GetYourGuide
Cairo: Layover Guided Tour – Pyramids, Museum & Desert ATV
- Site ticket for the plateau included
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Duration per provider: 10 hours
Ten Hours from Cairo: The Giza Plateau
You land in Cairo, have a few hours between two flights, and don't want to wait at the airport? Then this tour by kiya tours is designed for a layover. The departure point is Cairo Airport, and the destination is the Giza Plateau with the three pyramids, the Sphinx, and the viewpoints in between. A guide accompanies you; the tour is conducted in English, French, Spanish, or Arabic. German is not listed as a tour language. The tour lasts ten hours and can be booked privately. You can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours in advance. The provider leaves open what time the day starts and how the ten hours are distributed among the individual stops.
Photos from provider kiya tours. They show the offer, not your day.
- Provider
- kiya tours
- Duration
- 10 hours
- Start location
- Cairo Airport
- Group type
- private booking available
- Guide
- live guide
- German-speaking
- not specified
- Hotel pickup
- yes
- Price
- from €129
- Rating
- no reviews yet
- Quality threshold
- not met
What's included, what's not, and what the provider doesn't say
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 | as an add-on | Explicitly included. |
| 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. |
Site ticket plateau
- Status
- included
- What this means for you
- Included in the price; nothing more to pay.
Interior of a pyramid
- Status
- as an add-on
- What this means for you
- Explicitly included.
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 reviewed 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 statement in the catalog.
What's in the price and where official extra costs become visible
The entry price is 129 euros. This covers hotel pickup, lunch, and the site ticket for the Giza Plateau. The site ticket has an official value of 700 Egyptian pounds, around 11 euros; this amount is not added at the ticket office. If you want to visit the interior of a pyramid, you book it as an add-on. The provider does not state the cost of the add-on. Officially, the Great Pyramid of Khufu interior is 1,000 Egyptian pounds, around 16 euros, and the Menkaure interior is 280 Egyptian pounds. For Menkaure, the site ticket must be present; it is already included here. Tipping is customary in Egypt, but not a surcharge for special service.
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.
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: Layover Guided Tour – P… | Cairo: Pyramids & Museum Layover To… | Cairo Airport Tour: Giza Pyramids,… | Cairo Layover: Tour to Pyramids… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | 129 € | 103 € | 136 € | 83 € |
This tour against four comparable ones
All five come from the category 'Tours from Cairo Airport'. The column for this tour is highlighted; the other four are the best-documented in the category.
| Kairo: Zwischenstopp geführte Tour – Pyramiden … | Kairo: Pyramiden- & Museums-Layover-Tour mit … | Kairo Flughafen-Tour: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Museum & … | Kairo Zwischenstopp: Tour zu Pyramiden, Koptischem … | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | kiya tours | Ramses tours | Sun Pyramids Tours | Sun Pyramids Tours |
| Price | from 129 € | from 103 € | from 136 € | from 83 € |
| Duration | 10 hours | 7 hours | 8 hours | 9 hours |
| Group type | private | group | group | group |
| German-speaking | no | no | yes | yes |
| Area ticket | included | included | included | included |
| Pickup | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Rating (reviews) | none | 4.6 (23) | 4.0 (2) | 4.4 (2) |
| Quality threshold | failed | passed | failed | failed |
| Free cancellation until | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h |
Kairo: Zwischenstopp geführte Tour – Pyramiden, Museum & Wüsten-ATV
- Provider
- kiya tours
- Price
- from 129 €
- Duration
- 10 hours
- Group type
- private
- German-speaking
- no
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- none
- Quality threshold
- failed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Kairo: Pyramiden- & Museums-Layover-Tour mit Flughafentransfer
- Provider
- Ramses tours
- Price
- from 103 €
- Duration
- 7 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- no
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.6 (23)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Kairo Flughafen-Tour: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Museum & Khan El Khalili.
- Provider
- Sun Pyramids Tours
- Price
- from 136 €
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.0 (2)
- Quality threshold
- failed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Kairo Zwischenstopp: Tour zu Pyramiden, Koptischem Kairo & Khan Khalili
- Provider
- Sun Pyramids Tours
- Price
- from 83 €
- Duration
- 9 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.4 (2)
- Quality threshold
- failed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
The order follows the documentation, not the commission. All values come from the same catalog fields to make the columns 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 is not a judgment, but chance.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Cairo: Layover Guided … (no rating) | Cairo: Pyramids & Museum La… (4.6) | Cairo Airport Tour: Giza Py… (4.0) | Cairo Layover: Tour to P… (4.4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 0 Reviews | 23 Reviews | 2 Reviews | 2 Reviews |
Fourth place out of four: a tour without documented reviews
There are no reviews for this tour yet. In the group of airport pyramid tours, it thus ranks fourth. This order is based on the strength of documentation, not on a rating. Three other offers in the group have reviews; this one does not. That doesn't make the offer bad, but it means you cannot rely on the experiences of previous guests here. The decision depends solely on the services the provider promises and the official information documented on this page.
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 tour duration 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 bedrock, 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 partially cased 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 in site ticketincludedMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Pyramid of Menkaure
The smallest of the three, with 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)
- Material of the casingRed 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 throughout the year
Average daily maximum and minimum values per month. Two series, one axis; the points mark the hottest and coldest months. Cairo Airport (CAI) has no official station of its own; measurements are taken in Cairo.
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 |
Warm months, cool months: the temperature chart for Cairo
The chart shows the usual maximum and minimum values for Cairo. From November to March, maximum values remain between 19 and 25 degrees, minimum values between 10 and 16 degrees. April and October are transitional months with maximum values of 28 and 30 degrees. In May, 32 degrees are reached, from June to August 35 degrees, in September 33 degrees. The provider does not specify a start time, but with a duration of ten hours, part of the day is spent on the plateau. There is hardly any shade on the site. These are long-term normal outdoor values, not a forecast for your travel day.
The complete data sheet
Every piece of information that this project has documented about this tour, the places in its itinerary, and the area covered by your ticket: 201 rows, each with its source. Collapsed because this is not a reading page, but fully present.
Download full table as CSV · 201 Rows
Show all 201 entries
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The offer30 | ||
| Provider's title | Cairo: Stopover Guided Tour – Pyramids, Museum & Desert ATV | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Provider | kiya tours | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Product number | 1278675 | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Start location | Cairo Airport | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Duration | 10 hours | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Multi-day | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Starting price | 129 € | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Starting price in local currency | about 7,629 EGP | Exchange rate 59.14 EGP per euro |
| Rating | none | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Number of reviews | 0 | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Project quality threshold | not passed | Own rule: at least 4.0 with at least 10 reviews |
| Rank in category | 4 out of 4 in "Tours from Cairo Airport" | Own evaluation, grade weighted by number of reviews |
| Plateau area ticket | included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Interior of a pyramid | as an add-on | 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 guided tour | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Guide languages | Arabic, English, French, Spanish | GetYourGuide catalog |
| German-speaking guide | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Private booking possible | yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Small group | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Group type according to provider | Private group | 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 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 closing | 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 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 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 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 documented 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 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 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 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 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 widespread 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 operating hours with additional opening fee – not an invention of providers, but also not a regular 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 pyramidion | 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 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 (Cheops), 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 structure 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 also 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 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 Ascending Passage | Egyptian Streets / Ahram Online, September 2025 |
| ScanPyramids: Big Void | at least 30 m above the Great 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), 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 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 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 Khafre's 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 catalog lists most pieces with GEM inventory numbers | Giza Project, Harvard University |
| North-South Axis Relative to Khufu | about 0.5 arcminutes 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 · 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 Area 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 indicated · the monument page lists no 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 Chambers Beneath the Pyramid | not substantiated · the March 2025 press conference relied on a method whose foundational work was withdrawn on August 10, 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 | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Inclination Angle | 51°20'25" | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Builder | King Menkaure, ca. 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 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 practiced for about 300 years | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Queens' 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 queens' 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 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 to visitors · the construction project became a research and outreach project – the current state remains | State Information Service (Review Committee Menkaure) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Cairo Airport (CAI) and the Climate17 | ||
| IATA Code | CAI | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| ICAO Code | HECA | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Opening | 1963 · Terminal 1 opened on March 18, 1963 by President Gamal Abdel Nasser | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Passengers | 30,944,269 passengers · as of 2025 | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Terminals in Operation | 1, 2, and 3 · Terminal 3 is the largest and the home terminal of EgyptAir | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Planned Terminal 4 | at least 30 million additional passengers · official estimate; total capacity would rise to over 60 million per year | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Runways | 3 runways | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Runway lengths | 3,300 m, 4,000 m, 4,000 m | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Elevation | 116 m | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Latitude | 30.12 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Longitude | 31.41 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Operator | Cairo Airport Company | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Hub for | EgyptAir and Nile Air | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Road to Giza Plateau | 37.6 km | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Driving time to Giza Plateau | 35 min · free-flow time without traffic; in the Greater Cairo area, realistically much longer; the route crosses the entire metropolitan area | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Road to Cairo city centre | 20.7 km | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Official climate station | The NOAA normals 1991-2020 for Cairo are measured at this airport | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Cairo: Normals of the nearest station41 | ||
| 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 | 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 · older predecessor settlements (Babylon, Fustat) are significantly earlier | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Nearest airport | CAI IATA | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Airport to city centre | 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 · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| January daily low | 10.1 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| February daily high | 20.5 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| February daily low | 11 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| March daily high | 23.8 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| March daily low | 13.2 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| April daily high | 28.1 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| April daily low | 15.9 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| May daily high | 32.2 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| May daily low | 19.3 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| June daily high | 34.6 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| June daily low | 22.2 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| July daily high | 35 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| July daily low | 23.8 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| August daily high | 34.9 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| August daily low | 24.3 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| September daily high | 33.4 °C · Station Cairo Airport (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 |
| Daily high in October | 30°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in October | 20°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily high in November | 24.9°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in November | 15.6°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily high in December | 20.5°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in December | 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: Map, Shuttle, and Opening Hours
For the Giza Plateau, two opening hours are in circulation: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and, in an older version, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. The ticket office closes one hour before the site closes. Payment at the counter is by card only, not cash. Still, you should carry cash for tips and small purchases. Private vehicles are no longer allowed on the plateau as of 2025. The main entrance is the Great Gate on the desert road between Cairo and Fayoum; the Sphinx Gate is open but has no ticket counter. An electric shuttle runs between the stations, and its ride is included in the site ticket.
Who wants to drive privately with a guide and who needs a German-speaking tour
This tour suits travelers who want to make use of a longer stopover, are comfortable with Arabic, English, French, or Spanish, and prefer to travel privately rather than in a group. If you expect a German-speaking guide, this is not for you. As an alternative with an explicitly German-speaking guide, the tour “Cairo Stopover: Tour to Pyramids, Coptic Cairo & Khan Khalili” is available in the same category; it lasts nine hours and starts at 83 euros. If you want to join a small group, you won't find that with this offer either, because it is bookable privately and not designed as a small group. The provider states that the tour is wheelchair accessible.
Similar tours on this page
Six offers that a reader of this page might actually waver 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: Pyramiden- & Museums-Layover-Tour mit Flughafentransfer
7 hoursRamses tours
4.623 reviews
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 103 €Go to page
Alexandria-Hafen: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Museum und Wüsten-Quad-Tour
10 hourskiya tours
5.0only 3 reviews
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 215 €Go to page
Ab Port Said: Pyramiden von Gizeh und Nationalmuseum
10 to 12 hoursSun Pyramids Tours
5.0only 1 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 159 €Go to page
Kairo Flughafen-Tour: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Museum & Khan El Khalili.
8 hoursSun Pyramids Tours
4.0only 2 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 136 €Go to page
Kairo Zwischenstopp: Tour zu Pyramiden, Koptischem Kairo & Khan Khalili
9 hoursSun Pyramids Tours
4.4only 2 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 83 €Go to page
Gizeh-Pyramiden, Ägyptisches Museum ab Ein-El-Sokhna-Hafen.
10 hoursEmo Tours Egypt
no reviews yet
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 107 €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?
Yes. The site ticket of about 11 euros (700 Egyptian pounds) is included in the price.
How long does the tour actually take?
The catalog states 10 hours. 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 goes off that.
Is there a German-speaking guide?
No German-speaking guide is specified for this offer.
Will I get into a pyramid with this?
Only as an add-on. The interior of the Great Pyramid of Khufu officially costs about 16 euros (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Is the rating of this offer meaningful?
There are no reviews for this offer yet, so there is no judgment.
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.
GetYourGuide
Cairo: Stopover Guided Tour – Pyramids, Museum & Desert ATV
Dates, availability, and the latest version of services are available from the provider. This page reflects the catalog status, not the status 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: Kairo: Zwischenstopp geführte Tour – Pyramiden, Museum & Wüsten-ATV 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 International Airport abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 38OSRM-Routing auf OpenStreetMap-Daten abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 39Wikipedia (en): Cairo abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 40Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 41RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 42UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 43Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 44NOAA-Klimanormalen 1991-2020 via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-03