GetYourGuide
★ 5.0(3 Reviews)Cairo: Professional Photo Shoot Add-On Tour
- Hotel pickup included
- German-speaking guide specified
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Duration per provider: 4 hours
Four Hours: Photo Shoot on the Giza Plateau
The "Professional Photo Shoot Add-On Tour" by Sun Pyramids Tours starts in Cairo and lasts four hours. It takes you to the Giza Plateau, where the site itself is the program: the three pyramids, the Sphinx, and the viewpoints in between. Specifically, these are the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the largest of the three, the Pyramid of Khafre, whose upper layers still show the casing, and the Pyramid of Menkaure, whose lower layers are faced with granite from Aswan. The Great Sphinx is carved from the bedrock, not built. The title states the purpose: a professional photo shoot at these sights. The tour is designed for travelers who want to combine a guided walk with a shoot without planning a full-day excursion.
Photos by the provider Sun Pyramids Tours. They show the offer, not your day.
- Provider
- Sun Pyramids Tours
- Duration
- 4 hours
- Start location
- Cairo
- Group type
- Group
- Guide
- Live guide
- German-speaking
- Yes
- Hotel pickup
- Yes
- Price
- From €76
- Rating
- 5.0 out of 3 reviews
- 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 unclarified.
| Inclusion | Status | What it means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Plateau site ticket | Not specified | Ask before booking; it's about €11 per person. |
| Interior of a pyramid | Not specified | The norm. Khufu officially about €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds). |
| Hotel pickup | Included | Included; meeting point is your accommodation. |
| Lunch | Not specified | Not indicated. |
| 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. |
Plateau site ticket
- Status
- Not specified
- What it means for you
- Ask before booking; it's about €11 per person.
Interior of a pyramid
- Status
- Not specified
- What it means for you
- The norm. Khufu officially about €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Hotel pickup
- Status
- Included
- What it means for you
- Included; meeting point is your accommodation.
Lunch
- Status
- Not specified
- What it means for you
- Not indicated.
Burial chambers and mastabas
- Status
- Nowhere in the catalog
- What it 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 it means for you
- Provider's statement in the catalog.
From €76: What's included and what's extra on the day
The tour costs from €76. Included are hotel pickup and a live guide. German is specified as the guiding language; other languages are English, French, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Arabic. The provider says nothing about the site ticket for the plateau; the official fee of 700 EGP, about €11, should be budgeted for the day. He also doesn't mention the interior of Khufu; if you want to visit it, you pay the official price of 1,000 EGP (about €16) on site. He also doesn't mention lunch. The euro amounts are based on an exchange rate of 59.14 EGP per euro.
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 | Cairo: Professional Photo Shoot Add-On Tour | Cairo: Private Tour to Pyramids and Sphinx | Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramids, and Sphinx | Cairo: City Tour with Female Guide | From Cairo: Tour to the Pyramids of Giza |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | 76 € | 51 € | 83 € | 52 € | 62 € |
This tour vs. four comparable ones
All five come from the category "Pyramid tours from Cairo." The column for this tour is highlighted; the other four are the best-documented in the category.
| Kairo: Professionelle Fotoshooting-Zusatztour | 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 | Sun Pyramids Tours | Snefro Travel | OceanAir Travel | OceanAir Travel | OceanAir Travel |
| Price | from 76 € | from 51 € | from 83 € | from 52 € | from 62 € |
| Duration | 4 hours | 4 to 8 hours | 7 to 8 hours | 8 hours | 8 hours |
| Group type | group | private | group | group | small group |
| German-speaking | yes | no | yes | yes | yes |
| Area ticket | not specified | included | included | included | included |
| Pickup | yes | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Rating (reviews) | 5.0 (3) | 4.9 (7,579) | 4.7 (4,382) | 4.8 (1,697) | 4.7 (3,587) |
| Quality threshold | failed | passed | passed | passed | passed |
| Free cancellation until | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h |
Kairo: Professionelle Fotoshooting-Zusatztour
- Provider
- Sun Pyramids Tours
- Price
- from 76 €
- Duration
- 4 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- not specified
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 5.0 (3)
- Quality threshold
- failed
- 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 status, not the commission. All values come from the same catalog fields to make columns comparable.
How many people have rated?
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: Professional Photo Shoot Add-On Tour (5.0) | Cairo: Private Tour to Pyramids and Sphinx (4.9) | Cairo: Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramids, and Sphinx (4.7) | Cairo: City Tour with Female Guide (4.8) | From Cairo: Tour to the Pyramids of Giza (4.7) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 3 Reviews | 7,579 Reviews | 4,382 Reviews | 1,697 Reviews | 3,587 Reviews |
The 5.0 from three reviews is a thin basis
The stated rating of 5.0 sounds perfect but is based on only three reviews. Three voices are too few to make a reliable rating. In the category of pyramid tours from Cairo with 126 offers, this tour ranks 74th; this order weights the evidence, not just the rating. Looking only at the number of reviews, it ranks 84th out of 126. So the value is an indication, not proof.
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 go 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 gate closes1 hourAltertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis)
Great Sphinx
Carved from the bedrock, not built. Visitors stand 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 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 partly 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 included 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)
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.
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 |
Cairo Temperatures: Hot Summers, Mild Winters, Little Shade
The chart shows the daily highs and nighttime lows for each month. June to August are the hottest months with 35°C during the day and 24°C at night; May and September are not far behind at 32–33°C. December to February are mild: 19–20°C during the day, 10–12°C at night. For this tour, the daily maximum is what matters most, because there is hardly any shade on the Giza Plateau. The provider does not specify the time of day; the figures 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 program, and the area covered by your ticket: 184 rows, each with its source. Collapsed because this is not a reading page, but fully present.
Download full table as CSV · 184 Rows
Show all 184 entries
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The Offer30 | ||
| Provider's title | Cairo: Professional Photo Shoot Add-On Tour | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Provider | Sun Pyramids Tours | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Product number | 445261 | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Start location | Cairo | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Duration | 4 hours | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Multi-day | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Starting price | 76 € | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Starting price in local currency | approx. 4,495 EGP | Exchange rate 59.14 EGP per euro |
| Rating | 5.0 stars | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Number of reviews | 3 | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Project quality threshold | Not passed | Own rule: at least 4.0 with at least 10 reviews |
| Rank in category | 74 out of 126 in 'Pyramid Tours from Cairo' | Own evaluation, grade weighted by number of reviews |
| Plateau area ticket | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Interior of a pyramid | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Access to a tomb | No offer in the catalog sells this | Own evaluation of all 252 offers |
| Hotel pickup | Included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Lunch | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Type of accompaniment | Live guide | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Guide languages | French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Arabic, English | GetYourGuide catalog |
| German-speaking guide | Yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Private booking possible | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Small group | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Group type according to provider | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Preferred entry | Yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Wheelchair accessible | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Free cancellation | Yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Cancellation deadline | 24 hours before start | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Giza relevance in catalog | High | Own check of catalog fields |
| Provider images | 5 photos | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Data status | 2026-09-03 | Own retrieval |
| Giza Plateau22 | ||
| Area ticket for foreigners (adults) | EGP 700 · Students EGP 350; Egyptians EGP 60/30. Does NOT cover the interiors | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Area ticket students (foreigners) | EGP 350 | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Opening hours (official website) | 08:00–16:00 · Official sources contradict each other (PDF from 2020: 07:00–17:00); ticket office closes one hour before closing | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Ticket office closes before 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 reorganisation | 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 stays 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 Roasch to Dahschur) | 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 · 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; 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' – evidenced but not proven | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Iconographic idea | 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 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 metres 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: condition | about half of the text is 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 via the valley temple of Khafre up to the viewing terrace · There is no walkable circular path on the north side of the pit; the minimum distance is on the order of 30 to 50 m | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Access at paw level | official category “The Sphinx (Private Visits only + Site Opening Fee)” · Private booking outside opening hours with additional opening fee – not an invention of providers, but also not a normal ticket | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Claim of a second, buried sphinx | not substantiated · Presentation from June 2026 from the same group whose foundational work was withdrawn in August 2026 | Remote Sensing (MDPI), retraction notice 10.08.2026 |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| The Great Pyramid of Khufu25 | ||
| Original height | 146.6 m · 280 cubits; the official site says 146.5 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Current height | 138.5 m · The missing eight meters are the removed casing and the tip | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Base length | 230.33 m · 440 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Construction volume | 2,600,000 m³ | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Inclination angle | 51°50'40" · Corresponds to a seked of 5 1/2 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 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) | EGP 1,000 · Official amount; the site ticket is additionally required. In circulation are also 400 to 1,500 EGP – the ministry's figure is the reliable one | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Interior visit students | EGP 500 | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Opening hours (monument side) | 07:00–17:00 · Seven days; the site side of the same ministry says 08:00–16:00. The contradiction is official and unresolved | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Midday closure | 12:00–13:00 · Only the Great Pyramid; documented in the project's research base | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Temporary closure | April 1, 1998 · Humidity inside had risen to 80 percent due to visitors | Zahi Hawass, Restoring the Great Pyramid |
| Water 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 Grand Gallery | Egyptian Streets / Ahram Online, September 2025 |
| ScanPyramids: Big Void | at least 30 m above the Grand Gallery · Muon radiography, published 2017 | Nature 2017 (ScanPyramids) |
| ScanPyramids: North Face Corridor | confirmed behind the chevron stones on the north side · Confirmed in 2025 by ground-penetrating radar, ultrasound, and resistivity measurement | Scientific Reports 2025 (North Face Corridor) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 · As part of “Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur” | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Pyramid of Khafre23 | ||
| Original height | 143.5 m · Only slightly lower than the Great Pyramid | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Current height | 136.4 m · 274 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Base length | 215.25 m | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Construction volume | 2,211,096 m³ | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Inclination angle | 53°10' · Steeper than the Great Pyramid, which partially compensates for the height loss | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Builder | King Khafre (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 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 earlier pyramids · and among the best-preserved structures of the Old Kingdom | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Valley temple: construction | massive limestone blocks with granite facing, alabaster floors, monolithic granite pillars | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Valley temple: statue niches | symmetrically arranged, once occupied by royal statues | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Most famous statue | Granodiorite seated figure with Horus falcon at the back of the head · considered one of the masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| The Great Sphinx | officially part of the Khafre complex · literally listed as "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 | documented inconsistently · The official site names the Egyptian Museum, while the Harvard find catalogue lists most pieces with GEM inventory numbers | Giza Project, Harvard University |
| North-south axis relative to Khufu | about 0.5 arc minutes difference · total station survey by Nell and Ruggles, December 2006 | Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) |
| Right angles of the sides | more precise than the Great Pyramid of Khufu · same survey; the east-west axis of both is closer to the cardinal direction than the north-south axis | Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) |
| Valley temple in the site ticket | included · thus the nearest accessible interior space at the Sphinx and the shadiest spot in the open area | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Interior visit | not officially listed · the monument page does not include a ticket block; circulating figures range from 130 to 280 EGP. Do not treat as a price | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Claimed structures beneath the pyramid | not substantiated · the March 2025 press conference relied on a method whose foundational work was retracted on 10 August 2026; the authors dispute the retraction | Remote Sensing (MDPI), retraction notice 10.08.2026 |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Pyramid of Menkaure20 | ||
| Original height | 65 m · 125 cubits | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Base area | 102.2 × 104.6 m · 200 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Construction volume | 235,183 m³ · about one tenth of the Great Pyramid of Khufu | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Inclination angle | 51°20'25" | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Builder | King Menkaure, 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) |
| 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, site 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 (Menkaure Review Committee) |
| Decision of the review committee | unanimous rejection · reason: the original position of no single block can be determined | State Information Service (Menkaure Review Committee) |
| Instead recommended | surveying, ordering the fallen blocks, excavation in the rubble slope, making accessible to visitors · the construction project became a research and outreach project – the current state remains | State Information Service (Menkaure Review Committee) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Cairo and the climate41 | ||
| Population (city) | 9,801,536 inhabitants · as of 2023 | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Population (Greater Cairo) | 22,200,000 inhabitants | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| City area | 606 km2 | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Area of Greater Cairo | 2,744 km2 | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Elevation above sea level | 23 m | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Latitude | 30.04 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Longitude | 31.24 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Founding of the Fatimid city | 969 AD · Earlier settlements (Babylon, Fustat) are much older | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Nearest airport | CAI IATA | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Airport to city center | 20.7 km | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Road to Giza Plateau | 16.5 km | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Driving time to Giza Plateau | 18 min · Free-flow time without traffic; in the greater Cairo area, realistically much longer | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| January daily high | 18.9°C · 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 · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| October daily high | 30°C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| October daily low | 20°C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| November daily high | 24.9°C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| November daily low | 15.6°C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| December daily high | 20.5°C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| December daily low | 11.7°C · Station Cairo Airport (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 |
What applies at the Great Gate: ticket office closing time, card payment, shuttle
Since 2025, the Great Gate on the Cairo-Fayoum desert road has been the main entrance; it replaces the old gate at Mena House. The Sphinx Gate is open but has no ticket counter. At the Great Gate, the ticket counter closes one hour before the site closes. The official opening hours contradict each other: one says 8 am to 4 pm, another 7 am to 5 pm. Payment at the counter is by card only, not cash; cashless sales have been in effect since 2023. Private vehicles have not been allowed on the plateau since 2025. The electric shuttle is included in the site ticket and stops at Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, as well as at the panoramic point and the Sphinx.
Who this add-on tour suits and who should opt for the longer alternative
Who this add-on tour is intended for is stated in the title: if you want to have a photo shoot of yourself in front of the pyramids and the Sphinx, you will find the right setting here. Four hours are sufficient for this purpose. The offer is expressly not suitable for travelers expecting a private tour or a small group; the provider offers neither. The tour is designated as wheelchair accessible. If you would instead like to include the Grand Egyptian Museum in a longer day, the tour “Grand Egyptian Museum, Pyramids, Sphinx Tour and Lunch” is an alternative: it lasts seven to eight hours, costs from 83 euros, and is also listed with a German-speaking guide.
Similar tours on this page
Six offers between which a reader of this page actually hesitates: 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: Private Tour zu den Pyramiden von Gizeh mit Kamelritt und Mittagessen
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Kairo: Halbtägige geführte Tour zu den Pyramiden von Gizeh und der Sphinx
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Von Kairo oder Gizeh: Private Tour zu Gizeh-Pyramiden und Sphinx
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Kairo: Morgen-Kamelritt, Pyramidentour & lokales Frühstück.
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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?
The provider says nothing about this. It amounts to around 11 euros (700 Egyptian pounds) per person; ask before booking.
How long does the tour actually take?
The catalog states 4 hours. This period is counted from the meeting point or hotel, not from the gate; in Cairo traffic, a good half to a full hour goes off each way.
Is there a German-speaking guide?
Yes, the provider lists German as the guiding language. This is a promise by the provider and not a verified characteristic of the person on site.
Will I get into a pyramid with this?
The offer says nothing about this, which is the case for 175 out of 252 offers. You buy the ticket on site; for the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the official price is around 16 euros (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Is the rating of this offer meaningful?
No. 5.0 stars from only 3 reviews is not enough for a judgment, regardless of how high the score is.
Where can I find all the data for this tour?
In the data sheet on this page. It lists every detail about the tour, each stop, and the climate of the departure city, each with its source, and can be downloaded as a CSV.
GetYourGuide
Cairo: Professional Photo Shoot Add-On Tour
Dates, availability, and the latest version of services are provided by the operator. This page reflects the catalog status, not today's morning update.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these sources. The text does not cite them to keep it readable; the data sheet lists the source for each line.
- 1GetYourGuide: Kairo: Professionelle Fotoshooting-Zusatztour 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 from Egyptian pounds to euros, 59.14 EGP per euro. Amounts are rounded down because "from" indicates a lower limit.
- 3Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 4Altertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 5Daily News Egypt abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 6RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 7Egyptian Streets abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 8Middle East Observer abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 9UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 10UNESCO / Wikidata abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 11RESEARCH-BASE (Ortstermin 2026-08-31) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 12RESEARCH-BASE (mehrere Quellen, umstritten) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 13Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 14The National abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 15Saudi Press Agency abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 16Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 17Falchi et al., Science Advances 2016 abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 18Egyptian Streets abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 19Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 20Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 21Kasia Szpakowska im Gespraech mit NOVA (PBS) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 22Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 23Remote Sensing (MDPI), Ruecknahmehinweis 10.08.2026 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 24Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 25Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 26Zahi Hawass, Restoring the Great Pyramid abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 27Egyptian Streets / Ahram Online, September 2025 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 28Nature 2017 (ScanPyramids) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 29Scientific Reports 2025 (North Face Corridor) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 30Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 31Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 32Giza Project, Harvard University abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 33Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 34Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 35Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 36State Information Service (Pruefkommission Mykerinos) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 37Wikipedia (en): Cairo abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 38Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 39OSRM-Routing auf OpenStreetMap-Daten abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 40NOAA-Klimanormalen 1991-2020 via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 41Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 42RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 43UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 44Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 45NOAA-Klimanormalen 1991-2020 via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-03