The Fayoum desert
The Fayoum Desert
Welcome to a world where the desert stretches as far as the eye can see: The Fayoum desert.
Located less than two hours south west of Cairo, Fayoum Oasis is undoubtedly one of Egypt’s hidden treasures.
Fayoum oasis has it all: A magical lake, cascading waterfalls, and a valley of ancient whales.
It is certainly one of the most spectacular places to explore on a horseback, and offers great activities for non-riders as well: A 4×4 Safari to the impressive open-air Museum Wadi Al-Hitan (Valley of the Whales), combined with some sandboarding, and a visit to the impressive waterfalls of the National park Wadi el Rayan and the spectacular Magic Lake.
Desert rides
Our stable & guest house is only a short drive from the National Park Wadi el Rayan and Wadi el Hitan, and therefore has the best location for our famous desert rides.
The vast open desert is perfect for fast gallops across the dunes or for relaxing trails. With its fascinating rock formations and unspoiled scenery only accessible on horseback, this place definitely is one of the hidden gems of Egypt.
We take amazing photographs and video footage at breathtaking viewpoints for you.
4-hour trail ride to the beautiful Magic Lake
4-hour trail ride to the beautiful Magic Lake, across infinite desert, then toward the mountains where hides behind the Magic Lake. Break at the Magic Lake, where you can go for a refreshing swim with your horse.
This tour includes the transport by special car for the horses and for you to the National Park Wadi el Rayan. In addition, this tour includes 1 night in our guest house, breakfast and one meal (lunch or dinner). For groups of 5 or more individuals, a 4×4 safari car will be organized for the transfer to the location with additional price.
Price per person: $150
Not included:
- National park entry fee: 5$ per person
- Safari car: 45$ a car
4-hour trail ride to the north of Lake Qarun
4-hour trail ride to the wild mountain desert north of Lake Qarun, allowing you to explore a completely untouched desert scenery.
This tour includes the transport by special car for the horses and for you to the National Park. In addition, this tour includes 1 night in our guest house, breakfast and one meal (lunch or dinner). For groups of 5 or more individuals, a 4×4 safari car will be organized for the transfer to the location with additional price.
Price per person: $150
Not included:
- National park entry fee: 5$ per person
- Safari car: 45$ a car
These prices per person are fixed. However, for business partnership enquiries, please send us a request for global quotation via mail.
4-hour Sunset trail ride and camping in the desert (Possible SUNRISE RIDE IN ADDITION)
4-hour sunset trail ride combined with the unique experience of camping the night in the Wadi el Rayan desert, having traditional Bedouin tea and an authentic Egyptian dinner over the fire, sleeping under the stars, and waking up to watch the sunrise over the desert. After this magical moment, we head back to our guest house in Tunis village for a traditional Egyptian breakfast.
Possible sunrise ride in addition: after the camping night in the desert, we can add a 3-hour sunrise ride. In this case, the horses would sleep with us in the camp, and we would organise a breakfast in the desert during our sunrise ride.
This tour includes the transport by special car for the horses and for you to the National Park Wadi el Rayan, a 4×4 safari car to set up the camp, a tent as well as dinner, drinks, and breakfast in the guest house. In the case of additional sunrise ride, all transport and food are also included. For groups of 5 or more individuals, a 4×4 safari car will be organized for the transfer to the location and during the ride, before the camping, with additional price.
Price per person: $200 (without horses camping overnight)
Price per person: $250 (with horses camping overnight
Not included:
- National park Wadi El Rayan entry fee for the ride and the camping : 10$ per person
- Safari car: 45$ a car
These prices per person are fixed. However, for business partnership enquiries, please send us a request for global quotation via mail.
4x4 Safari
Our Jeep safari tours are a day of full adventure: 4×4 Sand dune driving, visit of the impressive open-air fossil museum Wadi Al-Hitan (Valley of the Whales), visit of the Wadi el Rayan waterfalls which are considered to be the largest waterfalls in Egypt, exploring the stunning desert mountain cave, and ending the day with sandboarding at sunset. Before going for this day-trip adventure, a breakfast/lunch is offered in our guesthouse.
$150 for a safari car, lunch included, with a capacity of 5 people. Excluded: desert national park tickets (15$ per person).
Wadi El Rayan National Park & Magic Lake
Wadi El Rayan, a protected national park that stretches across nearly 700 square miles, is one of Fayoum’s many highlights.
It’s comprised of an upper and lower human-made lake, with what’s considered to be Egypt’s largest waterfalls in between.
The most popular place, Magic Lake is named as such thanks to its mesmerizing waters, which change color depending on the time of day and amount of sun exposure it gets.Reaching its shores is just as fun as swimming in its magical waters, as this requires dune bashing the desert in a 4×4. Looking down at the lake from the top of the dunes is something of a surreal spectacle, with the calm water serving as a crystal-clear mirror reflecting the sky. The dunes are also large and steep enough to sandboard down.
It is highly recommended and definitely a very unique experience to camp for the night here to catch the magnificent celestial performance that only the milky way can provide.
Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley)
The famous Wadi Al-Hitan open-air museum that offers a puzzling depiction of the evolution of life is a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2005.
The skeletons of hundreds of gigantic whales, sharks, and infinite fossils fill the desert valley, which is also known as The Valley of Whales, painting a vivid picture of the sheer scale of its wondrous inhabitants of 40 million or so years ago.
This valley is also home to the informative Fossil and Climate Change Museum that mimics the natural surroundings. The centerpiece of the one-room museum is the prehistoric Basilosaurus. This phenomenal 60-foot long fossil, thought to be the largest intact fossil of the ancient whale, is one of several extinct Archaeoceti fossils that can be found in the area. The Basilosaurus possessed two tiny hind limbs, believed to be useless for movement, that protruded from its flanks, offering evolutionary evidence of the whales’ transition from land to marine life.
Desert camping
It is also possible to include a night of desert camping in our packages, a great way to disconnect completely from the busy daily life. Enjoy some traditional Bedouin tea and dinner over the fire, watch out for shooting stars in the starry sky and drift off to sleep to the sound of burning ember.
This tour includes transportation in a 4×4 safari car which will stay the night, the National Park entry fee and camping fee, a tent as well as dinner, drinks and breakfast back in our guest house.
Price per person: $100 (discounts possible for big groups)
