Private Day Tour to Tanis Bubastis Cairo

The Delta area is a bit off the beaten track for most tourists but definitely worth the effort. We travelled through a range of towns which were less chaotic than Cairo and more real than Luxor. The archeological sites at Tanis and Bubastis are very interesting if you are more than a casual observer of ancient Egypt. The museum staff at both sites were so pleased to see us and did everything they could to enhance our stay. As you are off the beaten track a police escort is assigned to you. Don't let that make you feel it is particularly dangerous, there are just a lot of Tourist Police and not many tourists. The biggest risk is teenage selfie hunters who are fascinated by tall blonde white people!!! Full marks to our guide, Sam, and driver Abdul. It's a long day together, about 10 hours, and we had a lot of fun.

I would say that this is NOT a tour for the novice traveler. It was a just under 2 hr drive to Bubastis. The drive was fairly easy. Not too much to see at Bubastis, and you have to be a history buff to really appreciate it. However, there were no other tourists there when we went, so we had the place to ourselves. From there it was a GRUELING 2 hr drive to Tanis through small villages, farms, and sometimes on roads that are not even roads. We did have a police escort for part of the way there, but I must say, that we felt completely safe the whole day. While a tough drive, being able to see this part of Egypt was unforgettable, and I am so glad we did it. Tanis is what really makes this tour worth taking. It is like stepping onto a movie set. Again, with no other tourist there, it was a surreal experience. We were "invited" to visit one of the locked tombs, and that made the trip even more remarkable. We had another police escort from there back to the main highway, and then an easy 2+ hr drive back to Cairo. All day, our guides kept good care of us and well fed and hydrated. I imagine this is a tough tour for them as well. Note: We did not have WIFI in the van, so be prepared, and bring something to pass the driving time. Also, read up on both Bubastis and Tanis ahead of time. You'll be glad you did.

This trip is an absolute must-do. My mom (75ish) and I (34F) were picked up by our guide and driver from our hotel in a very comfortable van. As we drove, our guide told us about Egyptian history and about the sites we would see. Bubastis/Tell-Basta was about a 2 hour drive from Giza but went by quickly because the scenery is beautiful and the police escort your van (there’s no safety threat, it just seems to be a service provided to support tourism). There, a local guide met us to tell us about the site and our guide from Sun Pyramid acted as a translator and added info. Bubastis is very interesting. There are a lot of large stone piece from the hypostyle hall of the temple of Bastet (the cat god) that you can walk among. From there, we went to Tanis which is AMAZING. It was another hour or so drive with the escort. Tanis is beautiful with huge statues and obelisks, a Nilometer, and tombs. It’s really so so impressive, and they have only discovered about 15% of what is there. They are still actively excavating the site. The local guide who showed us around has worked at the site for over 20 years and was extremely knowledgeable and friendly. It was a bit windy in both places, so I recommend wearing pants as a opposed to a dress/skirt. I’m glad we wore sneakers because you walk on sand at Tanis. I also recommend bring Egyptian pounds to tip the local guides (100 pounds each) and then whatever you’d like to give your Sun Pyramid guide and driver. Everyone at Tanis was so friendly and said they wished more tourists would come. It’s an awe-inspiring site. To my knowledge, this is the only company who does tours to Tanis and it is 100% worth doing.