Marsa Alam: Private Day Trip to Cairo by Plane with Pyramids
- Hotel pickup included
- Tour in German specified
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours in advance
- Duration per provider: 18 hours
Flight from Marsa Alam to the Giza Plateau: Pyramids and Sphinx in One Day
You start in Marsa Alam on a day trip by plane to Cairo. After 85 minutes of flight time, you reach the city and continue to the Giza Plateau. There you see the three pyramids, the Great Sphinx, and the viewpoints between the structures. The Great Sphinx is carved from the natural rock, not built from blocks. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the largest of the three, the Pyramid of Khafre is the middle one, and the Pyramid of Menkaure is the smallest. The entire excursion is scheduled for 18 hours. The road between Marsa Alam and the plateau is 737 kilometers long; the drive would take eight and a half hours each way, and the flight saves you that journey. At the end of the day, you return to Marsa Alam.
Photos from the provider scorpionsafari. They show the offer, not your day.
- Provider
- scorpionsafari
- Duration
- 18 hours
- Start location
- Marsa Alam
- Group type
- private booking available
- Guide
- live guide
- German-speaking
- yes
- Hotel pickup
- yes
- Price
- from €500
- Rating
- 5.0 out of 2 reviews
- Quality threshold
- not met
What is included, what is not, and what the provider does not mention
The catalog distinguishes three states, and the third is the most important: no information does not mean excluded, but unresolved.
| Service | Status | What this means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Site ticket for the plateau | no information | Ask before booking; it is about €11 per person. |
| Interior of a pyramid | no information | The norm. Khufu officially about €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds). |
| Hotel pickup | included | Included; meeting point is your accommodation. |
| Lunch | included | Included. |
| Burial chambers and mastabas | nowhere in the catalog | In the entire reviewed catalog, no offer sells access to a tomb on the plateau. |
| Cancellation | free up to 24 hours before | Provider's statement in the catalog. |
- Status
- no information
- What this means for you
- Ask before booking; it is about €11 per person.
- Status
- no information
- What this means for you
- The norm. Khufu officially about €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
- Status
- included
- What this means for you
- Included; meeting point is your accommodation.
- Status
- included
- What this means for you
- Included.
- Status
- nowhere in the catalog
- What this means for you
- In the entire reviewed catalog, no offer sells access to a tomb on the plateau.
- Status
- free up to 24 hours before
- What this means for you
- Provider's statement in the catalog.
What the entry price includes and which official tickets are added
The entry price is €500. Included are hotel pickup in Marsa Alam, lunch, and a tour with a German-speaking guide; English and Italian tours are also possible. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours in advance. The provider does not mention whether the site ticket is included in the price and whether a pyramid interior is part of the program. Officially, on the day of the visit, the site ticket costs 700 Egyptian pounds (about €11). If you want to enter the Great Pyramid of Khufu, you pay 1,000 Egyptian pounds (about €16); for the Pyramid of Menkaure, it is 280 Egyptian pounds. The site ticket is required in addition to the interior tickets. The exchange rate used is 59.14 EGP per euro (as of September 3, 2026). Tipping is customary in Egypt, but it is not a surcharge for special service.
Price comparison
Entry price of this tour against the four best-documented offers in the same category. The highlighted bar is this tour.
The price alone says little. Read it together with the "Site ticket" row in the comparison table: An offer without entrance is not cheaper, but calculated differently.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Marsa Alam: Private Day Trip to… | Marsa Alam: Ancient Cairo & Giza Pyr… | Marsa Alam: Cairo 2-Day Tour with Lu… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | 500 € | 435 € | 172 € |
This tour against four comparable ones
All five come from the category "Pyramid trips from Marsa Alam". The column for this tour is highlighted; the other four are the best-documented in the category.
| Marsa Alam: Privater Tagesausflug nach Kairo mit … | Marsa Alam: Antikes Kairo & Gizeh-Pyramiden … | Marsa Alam: Kairo 2-tägige Tour mit … | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | scorpionsafari | Nice Tours | FTS Travelss |
| Price | from 500 € | from 435 € | from 172 € |
| Duration | 18 hours | 19 hours | 2 days |
| Group type | private | group | small group |
| German-speaking | yes | yes | yes |
| Area ticket | not specified | not specified | included |
| Pickup | yes | yes | yes |
| Rating (reviews) | 5.0 (2) | 4.4 (36) | 4.5 (2) |
| Quality threshold | failed | passed | failed |
| Free cancellation until | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h |
- Provider
- scorpionsafari
- Price
- from 500 €
- Duration
- 18 hours
- Group type
- private
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- not specified
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 5.0 (2)
- Quality threshold
- failed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
- Provider
- Nice Tours
- Price
- from 435 €
- Duration
- 19 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- not specified
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.4 (36)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
- Provider
- FTS Travelss
- Price
- from 172 €
- Duration
- 2 days
- Group type
- small group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.5 (2)
- Quality threshold
- failed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
The order follows the documentation and not the commission. All values come from the same catalog fields so that the columns are comparable.
How many people have judged?
Number of reviews per offer, with the rating in parentheses. A rating without its sample size is not information.
The quality threshold for this page is ten reviews. Anything below that is not a judgment but a coincidence.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Marsa Alam: Private Day Trip… (5.0) | Marsa Alam: Ancient Cairo &… (4.4) | Marsa Alam: Cairo 2-Day Tour… (4.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 2 reviews | 36 reviews | 2 reviews |
5.0 out of two reviews: a narrow basis
The rating of 5.0 comes from two reviews. Two votes are not a reliable basis, even if the score looks perfect. Based on the number of reviews, this tour ranks 2nd out of 3 in the category of pyramid tours from Marsa Alam; the two-day offer in the category also has only two reviews. Another day flight in the same category has 36 reviews with a rating of 4.4. The 5.0 should therefore be read as two individual judgments, not as evidence of consistent quality.
The day, stop by stop
The order follows the usual sequence. Each stop states what you can expect there and the documented figures; everything else is in the data sheet.
Pickup at your accommodation
The provider picks you up; the duration of the tour counts from here, not from the gate.
Giza Plateau
The site itself: the three pyramids, the Sphinx, and the viewpoints in between. Private vehicles are not allowed up; you travel by electric shuttle or on foot.
- Site ticket for foreigners (adults)700 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Opening hours (official website)08:00–16:00Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Ticket office closes before the gate1 hourAltertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis)
Great Sphinx
Carved from the natural rock, not built. The public stands on the terrace above, not next to the paws.
- Length73 mWikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza
- Height20 mWikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza
- Public accessfrom the east through the Valley Temple of Khafre up to the viewing terraceMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Great Pyramid of Khufu
The largest of the three, from the outside. The interior is a separate ticket and is not included in almost any offer.
- Original height146.6 mWikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza
- Interior visit for foreigners (adults)1,000 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid)
- Midday closure12:00–13:00Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Pyramid of Khafre
The middle one, still partially clad at the top. Its valley temple is included in the site ticket and is the shadiest spot on the site.
- Original height143.5 mMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre)
- Remaining casingpolished limestone blocks at the topMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre)
- Valley temple included in site ticketincludedMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Pyramid of Menkaure
The smallest of the three, clad in granite from Aswan on the lower courses.
- Original height65 mMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
- Interior visit for foreigners (adults)280 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
- Material der VerkleidungRed granite from Aswan instead of limestoneMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
Back to the starting point
The return trip is included in the stated duration. In Cairo traffic, it is the most unpredictable part of the day.
A place in this list is a stop, not a promise about the duration of the stop.
Temperatures in Marsa Alam throughout the year
Average daily maximum and minimum values per month. Two series, one axis; the points mark the hottest and coldest months.
There is hardly any shade on the site itself; the values are normal outdoor values and not a forecast.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily maximum | 24.1 °C | 25.1 °C | 26.9 °C | 29.8 °C | 33.1 °C | 34.7 °C | 35.5 °C | 35.6 °C | 34.2 °C | 32.6 °C | 29.3 °C | 25.5 °C |
| Daily minimum | 13.2 °C | 13.8 °C | 15.9 °C | 18.7 °C | 22.7 °C | 24.3 °C | 25.5 °C | 26 °C | 24.4 °C | 22.3 °C | 18.7 °C | 14.8 °C |
When to expect the heat: Temperatures in Marsa Alam
The chart above this section shows the monthly values for Marsa Alam. From December to February, highs remain at 24 to 26 degrees, with lows between 13 and 15 degrees. From June to August, highs reach 35 to 36 degrees; at night it only cools down to 24 to 26 degrees. Daytime temperatures are the decisive factor for being on the open site, as there is hardly any shade there. The values are normal outdoor values, not a forecast.
The complete data sheet
Every piece of information this project has documented about this tour, the places in its program, and the area covered by your ticket: 180 lines, each with its source. Collapsed because this is not a reading page, but fully present.
Download full table as CSV · 180 Rows
Show all 180 entries
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The offer30 | ||
| Provider title | Marsa Alam: Private Day Trip to Cairo by Plane with Pyramids | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Provider | scorpionsafari | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Product number | 1162121 | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Start location | Marsa Alam | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Duration | 18 hours | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Multi-day | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Starting price | 500 € | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Starting price in local currency | approx. 29,570 EGP | Exchange rate 59.14 EGP per euro |
| Rating | 5.0 stars | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Number of reviews | 2 | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Project quality threshold | Not passed | Own rule: at least 4.0 with at least 10 reviews |
| Rank in category | 2 of 3 in "Pyramid trips from Marsa Alam" | Own evaluation, rating weighted by number of reviews |
| Plateau area ticket | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Interior of a pyramid | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Access to a tomb | No offer in the catalog sells this | Own evaluation of all 252 offers |
| Hotel pickup | Included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Lunch | Included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Type of guide | Live guide | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Guide languages | English, German, Italian | GetYourGuide catalog |
| German-speaking guide | Yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Private booking | Yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Small group | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Group type according to provider | Private group | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Preferred entry | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Wheelchair accessible | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Free cancellation | Yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Cancellation deadline | 24 hours before start | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Giza reference in catalog | High | Own check of catalog fields |
| Provider images | 5 photos | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Data status | 2026-09-03 | Own retrieval |
| Giza Plateau22 | ||
| Area ticket foreigners (adults) | 700 EGP · Students 350 EGP; Egyptians 60/30 EGP. Does NOT cover interiors | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Area ticket students (foreigners) | 350 EGP | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Opening hours (official website) | 08:00–16:00 · Official sources contradict each other (PDF from 2020: 07:00–17:00); ticket office closes one hour before closing | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Ticket office closes before gate closes | 1 hour | Antiquities administration (standard practice) |
| Payment at ticket office | card only, no cash · Cashless sales since 2023; cash still needed for tips and small purchases | Daily News Egypt |
| Main entrance since 2025 | Great Gate on the Cairo–Fayoum desert road (southwest) · Replaces the old gate at Mena House; Sphinx Gate open but without ticket office | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Private vehicles on the plateau | banned since the 2025 reorganization | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Electric shuttle | included in admission, hop-on/hop-off · Stops: Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure, Panorama Point, Sphinx | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Visitor operations | Orascom Pyramids Entertainment (OPE), 15-year contract since 2018 · Ticket revenue remains entirely with the state, plus 50% of project profit | Egyptian Streets |
| Visitors per year (operator figure) | 3,500,000 · Figure from 5 Jan 2026; target 5 million; no official per-site figure published | Middle East Observer |
| Visitors per day (derived) | 9,600 · Calculated from 3.5 million/year | Middle East Observer |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 · Part of 'Memphis and its Necropolis', No. 86 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Area of World Heritage site | 16,358.52 ha | UNESCO / Wikidata |
| Length of pyramid field (Abu Roasch to Dahschur) | 30 km · Over two dozen pyramids depending on counting method | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Great Pyramid of Khufu closed at noon | 12:00–13:00 | RESEARCH-BASE (site visit 2026-08-31) |
| Interior of Great Pyramid (circulating figures) | 400–1,500 EGP · Three orders of magnitude circulate; daily quota ~300 in two windows (Hawass regulation after 1998) | RESEARCH-BASE (multiple sources, disputed) |
| Entry under 16 on Fri/Sat/holidays | only with ID or accompanied · Regulation from June 2022; current application unverified | Egypt Independent |
| Major concerts on the plateau since | 1978 · About 15 documented major performances in five decades, almost yearly since 2021 | The National |
| First professional boxing match on the plateau | 2026-05-23 · Usyk vs. Verhoeven, T.K.o. round 11 | Saudi Press Agency |
| Private photography at sites | free, also with system/SLR cameras · Permit required: photo umbrellas, artificial light, equipment blocking paths | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Milky Way over the plateau | not visible (brightest night sky worldwide in the Nile Delta) · Starry-sky photos over the pyramids are montages | Falchi et al., Science Advances 2016 |
| Air purification system in the King's Chamber since | September 2025 · Plasmacluster; aim: reduce humidity, protect walls | Egyptian Streets |
| Great Sphinx23 | ||
| Length | 73 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza |
| Height | 20 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza |
| Width | 19 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza |
| Material | carved directly from the bedrock · Not a built structure, but a sculpture in natural limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Date of creation | 4th Dynasty, c. 2613–2494 BC · Thus the oldest of Egypt's colossal statues | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Attribution | Reign of Khafre, c. 2558–2532 BC · The official wording is 'the evidence points to' – supported but not proven | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Iconography | the king with a lion's body, as a sign of his power | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Sphinx Temple | directly in front, next to the Valley Temple of Khafre | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Construction sequence | the Valley Temple was finished before work on the Sphinx began · Result of archaeological analysis, not tradition | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Facial features | striking resemblance to statues of Khafre | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Interpretation in the New Kingdom | manifestation of the sun god, called Horemakhet ('Horus in the Horizon') · 18th Dynasty, c. 1550–1295 BC | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Temple of Amenhotep II | built next to the Sphinx, dedicated to this god · Amenhotep II, c. 1427–1400 BC | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Dream Stele | erected by Thutmose IV between the front paws · Thutmose IV, c. 1400–1390 BC; research figure at NOVA is 1401–1391 BC | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Content of the Dream Stele | The young prince rests at noon in the shadow of the Sphinx; the god promises him kingship in a dream if he removes the sand | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Purpose of the stele | legitimization of succession and fulfillment of the king's core duty to maintain sacred buildings | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Condition in the New Kingdom | largely sand-covered, probably only the head visible | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| The plateau in the New Kingdom | court excursion area: hunting, chariot driving, archery, resting places in the shade | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Dream Stele: material and size | granite, nearly four meters high, several tons · Only secondarily attested; according to a common interpretation, a reused lintel from the Mortuary Temple of Khafre | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Dream Stele: preservation | about half of the text missing, crack from the twelfth line · Uncovered in 1817 by Giovanni Battista Caviglia; thereafter accelerated weathering | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Public access | from the east through the Valley Temple of Khafre up to the viewing terrace · There is no walkable circular path on the north side of the pit; the minimum distance is on the order of 30 to 50 m | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Access at paw level | official category "The Sphinx (Private Visits only + Site Opening Fee)" · Private booking outside opening hours with an additional site opening fee – not an invention of providers, but also not a normal ticket | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Claim of a second, buried sphinx | not substantiated · Presentation from June 2026 from the same group whose foundational work was withdrawn in August 2026 | Remote Sensing (MDPI), retraction notice 10.08.2026 |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Great Pyramid of Khufu25 | ||
| Original height | 146.6 m · 280 cubits; the official site states 146.5 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Current height | 138.5 m · The missing eight meters are the removed casing and the pyramidion | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Base length | 230.33 m · 440 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Volume | 2,600,000 m³ | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Angle of inclination | 51°50'40" · Corresponds to a seked of 5 1/2 palms | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Material | Limestone, mortar, granite | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Origin of the casing | Turah, south of Maadi, delivered by ship · The structure was once completely clad in high-quality limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Builder | King Khufu, c. 2589–2566 BC | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Estimated construction time | 10 to 20 years · Official figure; exactly how it was built remains unresolved to this day | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Tallest structure in the world | for 3,800 years | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Seven Wonders | the only surviving one of the ancient Seven Wonders | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Chambers | 3 chambers · One in the bedrock, two in the masonry – according to the ministry, no other pyramid has this | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Sarcophagus | in the King's Chamber, still in place today | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Grand Gallery | corbelled ascent to the King's Chamber | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Boat pits on the south side | 2 ships · Found dismantled; the first boat is now in the Grand Egyptian Museum | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Interior visit foreigners (adults) | EGP 1,000 · Official amount; the site ticket is additionally required. Amounts of EGP 400 to 1,500 are also in circulation – the ministry's figure is the reliable one | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Interior visit students | EGP 500 | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Opening hours (monument page) | 07:00–17:00 · Seven days; the site page of the same ministry states 08:00–16:00. The contradiction is official and unresolved | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Midday closure | 12:00–13:00 · Only the Great Pyramid of Khufu; documented in the project's research base | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Temporary closure | April 1, 1998 · Humidity inside had risen to 80 percent due to visitors | Zahi Hawass, Restoring the Great Pyramid |
| Water release per visitor | 20 g · Through breath and sweat; the moisture carries salts into the plaster and justifies the tight daily quota | Zahi Hawass, Restoring the Great Pyramid |
| Air purification system | since September 2025 in the King's Chamber and the chamber below · Plasmacluster technology; the system is located in the chambers, not in the Grand Gallery | Egyptian Streets / Ahram Online, September 2025 |
| ScanPyramids: Big Void | at least 30 m above the Grand Gallery · Muon radiography, published 2017 | Nature 2017 (ScanPyramids) |
| ScanPyramids: North Face Corridor | confirmed behind the chevron stones on the north side · Confirmed in 2025 by ground-penetrating radar, ultrasound, and resistivity measurement | Scientific Reports 2025 (North Face Corridor) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 · As part of "Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur" | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Pyramid of Khafre23 | ||
| Original height | 143.5 m · Only slightly lower than the Great Pyramid of Khufu | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Current height | 136.4 m · 274 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Base length | 215.25 m | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Volume | 2,211,096 m³ | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Angle of inclination | 53°10' · Steeper than the Great Pyramid of Khufu, which partially compensates for the loss in height | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Builder | King Khafre, c. 2558–2532 BC · A son of Khufu | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Location | built on slightly higher bedrock · That is why it appears as tall as his father's – the official text explicitly states this as the intention | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Remaining casing | polished limestone blocks at the top · The only one of the three that still has its casing at the top | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Origin of the casing | Turah, south of Maadi, by ship | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Core masonry | blocks of local limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Mortuary and valley temples | larger than those of all earlier pyramids · And among the best-preserved structures of the Old Kingdom | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Valley Temple: Construction | Massive limestone blocks with granite facing, alabaster floors, monolithic granite pillars | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Valley Temple: Statue niches | Symmetrically arranged, once occupied by royal statues | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Most famous statue | Granodiorite seated figure with Horus falcon at the back of the head · Considered one of the masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| The Great Sphinx | Officially part of the Khafre complex · Listed literally as a “colossal statue next to his valley temple” | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Statue discoveries | 1860 by Auguste Mariette, some from a shaft in the temple | Giza Project, Harvard University |
| Current location of the statues | Contradictory records · The official site names the Egyptian Museum, while the Harvard find catalogue lists most pieces with GEM inventory numbers | Giza Project, Harvard University |
| North-south axis relative to Khufu | About 0.5 arc minutes difference · Total station survey by Nell and Ruggles, December 2006 | Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) |
| Right angles of the sides | More precise than the Great Pyramid of Khufu · Same survey; the east-west axis is closer to true cardinal direction than the north-south axis for both | Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) |
| Valley Temple in the area ticket | Included · Thus the nearest accessible interior space at the Sphinx and the shadiest spot in the open area | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Interior visit | Not officially listed · The monument page does not show a ticket block; circulating figures range from 130 to 280 EGP. Do not treat as a price | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Claimed structures beneath the pyramid | Not substantiated · The March 2025 press conference relied on a method whose foundational work was retracted on 10 August 2026; the authors dispute the retraction | Remote Sensing (MDPI), retraction notice 10.08.2026 |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Pyramid of Menkaure20 | ||
| Original height | 65 m · 125 cubits | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Base area | 102.2 × 104.6 m · 200 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Construction volume | 235,183 m³ · About one tenth of the Great Pyramid of Khufu | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Inclination angle | 51°20'25" | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Builder | King Menkaure (Mykerinos), c. 2532–2503 BC · Probably son of Khafre and grandson of Khufu | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Base area in comparison | Less than a quarter of the other two · The ministry cites, among other reasons, the limited space on the plateau | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Casing material | Red granite from Aswan instead of limestone · Over 800 km transport route, and a considerably harder stone than limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Granite portion of the casing | Only the lower quarter · The rest is limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Condition at the end of his reign | Unfinished · Menkaure died before completion; many granite blocks were never smoothed | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Mortuary and valley temples | Planned as limestone with granite facing, executed in whitewashed mudbrick | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Funerary cult after his death | Still practised for about 300 years | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Queen's pyramids | 3 pyramids | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Satellite pyramid | None found · It is suspected that the largest of the three queen's pyramids originally had this role | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Interior visit foreigners (adults) | 280 EGP · Official amount, area ticket also required | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Interior visit students | 140 EGP | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Opening hours (monument page) | 07:00–17:00 · Seven days | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Announced casing project | January 2024, estimated at three years · The granite blocks lying on the ground were to be reattached | State Information Service (Review Commission Menkaure) |
| Decision of the review commission | Unanimous rejection · Reason: the original position of no single block can be determined | State Information Service (Review Commission Menkaure) |
| Instead recommended | Surveying, ordering the fallen blocks, excavation in the rubble slope, visitor access · The construction project became a research and outreach project – the current state remains | State Information Service (Review Commission Menkaure) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Marsa Alam and the Climate37 | ||
| Inhabitants | 9,001 inhabitants · As of 2021 per Wikipedia. | Wikipedia |
| Latitude | 25.07 degrees | Wikipedia |
| Longitude | 34.9 degrees | Wikipedia |
| Altitude above sea level | 18 m | Wikipedia |
| Airport code | RMF IATA | Wikipedia (Marsa Alam International Airport) |
| Airport to town | 60 km · 60 km north of the town; the city article mentions 34 nautical miles (approx. 63 km). | Wikipedia (Marsa Alam International Airport) |
| Road to Giza Plateau | 737 km · 737 km to Cairo; other sources round to approx. 750 km. | Marsa Alam Tours |
| Driving time to Giza (one way) | 8.5 h · 8 to 9 hrs per operator, pure driving time 8 hrs 13 min per route planner; other sources cite up to 10-12 hrs. | Sinbad Tour |
| Flight time to Cairo | 85 min · Direct flight 1 hr 25 min (EgyptAir MS 432, at time of research 4x weekly); flight day trips to the pyramids are offered from RMF. | Marsa Alam Tours |
| Pickup window bus day trip | 10:00 PM · Hotel pickup already the previous evening around 10:00 PM, return around 3:00 AM at night; flight day trips pick up around midnight. | Sinbad Tour |
| Annual precipitation | 5 mm | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Water temperature min. | 22°C · Coldest months February/March. | Wikipedia (Climate table Marsa Alam) |
| Water temperature max. | 29°C · Warmest month August. | Wikipedia (Climate table Marsa Alam) |
| Daily high January | 24.1°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high February | 25.1°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high March | 26.9°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high April | 29.8°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high May | 33.1°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high June | 34.7°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high July | 35.5°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high August | 35.6°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high September | 34.2°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high October | 32.6°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high November | 29.3°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high December | 25.5°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low January | 13.2°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low February | 13.8°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low March | 15.9°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low April | 18.7°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low May | 22.7°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low June | 24.3°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low July | 25.5°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low August | 26°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low September | 24.4°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low October | 22.3°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low November | 18.7°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low December | 14.8°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
Opening Hours, Ticket Office Closing, and Access to the Plateau
The plateau is open from 8 AM to 4 PM. The ticket office closes one hour before the site, i.e., at 3 PM. Payment is only by card, cash is not accepted. Since 2025, private vehicles are no longer allowed on the plateau. If you don't walk, use the electric shuttle; its ride is included in the entrance fee. The main entrance is called the "Great Gate" and is located on the desert road from Cairo to Fayoum.
For Private Flight Days, Not for Tight Budgets
This tour is suitable if you want a private day trip without other participants and are willing to pay more for it than for the other two pyramid tours from Marsa Alam. It is designated as wheelchair accessible. If you want to fly from Marsa Alam to Cairo in one day and spend less, you can find an alternative in the day trip "Ancient Cairo and Giza Pyramids by Plane" from €435. If you have two days, you can also stay overnight with the "2-day tour with luxury pyramid view accommodation" from €172. This tour is less suitable for a tight travel budget.
Similar Tours on This Page
Six offers between which a reader of this page actually hesitates: same departure point first, then same destinations, then similar duration. Each card leads to the page with the same data sheet, not directly to the provider, so you can compare before booking.
Kairo: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Ägyptisches Museum & Nil-Dinner-Kreuzfahrt.
12 hoursSun Pyramids Tours
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- German-speaking guide
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 128 €Go to page
Marsa Alam: Antikes Kairo & Gizeh-Pyramiden Tagesausflug mit dem Flugzeug
19 hoursNice Tours
4.436 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 435 €Go to page
Luxor: Tagestour nach Kairo von Luxor mit dem Flug
16 hoursSun Pyramids Tours
5.0only 4 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 107 €Go to page
Von Hurghada: Private Tagestour nach Kairo mit Mahlzeiten
12 hoursEmo Tours Egypt
4.3only 5 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 72 h before
from 276 €Go to page
Von Port Said: Pyramiden, Mittagskreuzfahrt und Papyrus-Institut
12 hoursSun Pyramids Tours
4.4only 4 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 214 €Go to page
Marsa Alam: Kairo 2-tägige Tour mit Luxus-Pyramidenblick-Unterkunft
2 daysFTS Travelss
4.5only 2 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 172 €Go to page
The order follows the proximity to this tour and not the commission. Reviews, prices and availability according to GetYourGuide, retrieved on 2026-09-03. Prices in euros; "from" is the provider's lowest entry price.
Frequently asked questions
Is the entrance to the plateau included in this offer?
The provider says nothing about it. It amounts to about €11 (700 Egyptian pounds) per person; ask before booking.
How long does the tour really take?
The catalog says 18 hours. This span is counted from the meeting point or hotel, not from the gate; in Cairo traffic, a good half to full hour goes off each way.
Is there a German-speaking guide?
Yes, the provider indicates German as the guiding language. That is a promise from the provider and not a verified characteristic of the person on site.
Will I get into a pyramid with this?
The offer says nothing about it, which is the case for 175 of 252 offers. You buy the ticket on site, for the Great Pyramid of Khufu officially about €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Is the rating of this offer meaningful?
No. 5.0 stars from only 2 reviews is not enough for a judgment, regardless of how high the grade is.
Where can I find all data about this tour?
In the data sheet on this page. It lists every detail about the tour, each place visited, and the climate of the departure city, each with source, and can be downloaded as CSV.
Marsa Alam: Private Day Trip to Cairo by Plane with Pyra
Dates, availability, and the latest version of services are with the provider. This page reflects the catalog status, not the status of this morning.
Sources
Every number on this page comes from one of these sources. The running text does not name them to keep it readable; the data sheet lists the source in each row.
- 1GetYourGuide: Marsa Alam: Privater Tagesausflug nach Kairo mit dem Flugzeug mit Pyramiden abgerufen 2026-09-03Title, duration, services, languages, cancellation policy, stars, number of reviews, and starting price.
- 2Kursdatensatz des Projekts, partners/fx.json abgerufen 2026-09-03Conversion of Egyptian pounds to euros, 59.14 EGP per euro. Amounts are rounded down because "from" is a lower limit.
- 3Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 4Altertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 5Daily News Egypt abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 6RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 7Egyptian Streets abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 8Middle East Observer abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 9UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 10UNESCO / Wikidata abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 11RESEARCH-BASE (Ortstermin 2026-08-31) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 12RESEARCH-BASE (mehrere Quellen, umstritten) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 13Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 14The National abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 15Saudi Press Agency abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 16Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 17Falchi et al., Science Advances 2016 abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 18Egyptian Streets abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 19Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 20Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 21Kasia Szpakowska im Gespraech mit NOVA (PBS) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 22Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 23Remote Sensing (MDPI), Ruecknahmehinweis 10.08.2026 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 24Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 25Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 26Zahi Hawass, Restoring the Great Pyramid abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 27Egyptian Streets / Ahram Online, September 2025 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 28Nature 2017 (ScanPyramids) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 29Scientific Reports 2025 (North Face Corridor) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 30Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 31Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 32Giza Project, Harvard University abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 33Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 34Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 35Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 36State Information Service (Pruefkommission Mykerinos) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 37Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 38Wikipedia (Marsa Alam International Airport) abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 39Marsa Alam Tours abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 40Sinbad Tour abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 41Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 42Wikipedia (Klimatabelle Marsa Alam) abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 43Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 44RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 45UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 46Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 47Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-04