that have been overlooked, please assist us by bringing these to the attention of your group leader or local representative so that we can follow up with our hosts. Many restaurants and hotels do not serve alcohol for religious reasons or due to local laws. Breakfast is included in 95% of our hotels, pleaser refer to our daily itinerary for meal inclusions.
TWIN SHARE / MULTI SHARE BASIS
Accommodation on this trip is on a twin/multi-share basis.
CHECK-IN TIME
Throughout the trip, we request that our hotels prepare rooms in time for our arrival, especially if we're arriving prior to normal check-in time. However, this isn't always possible which means we won't be able to check-in immediately on arrival at some hotels. Instead, we can store our luggage and explore our new destination. Standard check-in time is 1400 hours.
PRE/POST TRIP ACCOMMODATION
If you've purchased pre-trip or post-trip accommodation (subject to availability), you may be required to change rooms from your trip accommodation for these extra nights.
SHOWERS
Showers at some hotels only have hot water at peak times (usually morning and evening). Outside of these times, you may need to speak to reception to obtain hot water.
HEATING AND AIR-CONDITIONING
As a desert region, this part of the world has extremes of weather. Winter months (approx December to March) can be very cold. All of our hotel accommodation contains suitable bedding, and simple light bedding is provided during camping activities such as an overnight felucca, desert camps or at the Red Sea Beach camp stay. Most of our travellers find the bedding provided here adequate, but for your own comfort and if you are particularly sensitive to the cold, consider bringing your own sleeping bag, thermals, scarf, gloves and a warm jacket. Some of our guesthouses/hotels don't supply heating. In many cases, this would be a major financial and environmental strain on our hotels and the local towns. Summer (approx June to August) can be very hot everywhere we travel, which means that it can be quite uncomfortable for those not used to the heat. Not all our hotels have air-conditioning, and in those that do, it's not always functioning.
ROOM ISSUES
If you have any issues with your room, please speak to the hotel and your group leader or local representative right away so that the problem can be addressed without delay.
Tzila Camp
Wadi el Rayan, Youssef Al Seddik, Faiyum Governorate 2812001, Egypt
Fayoum
EGYPT
Phone: +20 10 27706540
Instructions
Your adventure begins bright and early with a welcome meeting at 8 am at the Santana Hotel. Afterwards your adventure awaits. To ensure you don’t miss this important start, we highly recommend arriving in Cairo the day or evening before. Located in Dokki district, a central area between Giza and downtown Cairo , The Santana Hotel is close to key landmarks like Cairo Opera House - Kasr El Nil Bridge - Pyramisa Cairo Hotel - Dokki Square.
Dates and prices
Learn more about pricing
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