5.4K What kind of bucket list doesn’t have the Great Pyramids of Giza Believe it or not, the Pyramids of Giza are quite easy to visit on a day trip from Cairo, the capital of Egypt.
The Great Pyramid of Giza, built in It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World and the only one still standing today.
Visiting the Egyptian pyramids is a fairly simple experience, and there isn’t much to do other than stare at the large piles of rock, but it’s still a profound and unique experience that every traveler should check off their bucket list.
This travel guide will explain how you can visit the Egyptian pyramids on your own, with or without a tour, on a very modest budget and with minimal planning.
Fast Facts (Main Pyramid)
- Date: 2560 BC
- The height. 150 meters (500 ft)
- The length of the base. 150 meters (500 ft)
- The weight. 6 million tons
- Number of blocks. 2.3 million
- Builders. 200000+
Best day tours to the pyramids of Egypt
First, if you’re on a tight schedule and want to skip the extra steps of arranging your own trip to the pyramids, or if you prefer to travel with a tour group for safety or convenience, there are options that:
There are a number of companies that offer pre-arranged day tours to the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx for as little as $45 USD, complete with hotel transfers, optional camel ride, and same-day return to Cairo.
If you prefer to make your own arrangements and go without a group, this will be covered next.
How to get to the pyramids of Giza
The Great Pyramids are located on the outskirts of Giza, a suburb of Cairo, Egypt.
The nearest airport is Cairo International Airport (CAI), which is served by a number of international airlines. You can shop for flights to Cairo at Skyscanner.
It is a 1 hour drive from Cairo airport to Giza.The arrivals area has many taxis that you can take but I used Uber and I would recommend it as it is much cheaper and probably safer too.
Do not rent a car in Egypt if you are not familiar with driving in the Middle East. Traffic in Arab countries is dangerous and chaotic, and you are much better off going with a driver who is familiar with how traffic works here.
In addition, drivers in Egypt are quite affordable. As of 2024, an Uber ride from Cairo to Giza costs around EGP 340 (~US$7).
Pyramids of Giza. What to expect?
If you stay at least one night in Giza, which I would recommend, you can leave your luggage first at your hotel and then easily walk to the entrance of the pyramids and the sphinx.
There are a number of hotels in Giza within a 5 minute walk of the main entrance to the pyramids and usually have great rooftop views.More on that later.
If you are ready to visit the pyramid, then just go to the main ticket office and buy your tickets. At this point, scammers and scammers will already try to talk to you, but you should ignore them.
As of 2024, the total cost of a ticket is 540 EGP (~11 USD) and this allows entry to the Sphinx and: the entire area surrounding the pyramids.
If you plan to go inside the pyramids themselves, as opposed to just walking around and looking at them from the outside (which I did), you will need to purchase an additional ticket.
The price is 50 EGP to enter the Khafre/Menkaure Pyramid, or 300 EGP to enter the Keufu Pyramid.
Personally, I don’t think it’s worth the extra tickets to get in. It can be stiflingly hot, and the interior has long since been emptied by grave robbers.
It’s a much better idea to save this money and spend it on visiting the Egyptian Museum or some of Luxor’s attractions, where you can still see the elaborate tombs and gold artifacts.
At any rate, you’ve arrived at the pyramids and bought your tickets.The security checks at the entrance are fairly short and the queues aren’t too long.
You have to decide if you want to see the sphinx or the pyramids first.
The Sphinx is near the entrance, and the pyramids are a 15-20 minute walk from the entrance. I would recommend a camel ride to the pyramids, then you can turn around and stop at the sphinx on your way out.
A camel roams the pyramids of Egypt
If you’re going on a horse or camel ride, which I think is a great idea, make sure you negotiate your price and conditions BEFORE jumping in.
It’s common for sellers to try to come up with ridiculous prices after you’re already in the saddle and feel obligated.
Don’t pay ahead Your trip or, set up payment after your journey, no matter what they say.
As of 2024, the Egyptian government has a fixed price for camel rides of 500 EGP (~10 USD) for 1 hour. There’s a sign at the entrance that says so, and you can always point to it if you’re having trouble getting a fair price from the vendors.
You can also ask your guide to take a picture of you on a camel with your cameraز
I’ve traveled all over the Middle East and can say that a camel ride in Giza is MUCH cheaper than what you’d pay in more developed places like Dubai or Oman.In other words, if you want to ride a camel, this is it , is the best place in the world to do it.
I took two camel rides in Giza, one for 30 minutes and one for 60 minutes, and they were both great.The camel ride is a bit scary because you sit so high off the ground, but it’s still a great experience.
Also, you can tell people about the time you rode a camel in the Great Pyramids of Egypt – epic stuff.
The Great Sphinx of Giza
Don’t forget to stop by the Great Sphinx too.
This mythical creature with the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh is the oldest sculpture preserved in Egypt.
It’s also included in the same 120 EGP ticket you bought at the entrance to the pyramids, so just show your ticket at the entrance to the sphinx and you can walk right up to it.
There is also a great photo spot outside by the gate where you can take a picture of the Sphinx and Khafre’s pyramid together (see picture above).
Unfortunately when I visited I couldn’t get a full profile of the sphinx’s body and paws because there was some kind of scaffolding on it, but I think that’s because of the visit of US First Lady Melania Trump expected next week.
Also, take a minute to check out the huge stone blocks in the entryway.The weight of these blocks must be insane.
Hotels near the Egyptian pyramids
There are a number of neat hotels in Giza within a 5-minute walk of the main entrance to the pyramids, and they usually have great rooftop views of the whole area.
I would recommend staying at least one night in Giza as it allows you to go at a leisurely pace and make the most of your time there.
It also makes it easy to enjoy a Sound & Light Show or just sit back and watch the sunset in Giza.
I stayed at the Marvel Stone Hotel
I stayed at the Marvel Stone Hotel for $32 USD/night and it had a great rooftop terrace with views of the pyramids and sphinx, complete with chairs and even a pool table.
This was actually one of the highlights of my trip to Giza, as I was able to sit back and admire the pyramids and camels running in the distance without being harassed by salesmen and vendors.
In the evening I watched the sunset over the Khafre Pyramid and took some photos from the roof.
When is the best time to visit the Pyramids of Giza?
Egypt has an arid climate, so the year is hot and dry.
The hottest months are December through March, and this is probably the most popular time to visit the pyramids, but honestly, any spring or fall month will do just as well.
I visited Egypt in September and the heat was bad at times (mainly in Luxor) but I didn’t think it was too much of a problem in Giza. Northern Egypt isn’t nearly as hot as Middle Eastern countries like Qatar or the United Arab Emirates.
You can photograph the pyramids in the morning, but the dust will leave the colors a little off. The best time of day to photograph the pyramids is around noon, when the dust clears and the blue sky is visible in the background.
