Toilets and cafés on the Giza Plateau were for decades the weakest part of a visit, and today they are the part that has improved the most. Those who read old travel accounts will find complaints about missing restrooms, overpriced drinks from coolers, and not a square meter of shade. That describes a situation that no longer exists.
Today, there are restrooms at the new visitor center and at several points on the site, there are staffed spots with drinks and food, and there are seating areas and shade canopies. This amenities came with the renovation since 2025 and is the part of the program that is least discussed and most used. The scope continues to grow with the renovation.
Nevertheless, a sober preparation is worthwhile, for three reasons. The distances between the serviced points are large, prices inside the enclosure are significantly higher than outside, and for some things you need cash in small denominations, even if you pay by card everywhere else.
This page goes through the facilities in order: first the most pressing question, then food and drink, then the visitor center. Spots with a view, inside and outside, are on a separate page.
- Restrooms
- at the visitor center and at several points on the site
- Cost for that
- small amount in cash, not posted
- Drinks and food
- at staffed spots, significantly more expensive than outside
- Own provisions
- allowed, non-alcoholic
- Shade
- at service points, not on the paths between them
- Payment methods
- definitely bring small bills in cash
Restrooms and the custom
To the most urgent question first. Restrooms do exist, and since the renovation they are in a state that hardly anyone complains about anymore. You will find them at the visitor center, which everyone passes anyway, and at other points on the site.
What you should know concerns less the cleanliness than the custom. At the restrooms, there is usually an attendant who ensures cleanliness and paper and expects a small amount for that. No price is posted anywhere, and the amounts in circulation vary widely, which already shows that this is not a fixed fee but rather a tip with expectations.
This leads to two practical implications. First: bring small bills, several of them. Those with only a large bill rarely get change, and the situation is unpleasant for both sides. Second: do not rely on paper being available. A pack of tissues in the backpack solves this problem once and for all.
A word about expectations, because here there is often talking past each other. The attendant at a restroom is not a rip-off but rather in Egypt a regular, poorly paid job, whose income consists exactly of these amounts. Those who know this perceive the situation differently, and with prepared change it takes five seconds. It only becomes unpleasant for travelers who stand in front of it unprepared and without appropriate money.
And a note for planning: take care of it at the visitor center before you go in. On the site, the paths are long, and the next restroom may be a shuttle ride away.
Guided day tour with included lunch
- Solves the food question: lunch is included according to the provider
- Eight hours with German-speaking guide, pickup and included plateau entrance
- Access to the interior of the pyramids is expressly not included in this offer
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before, according to the provider
What you need, and what you want to experience
When it comes to food and drink, a clear distinction is worthwhile between what you need and what you want to experience.
What you need is water, and more than most plan. Between April and October, two to three liters per person is not an exaggeration but the lower limit. Water is available for purchase on the site, but at a multiple of the price outside. Those who buy beforehand at the supermarket or a kiosk save money and the search for the next stand.
You may bring your own provisions as long as they are non-alcoholic. A few biscuits, fruit, and nuts in the backpack are more sensible than relying on an offering that may be closed at the next stop.
For the amount, a small calculation is worthwhile. A visit with arrival and return easily takes five hours, of which two to three are on an open area without shade. At thirty degrees and more, an adult loses significantly more fluid than the feeling of thirst indicates, and the typical afternoon complaints, headaches and exhaustion, are usually nothing other than fluid deficiency. One large bottle per person is none, two are the beginning.
What you want to experience is something else. There are now staffed spots with air conditioning, seating and real cuisine, including a restaurant complex at the foot of the largest pyramid. For a visit there, however, you need the same as for everything else inside: a valid plateau ticket. A pure restaurant visit without entry does not work.
Exactly where the staffed spots are located changes, and therefore no list is given here. Only the rule behind it is reliable: supplies exist where the shuttle stops, and not in between. Those who need a break plan it at a stop instead of hoping to find something along the way.
The other option is the counter-design: you go out after two or three hours, eat significantly more cheaply in front of the gate with the same view from a rooftop terrace, and do not come back with a new ticket. Because the ticket is valid for one entry, not for the whole day with interruptions.
What the visitor center can do
Then there is the visitor center itself, and it can do more than most notice.
It is a new, barrier-free building at the main entrance in the southwest, with ticket vending machines, security check, restrooms, and gastronomy. In addition, there is a part that almost everyone walks past: an exhibition area with replicas, display boards, and a short film about the complex.
This is worth mentioning because it is the only orientation on site. On the site itself, there is hardly any signage and no explanatory boards at the structures. Those who come without a guide and want to know what they are actually seeing get here the only opportunity to do so, and it costs twenty minutes at the beginning instead of puzzling for the rest of the day.
The exhibition does not replace a guide, and it does not intend to. It puts the complex into context, shows which structure belongs to which king, and makes time relationships visible. For travelers who come without a guide, this is the basis on which the rest of the day makes sense at all; for all others, it is a welcome quarter of an hour in the cool before the start.
One more word about payment, because it regularly goes wrong. Cards are not accepted everywhere, and for tips, restrooms, and small purchases you need cash anyway. Withdraw beforehand, break it into small bills, and do not count on an ATM on the site to help out. The official site about the plateau gives no information on this.
What despite all improvements belongs in your backpack
- Two to three liters of water per person, bought outside
- Several small bills, ready separately from the rest of your money
- A pack of tissues
- Something to eat in between
- Hat and sun protection, because there is no shade between the service points
- A charged phone, because tickets and pickup point depend on it
Lunch break outside instead of holding out inside. Those who stay within walking distance go back into the cool at noon, eat at normal prices, and come back the next morning instead of enduring six hours straight in the sun. Three places that cover this:
At the SphinxGiza Pyramids View Inn
- Good breakfast
- Airport shuttle
- Two restaurants
- 24-hour reception
- Free Wi-Fi
For those who want to see the Sphinx from their breakfast chair
Most reviewedGreat Pyramid Inn
- Fabulous breakfast
- Rooftop terrace restaurant
- Bar
- Airport shuttle
- 24-hour reception
Most who want to stay in the neighborhood
Garden & poolMarriott Mena House
- Excellent breakfast
- Outdoor pool
- Spa and wellness center
- Three restaurants
- Fitness center
For those who want space, garden, and pool instead of a rooftop terrace
Frequently asked questions
Are there toilets on the site?
Yes, at the visitor center and at other points. An attendant expects a small amount in cash, but no price is posted.
Can I bring my own food?
Yes, non-alcoholic. Given the prices inside the enclosure, this is also the cheaper option.
Do I need a ticket to eat at the restaurant on the site?
Yes. Entrance is required for everything inside the enclosure, even for a pure restaurant visit.
Can I go out in between and come back?
Not with the same ticket. It is valid for one entry, not for the whole day with interruptions.
Are cards accepted?
Not everywhere. For tips, restrooms, and small items you definitely need cash in small bills.
Is there shade?
At the service points, yes, but on the paths between them practically none. That determines when a break is sensible.