
El Minya Attractions
- Tell Amarna
- Beni Hassan Tombs
| Duration |
12 Hour |
|---|---|
| Tour Location |
Tell Amarna / Beni Hassan Tombs |
| Tour Type |
Daily Tour |
| Pickup |
Your Hotel |
This full-day tour travels from Cairo to Tell Amarna and Beni Hassan in Middle Egypt over a 12-hour round trip. Travelers visit Akhenaten’s abandoned capital at Tell Amarna and the Middle Kingdom rock-cut tombs of Beni Hassan near Minya, a site pairing unavailable on any other single-day itinerary from Cairo. Private air-conditioned transport and a guide accompany the group for the full round trip.
Private vehicle pickup happens at Cairo hotels, followed by a drive south along the Nile to Minya. At Tell Amarna, the group tours the remains of Akhenaten’s palaces, temples, and residential quarters.
From Tell Amarna, the vehicle continues to Beni Hassan, where rock-cut tombs from the Middle Kingdom display painted wall scenes of daily life. Take lunch at a local restaurant near Minya following the tomb visit, before the drive back to Cairo hotels. This Middle Egypt day trip blends deep history and the unique charm of El Minya into a single enriching experience. For travelers building a multi-day itinerary, this tour fits seamlessly alongside other Cairo one day trips, creating a journey that blends famous highlights with rare archaeological treasures. If this experience inspires more exploration, browse the collection of Guided Egypt day trips for easy, well-planned adventures beyond Cairo.
Only on this route
Most Cairo day trips into Middle Egypt stop at Tell Amarna alone, skipping Beni Hassan because the extra site adds hours to an already long drive. This tour keeps both stops on the same 12 hour round trip from Cairo, adding the Beni Hassan rock cut tombs after Tell Amarna instead of splitting them across two days.


Private vehicle picks you up at your Cairo hotel in the early morning for the drive south to Minya, the starting point for this Tell Amarna and Beni Hassan tour and the region's Nile-side archaeological sites. If you have extra time in Cairo, the Islamic and Coptic Cairo combined heritage day trip is a wonderful way to understand the city’s spiritual and historical layers before heading south.

Arriving at Tell Amarna feels like stepping into a forgotten chapter of history. Once called Akhetaten, this city was built at astonishing speed by Akhenaten during the 14th century BCE.

From the desert plain of Amarna, your journey continues to the limestone cliffs of Beni Hassan. Carved high into the rock face, these tombs belong to Middle Kingdom governors who ruled the region over 4,000 years ago. In the afternoon, you begin your return drive to the Cairo hotel as the desert light softens into golden hues. The rhythm of the road, the fading sun over the Nile, and the lingering images of tombs.

Lunch
The tour includes private air-conditioned transport, a guide, and lunch at a local restaurant near Minya. Entrance fees to Tell Amarna and Beni Hassan are not confirmed in the current listing.
The drive from Cairo to Minya takes approximately 4–4.5 hours each way. While it’s a long journey, travelers enjoy seeing Egypt’s agricultural heartland, river villages, and desert landscapes along the Nile Valley during the scenic transfer.
This is the only full-day tour from Cairo pairing Akhenaten's abandoned capital at Tell Amarna with the Middle Kingdom tombs of Beni Hassan.
Tell Amarna was the capital built by Pharaoh Akhenaten for the exclusive worship of the sun god Aten. It represents Egypt’s only true religious revolution, introducing a new artistic style and reshaping royal life. The site offers rare insight into a dramatic and short-lived era.
The tour covers Tell Amarna, the site of Akhenaten's abandoned capital, followed by the rock-cut tombs of Beni Hassan. Travelers wanting to see Luxor's temples on a similar long-distance day trip can check the Luxor day trip from Cairo by flight.
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