Al Fayoum & Wadi Al Rayan Day Tour from Cairo
Al-Fayoum Oasis is a desert basin located immediately to the west of the Nile south of Cairo. Consisting of an area of 1,270 km² (490 mi²), this unique region is full of beautiful fields watered by a channel of the Nile, the Bahr Yussef.
Al Fayoum boasts of a rich Roman history and many of its attractions can be traced back to the first three centuries AD. The people of Al Fayoum and not only embalmed their dead but also placed a portrait of the deceased over the face of the mummy wrappings. The Egyptians continued their practice of burying their dead, despite the Roman preference for cremation.
Preserved by the dry desert environment, these Fayoum portraits make up the richest body of portraiture to have survived from antiquity.They provide us with a window into a remarkable society of people of mixed origins such as Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Syrians, Libyans and others — that flourished 2,000 years ago in Al Fayoum. The portraits were painted on wood in a pigmented wax technique called encaustic.
After meeting your guide at the hotel, you will drive for 75 minutes to get to Al Fayoum. You will then visit the museum of Karanis and the ruins of various Roman temples on the road. Drive through the fertile fields as you get closer to the Al Fayoum villages. Enjoy the fresh air surrounding the Qarun Lake, once known to be one of the biggest natural lakes in the world.
Enjoy the beautiful landscapes surrounding the lake and check out nature at her best. Then, drive to the Wadi Al Rayan National Park. This park is located in the western desert and is home to the only waterfalls in Egypt.
Drive back to Cairo to end the tour.
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