3-day tour Giza, Fayoum & Alexandria: Pyramids to whale fossils

Three days across Egypt's layered history, from stone tombs to fossil whales

A 3-day guided tour from Giza covering the Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis on day one, then Fayoum's desert reserves and Whale Valley on day two, and Alexandria's Fort Qaitbay, Bibliotheca Alexandrina and Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa on day three. Your guide picks you up from your hotel each morning. The first day ends with a Nile dinner cruise featuring belly dance and Tanura shows.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Giza pyramids and Nile cruise

• Pick up from hotel
• Visit Giza Pyramids
• See the Great Sphinx
• Visit Memphis
• Visit Saqqara
• Enjoy Nile River cruise dinner with shows

Day 2: Fayoum nature and safari tour

• Visit Tunis village in Fayoum oasis
• See Lake Qarun
• Explore Wadi El Rayan nature reserve
• Visit Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley)
• Discover Fayoum artificial oasis

Day 3: Alexandria historical sites tour

• Pick up from hotel
• Visit Bibliotheca Alexandrina
• Visit Fort Qaitbay
• Explore Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa
• Visit Graeco-Roman Museum
• Return to hotel

The experience

Day one centers on Giza's monuments: the three Pyramids built between 2550 and 2490 B.C. by Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure, then the Great Sphinx (240 feet long, carved from a single limestone block) followed by Memphis, Egypt's first capital, and Saqqara, the principal necropolis 17 kilometers from the Giza Plateau. The day ends on the Nile River with a dinner cruise, Egyptian food, live music and performances.

Day two takes you to Fayoum, an artificial oasis created by Joseph's canal from the Nile. You'll see Lake Qarun, a salt-water lake of historical and scientific importance, then drive into the Western Desert to Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley), a UNESCO World Heritage Site holding fossil remains of Archaeoceti: the extinct whales that demonstrate the evolutionary shift from land mammals to ocean-going animals. The reserve also includes Wadi El Rayan, one of Egypt's major nature reserves, and a desert safari.

Day three moves to Alexandria. Your guide takes you to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, opened in 2002 as a modern center of learning on the site of the classical library, then to Fort Qaitbay, a 15th-century fortress built on the exact location of the Lighthouse of Alexandria (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). You'll finish at the Catacombs of Kom el Shoqafa, a second-century necropolis blending Roman, Hellenistic and pharaonic art, and the Greco-Roman Museum before returning to your hotel.

What’s included

• Egyptologist guide in English, Spanish, French or Arabic.
• hotel pickup and drop-off each day.
• air-conditioned private vehicle throughout.
• snacks.
• Nile dinner cruise with entertainment on the evening of day one.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 07:00, 08:00 and 09:00

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Pharaoh Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're committed to three full days of early starts and want to see Cairo's monuments, the Fayoum desert, and Alexandria in one trip, rather than piecing together separate day tours.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What are the Giza Pyramids and how old are they?

The three Pyramids of Giza were built by Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure between roughly 2550 and 2490 B.C., making them around 4,500 years old. They were constructed as monumental tombs during Egypt's Old Kingdom era, filled with everything a pharaoh would need in the afterlife.

What makes Whale Valley a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

Wadi Al-Hitan (Whale Valley) contains fossil remains of Archaeoceti, an extinct suborder of whales that demonstrates one of evolution's major stories: how whales transitioned from land-based animals to ocean-going mammals. It is the most important site in the world for showing this stage of evolution.

What is included in the Nile dinner cruise on the first evening?

The cruise on the Nile River includes Egyptian food, belly dance and Tanura shows, live music and a band. You can take pictures from the top deck of the illuminated city of Cairo at night before being driven back to your hotel.

What does Fort Qaitbay have to do with the Lighthouse of Alexandria?

Fort Qaitbay was built in the 15th century on the exact site of the Lighthouse of Alexandria, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. The lighthouse functioned until the Arab conquest. After earthquakes damaged it, it served as a watchtower before the fort was constructed there.

How does Fayoum differ from other Egyptian oases?

Fayoum is Egypt's only artificial oasis, created not by water springing from the ground but by Joseph's canal, a naturally formed channel from the Nile that dates to Biblical times. The canal stretches to Lake Qarun, a huge salt-water lake that gives the oasis its distinctive character.