Sharm El Sheikh: Day Trip to Cairo, Pyramids, Sphinx and Giza Museum by Bus
- Plateau area ticket included
- Hotel pickup included
- Tour in German indicated
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
A bus day from Sharm El Sheikh to Giza, with pickup still in the night
This tour takes you by bus from Sharm El Sheikh to Cairo, to the Giza Plateau with the three pyramids and the Great Sphinx, and to the Giza Museum. Book Tour Egypt picks you up from 1 a.m. onwards, because the route to the plateau is 502 kilometers and takes 6 hours just one way. Unlike most offers in this category, which take you to Cairo by plane, you travel overland here, which explains the comparatively low price.
From €81, the entry price for this bus tour is one of the two cheapest of nine offers in this category, the remaining seven of which range between €200 and €500. What the price specifically includes, you can read in the next section. This trip is intended for you if you want to trade the long journey for the lower price, not for the shortest possible day.
Photos from the provider Book Tour Egypt (BTE). They show the offer, not your day.
- Provider
- Book Tour Egypt (BTE)
- Duration
- 1 day
- Start location
- Sharm El Sheikh
- Group type
- Group
- Guide
- Live guide
- German-speaking
- Yes
- Hotel pickup
- Yes
- Price
- from €81
- Rating
- 4.8 out of 1,050 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Plateau area ticket | Included | Included in the price, nothing more to pay. |
| Interior of a pyramid | Not included | Not included, can be arranged on site. |
| 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
- Included
- What this means for you
- Included in the price, nothing more to pay.
- Status
- Not included
- What this means for you
- Not included, can be arranged on site.
- 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.
Included are the area, lunch and pickup; the interior remains excluded
According to the provider, the price includes the area ticket for the Giza Plateau, lunch, and pickup from your hotel in Sharm El Sheikh. The official area ticket is 700 Egyptian pounds, around €11 at the exchange rate of 59.14 Egyptian pounds per euro on September 3, 2026, an amount that Book Tour Egypt covers for you. The tour is live, among several languages also in German; a German-speaking guide is explicitly noted.
Explicitly not included is the interior of one of the pyramids. If you want to visit the Great Pyramid of Khufu from the inside, you pay the official rate of 1,000 Egyptian pounds on site, around €16. The provider does not comment on admission to the Giza Museum. Tipping is customary in Egypt, even if no single service requires it.
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 'Area ticket' row in the comparison table: An offer without entrance is not cheaper, but calculated differently.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Sharm El Sheikh: Day Trip to Cairo… | Sharm El Sheikh: Day Trip to Cairo… | From Sharm El Sheikh: Full-day Cairo… | From Sharm El Sheikh: Private day trip… | Sharm El Sheikh: Day trip to Cairo… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | 81 € | 285 € | 293 € | 327 € | 254 € |
This tour against four comparable ones
All five come from the category 'Pyramid trips from Sharm El Sheikh'. The column of this tour is highlighted; the other four are the best-documented in the category.
| Scharm El Scheich: Eintägiger Ausflug nach Kairo … | Scharm El Scheich: Tagesausflug nach Kairo mit … | Ab Scharm El Scheich: Ganztägige … | Von Sharm El Sheikh: Privater Tagesausflug nach … | Sharm El Sheikh: Tagesausflug nach Kairo mit Flug … | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Book Tour Egypt (BTE) | Book Tour Egypt (BTE) | Nice Tours | Nice Tours | Sharm club travel |
| Price | from 81 € | from 285 € | from 293 € | from 327 € | from 254 € |
| Duration | 1 days | 16 to 18 hours | 11 hours | 12 hours | |
| Group type | group | group | group | group | private |
| German-speaking | yes | yes | yes | yes | no |
| Area ticket | included | included | included | included | included |
| Pickup | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Rating (reviews) | 4.8 (1,050) | 4.9 (398) | 4.4 (307) | 4.2 (153) | 4.8 (16) |
| Quality threshold | passed | passed | passed | passed | passed |
| Free cancellation until | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h |
- Provider
- Book Tour Egypt (BTE)
- Price
- from 81 €
- Duration
- 1 days
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.8 (1,050)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
- Provider
- Book Tour Egypt (BTE)
- Price
- from 285 €
- Duration
- 16 to 18 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.9 (398)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
- Provider
- Nice Tours
- Price
- from 293 €
- Duration
- 11 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.4 (307)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
- Provider
- Nice Tours
- Price
- from 327 €
- Duration
- 12 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.2 (153)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
- Provider
- Sharm club travel
- Price
- from 254 €
- Duration
- Group type
- private
- German-speaking
- no
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.8 (16)
- 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 parentheses. A rating without its sample size is not information.
The quality threshold on this page is ten reviews. Anything below that is not a judgment, but a coincidence.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Sharm El Sheikh: Day Trip… (4.8) | Sharm El Sheikh: Day Trip… (4.9) | From Sharm El Sheikh: Full-day… (4.4) | From Sharm El Sheikh: Private… (4.2) | Sharm El Sheikh: Day trip… (4.8) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 1,050 Reviews | 398 Reviews | 307 Reviews | 153 Reviews | 16 Reviews |
4.8 out of 1,050 reviews: the broadest basis in the category
With 4.8 out of 1,050 reviews, this offer ranks first in its category of nine offers from Sharm El Sheikh by number of reviews, not just by rating. That is the real statement: Of the eight listed offers in this category, three have fewer than ten reviews, a handful of voices that prove little. 1,050 reviews, on the other hand, are a broad sample on which a rating of 4.8 can actually be based.
You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before departure, a firm commitment regardless of the rating.
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 go by electric shuttle or on foot.
- Area 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 partly clad at the top. Its valley temple is included in the area 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 in area 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 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 Sharm El Sheikh over 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 | 21.7 °C | 22.4 °C | 25.1 °C | 29.8 °C | 33.9 °C | 37 °C | 37.5 °C | 37.5 °C | 35.4 °C | 31.5 °C | 27 °C | 23.2 °C |
| Daily minimum | 13.3 °C | 13.7 °C | 16.1 °C | 20.1 °C | 23.8 °C | 26.5 °C | 26.7 °C | 28 °C | 26.5 °C | 23.4 °C | 18.9 °C | 15 °C |
If you are picked up at 1 a.m., the season determines the midday hours on the plateau
After the six-hour drive from Sharm El Sheikh, you reach the Giza Plateau towards the early morning, but you will spend the hours there until the middle of the day anyway, when the sun is at its highest. From June to August, the maximum temperatures in Sharm El Sheikh rise to 37–38°C, and in July and August even the nights remain warm at 27–28°C. It is cooler from December to February with 22–23°C during the day. There is hardly any shade on the open site, which makes itself felt more strongly during a full-day program over the midday hours than during a short visit in the early morning.
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: 180 lines, each with its source. Folded up 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 | Sharm El Sheikh: Day trip to Cairo, Pyramids, Sphinx and Giza Museum by bus | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Provider | Book Tour Egypt (BTE) | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Product number | 1192581 | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Start location | Sharm El Sheikh | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Duration | 1 day | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Multi-day | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Starting price | 81 € | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Starting price in local currency | approx. 4,790 EGP | Exchange rate 59.14 EGP per euro |
| Rating | 4.8 stars | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Number of reviews | 1.050 | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Project quality threshold | passed | Own rule: at least 4.0 with at least 10 reviews |
| Rank in category | 1 of 9 in "Pyramid trips from Sharm El Sheikh" | Own evaluation, rating weighted by number of reviews |
| Plateau area ticket | included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Interior of a pyramid | not included | 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, German, Italian, Arabic, Russian, Spanish | GetYourGuide catalog |
| German-speaking guide | yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Private booking possible | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Small group | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Group form according to provider | no information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Preferred entry | yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Wheelchair accessible | no | 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 the 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 items | 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 | forbidden 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 fully 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 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 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 the 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 the way | 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 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” – evidenced 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 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 | legitimization of the 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 | recreation area for the court: 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: Condition | about half of the text is missing, crack from the twelfth line · Exposed in 1817 by Giovanni Battista Caviglia; thereafter accelerated weathering | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Public access | from the east via the valley temple of Khafre up to the viewing terrace · There is no walkable circular path on the north side of the pit; the closest 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 |
| The 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 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 in high-quality limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Builder | King Khufu (Cheops), 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 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) | 1,000 EGP · 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 | 500 EGP | 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 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; 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 unit 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 loss in height | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Builder | King Khafre (Chephren), 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 calls this an 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 · literally listed as a "colossal statue next to his valley temple" | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Statue discoveries | in 1860 by Auguste Mariette, some from a shaft in the temple | Giza Project, Harvard University |
| Current location of the statues | documented inconsistently · 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 site ticket | included · making it 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 include 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 withdrawn on 10 August 2026; the authors dispute the withdrawal | Remote Sensing (MDPI), withdrawal 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 (Mycerinus), 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, site 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 Committee Menkaure) |
| Decision of the review committee | unanimous rejection · reason: the original position of no single block can be determined | State Information Service (Review Committee Menkaure) |
| Instead recommended | surveying, ordering the fallen blocks, excavation in the rubble slope, making the site accessible for visitors · the construction project became a research and interpretation project – the current state remains | State Information Service (Review Committee Menkaure) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Sharm El Sheikh and the climate37 | ||
| Population | 77,000 inhabitants · Wikipedia figure for 2017 (about 77,000); the last separately reported census value at citypopulation.de is 38,478 (2006 census, CAPMAS). | Wikipedia |
| Latitude | 27.91 degrees | Wikipedia |
| Longitude | 34.33 degrees | Wikipedia |
| Elevation above sea level | 1 m · infobox value for the centre on the coast; the airport lies at 44 m. | Wikipedia |
| Airport code | SSH IATA · third largest airport in Egypt. | Wikipedia (Sharm El Sheikh International Airport) |
| Airport to city centre | 18 km · 18 km northeast of the centre; to Naama Bay shorter (approx. 9-11 km depending on source). | World Travel Guide |
| Road to Giza Plateau | 502 km · 502 km to Cairo per Travelmath; rounded value of 500 km circulates; Giza lies on the western outskirts. | Travelmath |
| Driving time to Giza (one way) | 6 h · 6 to 7 hours each way incl. break; pure driving time per Travelmath 5 h 51 min. | Sharm Life |
| Flight time to Cairo | 60 min · About 1 hour nonstop. | Egypt A Tours |
| Pickup window bus day tour | 01:00 · Hotel pickup from approx. 00:30-01:00 at night, bus departure 01:30-02:00; total tour about 25 hours, return around 02:00 the following day. | Sharm Life |
| Annual precipitation | 7.2 mm · Table value 7.24 mm. | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Water temperature min. | 22.4°C · Coldest month February. | Wikipedia (climate table Sharm El Sheikh) |
| Water temperature max. | 28.8°C · Warmest month August. | Wikipedia (climate table Sharm El Sheikh) |
| Daily high January | 21.7°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high February | 22.4°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high March | 25.1°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high April | 29.8°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high May | 33.9°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high June | 37°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high July | 37.5°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high August | 37.5°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high September | 35.4°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high October | 31.5°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high November | 27°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high December | 23.2°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low January | 13.3°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low February | 13.7°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low March | 16.1°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low April | 20.1°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low May | 23.8°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low June | 26.5°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low July | 26.7°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low August | 28°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low September | 26.5°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low October | 23.4°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low November | 18.9°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low December | 15°C | WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
At the Great Gate: ticket counters, cash desk, and the advantage of skipping the line
Since 2025, the main entrance to the Giza Plateau has been via the Great Gate on the desert road between Cairo and Fayoum, replacing the former gate at the Mena House. Officially, the site is open from 8 am to 4 pm, though an older document from 2020 still lists 7 am to 5 pm, so it's not currently possible to determine exactly. In any case, the ticket counter closes one hour before the gate closes and, since 2023, accepts only card payments, no cash. Private vehicles have not been allowed onto the plateau since the 2025 reorganization; the electric shuttle is included in the area ticket. Book Tour Egypt claims to take you past the counter without a separate wait, which saves additional waiting time on this long travel day.
Worth it for the low price with a long journey, but not for private travelers or wheelchair users
This tour suits you if the price from 81 euros is decisive, well below the majority of the category, where seven of nine offers range between 200 and 500 euros. It is booked as a fixed group, not private and not as a small group, and the tour is not suitable for wheelchairs according to the provider.
If you prefer to travel by plane and be private rather than in a group, you'll find that with the offer "From Sharm El Sheikh: Private Day Trip to Cairo by Plane," which ends in 12 hours, starts from 327 euros, and is rated 4.2 out of 153 reviews. If you shy away from the flight surcharge but still want a higher number of reviews than three of the other offers, this bus tour offers the combination of low price and broad review base that is rarely found together in this category.
Similar tours on this page
Six offers 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.
Scharm El Scheich: Tagesausflug nach Kairo mit Flug, Pyramiden und GEM-Museum
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4.9398 reviews
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Ab Scharm El Scheich: Ganztägige Kairo-Pyramiden-Tour mit dem Flugzeug
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Sharm El Sheikh: Tagesausflug nach Kairo mit Flug, Pyramiden & Museum
Sharm club travel
4.816 reviews
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 254 €Go to page
Von Sharm: Ganztagestour in Kairo mit dem Flug
10 hoursEmo Tours Egypt
4.9only 5 reviews
- German-speaking guide
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- Free cancellation until 72 h before
from 405 €Go to page
Sharm El Sheikh: Kairo 2-tägig mit Luxus-Pyramidenblick-Unterkunft
2 daysFTS Travelss
5.0only 6 reviews
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Scharm El Scheich: Große Pyramiden, Sphinx, Museumstour mit dem Bus
22 hoursEgypt Excursions Online
3.6only 364 reviews
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 58 €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 area ticket of about 11 euros (700 Egyptian pounds) is included in the price.
How long does the tour actually take?
The catalog says 1 day. This span is counted from the meeting point or hotel, not from the gate; in Cairo traffic, a good half to full hour each way should be deducted.
Is there a German-speaking guide?
Yes, the provider lists German as the guiding language. This is a promise from the provider, not a verified attribute of the person on site.
Will I get into a pyramid with this?
No, the interior is not included.
Is the rating of this offer meaningful?
Yes. 4.8 stars from 1,050 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 destination, and the climate of the departure city, each with a source, and can be downloaded as a CSV.
Sharm El Sheikh: Day Trip to Cairo, Pyramids, Sphinx, and
Dates, availability, and the latest version of services are available from the provider. 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 name them to keep it readable; the data sheet lists the source in each row.
- 1GetYourGuide: Scharm El Scheich: Eintägiger Ausflug nach Kairo, Pyramiden, Sphinx und Gizeh-Museum mit Bus 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 abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 38Wikipedia (Sharm El Sheikh International Airport) abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 39World Travel Guide abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 40Travelmath abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 41Sharm Life abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 42Egypt A Tours abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 43WMO/Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 44Wikipedia (Klimatabelle Sharm El Sheikh) abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 45Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 46RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 47UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 48Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 49Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-04