14 Fun Things to Do in Fayoum: Egypt’s Desert Surprise

travelertina

09:03:00 March 25, 2024

Africa,Egypt

I was not supposed to go to Fayoum (a.k.a. Faiyum). Like everyone else, I came to Egypt to see pyramids, temples, and tombs. I also had the Black and White Deserts on my itinerary — but the day before I was supposed to head out, my travel guide texted and told me that the deserts had been closed by the military (how the military can close an entire desert is a question to which I have no answer). Fortunately my guide proposed that I go to Al Fayoum instead — and I’m so glad he did!

Author leaning on a massive round sandstone formation in the desert of Fayoum, Egypt, showcasing the region’s dramatic geological landscapes and natural wonders.

A quick note: “Fayoum” can be used to refer to a city, an oasis, or the larger desert area that surrounds both of those things; I’ll be using the term to refer to the larger region. And what a place it is! Fayoum has so much to offer — in no particular order, it is home to fossils, wild geological formations, dunes, lakes, waterfalls, ruins, and more. And it’s just an hour and a half from Cairo, which makes it a very doable overnight trip. I wish I’d spent three days instead of two, but here’s what you can see in less than 36 hours. And I’ve added some visit tips at the end!

Whale Fossils: Giants of the Sea in the Fayoum Desert

Basilosaurus whale skeleton on display in the Valley of the Whales (Wadi Al-Hitan), Fayoum, Egypt, highlighting the region’s rich prehistoric marine fossils and UNESCO World Heritage status — Basilosaurus whale skeleton

Forty years ago, the entire region of Fayoum was covered by a vast sea. The water has long dried up, but you can visit what it left behind at Wādī al-Ḥītān, or Valley of the Whales. This UNESCO World Heritage site has the highest concentration of ancient whale (archaeoceti) fossils in the world. These whales had fore-limbs! They swam the seas alongside — and probably ate — sirenia, early sea cows, whose remains are also at the site. You can see fossils (and petrified mangroves) both outside …

Ancient whale bones partially encased in sand on a small sandy hill in the open desert at the Valley of the Whales (Wadi Al-Hitan), Fayoum, Egypt, prehistoric marine fossils in their natural setting — Dorudon Atrox whale fossil

Dorudon atrox whale fossil laid out at the base of a small sandy hill in the open desert at the Valley of the Whales (Wadi Al-Hitan), Fayoum, Egypt, showing one of the region’s well-preserved Eocene-era marine fossils in its natural environment — Dorudon Atrox whale fossil

… and in the straight-out-of-Tatooine underground Fossils and Climate Change Museum.

Rounded, half-buried Fossils and Climate Change Museum at the Valley of the Whales (Wadi Al-Hitan), Fayoum, Egypt, blending into the desert landscape with a design that evokes a sci-fi setting, reminiscent of Star Wars architecture

Lake Qarun: Sailing Over Egypt’s Desert Sands

Author leaning back on the bow of a teal blue felucca, with its sail catching the wind on her left and the choppy waters of Lake Qarun on her right, sailing through the scenic landscape of Fayoum, Egypt.

I never expected to be out on a boat on a lake in the middle of a desert, but Lake Qarun is the perfect place to head out on a felucca. In prehistory, this lake was a freshwater body, but evaporation and silt have turned it into a much smaller (but still significant) saltwater lake. You’ll see some of the only greenery of this trip at its edges.

Neat green fields of grain and clusters of palm trees lining the shore under a bright blue sky near Lake Qarun in Fayoum, Egypt, with the lake just visible as a narrow, shimmering slit on the distant horizon

Geological Features: Rock Formations Everywhere

Tall, layered geological formation in the Fayoum Desert, Egypt, featuring striking bands of orange, red, beige, and black sediment, evidence of the region’s rich geological history

Wow, is this place wild! You see new rock formations everywhere you turn.

Curved sandstone formation with a small pointed tip, shaped by wind erosion at Wadi Al-Hitan (Valley of the Whales), Fayoum, Egypt, highlighting the area's striking desert geology

A large, blocky sandstone rock formation rises from a flat, sandy desert landscape under a clear blue sky. The rock has layered textures and stands alone, with smaller rocks scattered nearby, highlighting the natural beauty of the Fayoum Desert, Egypt

I wish I were a geologist so that I could speak to these things more intelligently … suffice to say that I just loved exploring them. You can even drive up into the mountains (if your guide has the right car) and look down into the canyons.

View down into a dramatic multi-layered canyon in Fayoum, Egypt, with striking geological formations and colorful rock layers, and the desert beyond stretching out to the horizon under a blue sky

Lake Moeris Quarry Road: The Oldest Paved Street in the World

Rocks leading out to the horizon in a straight line across the sandy desert, along Lake Moeris Quarry Road, the oldest surviving road in the world, located in Fayoum, Egypt.

More than 4,600 years old, the Lake Moeris Quarry Road is the oldest extant road in the world. It was built to facilitate the movement of basalt blocks from a mountain quarry down to what is now Lake Qarun. This thing is a testament to ancient engineering — it was 12 kilometers long!

Sand Dunes: Blown by the Wind

Soft sand dunes in the Fayoum Desert, Egypt, with rippled tops, under a deep blue mid-day sky, creating a serene and picturesque landscape shaped by the wind

What’s not to love? Driving on them, sandboarding down them, sand everywhere … it’s lovely.

Smooth sand dunes under a clear blue sky in Wadi El Rayan, Fayoum, Egypt, with gentle ripples in the foreground and soft shadows highlighting the curves of the dunes

Ancient Ruins: Greece, Rome, and Egypt

It’s hard to imagine it today, but when the lake was much larger, there were people all over the place here. You can see the ruins of the ancient Greco-Roman port town of Dimeh El Sebaa, founded by Ptolemy II in the third century BC …

Towering ruins of mudbrick walls from the ancient Greco-Roman port town of Dimeh El Sebaa, Fayoum, Egypt, offering a glimpse into architectural techniques used in the Ptolemaic era

… and what little is left of the even more ancient Temple of Qasr El-Sagha, a structure likely built during the Middle Kingdom period (but in the Old Kingdom style).

Ancient temple of Qasr El Sagha in Fayoum, Egypt, built from undecorated reddish limestone blocks, showcasing the simplicity and durability of the structure in the sandy desert landscape

Magic Lake: Swimming Along the Dunes

Magic Lake in Fayoum, Egypt, with its serene green-blue waters reflecting the sky, and a glowing sand dune in the distance, creating a tranquil and mystical desert landscape.

There’s a beautiful, salty lake in the middle of nowhere here — and you can swim in it! The lake also makes for a beautiful panorama.

Panoramic view down over Magic Lake in Fayoum, Egypt, with its deep blue waters surrounded by desert terrain, part of the Wadi El Rayan National Park

Horses: Lakeside Gallops

Author sitting on and looking down at a brown horse with a white blaze, perched at the shoreline in front of the choppy waters of Lake Qarun, Fayoum, Egypt, with the wind whipping the author's scarf and hair

You can go horseback riding both in Tunis Village on Lake Qarun and — when it’s not Ramadan — at Magic Lake. I absolutely loved my time on Amir.

Ancient Shells: Reminders of a Sea Long Gone

Shiny ancient shells embedded in the hard sand of Fayoum, Egypt, highlighting the region’s rich prehistoric past and the remnants of ancient marine life

The rocks here are strewn with fossil evidence, and there are places where the desert floor is nothing but shells as far as the eye can see (below are nummulites, spiral-shaped remains of marine protozoans).

Fayoum Desert floor covered as far as the eye can see in nummulites, spiral-shaped circular remains of marine protozoans, showcasing the region's ancient marine past and unique fossil landscape

Flora & Fauna: Life in Egypt’s Arid Sands

Tall yellow and purple bloom of a cistanche, a parasitic desert plant, with blurred sand and sparse vegetation in the background, set against the arid landscape of Fayoum, Egypt

Living creatures are hard to come by during the daytime in the desert, so when you do find something, you get excited. That flower above is some sort of a cistanche, a parasitic desert plant that steals water from other plants’ roots. We also found a tiny lizard (likely a fringe-toed lizard, though I would love a more positive ID if anyone has one!) and a not-so-tiny beetle.

Brown and black lizard, possibly a fringe-toed lizard, resting in the sands of Fayoum, Egypt, blending into the desert landscape with its natural camouflage

Dusty black darkling beetle on a yellow flower blossom in Fayoum, Egypt, a rare example of biodiversity during the daytime

Waterfalls: Roaring Waters at Wadi El Rayan

Lush reeds and a gushing waterfall at Wadi El Rayan, Fayoum, Egypt, with a park building in the background

A spring in the desert feeds two gushing waterfalls at Wadi El Rayan, and a whole waterfall park has grown up around them. The waterfalls are impressive, but I was also a huge fan of this nearby building featuring towers with tiny holes and sticks for birds.

Mud building with small square windows and towers featuring small windows and sticks for birds at the top (a cote) at Wadi El Rayan, Fayoum, Egypt, blending traditional architecture with the natural desert landscape

Petrified Forest: Fossils in the Open Air

Close-up of broken pieces of petrified wood scattered across the desert floor in Fayoum, Egypt, showing remnants of ancient plant life preserved in stone over millions of years

There’s petrified wood in the desert! North of Lake Qarun, in an area called Gabal Qatrani, you can see what’s left of a forest that grew 34 to 35 million years ago. An “open-air museum” at the spot also features fossils of whales, turtles, crocodiles, and more. Here’s an ancient sea cow:

Sea cow fossil laid out in the sand in front of pieces of petrified wood at the "open-air museum" in the Petrified Forest of Fayoum, Egypt, offering a glimpse into the ancient marine life that once thrived in the region — *Sirenia* skeleton

Caves: Hidden Recesses in Fayoum’s Rocks

Author sitting in a naturally-eroded cave in Fayoum, Egypt, surrounded by the unique rock formations of the desert

The desert mountains are spotted with caves, some of which you can crawl up and into. Some were even inhabited hundreds of years ago by Christian ascetics.

Desert Camping: Chilly Nights Under the Stars

Two square white desert tents with orange details set against the backdrop of the sandy landscape in Fayoum, Egypt, offering a glimpse of traditional desert accommodation

If you’re feeling brave, you can camp out in the desert. Why does this require a bit of courage? Well, this is no glamping situation. It’s really cold at night, and all I had was a cotton sleeping bag and a thin pad on the ground. So I slept in my pants, two shirts, and a jacket. Secondly, there’s no washroom. That was ok with me for a night, but it might not be everyone’s cup of tea. But I’m still glad that I camped out here — the reward was that I had a great time hanging out with my guide around the campfire, and I got to wake up to this:

Dramatic orange sand dune rising up in Fayoum, Egypt, at sunrise, with one side in shadow, highlighting the contrast between the warm hues of the dune and the cool shadows of the early morning

In short, Fayoum is so worth it!

✨ From Sand to Stars: Tips for Your Fayoum Adventure

How do you get there? I had a driver with a Land Cruiser who was based in Tunis Village, plus an amazing guide who came with me from Cairo — shout out to him for his fabulous energy and great photography (if you want to hire a guide, send a message to @mina_kamel24 on Instagram).
What should you bring? Sunscreen, a hat, plenty of water (though your guide may provide that), warm clothes if you’re staying the night.
What should you wear? I was glad to be in lightweight long pants for activities like horseback riding and sandboarding. I would also recommend short boots (which I did not have) so that you don’t get sand everywhere.

🐪 Further Egypt Explorations

If you’re planning a longer trip through Egypt, you might also enjoy these posts:

• Visiting the Egyptian Museum in Cairo: Treasures and Troubles — Step inside Cairo’s grand museum to explore royal artifacts, golden coffins, and ancient artistry.

• The Perfect 2-Week Egypt Itinerary — Explore all of Egypt’s highlights, from Cairo’s pyramids to the temples of Luxor and Aswan.

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