Marsa Alam: Cairo 2-Day Tour with Luxury Pyramid View Accommodation
- Site ticket for the plateau included
- Hotel pickup included
- Guided tour in German available
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Two Days from Marsa Alam to the Giza Plateau
You start in Marsa Alam on a two-day tour that leads by road to the Giza Plateau. The one-way distance is 737 kilometers, with a driving time of about eight and a half hours. At your destination, you'll see the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the largest of the three, the Pyramid of Khafre with its preserved upper casing, the Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three, with its lower courses clad in granite from Aswan, and the Sphinx, carved from the natural rock. You'll view the Sphinx from the terrace above. Between the structures are the viewpoints. A guide accompanies your small group; tours are conducted in Arabic, English, French, Italian, German, or Russian.
Photos from the provider FTS Travelss. They show the offer, not your day.
- Provider
- FTS Travelss
- Duration
- 2 days
- Start location
- Marsa Alam
- Group type
- Small group
- Guide
- Live guide
- German-speaking
- Yes
- Hotel pickup
- Yes
- Price
- From €172
- Rating
- 4.5 out of 2 reviews
- Quality threshold
- Not met
What's included, what's not, and what the provider doesn't mention
The catalog distinguishes three states, and the third is the most important: no information does not mean excluded, but unclarified.
| Inclusion | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Site ticket for the plateau | Included | Included in the price; nothing more to pay. |
| Interior of a pyramid | No information | The norm. For Khufu, the official price is around €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds). |
| Hotel pickup | Included | Included; the meeting point is your accommodation. |
| Lunch | Included | Included. |
| Burial chambers and mastabas | Nowhere in the catalog | In the entire catalog reviewed, 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 it means for you
- Included in the price; nothing more to pay.
- Status
- No information
- What it means for you
- The norm. For Khufu, the official price is around €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
- Status
- Included
- What it means for you
- Included; the meeting point is your accommodation.
- Status
- Included
- What it means for you
- Included.
- Status
- Nowhere in the catalog
- What it means for you
- In the entire catalog reviewed, no offer sells access to a tomb on the plateau.
- Status
- Free up to 24 hours before
- What it means for you
- Provider's statement in the catalog.
From €172: Inclusions and Open Items
You book the tour from €172. Included in the price are the site ticket for the Giza Plateau, lunch, and hotel pickup. The site ticket officially costs 700 Egyptian pounds, about €11; the provider covers this amount for you. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before. The provider does not state whether a pyramid interior is part of the program. The official price list charges 1,000 Egyptian pounds (about €16) for the interior of Khufu's pyramid and 280 Egyptian pounds for the interior of Menkaure's pyramid. Tipping is customary in Egypt, but it is not a surcharge for special service.
Price Comparison
Entry price of this tour against the four best-documented offers in the same category. The highlighted bar is this tour.
Price alone says little. Read it together with the 'Site ticket' row in the comparison table: An offer without entrance is not cheaper, but calculated differently.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Marsa Alam: Cairo 2-Day Tour with Lu… | Marsa Alam: Ancient Cairo & Giza Pyr… | Marsa Alam: Private Day Trip to… |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | 172 € | 435 € | 500 € |
This Tour vs. Four Comparable Ones
All five come from the category 'Pyramid Trips from Marsa Alam'. The column for this tour is highlighted; the other four are the best-documented in the category.
| Marsa Alam: Kairo 2-tägige Tour mit … | Marsa Alam: Antikes Kairo & Gizeh-Pyramiden … | Marsa Alam: Privater Tagesausflug nach Kairo mit … | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | FTS Travelss | Nice Tours | scorpionsafari |
| Price | from 172 € | from 435 € | from 500 € |
| Duration | 2 days | 19 hours | 18 hours |
| Group type | small group | group | private |
| German-speaking | yes | yes | yes |
| Area ticket | included | not specified | not specified |
| Pickup | yes | yes | yes |
| Rating (reviews) | 4.5 (2) | 4.4 (36) | 5.0 (2) |
| Quality threshold | failed | passed | failed |
| Free cancellation until | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h |
- Provider
- FTS Travelss
- Price
- from 172 €
- Duration
- 2 days
- Group type
- small group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.5 (2)
- Quality threshold
- failed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
- Provider
- Nice Tours
- Price
- from 435 €
- Duration
- 19 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- not specified
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.4 (36)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
- Provider
- scorpionsafari
- Price
- from 500 €
- Duration
- 18 hours
- Group type
- private
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- not specified
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 5.0 (2)
- Quality threshold
- failed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
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 that is not a judgment but a coincidence.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Marsa Alam: Cairo 2-Day Tou… (4.5) | Marsa Alam: Ancient Cairo & Gi… (4.4) | Marsa Alam: Private Day Tr… (5.0) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 2 Reviews | 36 Reviews | 2 Reviews |
4.5 out of Two Reviews: A Narrow Value
The rating of 4.5 comes from two reviews. That is a narrow basis; treat it as a single opinion, not a reliable judgment. Among pyramid tours from Marsa Alam, this tour ranks second out of three by number of reviews; a flight offer in the same group has 36 reviews with a rating of 4.4. The category itself ranks this tour third because documentation strength counts, not just the rating.
The Day, Stop by Stop
The order follows the usual sequence. Each stop tells you what to expect there and the documented facts; 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 for foreigners (adults)700 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Opening hours (official website)08:00–16:00Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Ticket office closes before the gate1 hourAltertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis)
Great Sphinx
Carved from the natural rock, not built. Visitors stand on the terrace above, not beside the paws.
- Length73 mWikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza
- Height20 mWikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza
- Public accessFrom the east through the Valley Temple of Khafre up to the viewing terraceMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Great Pyramid of Khufu
The largest of the three, from the outside. The interior is a separate ticket and is not included in almost any offer.
- Original height146.6 mWikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza
- Interior visit for foreigners (adults)1,000 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid)
- Midday closure12:00–13:00Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Pyramid of Khafre
The middle one, still with casing at the top. Its valley temple is included in the site ticket and is the shadiest spot on the site.
- Original height143.5 mMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre)
- Remaining casingPolished limestone blocks at the topMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre)
- Valley temple included in site ticketIncludedMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Pyramid of Menkaure
The smallest of the three, with lower courses clad in granite from Aswan.
- Original height65 mMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
- Interior visit for foreigners (adults)280 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
- Material of the claddingRed granite from Aswan instead of limestoneMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
Back to the starting point
The return trip is included in the stated duration. In Cairo traffic, it is the most unpredictable part of the day.
A place in this list is a stop, not a promise about the duration of the stop.
Temperatures in Marsa Alam throughout the year
Average daily maximum and minimum values per month. Two series, one axis; the points mark the hottest and coldest months.
There is hardly any shade on the site itself; the values are normal outdoor values and not a forecast.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily maximum | 24.1 °C | 25.1 °C | 26.9 °C | 29.8 °C | 33.1 °C | 34.7 °C | 35.5 °C | 35.6 °C | 34.2 °C | 32.6 °C | 29.3 °C | 25.5 °C |
| Daily minimum | 13.2 °C | 13.8 °C | 15.9 °C | 18.7 °C | 22.7 °C | 24.3 °C | 25.5 °C | 26 °C | 24.4 °C | 22.3 °C | 18.7 °C | 14.8 °C |
Monthly values in Marsa Alam: when it gets hot
The monthly values for Marsa Alam show clear differences between day and night. From May to September, highs are 33 to 36 degrees, with the hottest months being July and August. From November to March, highs remain noticeably lower at 24 to 29 degrees. At night, it cools down to 13 to 15 degrees in the winter months, but only to 24 to 26 degrees in high summer. Since you are out for two days and the site offers little shade, you should take these values seriously. They are normal outdoor values, not a forecast.
The complete data sheet
Every piece of information this project has documented about this tour, the places in its itinerary, and the area covered by your ticket: 180 rows, each with its source. Collapsed because this is not a reading page, but fully present.
Download full table as CSV · 180 Rows
Show all 180 entries
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The offer30 | ||
| Provider title | Marsa Alam: Cairo 2-Day Tour with Luxury Pyramid View Accommodation | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Provider | FTS Travelss | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Product number | 1361217 | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Start location | Marsa Alam | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Duration | 2 days | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Multi-day | yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Starting price | 172 € | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Starting price in local currency | approx. 10,172 EGP | Exchange rate 59.14 EGP per euro |
| Rating | 4.5 stars | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Number of reviews | 2 | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Project quality threshold | not passed | Own rule: at least 4.0 with at least 10 reviews |
| Rank in category | 3 out of 3 in "Pyramid trips from Marsa Alam" | Own evaluation, grade weighted by number of reviews |
| Plateau area ticket | included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Interior of a pyramid | no information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Access to a tomb | no offer in the catalog sells that | Own evaluation of all 252 offers |
| Hotel pickup | included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Lunch | included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Type of guide | live guide | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Guide languages | Arabic, English, French, Italian, German, Russian | GetYourGuide catalog |
| German-speaking guide | yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Private booking possible | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Small group | yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Group type according to provider | Small group | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Preferred entry | no | 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 interiors | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Area ticket students (foreigners) | 350 EGP | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Opening hours (official website) | 08:00–16:00 · Official sources contradict each other (PDF from 2020: 07:00–17:00); ticket office closes one hour before closing | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Ticket office closes before gate closes | 1 hour | Antiquities administration (standard practice) |
| Payment at ticket office | card only, no cash · Cashless sales since 2023; cash still needed for tips and small purchases | Daily News Egypt |
| Main entrance since 2025 | Great Gate on the Cairo–Fayoum desert road (southwest) · Replaces the old gate at Mena House; Sphinx Gate open but without ticket office | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Private vehicles on the plateau | banned since the 2025 reorganization | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Electric shuttle | included in admission, hop-on/hop-off · Confirmed stops: Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure, Panorama Point, Sphinx | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Visitor operations | Orascom Pyramids Entertainment (OPE), 15-year contract since 2018 · Ticket revenue remains entirely with the state, plus 50% of project profit | Egyptian Streets |
| Visitors per year (operator 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 Roash to Dahshur) | 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 (on-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 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 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; goal: 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” – 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 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 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 | court excursion area: 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 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 viewpoint terrace · There is no walkable circular path on the north side of the pit; the minimum distance is on the order of 30 to 50 m | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Access at paw level | official category "The Sphinx (Private Visits only + Site Opening Fee)" · Private booking outside opening hours with an additional site opening fee – not an invention of providers, but also not a 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 |
| 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 pyramidion | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Base length | 230.33 m · 440 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Volume | 2,600,000 m³ | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Angle of inclination | 51°50'40" · Corresponds to a seked of 5 1/2 palms | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Material | Limestone, mortar, granite | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Origin of the casing | Turah, south of Maadi, delivered by ship · The structure was once completely clad in high-quality limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Builder | King Khufu, 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) | 1,000 EGP · Official amount; the site ticket is additionally required. Amounts of 400 to 1,500 EGP are also in circulation – 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 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 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 |
| Angle of inclination | 53°10' · Steeper than the Great Pyramid, which partially compensates for the loss in height | 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 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 older pyramids · And at the same time 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 beside his valley temple" | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Statue discoveries | 1860 by Auguste Mariette, some from a shaft in the temple | Giza Project, Harvard University |
| Current location of the statues | Contradictory records · The official site names the Egyptian Museum, while the Harvard find catalogue lists most pieces with GEM inventory numbers | Giza Project, Harvard University |
| North-south axis relative to Khufu | About 0.5 arc minutes difference · Total station survey by Nell and Ruggles, December 2006 | Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) |
| Right angles of the sides | More accurate than the Great Pyramid of Khufu · Same survey; the east-west axis 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 · Thus the nearest accessible interior space at the Sphinx and the shadiest spot in the open area | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Interior visit | Not officially 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 of Khufu | 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 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, visitor access · 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 |
| Marsa Alam and the Climate37 | ||
| Population | 9,001 inhabitants · As of 2021 per Wikipedia. | Wikipedia |
| Latitude | 25.07 degrees | Wikipedia |
| Longitude | 34.9 degrees | Wikipedia |
| Elevation above sea level | 18 m | Wikipedia |
| Airport code | RMF IATA | Wikipedia (Marsa Alam International Airport) |
| Airport to town | 60 km · 60 km north of the town; the city article mentions 34 nautical miles (approx. 63 km). | Wikipedia (Marsa Alam International Airport) |
| Road to Giza Plateau | 737 km · 737 km to Cairo; other sources round to approx. 750 km. | Marsa Alam Tours |
| Driving time to Giza (one way) | 8.5 h · 8 to 9 hrs per operator, pure driving time 8 hrs 13 min per route planner; other sources cite up to 10-12 hrs. | Sinbad Tour |
| Flight time to Cairo | 85 min · Direct flight 1 hr 25 min (EgyptAir MS 432, at time of research 4x weekly); flight day trips to the pyramids are offered from RMF. | Marsa Alam Tours |
| Pickup window bus day trip | 10:00 PM · Hotel pickup already the evening before around 10:00 PM, return around 3:00 AM at night; flight day trips pick up around midnight. | Sinbad Tour |
| Annual precipitation | 5 mm | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Water temperature min. | 22°C · Coldest months February/March. | Wikipedia (Climate table Marsa Alam) |
| Water temperature max. | 29°C · Warmest month August. | Wikipedia (Climate table Marsa Alam) |
| Daily high January | 24.1°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high February | 25.1°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high March | 26.9°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high April | 29.8°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high May | 33.1°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high June | 34.7°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high July | 35.5°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high August | 35.6°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high September | 34.2°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high October | 32.6°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high November | 29.3°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily high December | 25.5°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low January | 13.2°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low February | 13.8°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low March | 15.9°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low April | 18.7°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low May | 22.7°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low June | 24.3°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low July | 25.5°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low August | 26°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low September | 24.4°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low October | 22.3°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low November | 18.7°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
| Daily low December | 14.8°C | Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia |
At the Gate: Opening Hours, Card Payment, and Shuttle
At the gate: The official website lists the plateau as 08:00 to 16:00; an official PDF from 2020 lists 07:00 to 17:00. The ticket counter closes one hour before gate closing, and you pay only by card, not cash. Since the 2025 reorganization, private vehicles are no longer allowed on the plateau. An electric shuttle operates hop-on-hop-off between the three pyramids, the panoramic point, and the Sphinx; it is included in the admission. Since 2025, the main entrance is the Great Gate on the Cairo-Fayoum desert road; the old gate at Mena House has been replaced, the Sphinx Gate remains open but has no ticket counter.
Who the two-day tour suits and who it doesn't
This tour suits if you start from Marsa Alam, accept the long road journey, and don't insist on a private booking. If you only have one day for Cairo, the offer "Ancient Cairo & Giza Pyramids Day Trip by Plane" is an alternative; the excursion lasts 19 hours and starts at 435 euros. Privately, there is the offer "Private Day Trip to Cairo by Plane with Pyramids" from 500 euros. The two-day tour is not suitable for wheelchair users.
Similar tours on this page
Six offers that a reader of this page actually vacillates 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.
Hurghada: 2-tägige Kairo-Tour mit Luxusaufenthalt mit Pyramidenblick
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Marsa Alam: Antikes Kairo & Gizeh-Pyramiden Tagesausflug mit dem Flugzeug
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Hurghada: 2-tägige Kairo-Tour mit Pyramiden & GEM
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Sharm El Sheikh: Kairo 2-tägig mit Luxus-Pyramidenblick-Unterkunft
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Marsa Alam: Privater Tagesausflug nach Kairo mit dem Flugzeug mit Pyramiden
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2-tägige Kairo- und Alexandria-Tour: Pyramiden, Sphinx, Katakomben
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The order follows proximity to this tour and 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 admission 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 really take?
The catalog says 2 days. 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?
Yes, the provider lists German as the guiding language. That is a promise by the provider and not a verified characteristic of the person on site.
Does this get me inside a pyramid?
The offer says nothing about that, which is the case for 175 of 252 offers. You buy the ticket on site, for the Great Pyramid of Khufu officially about 16 euros (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Is the rating of this offer meaningful?
No. 4.5 stars from only 2 reviews is not enough for a judgment, regardless of how high the grade is.
Where do I find all data on this tour?
In the data sheet on this page. It lists every detail about the tour, each destination visited, and the climate of the departure city, each with source, and can be downloaded as CSV.
Marsa Alam: Cairo 2-Day Tour with Luxury Pyramid View Accommodation
Dates, availability, and the latest version of services are with the provider. This page reflects the catalog status, not the status of this morning.
Sources
Every number on this page comes from one of these sources. The running text does not name them to keep it readable; the data sheet lists the source in each row.
- 1GetYourGuide: Marsa Alam: Kairo 2-tägige Tour mit Luxus-Pyramidenblick-Unterkunft abgerufen 2026-09-03Title, duration, services, languages, cancellation policy, stars, number of reviews, and starting price.
- 2Kursdatensatz des Projekts, partners/fx.json abgerufen 2026-09-03Conversion of Egyptian pounds to euros, 59.14 EGP per euro. Amounts are rounded down because "from" is a lower limit.
- 3Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 4Altertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 5Daily News Egypt abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 6RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 7Egyptian Streets abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 8Middle East Observer abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 9UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 10UNESCO / Wikidata abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 11RESEARCH-BASE (Ortstermin 2026-08-31) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 12RESEARCH-BASE (mehrere Quellen, umstritten) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 13Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 14The National abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 15Saudi Press Agency abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 16Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 17Falchi et al., Science Advances 2016 abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 18Egyptian Streets abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 19Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 20Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 21Kasia Szpakowska im Gespraech mit NOVA (PBS) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 22Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 23Remote Sensing (MDPI), Ruecknahmehinweis 10.08.2026 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 24Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 25Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 26Zahi Hawass, Restoring the Great Pyramid abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 27Egyptian Streets / Ahram Online, September 2025 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 28Nature 2017 (ScanPyramids) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 29Scientific Reports 2025 (North Face Corridor) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 30Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 31Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 32Giza Project, Harvard University abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 33Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 34Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 35Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 36State Information Service (Pruefkommission Mykerinos) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 37Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 38Wikipedia (Marsa Alam International Airport) abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 39Marsa Alam Tours abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 40Sinbad Tour abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 41Climate-Data.org via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 42Wikipedia (Klimatabelle Marsa Alam) abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 43Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 44RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 45UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 46Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 47Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-04