Pricing policy
All prices are per person in US dollars and depend on the size of your group. Your quote lists the final price and what it covers. After the deposit, changes to your plan cost US$25 per request, plus any third-party fees.
Cairo Day tour country side
A private day in the farmland of Menoufia in the Nile Delta, about one to one and a half hours from Cairo: breakfast and lunch with a farming family, a walk along the irrigation canals, cheese making, the animal barns, a donkey ride and the sunset over the fields.
- Duration
- 9.5 hours
- Tour type
- Private, your own group
- Pickup
- From your hotel
- Lunch
- Included
- Guide
- Local English-speaking guide
Overview
Most visitors see Cairo, Giza and the Nile, and leave without seeing how most Egyptians outside the cities still live. Menoufia Governorate lies in the Nile Delta between the Rosetta and Damietta branches of the river, about 60 to 80 kilometres north of Cairo by road. It is flat, green and intensely farmed: cotton, maize, wheat, clover for the animals, potatoes and beans, all watered by a network of canals fed from the Nile. Villages sit between the fields, with mud-brick and concrete houses, water buffalo tied by the canals and donkey carts on the farm tracks.
This private day takes you out of the city to one of these villages with a local guide who knows the families you visit. You are picked up at your hotel in the morning and driven north into the Delta. You eat a farm breakfast, walk the fields while farmers work, see the canals and the small water pumps that feed them, watch fresh white cheese being made, meet the animals in the barns, take a donkey ride along the tracks and eat a home-cooked lunch with tea and fruit. You stay for the sunset over the fields and are back at your hotel in the evening.
Who this tour suits
- Travellers who have already seen the Pyramids and the museums and want a slower day with ordinary Egyptian life in it.
- Families with children, who usually enjoy the animals, the donkey ride and the open space after the traffic of Cairo.
- Photographers who want fields, farmers, canals and village scenes in soft morning and evening light.
- Repeat visitors to Egypt and anyone interested in food, farming or rural life.
It is not a sightseeing tour: there are no temples or monuments, and the comfort level is that of a working farm, with simple toilets and dusty tracks. If you want monuments the same week, book a Cairo day tour to Giza, Saqqara or the museums on another day.
Why a local guide matters here
The visit works because the guide is known in the village. He introduces you, translates between you and the farmers, explains what is planted in which season, and makes sure that photographs are taken with permission. Village families are welcoming, but they are not a show; with the guide you join their day rather than watch it from a car window.
What you will love
- The green Nile DeltaFields of clover, wheat and maize on either side of the canals, an hour or so from the traffic of Cairo.
- Breakfast and lunch on a farmHome cooking with bread from the clay oven, fresh cheese, vegetables from the fields and tea with fresh mint.
- Time with a farming familyYour guide is known in the village, so you join the family's day instead of watching it from a car.
- Cheese making and the barnsSee fresh white cheese being made and meet the cows, goats and lambs kept by the family.
- A donkey ride on the farm tracksA slow ride between the fields at walking pace, led by the farmer, that children usually love.
- Sunset over the fieldsThe day ends with the light going down over the canals and palm trees before the drive back.
- Village scenes for photographersFarmers at work, water buffalo by the canals and soft morning and evening light, with permission asked for you.
Your stops
Stop109:00 Pickup from your hotel in Cairo
Your guide and driver meet you in the hotel lobby and you drive north out of Cairo into the Nile Delta, about one to one and a half hours. On the way your guide explains how the Delta is farmed and how the canals carry Nile water to the fields.
Stop210:15 Farm breakfast and the fields of Menoufia
A farm breakfast with the family: bread from the clay oven, white cheese, eggs, beans and tea with fresh mint. Then a walk through the fields while the farmers work, often with hand tools and draught animals. Depending on the season you see clover being cut for the animals, wheat or maize growing, or vegetables being planted or picked.
Stop311:45 Canals, cheese making and the animal barns
A walk along the irrigation canals, where your guide shows how water is lifted into the fields. You visit a small cheese workshop, or the family kitchen, to see fresh white cheese being made from the morning milk, and the barns where the cows, goats and lambs are kept. Lunch is cooked at home and served at around 13:30, with soft drinks, fruit and tea; shisha is offered afterwards.
Stop415:00 Donkey ride, bike ride and the sunset
An easy donkey ride along the farm tracks, led by the farmer, and a short ride by bicycle between the fields for those who want it. The afternoon is relaxed: tea in the shade, more time with the family and, if the day allows, a visit to a neighbour's house. You stay for the sunset over the fields, at about 17:00 in winter and later in summer.
Stop517:15 Drive back to your hotel in Cairo
You leave the village after the sunset and are back at your hotel in Cairo at about 18:30 in winter, later in summer when the sun sets later. If you would like to be back earlier, tell us when you book and the day is shortened by leaving before the sunset.
Price
Group size and pricing
Prices are per person in US dollars. Children pay less, see the children policy below.
Get a quoteWhat is included
- A local English-speaking guide who is known in the village.
- Breakfast and lunch of home-cooked food with a farming family.
- Soft drinks, mineral water and Egyptian tea with fresh mint.
- Seasonal fruit from the farm.
- A donkey ride along the farm tracks, led by the farmer.
- The sunset over the fields before the drive back.
- Shisha (water pipe) after lunch, for those who want it.
- A village wedding, only if one takes place that day and the family invites guests.
- Pickup and drop-off at your hotel in Cairo or Giza in a private air-conditioned car.
- Tips and anything not listed in the program.
Practical information for this tour
Best time of year and of day
The Delta is at its greenest from November to April, when clover and wheat cover the fields and the days are mild. Spring (March and April) brings the wheat harvest closer and is very pleasant. From June to September the midday heat is strong, so the farm walk is done in the morning and the afternoon is kept for shade, lunch and the sunset. The day is timed around the sunset, which is about 17:00 in winter and about 18:45 in summer, so the return time changes with the season.
What is included in the day
Your guide, the transport, breakfast and lunch on the farm, soft drinks, mineral water, tea with fresh mint and seasonal fruit are included, together with the donkey ride. Shisha (water pipe) is offered after lunch for those who want it. There are no entrance tickets on this tour. If a village wedding happens to take place that day and the family invites guests, you may be able to attend; it cannot be planned or promised.
Photography and respect
Ask before photographing people, especially women and children; your guide will ask for you. Farmers are usually happy to be photographed at work once they have been introduced. Drones are not allowed without a permit in Egypt and should be left at the hotel.
What to wear and bring
- Closed shoes that can get dusty or muddy; the farm tracks and canal banks are uneven.
- Modest clothes that cover shoulders and knees, out of respect for village families; a light scarf is useful for women.
- A hat and sunscreen, and a warm layer for the evening from November to March.
- Hand sanitiser or wet wipes, and some small Egyptian pound notes for tips.
Pickup, timing and getting there
Pickup is from your hotel in central Cairo, Zamalek, Garden City or Giza. The drive to the village takes about one to one and a half hours, depending on traffic leaving Cairo. Hotels in New Cairo or near the airport add some driving time; tell us where you stay and we confirm the pickup time.
Children, mobility and food
Children are welcome and the donkey ride is led at walking pace. The farm walk is on flat ground but uneven, so it is not suitable for wheelchairs. The food is home cooking: bread baked in a clay oven, cheese, eggs, beans, vegetables, rice and chicken or meat. Tell us about vegetarian diets or allergies when you book, so the family can prepare for them.
Travel policy guide
Booking confirmation
A deposit of 30% of the total tour cost is required at the time of booking. The final payment is due 30 days before departure, and bookings made within 30 days of departure are paid in full. We accept Visa or Master Card by secure online payment, Visa or Master Card by email, and wire transfer. We confirm every booking by email.
Cancellation and refund
- 22 days or more before departure: 100% refund
- 15 to 21 days: 70% refund
- 8 to 14 days: 50% refund
- 0 to 7 days: no refund
No-show travelers are charged 100%. During peak events in Egypt, hotels and Nile cruises do not refund deposits. Groups of more than 10 people may have different terms.
Children policy
- Under 2: free, sharing the parents’ bed, meals not included
- 2 to 5 years: 25% of the adult price
- 6 to 11 years: 50% of the adult price
- 12 and over: adult price
Add each child and their age in the enquiry form so the quote is exact.
Optional visits
Add a lunch stop, a longer visit or a second site to your day. Tell us what you want and we add it to your quote with its cost.
Extra expenses
Not included in the price: Any extras not mentioned in the programme.
Tipping guide
Tipping is customary in Egypt and is not included in the price. A usual amount for a private day tour is US$5 to 10 per person for your guide and US$3 to 5 for your driver.
Questions about this tour
How far is the village from Cairo?
The villages we visit are in Menoufia Governorate in the Nile Delta, about one to one and a half hours by road from central Cairo, depending on traffic.
Is the tour private?
Yes. The car, the driver and the guide are for your group only, and the family receives only your group that day.
Are meals included?
Yes. Breakfast and lunch are cooked by the family and served on the farm, with soft drinks, water, tea and fruit. Tell us about any diet or allergy when you book.
Is it suitable for children?
Yes. Children usually enjoy the animals and the donkey ride, which is led at walking pace. The ground is uneven, so bring closed shoes, and a change of clothes for small children.
Can I take photos of people?
Yes, with permission. Your guide asks for you, and most farmers are happy to be photographed once they have met you. Please ask before photographing women and children.
What time do we get back?
The day ends after the sunset, so you are back at about 18:30 in winter and later in summer. If you need to be back earlier, the day can end before the sunset.
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