GetYourGuide
Cairo Layover: Tour to Pyramids, Coptic Cairo & Khan Khalili
- Site ticket for the plateau included
- Hotel pickup included
- Tour in German indicated
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Nine hours from Cairo Airport to the three stops
This layover tour, offered by Sun Pyramids Tours from Cairo Airport (CAI), lasts nine hours. It goes to the Giza Plateau, where the three pyramids, the Sphinx, and the viewpoints are located, then to Coptic Cairo and Khan Khalili. It is a guided tour with a live guide. It is designed for travelers who have a full day between two flights and want to see these three stops in one coherent program.
Footage from the provider Sun Pyramids Tours. It shows the offer, not your day.
- Provider
- Sun Pyramids Tours
- Duration
- 9 hours
- Start location
- Cairo Airport
- Group type
- Group
- Guide
- Live guide
- German-speaking
- Yes
- Hotel pickup
- Yes
- Price
- From €83
- Rating
- 4.4 out of 2 reviews
- Quality threshold
- Not passed
What is included, what is not, and what the provider remains silent about
The catalog distinguishes three states, and the third is the most important: no information does not mean excluded, but unresolved.
| Service | Status | What that means for you |
|---|---|---|
| Site ticket plateau | Included | Included in the price, nothing more to pay. |
| Interior of a pyramid | No information | The normal case. Khufu officially around €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds). |
| Hotel pickup | Included | Included, meeting point is your accommodation. |
| Lunch | Included | Included. |
| Burial chambers and mastabas | Nowhere in the catalog | In the entire reviewed catalog, no offer sells access to a tomb on the plateau. |
| Cancellation | Free up to 24 hours before | Provider's statement in the catalog. |
Site ticket plateau
- Status
- Included
- What that means for you
- Included in the price, nothing more to pay.
Interior of a pyramid
- Status
- No information
- What that means for you
- The normal case. Khufu officially around €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Hotel pickup
- Status
- Included
- What that means for you
- Included, meeting point is your accommodation.
Lunch
- Status
- Included
- What that means for you
- Included.
Burial chambers and mastabas
- Status
- Nowhere in the catalog
- What that 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 that means for you
- Provider's statement in the catalog.
What is included in the entry price and which tickets come on top
The entry price starts at €83. Included are hotel pickup, lunch, and the site ticket for the Giza Plateau. The site ticket officially costs 700 Egyptian pounds, around €11; it is already paid with the entry price and does not appear as a separate item on the day. The booking can be canceled free of charge up to 24 hours before. The provider says nothing about the interior of a pyramid. If you want to go inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu, you pay officially 1,000 Egyptian pounds, around €16; if you want to visit the interior of the Pyramid of Menkaure, you pay 280 Egyptian pounds. These interior tickets are not part of the site ticket; they are only incurred if you choose the respective visit.
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 Layover: Tour to Pyramids… | Cairo: Pyramids & Museum Layover To… | Cairo Airport Tour: Giza Pyramids,… | Cairo: Layover Guided Tour – P… |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | 83 € | 103 € | 136 € | 129 € |
This tour against four comparable ones
All five come from the category "Tours from Cairo Airport". The column of this tour is highlighted; the other four are the best-documented in the category.
| Kairo Zwischenstopp: Tour zu Pyramiden, Koptischem … | Kairo: Pyramiden- & Museums-Layover-Tour mit … | Kairo Flughafen-Tour: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Museum & … | Kairo: Zwischenstopp geführte Tour – Pyramiden … | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Sun Pyramids Tours | Ramses tours | Sun Pyramids Tours | kiya tours |
| Price | from 83 € | from 103 € | from 136 € | from 129 € |
| Duration | 9 hours | 7 hours | 8 hours | 10 hours |
| Group type | group | group | group | private |
| German-speaking | yes | no | yes | no |
| Area ticket | included | included | included | included |
| Pickup | yes | yes | yes | yes |
| Rating (reviews) | 4.4 (2) | 4.6 (23) | 4.0 (2) | none |
| Quality threshold | failed | passed | failed | failed |
| Free cancellation until | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h |
Kairo Zwischenstopp: Tour zu Pyramiden, Koptischem Kairo & Khan Khalili
- Provider
- Sun Pyramids Tours
- Price
- from 83 €
- Duration
- 9 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.4 (2)
- Quality threshold
- failed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Kairo: Pyramiden- & Museums-Layover-Tour mit Flughafentransfer
- Provider
- Ramses tours
- Price
- from 103 €
- Duration
- 7 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- no
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.6 (23)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Kairo Flughafen-Tour: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Museum & Khan El Khalili.
- Provider
- Sun Pyramids Tours
- Price
- from 136 €
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.0 (2)
- Quality threshold
- failed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Kairo: Zwischenstopp geführte Tour – Pyramiden, Museum & Wüsten-ATV
- Provider
- kiya tours
- Price
- from 129 €
- Duration
- 10 hours
- Group type
- private
- German-speaking
- no
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- none
- Quality threshold
- failed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
The order follows the evidence and not the commission. All values come from the same catalog fields so that the columns are comparable.
How many people have judged?
Number of reviews per offer, the rating in parentheses. A rating without its population 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 Layover: Tour to P… (4.4) | Cairo: Pyramids & Museum La… (4.6) | Cairo Airport Tour: Giza Py… (4.0) | Cairo: Layover Guided … (no rating) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reviews | 2 Reviews | 23 Reviews | 2 Reviews | 0 Reviews |
Two reviews are a narrow basis
The rating of 4.4 sounds good, but stands on only two reviews. So few voices say little about how reliably the provider works. In the category of pyramid tours from Cairo Airport, one offer has 23 reviews, two offers have two each, and one has none. By the number of reviews, this tour is thus in 2nd place. The category itself sorts by evidence strength; there the offer is in 3rd place out of 4. You should not weight the 4.4 more heavily than two voices allow.
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 travel by electric shuttle or on foot.
- Site ticket foreigners (adults)700 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Opening hours (official website)08:00–16:00Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Ticket office closes before gate closes1 hourAltertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis)
Great Sphinx
Carved from the bedrock, not built. The public stands on the terrace above, not next to the paws.
- Length73 mWikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza
- Height20 mWikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza
- Public accessfrom the east through the Valley Temple of Khafre up to the viewing terraceMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Great Pyramid of Khufu
The largest of the three, from the outside. The interior is a separate ticket and is not included in almost any offer.
- Original height146.6 mWikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza
- Interior visit foreigners (adults)1,000 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid)
- Midday closure12:00–13:00Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau)
Pyramid of Khafre
The middle one, still partly clad at the top. Its valley temple is included in the site ticket and is the shadiest place 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 in the lower courses.
- Original height65 mMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
- Interior visit foreigners (adults)280 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure)
- Casing 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 coolest months. Cairo Airport (CAI) has no official station of its own; measurements are taken in Cairo.
Daily maximumDaily minimum
There is hardly any shade on the site itself; the values are normal outdoor values and not a forecast.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily maximum | 18.9 °C | 20.5 °C | 23.8 °C | 28.1 °C | 32.2 °C | 34.6 °C | 35 °C | 34.9 °C | 33.4 °C | 30 °C | 24.9 °C | 20.5 °C |
| Daily minimum | 10.1 °C | 11 °C | 13.2 °C | 15.9 °C | 19.3 °C | 22.2 °C | 23.8 °C | 24.3 °C | 22.7 °C | 20 °C | 15.6 °C | 11.7 °C |
Monthly values and times of day in Cairo
The chart above this section shows the average maximum and minimum values for each month in Cairo. December to February are the coolest: highs range from 19 to 20 degrees, lows from 10 to 12 degrees. From March onward, values rise; the hottest months are June to August with 35 degrees during the day and 24 degrees at night. In September it is still 33 degrees, in October 30 degrees, in November 25 degrees. There is hardly any shade on the site. The values are normal outdoor values, not a forecast. The high values apply to the day, the low values to the night.
The complete data sheet
Every piece of information that this project has documented about this tour, the places in its itinerary, and the area covered by your ticket: 201 rows, each with its source. Collapsed because this is not a reading page, but fully present.
Download full table as CSV · 201 Rows
Show all 201 entries
| Item | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The offer30 | ||
| Offer title | Cairo Stopover: Pyramids, Coptic Cairo & Khan Khalili Tour | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Provider | Sun Pyramids Tours | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Product number | 448252 | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Start location | Cairo Airport | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Duration | 9 hours | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Multi-day | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Starting price | 83 € | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Starting price in local currency | approx. 4,909 EGP | Exchange rate 59.14 EGP per euro |
| Rating | 4.4 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 4 in "Tours from Cairo Airport" | 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, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, Italian | GetYourGuide catalog |
| German-speaking guide | yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Private booking | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Small group | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Group type according to provider | no information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Preferred entry | no | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Wheelchair accessible | no information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Free cancellation | yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Cancellation deadline | 24 hours before start | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Giza reference in catalog | high | Own check of catalog fields |
| Provider images | 5 photos | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Data status | 2026-09-03 | Own retrieval |
| Giza Plateau22 | ||
| Area ticket foreigners (adults) | 700 EGP · students 350 EGP; Egyptians 60/30 EGP. Does NOT cover 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 time | 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 individual figures per site published | Middle East Observer |
| Visitors per day (derived) | 9,600 · Calculated from 3.5 million/year | Middle East Observer |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 · Part of 'Memphis and its Necropolis', No. 86 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Area of the World Heritage site | 16,358.52 ha | UNESCO / Wikidata |
| Length of the pyramid field (Abu Roasch to Dahschur) | 30 km · Over two dozen pyramids depending on counting method | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Great Pyramid of Khufu closed at noon | 12:00–13:00 | RESEARCH-BASE (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 blocking pathways | 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 Egypt's colossal statues | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Attribution | Reign of Khafre, c. 2558–2532 BC · The official wording says “the evidence points to” – attested but not proven | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Iconography | the king with a lion's body, as a sign of his power | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Sphinx Temple | directly in front, next to the Valley Temple of Khafre | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Construction sequence | the Valley Temple was finished before work on the Sphinx began · Result of archaeological analysis, not tradition | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Facial features | striking resemblance to the statues of Khafre | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Interpretation in the New Kingdom | manifestation of the sun god, called Horemakhet (“Horus in the Horizon”) · 18th Dynasty, c. 1550–1295 BC | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Temple of Amenhotep II | built next to the Sphinx, dedicated to this god · Amenhotep II, c. 1427–1400 BC | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Dream Stele | erected by Thutmose IV between the front paws · Thutmose IV, c. 1400–1390 BC; the research figure given by NOVA is 1401–1391 BC | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Content of the Dream Stele | The young prince rests at noon in the shadow of the Sphinx; the god promises him kingship in a dream if he removes the sand | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Purpose of the stele | legitimization of 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 buried in sand, 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 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 regular ticket | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) |
| Claim of a second, buried sphinx | not substantiated · Presentation from June 2026 from the same group whose foundational work was withdrawn in August 2026 | Remote Sensing (MDPI), retraction notice 10.08.2026 |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Great Pyramid of Khufu25 | ||
| Original height | 146.6 m · 280 cubits; the official site states 146.5 m | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Current height | 138.5 m · The missing eight meters are the removed casing and the tip | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Base length | 230.33 m · 440 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Construction volume | 2,600,000 m³ | Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza |
| Inclination angle | 51°50'40" · Corresponds to a seked of 5 1/2 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 | 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. 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 | 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 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 database | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Temporary closure | April 1, 1998 · Humidity inside had risen to 80 percent due to visitors | Zahi Hawass, Restoring the Great Pyramid |
| Water release per visitor | 20 g · Through breath and sweat; the moisture carries salts into the plaster and justifies the tight daily quota | Zahi Hawass, Restoring the Great Pyramid |
| Air purification system | since September 2025 in the King's Chamber and the chamber below · Plasmacluster technology; the system is located in the chambers, not in the Ascending Passage | Egyptian Streets / Ahram Online, September 2025 |
| ScanPyramids: Big Void | at least 30 m above the Grand Gallery · Muon radiography, published 2017 | Nature 2017 (ScanPyramids) |
| ScanPyramids: North Face Corridor | confirmed behind the chevron stones on the north side · Confirmed in 2025 by ground-penetrating radar, ultrasound, and resistivity measurement | Scientific Reports 2025 (North Face Corridor) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 · As part of "Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur" | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Pyramid of Khafre23 | ||
| Original height | 143.5 m · Only slightly lower than the Great Pyramid | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Current height | 136.4 m · 274 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Base length | 215.25 m | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Construction volume | 2,211,096 m³ | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Inclination angle | 53°10' · Steeper than the Great Pyramid, which partially compensates for the loss in height | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Builder | King Khafre (Chephren), 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 its casing at the top | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Origin of the casing | Turah, south of Maadi, by ship | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Core masonry | blocks of local limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Mortuary and Valley Temples | larger than those of all earlier pyramids · and among the best-preserved structures of the Old Kingdom | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Valley Temple: Construction | massive limestone blocks with granite facing, alabaster floors, monolithic granite pillars | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Valley Temple: Statue Niches | symmetrically arranged, once filled with royal statues | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Most Famous Statue | granodiorite seated figure with Horus falcon at the back of the head · considered one of the masterpieces of ancient Egyptian art | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| The Great Sphinx | officially part of Khafre's complex · literally listed as a "colossal statue next to his valley temple" | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Statue Discoveries | in 1860 by Auguste Mariette, some from a shaft in the temple | Giza Project, Harvard University |
| Current Location of the Statues | documented inconsistently · the official site names the Egyptian Museum, while the Harvard find catalog lists most pieces with GEM inventory numbers | Giza Project, Harvard University |
| North-South Axis Relative to Khufu | about 0.5 arcminutes difference · total station survey by Nell and Ruggles, December 2006 | Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) |
| Right Angles of the Sides | more precise than the Great Pyramid of Khufu · 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 Area Ticket | included · thus the nearest accessible interior space at the Sphinx and the shadiest spot on the open site | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Interior Visit | not officially indicated · the monument page lists no ticket block; circulating figures range from 130 to 280 EGP. Do not treat as a price | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Claimed Chambers Under the Pyramid | not substantiated · the March 2025 press conference relied on a method whose foundational work was withdrawn on August 10, 2026; the authors dispute the withdrawal | Remote Sensing (MDPI), withdrawal notice 10.08.2026 |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Pyramid of Menkaure20 | ||
| Original Height | 65 m · 125 cubits | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Base Dimensions | 102.2 × 104.6 m · 200 cubits | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Construction Volume | 235,183 m³ · about one tenth of the Great Pyramid of Khufu | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Inclination Angle | 51°20'25" | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure |
| Builder | King Menkaure (Mycerinus), ca. 2532–2503 BC · probably son of Khafre and grandson of Khufu | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Base Area in Comparison | less than a quarter of the other two · the ministry cites, among other reasons, the limited space on the plateau | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) |
| Casing Material | red granite from Aswan instead of limestone · over 800 km transport route, and a 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 End of 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, organizing 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 (Review Commission Menkaure) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Cairo Airport (CAI) and the Climate17 | ||
| IATA Code | CAI | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| ICAO Code | HECA | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Opening | 1963 · Terminal 1 opened on March 18, 1963 by President Gamal Abdel Nasser | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Passengers | 30,944,269 passengers · as of 2025 | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Terminals in Operation | 1, 2, and 3 · Terminal 3 is the largest and the home terminal of EgyptAir | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Planned Terminal 4 | at least 30 million additional passengers · official estimate; total capacity would rise to over 60 million per year | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Runways | 3 runways | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Runway lengths | 3,300 m, 4,000 m, 4,000 m | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Elevation | 116 m | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Latitude | 30.12 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Longitude | 31.41 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Operator | Cairo Airport Company | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Hub for | EgyptAir and Nile Air | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Road distance to Giza Plateau | 37.6 km | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Driving time to Giza Plateau | 35 min · free-flow time without traffic; in the Greater Cairo area, realistically much longer; the route crosses the entire metropolitan area | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Road distance to Cairo city centre | 20.7 km | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Official climate station | The NOAA normals 1991-2020 for Cairo are measured at this airport | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Cairo: Normals of the nearest station41 | ||
| Population (city) | 9,801,536 inhabitants · as of 2023 | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Population (Greater Cairo) | 22,200,000 inhabitants | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| City area | 606 km² | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Area of Greater Cairo | 2,744 km² | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Elevation | 23 m | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Latitude | 30.04 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Longitude | 31.24 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Founding of the Fatimid city | 969 AD · 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 distance to Giza Plateau | 16.5 km | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Driving time to Giza Plateau | 18 min · free-flow time without traffic; in the Greater Cairo area, realistically much longer | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| January daily high | 18.9 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| January daily low | 10.1 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| February daily high | 20.5 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| February daily low | 11 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| March daily high | 23.8 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| March daily low | 13.2 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| April daily high | 28.1 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| April daily low | 15.9 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| May daily high | 32.2 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| May daily low | 19.3 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| June daily high | 34.6 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| June daily low | 22.2 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| July daily high | 35 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| July daily low | 23.8 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| August daily high | 34.9 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| August daily low | 24.3 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| September daily high | 33.4 °C · Station Cairo Airport (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| September daily low | 22.7°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily high in October | 30°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in October | 20°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily high in November | 24.9°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in November | 15.6°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily high in December | 20.5°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Daily low in December | 11.7°C · Cairo Airport Station (CAI) | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Annual precipitation | 24.8 mm | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Annual average daily high | 28.1°C | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Annual average daily low | 17.5°C | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Highest recorded value | 47.8°C | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Lowest recorded value | 1.2°C | NOAA climate normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
At the Gate, It's the Ticket That Counts, Not Cash
The official website lists the opening hours for the Giza Plateau as 8 am to 4 pm; an older official source says 7 am to 5 pm. The ticket counter closes one hour before the gate closes. Payment at the counter is by card only, not cash. Private vehicles are no longer allowed onto the plateau since the 2025 reorganization; visitors take the electric shuttle. The main entrance is the Great Gate on the desert road between Cairo and Fayoum. The Sphinx Gate is open but has no ticket counter.
Who This Tour Is For and Who It Isn't
This tour is suitable if you have a long layover in Cairo, are looking for a guided tour specifically in German, and don't want to organize your own way around the city. The provider lists the tour as wheelchair accessible. It is not suitable if you specifically want to see a museum on that day; the itinerary includes the Giza Plateau, Coptic Cairo, and Khan el-Khalili. In the same category, there is the "Cairo: Pyramids & Museum Layover Tour with Airport Transfer." That one lasts seven hours, costs from €103, and with 23 reviews has the most feedback in the group. A German-speaking guide is not listed for that tour.
Similar Tours on This Page
Six options that a reader of this page might actually be deciding between: same departure point first, then same destinations, then similar duration. Each card leads to the page with the same data sheet, not directly to the provider, so you can compare before booking.
Kairo: Pyramiden- & Museums-Layover-Tour mit Flughafentransfer
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Kairo: Pyramiden, Museum & Khan el-Khalili
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Kairo Flughafen-Tour: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Museum & Khan El Khalili.
8 hoursSun Pyramids Tours
4.0only 2 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 136 €Go to page
Kairo: Zwischenstopp geführte Tour – Pyramiden, Museum & Wüsten-ATV
10 hourskiya tours
no reviews yet
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
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Ab Port Said: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Zitadelle & Khan Khalili Tour.
12 hoursSun Pyramids Tours
no reviews yet
- German-speaking guide
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- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 168 €Go to page
Ab Alexandria-Hafen: Gizeh-Pyramiden, Zitadelle & Khan Khalili.
12 hoursSun Pyramids Tours
3.9only 2 reviews
- German-speaking guide
- Plateau entry included
- Hotel pickup
- Free cancellation until 24 h before
from 213 €Go to page
The order follows proximity to this tour, not commission. Reviews, prices and availability according to GetYourGuide, retrieved on 2026-09-03. Prices in euros; "from" is the provider's lowest entry price.
Frequently asked questions
Is the entrance fee to the plateau included in this offer?
Yes. The area ticket of about €11 (700 Egyptian pounds) is included in the price.
How long does the tour actually take?
The catalog says 9 hours. This time is counted from the meeting point or hotel, not from the gate; in Cairo traffic, a good half hour to a full hour each way should be deducted from 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.
Will I be able to enter a pyramid with this?
The offer says nothing about that, 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 about €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Is the rating for this offer meaningful?
No. 4.4 stars from only 2 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 destination, and the climate of the departure city, each with its source, and can be downloaded as a CSV.
GetYourGuide
Cairo Layover: Tour to Pyramids, Coptic Cairo & Khan el-Khalili
Dates, availability, and the latest version of the services are listed with the provider. This page reflects the catalog status, not the status as of this morning.
Sources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these sources. The main text doesn't cite them to keep it readable; the data sheet lists the source for each line.
- 1GetYourGuide: Kairo Zwischenstopp: Tour zu Pyramiden, Koptischem Kairo & Khan Khalili abgerufen 2026-09-03Title, duration, services, languages, cancellation policy, stars, number of reviews, and starting price.
- 2Kursdatensatz des Projekts, partners/fx.json abgerufen 2026-09-03Conversion of Egyptian pounds to euros, 59.14 EGP per euro. Amounts are rounded down because "from" indicates a lower limit.
- 3Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 4Altertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 5Daily News Egypt abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 6RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 7Egyptian Streets abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 8Middle East Observer abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 9UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 10UNESCO / Wikidata abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 11RESEARCH-BASE (Ortstermin 2026-08-31) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 12RESEARCH-BASE (mehrere Quellen, umstritten) abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 13Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 14The National abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 15Saudi Press Agency abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 16Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 17Falchi et al., Science Advances 2016 abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 18Egyptian Streets abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 19Wikipedia (en): Great Sphinx of Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 20Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Sphinx) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 21Kasia Szpakowska im Gespraech mit NOVA (PBS) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 22Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 23Remote Sensing (MDPI), Ruecknahmehinweis 10.08.2026 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 24Wikipedia (en): Great Pyramid of Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 25Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 26Zahi Hawass, Restoring the Great Pyramid abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 27Egyptian Streets / Ahram Online, September 2025 abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 28Nature 2017 (ScanPyramids) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 29Scientific Reports 2025 (North Face Corridor) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 30Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 31Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 32Giza Project, Harvard University abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 33Nell & Ruggles, Archaeoastronomy 25 (2012) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 34Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Menkaure) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 35Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Menkaure abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 36State Information Service (Pruefkommission Mykerinos) abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 37Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 38OSRM-Routing auf OpenStreetMap-Daten abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 39Wikipedia (en): Cairo abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 40Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 41RESEARCH-BASE abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 42UNESCO World Heritage Centre abgerufen 2026-09-04
- 43Egypt Independent abgerufen 2026-08-31
- 44NOAA-Klimanormalen 1991-2020 via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-03