Private Day Tour to Tanis Bubastis Cairo
Description
Leave driving to the professionals—and make the most of the in-vehicle Wi-Fi—on this door-to-door private tour to the “lost city” of Tanis and the cat-worshipping city of Bubastis. Take as long as you like at these blissfully uncrowded ancient sites and ask all the questions that you want of your personal Egyptologist guide.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Meet your guide in the morning to drive 2 hours and 30mins to Tanis, which is a biblical site of Zoan in the ancient land of Goshen, Moses was found in the marshes of the delta here. Tanis was the capital of during in the new kingdom. Also there are ruins of the temple of Amun, Mut and Khonsu.
This city, steeped in biblical history, is none other than Zoan from the ancient land of Goshen, where Moses was discovered amidst the delta marshes. Once the thriving capital during the New Kingdom era, Tanis is home to the awe-inspiring ruins of the temples of Amun, Mut, and Khonsu. But the adventure doesn't stop there! Next, we'll journey to Bubastis, a two-hour drive from Cairo. Known as Per-Bast, this city was the worship center of the feline goddess Bast. Here, you'll find remnants of temples dedicated to King Teti and Pepi the First, offering a glimpse into the past that's sure to captivate your imagination.
After a day of exploration and discovery, we'll ensure your safe return to the comfort of your Cairo hotel. Join us for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, where history comes alive and memories are made. We can't wait to share the wonders of Egypt with you!
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Please provide a copy of passport which must be sent to the local partner at the most 2 days before the tour. Pickup and drop-off are included in the price. However, if pick up / drop off form Cairo airport, Sphinx airport, New Administrative Capital, New Cairo, Helioplis, Badr City, Shorouk, Rehab, Obour, Sheraton Almatar, Sheikh Zayed city, Ring Rd, Mirage City, Meridian Airport or Madinty City will be for additional cost.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- All areas and surfaces are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(4)
The Delta area is a bit off the beaten track for most tourists but definitely worth the effort. We travelled through a range of towns which were less chaotic than Cairo and more real than Luxor. The archeological sites at Tanis and Bubastis are very interesting if you are more than a casual observer of ancient Egypt. The museum staff at both sites were so pleased to see us and did everything they could to enhance our stay. As you are off the beaten track a police escort is assigned to you. Don't let that make you feel it is particularly dangerous, there are just a lot of Tourist Police and not many tourists. The biggest risk is teenage selfie hunters who are fascinated by tall blonde white people!!! Full marks to our guide, Sam, and driver Abdul. It's a long day together, about 10 hours, and we had a lot of fun.
I would say that this is NOT a tour for the novice traveler. It was a just under 2 hr drive to Bubastis. The drive was fairly easy. Not too much to see at Bubastis, and you have to be a history buff to really appreciate it. However, there were no other tourists there when we went, so we had the place to ourselves. From there it was a GRUELING 2 hr drive to Tanis through small villages, farms, and sometimes on roads that are not even roads. We did have a police escort for part of the way there, but I must say, that we felt completely safe the whole day. While a tough drive, being able to see this part of Egypt was unforgettable, and I am so glad we did it. Tanis is what really makes this tour worth taking. It is like stepping onto a movie set. Again, with no other tourist there, it was a surreal experience. We were "invited" to visit one of the locked tombs, and that made the trip even more remarkable. We had another police escort from there back to the main highway, and then an easy 2+ hr drive back to Cairo. All day, our guides kept good care of us and well fed and hydrated. I imagine this is a tough tour for them as well. Note: We did not have WIFI in the van, so be prepared, and bring something to pass the driving time. Also, read up on both Bubastis and Tanis ahead of time. You'll be glad you did.
This trip is an absolute must-do. My mom (75ish) and I (34F) were picked up by our guide and driver from our hotel in a very comfortable van. As we drove, our guide told us about Egyptian history and about the sites we would see. Bubastis/Tell-Basta was about a 2 hour drive from Giza but went by quickly because the scenery is beautiful and the police escort your van (there’s no safety threat, it just seems to be a service provided to support tourism). There, a local guide met us to tell us about the site and our guide from Sun Pyramid acted as a translator and added info. Bubastis is very interesting. There are a lot of large stone piece from the hypostyle hall of the temple of Bastet (the cat god) that you can walk among. From there, we went to Tanis which is AMAZING. It was another hour or so drive with the escort. Tanis is beautiful with huge statues and obelisks, a Nilometer, and tombs. It’s really so so impressive, and they have only discovered about 15% of what is there. They are still actively excavating the site. The local guide who showed us around has worked at the site for over 20 years and was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. It was a bit windy in both places, so I recommend wearing pants as a opposed to a dress/skirt. I’m glad we wore sneakers because you walk on sand at Tanis. I also recommend bring Egyptian pounds to tip the local guides (100 pounds each) and then whatever you’d like to give your Sun Pyramid guide and driver. Everyone at Tanis was so friendly and said they wished more tourists would come. It’s an awe-inspiring site. To my knowledge, this is the only company who does tours to Tanis and it is 100% worth doing.
While there has been some reconstruction at these two sites, mostly they are as the archaeologists uncovered them. We even got to see restoration and archaeological work in progress. There is a nice museum at Bubastis with cat coffins and cat effigies. Going down into the excavated ruins at Tanis was like walking back in time. You will need some Egyptian pounds at Tanis for tips to see everything. Excellent guide, driver, and armed guard. Guide made sure we used hand sanitizer Each town had a motorcycle policeman move the traffic out of the way for our van. Great late lunch (dinner!) in Cairo. Did not see the Suez Canal.