GetYourGuide
★ 4.6(750 Reviews)Cairo: Private Tour to Pyramids, Museum and Bazaar with Lunch
- Site ticket for the plateau included
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Duration according to provider: 8 hours
An Eight-Hour Day on the Giza Plateau from Cairo
Emo Tours Egypt offers this tour as an eight-hour day in Cairo. It starts in the Egyptian capital and takes you to the Giza Plateau, where you will see the Great Sphinx and the three pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. The Pyramid of Khafre is the middle one of the three and still has its casing at the top; the Pyramid of Menkaure shows granite from Aswan in its lower courses. The tour name "Cairo: Private Tour to Pyramids, Museum and Bazaar with Lunch" mentions a museum and a bazaar, but the provider does not list them as program stops. If you want to see the exterior of the three structures within a fixed time frame, you get a clearly structured daily itinerary here.
Photos by the provider Emo Tours Egypt. They show the offer, not your day.
- Provider
- Emo Tours Egypt
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Start location
- Cairo
- Group type
- Group
- Guide
- Live guide
- German-speaking
- Not specified
- Hotel pickup
- Yes
- Price
- From €60
- Rating
- 4.6 out of 750 reviews
- Quality threshold
- Passed
What is included, what is not, and what the provider is silent about
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 plateau | Included | Included in the price, nothing more to pay. |
| Interior of a pyramid | No information | The normal case. Khufu officially around €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 checked catalog, no offer sells access to a tomb on the plateau. |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before | Provider's information in the catalog. |
Site ticket plateau
- Status
- Included
- What this means for you
- Included in the price, nothing more to pay.
Interior of a pyramid
- Status
- No information
- What this means for you
- The normal case. Khufu officially around €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Hotel pickup
- Status
- Included
- What this means for you
- Included, meeting point is your accommodation.
Lunch
- Status
- Included
- What this means for you
- Included.
Burial chambers and mastabas
- Status
- Nowhere in the catalog
- What this means for you
- In the entire checked catalog, no offer sells access to a tomb on the plateau.
Cancellation
- Status
- Free up to 24 hours before
- What this means for you
- Provider's information in the catalog.
What the entry price from €60 covers and what is optional extra
The entry price starts at €60. This price includes hotel pickup in Cairo, lunch, the guide, and the site ticket for the Giza Plateau. For the site ticket, the provider covers the official 700 Egyptian pounds, around €11. Whether an interior of a pyramid is part of the tour is not stated; the site ticket does not cover the interiors. If you want to go inside yourself, you pay officially 1,000 Egyptian pounds (around €16) for the Great Pyramid of Khufu and 280 Egyptian pounds for the interior of the Pyramid of Menkaure. Tipping is customary in Egypt; it is not a surcharge for special service. Free cancellation is possible up to 24 hours before.
The price in 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 | Cairo: Private Tour to Pyramids, Muse… | Cairo: Private Tour to Pyramids and G… | Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramide… | Cairo: City tour with female guide… | From Cairo: Tour to the Pyramids of Gi… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | 60 € | 51 € | 83 € | 52 € | 62 € |
This tour against four comparable ones
All five come from the category "Pyramid tours from Cairo". The column of this tour is highlighted; the other four are the best-documented in the category.
| Kairo: Private Tour zu Pyramiden, Museum und Basar … | Kairo: Private Tour zu Pyramiden und Großer Sphinx … | Kairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramiden … | Kairo: Stadtführung mit weiblicher Führung zu … | Ab Kairo: Tour zu den Pyramiden von Gizeh, Sphinx … | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Emo Tours Egypt | Snefro Travel | OceanAir Travel | OceanAir Travel | OceanAir Travel |
| Price | from 60 € | from 51 € | from 83 € | from 52 € | from 62 € |
| Duration | 8 hours | 4 to 8 hours | 7 to 8 hours | 8 hours | 8 hours |
| Group type | group | private | group | group | small group |
| German-speaking | no | no | yes | yes | yes |
| Area ticket | included | included | included | included | included |
| Pickup | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Rating (reviews) | 4.6 (750) | 4.9 (7,579) | 4.7 (4,382) | 4.8 (1,697) | 4.7 (3,587) |
| Quality threshold | passed | passed | passed | passed | passed |
| Free cancellation until | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h |
Kairo: Private Tour zu Pyramiden, Museum und Basar mit Mittagessen
- Provider
- Emo Tours Egypt
- Price
- from 60 €
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- no
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.6 (750)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Kairo: Private Tour zu Pyramiden und Großer Sphinx mit Kamelritt
- Provider
- Snefro Travel
- Price
- from 51 €
- Duration
- 4 to 8 hours
- Group type
- private
- German-speaking
- no
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.9 (7,579)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Kairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramiden, Sphinx-Tour und Mittagessen
- Provider
- OceanAir Travel
- Price
- from 83 €
- Duration
- 7 to 8 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.7 (4,382)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Kairo: Stadtführung mit weiblicher Führung zu Pyramiden, Sphinx und Museum
- Provider
- OceanAir Travel
- Price
- from 52 €
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.8 (1,697)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Ab Kairo: Tour zu den Pyramiden von Gizeh, Sphinx, Sakkara und Memphis
- Provider
- OceanAir Travel
- Price
- from 62 €
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Group type
- small group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.7 (3,587)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
The order follows the evidence 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, the rating in brackets. A rating without its sample size is not information.
The quality threshold of this page is ten reviews. Anything below that is not a judgment but a coincidence.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Cairo: Private Tour to Pyramid… (4.6) | Cairo: Private Tour to Pyramid… (4.9) | Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, … (4.7) | Cairo: City tour with female… (4.8) | From Cairo: Tour to the Pyramide… (4.7) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 750 Reviews | 7,579 Reviews | 4,382 Reviews | 1,697 Reviews | 3,587 Reviews |
What the rating 4.6 out of 750 reviews means
The rating 4.6 comes from 750 reviews. In the group of pyramid tours from Cairo, which is compared here with 126 offers, this tour ranks 11th when the evidential weight of the rating counts, and 7th when you take only the number of votes. 750 judgments are a broad basis; such a value is more meaningful than a top rating with only a few votes. 4.6 is a good value, but not the top of the category.
The day, stop by stop
The order follows the usual sequence. Each stop tells you what to 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 foreigners (adults)700 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Opening hours (official website)08:00–16:00Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Ticket office closes before gate closes1 hourAltertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis)
Great Sphinx
Carved from the existing 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 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 with casing at the top. Its valley temple is included in the site ticket and is the shadiest place 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 in site ticketincludedMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Pyramid of Menkaure
The smallest of the three, clad in granite from Aswan on its 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)
- Cladding materialRed 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 Cairo over the year
Average daily maximum and minimum values per month. Two series, one axis; the points mark the hottest and coldest months.
Daily maximumDaily minimum
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 | 18.9 °C | 20.5 °C | 23.8 °C | 28.1 °C | 32.2 °C | 34.6 °C | 35 °C | 34.9 °C | 33.4 °C | 30 °C | 24.9 °C | 20.5 °C |
| Daily minimum | 10.1 °C | 11 °C | 13.2 °C | 15.9 °C | 19.3 °C | 22.2 °C | 23.8 °C | 24.3 °C | 22.7 °C | 20 °C | 15.6 °C | 11.7 °C |
Monthly temperatures in Cairo: What they mean for this day tour
The chart shows the maximum and minimum values for Cairo over the year. Since this tour takes place during the day, the maximum values are the decisive measure. The lowest maximums fall in the months of December to February; they range between 19 and 20 degrees. Already in April it is 28 degrees, from June to August 35 degrees. On the plateau there is hardly any shade. If you have the choice, take the cool months of December to February. The nighttime minimums, between 10 and 24 degrees, do not help in planning this day tour.
The complete data sheet
Every piece of information that this project has documented about this tour, the places in its program, and the area covered by your ticket: 184 rows, each with its source. Collapsed because this is not a reading page, but fully present.
Download full table as CSV · 184 Rows
Show all 184 entries
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The offer30 | ||
| Provider title | Cairo: Private Tour to Pyramids, Museum and Bazaar with Lunch | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Provider | Emo Tours Egypt | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Product number | 11637 | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Start location | Cairo | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Duration | 8 hours | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Multi-day | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Entry price | 60 € | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Entry price in local currency | approx. 3,548 EGP | Exchange rate 59.14 EGP per euro |
| Rating | 4.6 stars | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Number of reviews | 750 | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Project quality threshold | Passed | Own rule: at least 4.0 with at least 10 reviews |
| Rank in category | 11 of 126 in "Pyramid tours from Cairo" | Own evaluation, grade weighted by number of reviews |
| Plateau area ticket | Included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Interior of a pyramid | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Access to a tomb | No offer in the catalog sells that | 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, Spanish, Arabic | GetYourGuide catalog |
| German-speaking guide | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Private booking | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Small group | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Group type according to provider | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Preferred entry | Yes | 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 for foreigners (adults) | EGP 700 · Students EGP 350; Egyptians EGP 60/30. Does NOT cover the interiors | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Area ticket for students (foreigners) | EGP 350 | 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 the gate | 1 hour | Antiquities administration (standard practice) |
| Payment at the ticket office | card only, no cash · Cashless sales since 2023; cash is 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 is open but has no ticket office | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Private vehicles on the plateau | prohibited since the 2025 reorganisation | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Electric shuttle | included in the entrance fee, hop-on/hop-off · Confirmed 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's figure) | 3,500,000 · Figure from 5 Jan 2026; target 5 million; no official figure per site 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 the World Heritage site | 16,358.52 ha | UNESCO / Wikidata |
| Length of the pyramid field (Abu Roasch to Dahschur) | 30 km · Over two dozen pyramids depending on the count | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Khufu Pyramid closed at midday | 12:00–13:00 | RESEARCH-BASE (on-site visit 2026-08-31) |
| Interior of the Khufu Pyramid (circulating figures) | EGP 400–1,500 · Three orders of magnitude circulate; daily quota ~300 in two windows (Hawass regulation after 1998) | RESEARCH-BASE (multiple sources, disputed) |
| Entry for under-16s 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 · Around 15 confirmed major performances in five decades, almost annually 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 the sites | free, also with system/SLR cameras · Permit required: photo umbrellas, artificial light, equipment that blocks the way | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Milky Way over the plateau | not visible (brightest night sky in the world 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 the natural limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Date of creation | 4th Dynasty, c. 2613–2494 BC · Thus the oldest of the Egyptian 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' – attested, 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 | immediately in front of it, 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 of tradition | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Facial features | striking resemblance to the 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; the research figure given by 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 | legitimisation of the succession and fulfilment of the king's core duty to maintain sacred buildings | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Condition in the New Kingdom | largely covered by sand, probably only the head visible | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| The plateau in the New Kingdom | recreation area of the court: hunting, chariot driving, archery, resting places in the shade | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Dream Stele: material and size | granite, just under four metres high, several tonnes · Only secondarily attested; according to a widespread interpretation, a reused lintel from the mortuary temple of Khafre | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Dream Stele: Condition | about half of the text is missing, crack from the twelfth line · Uncovered in 1817 by Giovanni Battista Caviglia; afterwards 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 additional 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 says 146.5 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Current height | 138.5 m · The missing eight meters are the removed casing and the tip | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Base length | 230.33 m · 440 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Construction volume | 2,600,000 m³ | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Inclination angle | 51°50'40" · Corresponds to a seked of 5 1/2 handbreadths | 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 with high-quality limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Builder | King Khufu, ca. 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 building in the world | for 3,800 years | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Seven Wonders of the World | 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) |
| Great 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. In circulation are also 400 to 1,500 EGP – 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 side) | 07:00–17:00 · Seven days; the site side of the same ministry says 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; 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 emission per visitor | 20 g · Through breath and sweat; the moisture carries salts into the plaster and justifies the limited 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 | 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 |
| Construction volume | 2,211,096 m³ | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Inclination angle | 53°10' · Steeper than the Great Pyramid, which partially compensates for the height loss | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Builder | King Khafre, ca. 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 calls this an intention | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Preserved casing | polished limestone blocks at the top · The only one of the three that still has 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 filled with 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 · literally listed 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 accurate than the Great Pyramid of Khufu · Same survey; the east-west axis of both is closer to true cardinal than the north-south axis | Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) |
| Valley temple in the site ticket | included · Thus the nearest accessible interior space at the Sphinx and the shadiest spot on the open site | 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 under 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 much 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 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, site ticket required additionally | 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, making accessible to visitors · The construction project became a research and mediation project – the current state remains | State Information Service (Review Commission Menkaure) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Cairo and the climate41 | ||
| Population (city) | 9,801,536 inhabitants · As of 2023 | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Population (Greater Cairo) | 22,200,000 inhabitants | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| City area | 606 km² | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Area of Greater Cairo | 2,744 km² | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Elevation above sea level | 23 m | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Latitude | 30.04 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Longitude | 31.24 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Founding of the Fatimid city | 969 AD · Earlier settlements (Babylon, Fustat) are significantly older | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Nearest airport | CAI IATA | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Airport to city center | 20.7 km | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Road to Giza Plateau | 16.5 km | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Driving time to Giza Plateau | 18 min · Free-flow time without traffic; in the greater Cairo area, realistically much longer | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| January daily high | 18.9°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| January daily low | 10.1°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| February daily high | 20.5°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| February daily low | 11°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| March daily high | 23.8°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| March daily low | 13.2°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| April daily high | 28.1°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| April daily low | 15.9°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| May daily high | 32.2°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| May daily low | 19.3°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| June daily high | 34.6°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| June daily low | 22.2°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| July daily high | 35°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| July daily low | 23.8°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| August daily high | 34.9°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| August daily low | 24.3°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| September daily high | 33.4°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| September daily low | 22.7°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| October daily high | 30°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| October daily low | 20°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| November daily high | 24.9°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| November daily low | 15.6°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| December daily high | 20.5°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| December daily low | 11.7°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Annual precipitation | 24.8 mm | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Annual mean of daily highs | 28.1°C | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Annual mean of daily lows | 17.5°C | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Highest recorded value | 47.8°C | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Lowest recorded value | 1.2°C | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
At the Great Gate: ticket office closing times, card payment, and shuttle
On the Giza Plateau, the Great Gate on the Cairo-Fayoum desert road is the main entrance; it has replaced the old gate at Mena House. The Sphinx Gate remains open but has no ticket office. The ticket office closes one hour before the site closes. The official website lists opening hours as 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, while an official PDF lists 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Payment at the ticket office is by card only. Private vehicles have not been allowed onto the plateau since 2025; you take the electric shuttle, which stops at the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, the Panorama Point, and the Sphinx.
Who should book this tour and who should opt for the German-language alternative
This tour is right for travelers who can accept a guide in English, Spanish, or Arabic and want to focus their itinerary on the Giza Plateau. It is not the right choice if you expect a German-speaking guide; the provider does not offer one. An alternative with a designated German-speaking guide is the tour “Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramids, Sphinx Tour and Lunch.” It is rated 4.7 out of 5 from 4,382 reviews, with prices starting at 83 euros. Neither a private tour nor a small group is specified. The provider makes no statement about wheelchair accessibility.
Similar tours on this page
Six options that a reader of this page might actually be deciding between: 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: Tour zu Pyramiden, Sakkara und Memphis mit Mittagessen
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4.52,612 reviews
- Plateau entry included
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- Free cancellation until 24 h before
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Kairo: Tagesausflug zu Pyramiden, Sphinx, Zitadelle von Saladin und Basar
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- German-speaking guide
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- Hotel pickup
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from 74 €Go to page
Kairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramiden, Sphinx-Tour und Mittagessen
8 hoursSaladino Tours - Egypt
4.8136 reviews
- German-speaking guide
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- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 82 €Go to page
Kairo: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Zitadelle und Alt-Kairo Privattagestour
8 hoursSun Pyramids Tours
5.0only 4 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 93 €Go to page
Kairo: Pyramiden, Basar und Museum mit weiblicher Reiseleiterin
8 hoursRamses tours
4.5only 3 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 85 €Go to page
Charmante Tour zu den Pyramiden von Gizeh, Stufenpyramide, Memphis-Stadt
8 hoursEmo Tours Swiss GmbH
5.0only 2 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 61 €Go to page
The order follows proximity to this tour, not 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 entry to the plateau included in this offer?
Yes. The site ticket for about 11 euros (700 Egyptian pounds) is included in the price.
How long does the tour actually take?
The catalog states 8 hours. This duration is counted from the meeting point or hotel, not from the gate; in Cairo traffic, allow a good half hour to a full hour each way.
Is there a German-speaking guide?
No German-speaking guide is specified for this offer.
Does this get me inside a pyramid?
The offer says nothing about this, which is the case for 175 out of 252 offers. You buy the ticket on site; for the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the official price is about 16 euros (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Is the rating for this offer meaningful?
Yes. 4.6 stars from 750 reviews is above the threshold of 4.0 with at least ten votes that this page uses.
Where can I find all the data for this tour?
In the data sheet on this page. It lists every detail about the tour, each stop, and the climate of the departure city, each with its source, and can be downloaded as a CSV.
GetYourGuide
Cairo: Private Tour to the Pyramids, Museum, and Bazaar with Lunch
Dates, availability, and the latest version of the services are provided by the operator. This page reflects the catalog status, not the status as of this morning.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these sources. The text does not cite them to keep it readable; the data sheet lists the source for each line.
- 1GetYourGuide: Kairo: Private Tour zu Pyramiden, Museum und Basar mit Mittagessen 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" indicates 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 (en): Cairo abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 38Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 39OSRM-Routing auf OpenStreetMap-Daten abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 40NOAA-Klimanormalen 1991-2020 via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 41Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 42RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 43UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 44Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 45NOAA-Klimanormalen 1991-2020 via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-03