The coordinates of the Great Pyramid of Khufu are approximately 29.979 degrees north latitude and 31.134 degrees east longitude. That is the answer, and it suffices for any navigation device.
For anything more precise, a question arises: Which point is meant? A structure with a base area of over five hectares does not have a coordinate but an area. The apex, the center of the base, and the four corners each lie at different locations, and between the outermost of these, there are over a hundred meters.
This is exactly where the discrepancies between different sources come from. If one source says 29.9792 and another says 29.9761, these are not two different opinions but two different reference points, sometimes even two different structures.
For practical purposes, this means: Four decimal places are enough to stand in front of the right structure. More places suggest a precision that is meaningless without specifying the reference point.
Plateau entry as a QR code on your phone
If you are traveling on your own, you should have your ticket ready beforehand: At the eastern gate, there is no ticket counter, regardless of what coordinate your navigation device shows.
The Coordinates at a Glance
Decimal degrees in the WGS 84 system, as used by navigation devices and mapping services. All values refer to the respective structure as a whole.
| Location | Latitude North | Longitude East | In degrees, minutes, seconds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Great Pyramid of Khufu | 29,97917 | 31,13417 | 29°58′45″ N, 31°08′03″ E |
| Pyramid of Khafre | 29,97611 | 31,13083 | 29°58′34″ N, 31°07′51″ E |
| Pyramid complex overall | 29,97611 | 31,13278 | 29°58′34″ N, 31°07′58″ E |
- Latitude North
- 29,97917
- Longitude East
- 31,13417
- In degrees, minutes, seconds
- 29°58′45″ N, 31°08′03″ E
- Latitude North
- 29,97611
- Longitude East
- 31,13083
- In degrees, minutes, seconds
- 29°58′34″ N, 31°07′51″ E
- Latitude North
- 29,97611
- Longitude East
- 31,13278
- In degrees, minutes, seconds
- 29°58′34″ N, 31°07′58″ E
For the smallest pyramid and the Sphinx, different values circulate depending on the chosen reference point. They are deliberately omitted here because no reliable single value could be verified.
The Latitude 29.9792
The latitude of the Great Pyramid of Khufu is the value most frequently searched for, and there is a specific reason for that.
It is approximately 29.9792. Those who search for "Great Pyramid 29.9792 31.1342" are usually not looking for navigational help but for an observation widely circulated online: The sequence 299792 corresponds to the speed of light in meters per second, namely 299,792,458.
The correspondence is real, but it is a result of rounding and the chosen units. Rounded to three decimal places, the value is 29.979; to five, 29.97917, and none of these versions yields the same sequence. Moreover, the value depends on the reference point, the grid is a modern invention, and the meter was defined in the 18th century. A check of this claim accordingly concludes that it is a coincidence.
This is detailed on a separate page. Here, it suffices to note that the number being searched for is a rounded one.
What Coordinates Are Really Good For
Practically, coordinates at the plateau are useful mainly for one thing: driving to the right gate.
Since the visitor system was reorganized, there are two entrances that are far apart. If you enter a coordinate of the pyramid itself into a navigation device, you will be directed to the structure and may end up at a point on the fence with no entrance. It is better to choose the desired gate as the destination and use the structure's coordinate only for checking.
On the site itself, coordinates are of little help. There are no addresses, no route numbers, and hardly any signage, and distances must be covered on foot. The official overview of the site lists the individual monuments but without point coordinates.
On the other hand, coordinates are useful for points away from the main structures. The viewpoint in the southwest, the quarry depression south of the largest pyramid, and the valley temple next to the Sphinx are unmarked and hard to recognize from afar. If you want to head there, a set marker in a mapping service will get you further than a verbal description.
One final note for those who reuse the values: Mapping services work with the WGS 84 system, while older maps sometimes use other reference systems. Differences between systems can be several hundred meters. If an old value does not fit, it is usually due to that, not a typo.
Frequently asked questions
What are the coordinates of the Pyramids of Giza?
For the largest pyramid, approximately 29.97917° N and 31.13417° E; for the middle one, approximately 29.97611 and 31.13083. For the entire complex, 29.97611 and 31.13278 are given.
Why do the values differ?
Because a structure of this size does not have a coordinate but an area. The apex, center, and corners are over a hundred meters apart.
How many decimal places do I need?
Four are enough to stand in front of the right structure. Anything more is not meaningful without specifying the reference point.
Is it true that the latitude corresponds to the speed of light?
The sequence matches in a certain rounding. It is a coincidence that depends on rounding, units, and reference point.
Can I navigate using the coordinates?
To the structure, yes; to the entrance, not necessarily. It is better to enter the desired gate as the destination because the two entrances are far apart.