Fayoum is the easiest real desert trip from Cairo. Less than two hours’ drive south-west of the city, it packs lakes, waterfalls, dunes and fossils into a single day.
What you see
Wadi El Rayan: two desert lakes joined by the only waterfalls in Egypt’s Western Desert.
The Magic Lake: a lake surrounded by dunes, its colour shifting with the light through the day.
Wadi El Hitan (Valley of the Whales): a UNESCO World Heritage site where fossil whale skeletons, around 40 million years old, lie in the open sand.
Sandboarding: the dunes above the Magic Lake are ideal for a first try.
Tunis village: a pottery village on Lake Qarun, a good stop on the way back.
How the day works
Pick-up from your hotel early in the morning, a 4x4 for the desert tracks, lunch, and back in Cairo in the evening.
When to go
October to April for comfortable temperatures. In summer we start earlier to avoid the midday heat.
What to bring
Sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses, comfortable shoes and a light jacket in winter.
Book: Fayoum Oasis desert safari (from $170)
