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Al Fayoum

Less than two hours from Cairo, the vast salty Lake Qarun comes into view and the arid monotonous plains are replaced with a lush patchwork of farming plots, sunflowers swaying in the breeze, and tall date palms with water buffalo lounging in the shade beside them.

This large fertile basin, about 70km wide and 60km long, is often referred to as an oasis, though technically it’s watered not by springs but by the Nile via hundreds of capillary canals, many dug in ancient times. The area harbours a number of small but important archaeological sites; slumped, stubby remains of pyramids and crumbled remnants of once vast Ptolemaic cities that were major centres of crocodile worship. Fayoum is also the base for adventures out to Wadi Rayyan's desert lakes and to Wadi Al Hittan, where prehistoric whale skeletons sit amid a sweep of rock-outcrop dotted sand.

Explore Al Fayoum

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Wadi Al Hittan
This Unesco World Heritage Site is home to the earliest prehistoric whale fossils ever discovered. The more than 400 basilosaurus and dorodontus (both…
W
Wadi Rayyan Protected Area
The 'waterfalls' in the Wadi Rayyan Protected Area are a major attraction for weekend picnickers from Cairo. The waterfalls, where one lake drains into…
F
Fayoum Pottery School
Established in the 1970s by Swiss artists, Evelyne Porret and Michel Pastore, this school, which trains children and adults in the local potting…
W
Wadi Al Hittan Fossil & Climate Change Museum
The displays of fossils and information boards within this circular one-room museum do an excellent job of explaining the geological history, nature, and…
K
Karanis
The vast, slumping ruins of ancient Karanis lie 25km north of Medinat Al Fayoum, on the edge of the oasis depression, along the road to Cairo. Founded by…
Medinat Madi
This ancient city is one of the most isolated in Al Fayoum, but this is part of its appeal, as you’re often alone out in the blowing sand that drifts over…
L
Lake Qarun
Lake Qarun is a popular weekend spot for Cairenes looking to cool down, and the lake edge is dotted with cafes and wedding pavilions. It’s not a big…
P
Pyramid of Hawara
About 8km southeast of Medinat Al Fayoum, on the north side of the canal Bahr Yusuf, the canal that connects Al Fayoum to the Nile, stands the dilapidated…
P
Pyramid of Meidum
About 30km northeast of Medinat Al Fayoum is the ruin of the first true pyramid attempted by the ancient Egyptians. It began as an eight-stepped structure…

W
Wadi Al Hittan
This Unesco World Heritage Site is home to the earliest prehistoric whale fossils ever discovered. The more than 400 basilosaurus and dorodontus (both…
W
Wadi Rayyan Protected Area
The 'waterfalls' in the Wadi Rayyan Protected Area are a major attraction for weekend picnickers from Cairo. The waterfalls, where one lake drains into…
F
Fayoum Pottery School
Established in the 1970s by Swiss artists, Evelyne Porret and Michel Pastore, this school, which trains children and adults in the local potting…
W
Wadi Al Hittan Fossil & Climate Change Museum
The displays of fossils and information boards within this circular one-room museum do an excellent job of explaining the geological history, nature, and…
K
Karanis
The vast, slumping ruins of ancient Karanis lie 25km north of Medinat Al Fayoum, on the edge of the oasis depression, along the road to Cairo. Founded by…
Medinat Madi
This ancient city is one of the most isolated in Al Fayoum, but this is part of its appeal, as you’re often alone out in the blowing sand that drifts over…
L
Lake Qarun
Lake Qarun is a popular weekend spot for Cairenes looking to cool down, and the lake edge is dotted with cafes and wedding pavilions. It’s not a big…
P
Pyramid of Hawara
About 8km southeast of Medinat Al Fayoum, on the north side of the canal Bahr Yusuf, the canal that connects Al Fayoum to the Nile, stands the dilapidated…
P
Pyramid of Meidum
About 30km northeast of Medinat Al Fayoum is the ruin of the first true pyramid attempted by the ancient Egyptians. It began as an eight-stepped structure…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Al Fayoum.

See
Wadi Al Hittan
This Unesco World Heritage Site is home to the earliest prehistoric whale fossils ever discovered. The more than 400 basilosaurus and dorodontus (both…
See
Wadi Rayyan Protected Area
The 'waterfalls' in the Wadi Rayyan Protected Area are a major attraction for weekend picnickers from Cairo. The waterfalls, where one lake drains into…
See
Fayoum Pottery School
Established in the 1970s by Swiss artists, Evelyne Porret and Michel Pastore, this school, which trains children and adults in the local potting…
See
Wadi Al Hittan Fossil & Climate Change Museum
The displays of fossils and information boards within this circular one-room museum do an excellent job of explaining the geological history, nature, and…
See
Karanis
The vast, slumping ruins of ancient Karanis lie 25km north of Medinat Al Fayoum, on the edge of the oasis depression, along the road to Cairo. Founded by…
See
Medinat Madi
This ancient city is one of the most isolated in Al Fayoum, but this is part of its appeal, as you’re often alone out in the blowing sand that drifts over…
See
Lake Qarun
Lake Qarun is a popular weekend spot for Cairenes looking to cool down, and the lake edge is dotted with cafes and wedding pavilions. It’s not a big…
See
Pyramid of Hawara
About 8km southeast of Medinat Al Fayoum, on the north side of the canal Bahr Yusuf, the canal that connects Al Fayoum to the Nile, stands the dilapidated…
See
Pyramid of Meidum
About 30km northeast of Medinat Al Fayoum is the ruin of the first true pyramid attempted by the ancient Egyptians. It began as an eight-stepped structure…

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