Faiyum Governorate · Egypt
Faiyum travel guide
Faiyum is a city in Faiyum Governorate, Egypt, home to about 519,000 people.
- Best months
- November to March
- Nearest airport
- SPX90 km · Sphinx International Airport
- Currency
- EGPEgyptian pound
- Time zone
- Africa/Cairo
- Language
- Arabic
About
About Faiyum
Faiyum is a city located geographically in Lower Egypt but culturally and politically in Upper Egypt, 100 kilometres (62 miles) southwest of Cairo. In the Faiyum Oasis, it is the capital of the modern Faiyum Governorate.
Fayum is a forgotten gem off Egypt's beaten track. Archaeological evidence has found occupations around the Fayum dating back to at least the Epipalaeolithic. Middle Holocene occupations of the area are most widely studied on the north shore of Lake Moeris. In ancient Egypt, the city was called Shedet, a centre of the cult of the crocodile god Sobek (Koinē Greek: Σοῦχος Soûkhos, Latin: Suchus). In consequence, the Greeks called it "Crocodile City" (Koinē Greek: Κροκοδειλόπολις Krokodeilópolis), Crocodīlopolis in Latin.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Faiyum
See
- Sultan Qaitbay Mosque
- Medinet Madi Archaeological Park
- Karanis
- Karanis Site Museum
- Hanging Mosque
- Waterwheels
- Lake Qaroun
- Temple of Qasr Qaroun
- al-Nazla (pottery village)
- Pyramid of Amenemhat III at Hawara, the last Pyramid in Egypt
- Seila Pyramid
- Lahun Barrage
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
When to go
The best time to visit Faiyum
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Faiyum are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 38 °C; February is the wettest, with about 2 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Faiyum: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Sphinx International Airport (SPX), about 90 km from the city centre in a straight line; Cairo International Airport (CAI, 105 km) and Capital International Airport (CCE, 129 km) are also within reach.
Getting in
By microbus from different regions in Cairo e.g. Ramsis Square and also from different regions in Giza e.g. El-Remaya Square (Shotting Square) and El-Moneeb. There are slow trains from Cairo too.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
SPX · Sphinx International Airport
CAI · Cairo International Airport
CCE · Capital International Airport
Questions
Faiyum: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Faiyum?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Faiyum are November to March. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 38 °C; February is the wettest, with about 2 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Faiyum?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Sphinx International Airport (SPX), about 90 km from the city centre in a straight line; Cairo International Airport (CAI, 105 km) and Capital International Airport (CCE, 129 km) are also within reach.
What currency is used in Faiyum?
Egyptian pound (EGP).
Nearby
Destinations near Faiyum
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.