Day tour to Fayoum Gabal el Qatrani and Petrified forest

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.