4-Day Cairo & Fayoum Oasis Holiday
A food walk after dark, a day among the lakes and waterfalls of the Fayoum, then the Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo and Coptic Cairo. You stay in the same hotel for three nights.
The short answer
4-Day Cairo & Fayoum Oasis Holiday is a 4-day, 3-night trip to Cairo and Fayoum: 3 nights in Cairo. It includes an Egyptologist guide, entrance fees and transfers. Prices start at £620 per person, two sharing (Essential, October–April).
02Overview
A first look
Cairo has plenty to offer beyond the pyramids, and this short break is built around it. You unpack once, in a Cairo hotel, and stay for three nights. The days are spent on the city's food, its medieval streets and an oasis a couple of hours away.
On the first evening a guide leads you on a tasting walk through Cairo. The second day is a private journey to the Fayoum, a green oasis of lakes and farmland, taking in Lake Qarun, the potters of Tunis village and the lakes and waterfalls of Wadi El Rayan. On day 3 you see the Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo and the Khan El Khalili bazaar. The last morning is Coptic Cairo, followed by your airport transfer. You choose the standard of hotel when you book; the sightseeing is the same whichever you pick.
What lingers
- 01A private food tasting walk through Cairo on your first evening
- 02A whole private day in the Fayoum oasis, taking in Lake Qarun, Tunis village and Wadi El Rayan
- 03Lakes and waterfalls at Wadi El Rayan, and the potters of Tunis village
- 04The Egyptian Museum at Tahrir Square, guided by a licensed Egyptologist
- 05Islamic Cairo and the Khan El Khalili bazaar
- 06Coptic Cairo on the final morning, then a private transfer to the airport
Choose your comfort level
Prices are per person in GBP, from 2 people sharing a double room, including accommodation at the properties listed or similar.
| Comfort level | Where you stay or similar | Per personfrom, Oct–Apr | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essentialfrom £6203★ hotels | £620May–Sep: from £578 | ||
| Comfortfrom £6534★ hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsJewel Sport City | £653May–Sep: from £636 | |
| Classicfrom £7085★ hotels | £708May–Sep: from £650 | ||
| Prestigefrom £8235★ deluxe hotels | £823May–Sep: from £852 | ||
| Luxuryfrom £1,3685★ luxury hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsSt. Regis Cairo | £1,368May–Sep: from £1,309 | |
| Signature Collectionfrom £1,778landmark hotels | Cairo · 3 nightsFour Seasons Hotel Cairo at Nile Plaza | £1,778May–Sep: from £1,645 |
Hotels on bed & breakfast. You'll stay in these properties, or a similar choice of the same quality. Choose your date in the booking panel for the exact price.
- New
Day by day
Detailed itinerary
4 Days / 3 Nights · Cairo · Fayoum Oasis · Lake Qarun · Wadi El Rayan · Tunis Village · Egyptian Museum
- 1
Your representative meets you in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport and drives you to your hotel, which takes about an hour. Settle in and rest after the flight. Later, a guide collects you from the hotel for a private tasting walk, sampling Cairo's street food in the places where Cairenes eat it.
- 2
This is a full day out of Cairo, around ten hours including the drives. A private driver and an English-speaking guide collect you from the hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle. The Fayoum is an oasis of lakes and farmland to the southwest of the city. You stop at Lake Qarun, visit the pottery workshops in Tunis village and walk to the lakes and waterfalls of Wadi El Rayan.
Lunch is at a local restaurant. The entry fee for Wadi El Rayan is paid at the gate. In the evening you are driven back to your Cairo hotel.
- 3
Around eight hours with a licensed Egyptologist. The day begins at the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square, followed by lunch at a local restaurant. The afternoon is spent in Islamic Cairo, the medieval quarter of mosques and old gateways, and ends in the Khan El Khalili bazaar. An air-conditioned vehicle links each stop and returns you to the hotel.
Your guide, the transport and the entrance fees to the listed sites are all included.
- 4
After breakfast you check out for a half-day tour of Coptic Cairo, the old Christian quarter, with a guide and a vehicle. The timing is set around your flight. You are then taken to Cairo Airport for your departure.
The fine print
What's included – and what is left out
Included
- Three nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast
- Private arrival and departure transfers, with meet and assist at Cairo Airport
- A private food tasting walk from your hotel on the first evening
- Fayoum excursion with a private driver, air-conditioned vehicle and English-speaking guide
- Lunch at a local restaurant on days 2 and 3
- A licensed Egyptologist and transport on day 3, with entrance fees to the listed sites
- Half-day tour of Coptic Cairo with guide and transport
- All service charges and taxes
Not included
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egyptian entry visa
- Tips for guides and drivers
- The Wadi El Rayan entry fee, paid at the gate
- Drinks and meals other than those stated
- Travel insurance and personal spending
Field notes
From our Egyptologists
- 01
Pack a sunhat and sunglasses for Wadi El Rayan, as shade is scarce around the lakes and dunes.
- 02
Keep your driver close while you browse Tunis Village pottery, so any fragile purchases go straight to the car.
- 03
In the Egyptian Museum, tackle the upper galleries before the ground floor, while your energy is highest.
- 04
Cover shoulders and knees in Coptic Cairo and carry small notes to leave a tip in the churches.
Tailor it
Make it yours
You choose the standard of hotel when you book. Ask us about adding a day at the Giza pyramids, extra nights in Cairo or a day trip to Alexandria.
Your own specialist deals with each request before you book.
Suited to
Is this for you?
Yes, if
- Travellers who want a short, different Cairo: street food, the Egyptian Museum, old quarters and a day at an oasis. Suits couples, friends and solo travellers who are happy to walk for several hours.
Maybe not, if
- Travellers who need step-free access everywhere, or who want the pyramids as the main event. Day 2 is a long day on the road.
Honest assessment
The honest pluses and minuses, as our own team sees them after running this trip.
Highlights
- One hotel for all three nights, so no repacking
- A private day among the Fayoum lakes and waterfalls, away from Giza's crowds
- Food, a museum, medieval streets and a bazaar in one compact break
Things to Consider
- The Fayoum day is around ten hours with the drives
- Busy streets, uneven ground and steps in the old quarters
- The Giza pyramids are not part of this itinerary
Where it fits
A good second visit to Cairo, or a short stop before or after a longer holiday. The pyramids are not included, so add a Giza day if they are on your list.
Worth knowing
How this compares
Most short Cairo breaks are built around Giza. This one leaves the pyramids out and gives the time to food, the old quarters and the Fayoum oasis, with a single hotel for all three nights. The standard of hotel is your choice; the sightseeing stays the same.
Compare
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On the ground
Your route
Snapshot
Good to know
- Travel style
- Private guided city break with a day excursion
- Accommodation
- One Cairo hotel for three nights, standard chosen at booking
- Destinations
- Cairo · Fayoum Oasis · Lake Qarun · Wadi El Rayan · Tunis Village · Egyptian Museum · Islamic Cairo · Khan El Khalili · Coptic Cairo
- Includes
- 3 nights in a Cairo hotel with breakfast · Private airport transfers · Private food tasting walk on the first evening · Fayoum oasis excursion with guide and lunch · Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo and bazaar with an Egyptologist · Half-day tour of Coptic Cairo
- Best for
- Travellers who have already seen the pyramids · Food lovers · Short city breaks with one day away from Cairo
The morning of
Meeting point & timing
- Where
- Cairo International Airport (CAI), Arrivals HallMap
Before you go
What to pack & wear
What to bring
- Passport and any visa or travel documents
- Comfortable walking shoes with good grip
- Sun cream, SPF 30 or higher
- Sun hat and sunglasses
- Refillable water bottle
- Cash for the Wadi El Rayan entry fee, paid at the gate
- Any regular medication
- Small day bag
What to wear
- Light, breathable clothing for sun and heat
- Closed shoes for uneven ground and Cairo's old streets
- Clothing that covers shoulders and knees at mosques and churches
- A hat and sunglasses
- A light layer for the evening food walk in winter
Children & families
Children are welcome. Every child has a seat in the vehicle, so transport, guiding and meals are charged at the adult rate at any age. Entrance tickets are free for children under 6 and full price from 6. Hotel prices depend on the child's age and the room used, so we give you the exact figure once you tell us the age at booking. Day 2 is a ten-hour excursion and the food walk is in the evening, so consider what will suit your child.
Accessibility
Who can join this
This holiday involves a good deal of walking along busy city streets, uneven pavements and steps in Cairo's old quarters, including an evening food walk on foot. The Fayoum day has time on foot at the lakes and waterfalls of Wadi El Rayan and in Tunis village. Vehicles are private and air-conditioned, but we cannot promise wheelchair access at every site. Tell us what you need when you book and we will say honestly which parts suit you.
– Responsible travel
How we travel here
The holiday uses private road vehicles only, and vehicle types vary, so we make no claim about carbon savings. With one hotel for all three nights there is no moving between cities. The food walk, the Tunis village workshops and the local lunches support small businesses. We ask guests to bring a refillable water bottle and to take their litter home from the lakes.
Licensed Egyptologist guides
State-licensed, and people we have worked with for years
Fair wages on the ground
Drivers + guides paid above market
Site preservation
We follow the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities' site rules: marked paths, no touching reliefs
Local teams, real help
Our own offices in Cairo, Luxor, Aswan, Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm El Sheikh
If plans change
Cancellation and refunds
If you cancel, your refund depends on how soon you let us know and on the kind of holiday. See our current cancellation and refund terms
Asked & answered
Frequent questions
01Which hotel will we stay in?
One Cairo hotel for all three nights, with breakfast. You pick a standard when you book, from budget to luxury, and we confirm the hotel for your dates. The sightseeing does not change with the standard.02How long is the day in the Fayoum?
Around ten hours including the drives, so it is a full day. You see Lake Qarun, the pottery workshops in Tunis village and the lakes and waterfalls of Wadi El Rayan, and have lunch at a local restaurant. The Wadi El Rayan entry fee is paid at the gate.03What is the Fayoum oasis?
A green stretch of lakes and farmland southwest of Cairo. Visitors come for the water, the village life and a calm break from the city.04What does the food tour involve?
On the first evening a guide takes you on a private tasting walk from the hotel, sampling Cairo street food as the locals eat it. Let us know beforehand about allergies or anything you do not eat.05Will I make my international flight?
There are no internal flights on this holiday, so the usual risk of a delayed domestic flight does not arise. Everything is by road in Cairo, and we plan your last morning around your departure time. Internal and international tickets are separate bookings, so if you fly into Cairo from elsewhere in Egypt and connect the same day, choose a late-evening or night flight, and take travel insurance that covers missed connections.06Do I see the pyramids?
Not on this itinerary, which covers the Fayoum, the Egyptian Museum, Islamic Cairo and Coptic Cairo. We can add a day at Giza; ask us and we will go through the options.07What is not included?
International flights, the Egyptian visa, tips for guides and drivers, drinks other than those stated, the Wadi El Rayan entry fee paid at the gate, and travel insurance.08Is the sightseeing private?
Yes. Your driver and guide are yours alone on every sightseeing day, and the food walk is private as well.09When is the best time to travel?
October to April is cooler and the most comfortable for walking. Summers are very hot, so the Fayoum day begins early.
Last updated Product ID: TOU-CAI-864445
At a glance
- Length
- 4 days · 3 nights
- Starts
- Daily
- Route
- Cairo → Fayoum → Cairo
- Includes
- Egyptologist guide, entrance fees, transfers