Day Trip to Valley of Whales from Cairo - Wadi El Hitan

At a stop on the way to Wadi El-Hitan, we bought freshly baked Egyptian bread and a soda and went to the cafeteria for brunch with excellent Turkish coffee. So we waited for the police to arrive and went to the World Heritage desert. With the power of a 4WD, we drove about 35km from the entrance to the fossil site. We entered the Climate Change and Fossil Museum on site and then walked to 18 fossil sites in total. It was a tour well worth going on.

Located in Fayoum - white desert Within two hours driving distance from Cairo, in the Fayoum area, you'll discover a yet more impressive meaning of 'Ancient' Egypt. The remote valley of Wadi El-Hitan (Valley of the Whales) is more of an open-air museum displaying rare gigantic fossils of ancient whales and sharks proving that some 40 to 50 million years ago, the area was submerged in the waters of what is known as the Tethys Sea. After lying trapped in the sands of the Western Desert, the fossil skeletons have been revealed by winds and erosion, and thanks to human intervention through a number of ongoing archaeological excavations sponsored by the National Geographic Society and by the University of Michigan. The landscapes surrounding the valley are just as impressive and amazing as the discoveries: gigantic sand rocks and mountains, dunes and hills. Try to visit the valley around sunset for a magical experience; the views and the colours are just amazing at that time of the day. The Valley of the Whales is part of the WRPA (Wadi El-Rayan Protected Area) and it has also been added in 2005 to the UNESCO's World Heritage List for its unique natural beauty and scientific significance. The Wadi Al-Rayan protectorate can only be reached by a private car or taxi, taking the Fayoum Desert Road from Cairo. A 4X4 vehicle would be a good choice, since the road becomes pretty bumpy after leaving Fayoum.

My fiance and I had a wonderful experience to Valley of Whales. Raafat, our driver for this trip, was by far the best driver we had in Egypt. Our tour guide Ali was exceptional! He is very professional, friendly and informative. It was a perfectly organized tour.

We used Egypt United tours for airport transfers and a day tour of Coptic Cairo for eight adults. They were on time, pleasant, and informative. Making the arrangements was straightforward and their response to questions was prompt. Would certainly recommend their services when traveling to Cairo

The tour was great. Tour guide Abraham was very knowledgeable and personable. He went above and beyond to accommodate my requests about extra activities. Me and my son created a lot of memories. Thank you, very pleased.This is an amazing tour fun, full of knowledge and very well organized. Everything about this tour is and amazing experience.

the trip is just magic! forget about the noisy Cairo or the crowded Pyramids. if you want to see a real piece of Egypt, search for the desert! we started in the morning heading to El Fayoun and the two big salty lakes. the view is beautiful and unexpected. we stopped in a local market to pick up food for lunch, and in a cafeteria on the river of the lake to have a Turkish coffee. After that, we got to Wadi el Hitan. Considering it was a Sunday we were alone in the park, and that made it even more spectacular. I guess almost every one of us is used to see fossils behind thick glasses in museums, but here it's a completely different level: prehistoric whales' fossils lie in the sand where they have been discovered. the path to see them all take approx 2h, but a shorter walk is possible. Keep in mind that you're in a desert: sunglasses, light clothes, and hats are indispensable. there is no signal or internet connection, so I suggest you to download locally on your phone, the part of the map using google maps. The path is decently marked, but it's not impossible to get confused and pass by the same area more than once. after that, we had a nice light lunch and got back. highly raccomanded!