Day tour to Fayoum Gabal el Qatrani and Petrified forest

5 / 5 406 Reviews
Price£114
Tour Details
Available Every day
Pick up 06:00 AM
Duration 12 Hours
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Itinerary
Time
Activity
06:00
Transfer to Fayoum oasis
08:30
Gabal el-Qatrani open air museum tour
09:30
Visit to Petrified forest
13:00
Stop at Wady el-Ryan water-falls
14:00
Lunch at Tunis village
15:30
Tunis village shopping tour
16:00
Return to Cairo hotel

Full Description

Day tour to Fayoum oasis with Gabal el Qatrani and Petrified forest geology tour. We will discover Egypt's natural wonders, geological history. Day tour for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing.

What is Gabal el Qatrani ?

Our full day tour to Gabal el Qatrani and Petrified forest in Fayoum oasis we will start with an early pick up from your hotel in Cairo. The Gabal el Qatrani area is known for its stunning natural scenery, with rugged mountains, sand dunes, and salt flats. The mountain range of the Gabal el Qatrani is located in the western desert of Egypt, about 100 km southwest of Cairo. So it will not take us long time to reach the Gabal el Qatrani protected and a national park.

The area is a popular destination for tourists who are interested in Egypt's natural wonders and geological history, as well as for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy hiking, camping, and wildlife viewing.

What to do in Gabal el Qatrani ?

Let's walk in the desert from wadi el Faras to the north a couple of km to reach Gebel Qatrani or Qatrani mountain, which covers a surface area of 200 km sq. This will be a journey through ancient geological eras: touring around the mountain will let you "read" the sequence of geological formations, between the eocene and Oligocene eras.

The Gabal Qatrani open Museum is located inside the Petrified forest area, which we will visit as well: 1126 trunks dating back to the Paleogene period (30 million years ago), when the continents were in a phase of formations. The tallest trunk reaches a height of 44 meters and represents 22 taxa.

The trunks are surrounded by wooden poles that form a trail allowing you to walk through this ancient forest. Egypt applied to UNESCO to include Petrified Forest in its World Heritage list.

The open air museum at Gabal el-Qatrani consists of 3 different basic eras for three different environments. The museum also includes the most famous fossil in the world located inside the museum, its age dates back to about 33 million years.

Tour to Wady el-Rayan

After the tour in the Petrified forest we will have a short stop at the nearby Wadi El Rayan Protected Area which is home to two interconnected lakes that are a popular destination for swimming, fishing, and boating. Here we can explore the nearby waterfalls, sand dunes, and desert landscapes.

Visit to Tunis village

We will get lunch after the tour in the Tunis village in a local restaurant. Have a short shopping tour there and drive back to Cairo.


Includes
  • Pick up and drop off from your Cairo hotel
  • Transfer to Fayoum by a comfortable a/c car
  • 4x4 Land cruiser to go to Petrified forest
  • Entrance fees to the protected areas
  • Lunch at a local restaurant
  • English speaking local tour-leader
  • Drinks in the restaurant during lunch time
  • Extra activities not mentioned in the program

What to take with you
  • Comfortable clothes and sturdy shoes
  • Water bottle and snacks
  • Hat or scarf
  • Documents

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406 Reviews
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Published: 09 May 2024 Last update: 09 May 2024