GetYourGuide
★ 4.7(100 Reviews)Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramids, Sphinx Tour and Lunch
- Site ticket for the plateau included
- Hotel pickup included
- Tour in German specified
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
An Eight-Hour Day between GEM, Pyramids, and Sphinx
The tour starts in Cairo and lasts eight hours. The operator is Saladino Tours Egypt. It combines the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) with the Giza Plateau. On the plateau, you will see the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, and the Great Sphinx. The GEM is two kilometers from the plateau. The tour is specified as German-speaking; the provider also lists English, French, Italian, Russian, and Spanish. The tour is led by a live guide. The day is designed for travelers who do not want to split the new museum and the old plateau into two separate tours.
Photos by the provider Saladino Tours - Egypt. They show the offer, not your day.
- Provider
- Saladino Tours - Egypt
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Start location
- Cairo
- Group type
- private bookable
- Guide
- live guide
- German-speaking
- yes
- Hotel pickup
- yes
- Price
- from €82
- Rating
- 4.8 out of 136 reviews
- Quality threshold
- passed
What is included, what is not, and what the provider does not say
The catalog distinguishes three states, and the third is the most important: no information does not mean excluded, but unresolved.
| Inclusion | Status | What this means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Site ticket plateau | 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 catalog checked, 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
- not included
- What this means for you
- Not included, can be arranged on site.
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 catalog checked, 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 is included and where the extra costs begin
The entry price is from 82 euros. Explicitly included are hotel pickup, lunch, and the site ticket for the Giza Plateau. For the site ticket, the provider covers the official amount of 700 Egyptian pounds, about 11 euros; this item will not be charged again at the ticket office. The provider does not specify what the lunch includes in detail or whether the entrance to the GEM is included in the price. The site ticket does not cover the interiors of the pyramids; this tour shares this omission with 35 other offers in its group. If you want to enter the Great Pyramid of Khufu, you pay 1,000 Egyptian pounds on site, about 16 euros. The interior of the Pyramid of Menkaure costs 280 Egyptian pounds. Tipping is customary in Egypt, but it is not a surcharge specified by the provider.
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 line 'Site ticket' in the comparison table: An offer without entrance is not cheaper, but calculated differently.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramid… | Cairo: Private Tour to Pyramids and G… | Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramid… | Cairo: City tour with female guide… | From Cairo: Tour to the Pyramids of Gi… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | 82 € | 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: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramiden … | 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 | Saladino Tours - Egypt | Snefro Travel | OceanAir Travel | OceanAir Travel | OceanAir Travel |
| Price | from 82 € | 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 | private | private | group | group | small group |
| German-speaking | yes | no | yes | yes | yes |
| Area ticket | included | included | included | included | included |
| Pickup | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Rating (reviews) | 4.8 (136) | 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: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramiden, Sphinx-Tour und Mittagessen
- Provider
- Saladino Tours - Egypt
- Price
- from 82 €
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Group type
- private
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.8 (136)
- 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 documentation and not the commission. All values come from the same catalog fields so that the columns are comparable.
How many people have judged?
Number of reviews per offer, the rating in parentheses. A rating without its sample size is not information.
The quality threshold of this page is ten reviews. Anything below is not a judgment, but a coincidence.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, … (4.8) | 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 Pyram… (4.7) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| reviews | 136 reviews | 7,579 reviews | 4,382 reviews | 1,697 reviews | 3,587 reviews |
4.8 out of 136 reviews
The 4.8 is a good rating, but its basis is manageable with 136 reviews. When sorting the 126 offers in the category by the number of reviews, this tour ranks 26th. In the category ranking, which orders by evidence strength, it reaches 22nd place out of 126. The rating is therefore not taken out of thin air, but the same average rating with many more votes would carry more weight.
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.
- 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 partly clad at the top. Its valley temple is included in the site ticket and is the shadiest spot on the site.
- Original height143.5 mMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre)
- Remaining casingpolished limestone blocks at the topMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre)
- Valley temple in site ticketincludedMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Pyramid of Menkaure
The smallest of the three, clad in granite from Aswan on the lower courses.
- Original height65 mMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
- Interior visit for foreigners (adults)280 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
- Cladding materialRed granite from Aswan instead of limestoneMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)
The new museum, two kilometres from the plateau. Since mid-November 2025, entry is only with a pre-booked time slot.
- Distance from the Giza Plateau2 kmRESEARCH-BASE
- Galleries open9:00–18:00, Wed+Sat until 21:00GEM (amtlich)
- Fixed entry time slots sincemid-November 2025Ahram Online
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 |
December to February carry the day
The chart above this section shows two values per month for Cairo: the low value at night and the high value during the day. The coolest months are December, January, and February, with 10 to 12 degrees at night and 19 to 20 degrees during the day. From May to September, daytime values climb to 32 to 35 degrees and only drop to 19 to 24 degrees at night. There is hardly any shade on the plateau. The provider does not specify a start time. If you want to avoid the high daytime values, a trip from December to February is the right choice.
The complete data sheet
Every piece of information this project has documented about this tour, the places in its itinerary, and the area covered by your ticket: 207 rows, each with its source. Collapsed because this is not a reading page, but fully present.
Download full table as CSV · 207 Rows
Show all 207 entries
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The offer30 | ||
| Provider's title | Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramids, Sphinx Tour and Lunch | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Provider | Saladino Tours - Egypt | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Product number | 12974 | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Start location | Cairo | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Duration | 8 hours | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Multi-day | no | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Starting price | 82 € | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Starting price in local currency | approx. 4,849 EGP | Exchange rate 59.14 EGP per euro |
| Rating | 4.8 stars | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Number of reviews | 136 | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Project quality threshold | passed | Own rule: at least 4.0 with at least 10 reviews |
| Rank in category | 22 out of 126 in "Pyramid tours from Cairo" | Own evaluation, grade weighted by number of reviews |
| Plateau area ticket | included | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Interior of a pyramid | not included | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Access to a tomb | no offer in the catalogue sells that | Own evaluation of all 252 offers |
| Hotel pickup | included | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Lunch | included | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Type of guide | live guided tour | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Guide languages | English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| German-speaking guide | yes | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Private booking possible | yes | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Small group | no | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Group format according to provider | Private group available | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Priority entry | yes | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Wheelchair accessible | no | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Free cancellation | yes | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Cancellation deadline | 24 hours before start | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Giza reference in catalogue | high | Own verification of catalogue fields |
| Provider images | 5 photos | GetYourGuide catalogue |
| Data status | 2026-09-03 | Own retrieval |
| Giza Plateau22 | ||
| Area ticket, foreigners (adults) | EGP 700 · Students EGP 350; Egyptians EGP 60/30. Does NOT cover interiors | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Area ticket, 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 booths close one hour before closing | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Ticket booth closes before gate closes | 1 hour | Antiquities administration (standard practice) |
| Payment at ticket booth | 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 booth | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Private vehicles on the plateau | banned since the 2025 reorganisation | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Electric shuttle | included in admission, hop-on/hop-off · Stops confirmed: Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure, Panorama Point, Sphinx | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Visitor operations | Orascom Pyramids Entertainment (OPE), 15-year contract since 2018 · Ticket revenue remains entirely with the state, plus 50% of project profit | Egyptian Streets |
| Visitors per year (operator figure) | 3,500,000 · Figure from 5 Jan 2026; target 5 million; no official per-site figure published | Middle East Observer |
| Visitors per day (derived) | 9,600 · Calculated from 3.5 million/year | Middle East Observer |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 · Part of 'Memphis and its Necropolis', No. 86 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Area of the World Heritage site | 16,358.52 ha | UNESCO / Wikidata |
| Length of the pyramid field (Abu Rawash to Dahshur) | 30 km · Over two dozen pyramids depending on counting method | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Great Pyramid of Khufu closed at midday | 12:00–13:00 | RESEARCH-BASE (on-site visit 2026-08-31) |
| Interior of the Great 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 · 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, including with system/SLR cameras · Permits required for: photo umbrellas, artificial light, equipment that blocks paths | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Milky Way over the plateau | not visible (brightest night sky worldwide in the Nile Delta) · Starry-sky photos over the pyramids are montages | Falchi et al., Science Advances 2016 |
| Air purification system in the King's Chamber since | September 2025 · Plasmacluster; aim: reduce humidity, protect walls | Egyptian Streets |
| Great Sphinx23 | ||
| Length | 73 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza |
| Height | 20 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza |
| Width | 19 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza |
| Material | carved directly from the bedrock · Not a built structure but a sculpture in natural limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Date of creation | 4th Dynasty, c. 2613–2494 BC · Thus the oldest of 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' – supported but not proven | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Iconography | the king with a lion's body, as a sign of his power | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Sphinx Temple | immediately 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 | 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 buried in sand, presumably only the head visible | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| The Plateau in the New Kingdom | Royal leisure grounds: hunting, chariot driving, archery, rest stops in the shade | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Dream Stele: material and size | Granite, nearly four meters high, several tons · Only attested secondarily; according to a common interpretation, a reused lintel from the valley 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 · Excavated 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 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 site 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 documented · Presentation from June 2026 from the same group whose foundational work was withdrawn in August 2026 | Remote Sensing (MDPI), retraction notice 10.08.2026 |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Great Pyramid of Khufu25 | ||
| Original height | 146.6 m · 280 cubits; the official site states 146.5 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Current height | 138.5 m · The missing eight meters are the removed casing and the pyramidion | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Base length | 230.33 m · 440 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Volume | 2,600,000 m³ | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| 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, 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) |
| Grand Gallery | corbelled ascent to the King's Chamber | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Boat pits on the south side | 2 ships · Found dismantled; the first boat is now in the Grand Egyptian Museum | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Interior visit foreigners (adults) | 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 page) | 07:00–17:00 · Seven days; the site page of the same ministry states 08:00–16:00. The contradiction is official and unresolved | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Midday closure | 12:00–13:00 · Only the Great Pyramid; 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 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 |
| 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) |
| Remaining 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 older pyramids · And among the best-preserved buildings 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 | 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 accurate 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 · Thus the nearest accessible interior near 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 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 | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Inclination angle | 51°20'25" | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Builder | King Menkaure, c. 2532–2503 BC · Probably son of Khafre and grandson of Khufu | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Base area compared | 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) |
| Queen's pyramids | 3 pyramids | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Satellite pyramid | none found · It is suspected that the largest of the three queen's pyramids originally had this role | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Interior visit foreigners (adults) | 280 EGP · Official amount, area ticket additionally required | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Interior visit students | 140 EGP | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Opening hours (monument page) | 07:00–17:00 · Seven days | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Announced casing project | January 2024, estimated at three years · The granite blocks lying on the ground were to be reattached | State Information Service (Review Commission Menkaure) |
| Decision of the review commission | unanimous rejection · Reason: the original position of no single block can be determined | State Information Service (Review Commission Menkaure) |
| Instead recommended | surveying, sorting the fallen blocks, excavation in the rubble slope, making the site accessible to visitors · The construction project became a research and education project – the current state remains | State Information Service (Review Commission Menkaure) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)23 | ||
| Full opening | 2025-11-01 · State ceremony 1.11.2025, public a few days later; partial opening Oct. 2024 | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Distance to the Giza Plateau | 2 km · 'about two kilometers' | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Site area | 500,000 m² | ArchDaily |
| Exhibition area | 81,000 m² · Al Jazeera mentions 24,000 m² of permanent exhibition; check which size is meant | ArchDaily |
| Architecture | Heneghan Peng Architects (competition 2002, >1,500 entries from 82 countries) | ArchDaily |
| Construction cost (reports) | 1,000,000,000 USD · 'around 1 billion USD', as reported | RESEARCH-BASE (reports) |
| Tutankhamun Gallery | 7,500 m² · Over 5,600 pieces, of which over 3,000 never before publicly displayed; other sources mention ~5,000/5,398 | ArchDaily |
| Galleries open | 9:00–18:00, Wed & Sat until 21:00 · Grounds 8:30–19:00 (Wed & Sat until 22:00); last entry 1 hour before close | GEM (official) |
| Fixed entry time slots since | Mid-November 2025 · Trigger: 27,000 visitors in one day; optimal capacity 15,000–20,000 | Ahram Online |
| First Khufu solar boat | included in museum admission ('Khufu's Boats Museum') · The boat museum on the plateau no longer exists; moved in 2021 | GEM (official) |
| Second boat: recovered timbers | 1,700 pieces (approximately) · 1,343 transferred to the museum; reassembly publicly visible, ~4 years, 3+2 million USD from Japan | JICA |
| Admission exemption | Children under 6, visitors with disabilities | GEM (official) |
| Combo ticket with the plateau | does not officially exist · Do not adopt provider claims of 15–20% savings | GEM ticket page (full-text check 2026-08-31) |
| Time needed for main galleries | 3–4+ hours | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Red granite colossus of Ramses II in the atrium | 11 m, 75 t, since 2018 · Often confused with plateau areas | Wikipedia (Statue of Ramesses II) |
| Optimal daily capacity | 15,000 to 20,000 visitors · On average around 15,000; fixed time slots exist because 27,000 came in one day | Ahram Online / Egypt Independent, November 2025 |
| Crowds in the first weeks | on 7 November 2025 early closure at 13:30 | Ahram Online / Egypt Independent, November 2025 |
| Partial opening | October 2024 with twelve halls · The state ceremony for full opening followed on 1 November 2025 | ArchDaily (GEM) |
| Museum grounds open | 8:30–19:00, Wednesdays and Saturdays until 22:00 | Grand Egyptian Museum (official) |
| Last entry | one hour before the galleries close | Grand Egyptian Museum (official) |
| Address | Remayah Square on the Cairo–Alexandria Desert Road, access via Gate 2 | Grand Egyptian Museum (official) |
| Pieces in the Tutankhamun Gallery | over 5,600, of which over 3,000 never before publicly shown · Other reports mention around 5,000 or 5,398 – the range is part of the figure | ArchDaily (GEM) |
| Second Khufu boat: timbers transferred to the museum | 1,343 pieces · Of approximately 1,700 recovered timbers from thirteen layers; around 90 Japanese specialists, led by Sakuji Yoshimura | JICA (second Khufu boat) |
| 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 predecessor settlements (Babylon, Fustat) are significantly older | 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 Greater Cairo actually significantly 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 |
| Daily high in May | 32.2°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in May | 19.3°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily high in June | 34.6°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in June | 22.2°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily high in July | 35°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in July | 23.8°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily high in August | 34.9°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in August | 24.3°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily high in September | 33.4°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in September | 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 |
Card payment, electric shuttle and time slots at the GEM
At the Giza Plateau, the main entrance is the Great Gate. The official website lists the plateau's hours as 8 am to 4 pm; the ticket office closes one hour before the site. Payment at the ticket office is by card only, not cash. Private vehicles have not been allowed since 2025; visitors take the electric shuttle between stops or walk. At the Grand Egyptian Museum, entry has been possible only with a pre-booked time slot since mid-November 2025.
Who this day suits and who should choose the alternative
This day suits travellers who prefer a live tour with their own group over a shared small group. It is not suitable for wheelchair users; the provider marks the tour as not wheelchair accessible. If you also want to plan a camel ride at the pyramids, you can find it in the “Private Tour to Pyramids and Great Sphinx with Camel Ride” from 51 euros. That alternative has 7,579 reviews, but no designated German-speaking guide.
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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 catalogue lists 8 hours. This span is counted from the meeting point or hotel, not from the gate; in Cairo traffic, a good half to a full hour each way is lost to that.
Is there a German-speaking guide?
Yes, the provider lists German as the guiding language. That is a promise from the provider, not a verified characteristic of the person on site.
Does this get me inside a pyramid?
No, the interior is not included.
Is the rating for this offer meaningful?
Yes. 4.8 stars from 136 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 place visited, and the climate of the departure city, each with a source, and can be downloaded as a CSV.
GetYourGuide
Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramids, Sphinx Tour and Lunch
Dates, availability, and the latest version of the services are with the provider. This page reflects the catalogue status, not the status as of this morning.
from 82 €
ViewSources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these sources. The running text does not name them to keep it readable; the data sheet lists the source in each row.
- 1GetYourGuide: Kairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramiden, Sphinx-Tour und 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' is a lower limit.
- 3Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 4Altertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 5Daily News Egypt abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 6RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 7Egyptian Streets abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 8Middle East Observer abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 9UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 10UNESCO / Wikidata abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 11RESEARCH-BASE (Ortstermin 2026-08-31) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 12RESEARCH-BASE (mehrere Quellen, umstritten) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 13Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 14The National abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 15Saudi Press Agency abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 16Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 17Falchi et al., Science Advances 2016 abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 18Egyptian Streets abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 19Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 20Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 21Kasia Szpakowska im Gespraech mit NOVA (PBS) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 22Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 23Remote Sensing (MDPI), Ruecknahmehinweis 10.08.2026 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 24Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 25Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 26Zahi Hawass, Restoring the Great Pyramid abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 27Egyptian Streets / Ahram Online, September 2025 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 28Nature 2017 (ScanPyramids) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 29Scientific Reports 2025 (North Face Corridor) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 30Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 31Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 32Giza Project, Harvard University abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 33Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 34Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 35Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 36State Information Service (Pruefkommission Mykerinos) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 37RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 38RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 39ArchDaily abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 40RESEARCH-BASE (Berichte) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 41GEM (amtlich) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 42Ahram Online abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 43GEM (amtlich) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 44JICA abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 45GEM Ticketseite (Volltextprüfung 2026-08-31) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 46Wikipedia (Statue of Ramesses II) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 47Ahram Online / Egypt Independent, November 2025 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 48ArchDaily (GEM) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 49Grand Egyptian Museum (amtlich) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 50JICA (zweite Cheops-Barke) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 51Wikipedia (en): Cairo abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 52Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 53OSRM-Routing auf OpenStreetMap-Daten abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 54NOAA-Klimanormalen 1991-2020 via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 55Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 56UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 57Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 58NOAA-Klimanormalen 1991-2020 via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-03