GetYourGuide
★ 4.3(11 Reviews)A Half-Day Expedition to the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx
- Site ticket for the plateau included
- Hotel pickup included
- Tour guide in German specified
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
Four Hours on the Plateau: Start in Giza, Sphinx, and the Three Pyramids
You start in Giza and spend four hours on the Giza Plateau. Before you are the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure, the Great Sphinx, and the viewpoints between the structures. The Great Sphinx is carved from the bedrock; you stand on the terrace above it, not beside its paws. The Pyramid of Khafre is the middle of the three and still has its casing at the top; the Pyramid of Menkaure shows granite from Aswan in its lower courses. Emo Tours Swiss offers this as a guided tour; a German-speaking guide is specified, other languages are English, Spanish, and Italian. The tour can be booked privately. The provider does not specify a fixed start time; the duration is four hours. It is aimed at guests who prefer a focused visit to the site over a long combination program.
Photos from the provider Emo Tours Swiss GmbH. They show the offer, not your day.
- Provider
- Emo Tours Swiss GmbH
- Duration
- 4 hours
- Start location
- Giza
- Group type
- private booking available
- Guide
- live guide
- German-speaking
- yes
- Hotel pickup
- yes
- Price
- from €58
- Rating
- 4.3 out of 11 reviews
- Quality threshold
- passed
What is included, what is not, and what the provider does not say
The catalog distinguishes three states, and the third is the most important: no information does not mean excluded, but unresolved.
| Service | Status | What this 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 | not included | Not included. |
| Burial chambers and mastabas | nowhere in the catalog | In the entire reviewed catalog, no offer sells access to a tomb on the plateau. |
| Cancellation | free up to 24 hours before | Provider's statement in the catalog. |
Site ticket plateau
- Status
- included
- What this means for you
- Included in the price, nothing more to pay.
Interior of a pyramid
- Status
- no information
- What this means for you
- The normal case. Khufu officially around €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Hotel pickup
- Status
- included
- What this means for you
- Included, meeting point is your accommodation.
Lunch
- Status
- not included
- What this means for you
- Not included.
Burial chambers and mastabas
- Status
- nowhere in the catalog
- What this means for you
- In the entire reviewed catalog, no offer sells access to a tomb on the plateau.
Cancellation
- Status
- free up to 24 hours before
- What this means for you
- Provider's statement in the catalog.
What the entry price from €58 covers and what is added on the day
The entry price starts at €58; this places the tour at rank 22 of 43 offers in terms of price, whose range spans from €12 to €362. Included are hotel pickup, the site ticket for the plateau, and the guide. The site ticket officially costs 700 Egyptian pounds, about €11; the provider covers this amount, so you do not pay it again on the day. Explicitly not included is lunch; this is the minority in this category, as only ten other of the 42 remaining offers also exclude it. What can be added on the day concerns the interiors: the interior of the Great Pyramid of Khufu officially costs 1,000 EGP, about €16; the interior of the Pyramid of Menkaure costs 280 EGP. The provider does not say whether an interior is part of the tour. Tipping is customary in Egypt, but not a surcharge for special service.
The price in comparison
Entry price of this tour against the four best-documented offers in the same category. The highlighted bar is this tour.
The 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 | A Half-Day Expedition to the Giza-… | Giza: Guided Pyramid Tour at Sun… | Giza: Pyramid, Memphis, Sakkara with … | Pyramids of Giza: Quad Desert Safari… | Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx: Half-Day… |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Entry price | 58 € | 40 € | 31 € | 34 € | 25 € |
This tour against four comparable ones
All five come from the category 'Tours from Giza'. The column of this tour is highlighted; the other four are the best-documented in the category.
| Eine Halbtagesexpedition zu den Gizeh-Pyramiden und … | Gizeh: Geführte Pyramiden-Tour bei Sonnenaufgang … | Gizeh: Pyramide, Memphis, Sakkara mit optional … | Pyramiden von Gizeh: Quad-Wüstensafari und … | Pyramiden von Gizeh und Sphinx: Halbtägige private … | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Emo Tours Swiss GmbH | Egypt Excursions Online | Egypt Excursions Online | Emo Tours Egypt | Emo Tours Egypt |
| Price | from 58 € | from 40 € | from 31 € | from 34 € | from 25 € |
| Duration | 4 hours | 5 hours | 3 to 8 hours | 1 to 2 hours | 4 hours |
| Group type | private | group | group | private | private |
| German-speaking | yes | no | yes | yes | no |
| Area ticket | included | Add-on | included | Add-on | included |
| Pickup | yes | yes | yes | yes | not specified |
| Rating (reviews) | 4.3 (11) | 4.7 (928) | 4.8 (388) | 4.5 (1,167) | 4.4 (1,607) |
| Quality threshold | passed | passed | passed | passed | passed |
| Free cancellation until | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h | 24 h |
Eine Halbtagesexpedition zu den Gizeh-Pyramiden und der Sphinx
- Provider
- Emo Tours Swiss GmbH
- Price
- from 58 €
- Duration
- 4 hours
- Group type
- private
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.3 (11)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Gizeh: Geführte Pyramiden-Tour bei Sonnenaufgang mit Kamelritt und Frühstück
- Provider
- Egypt Excursions Online
- Price
- from 40 €
- Duration
- 5 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- no
- Area ticket
- Add-on
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.7 (928)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Gizeh: Pyramide, Memphis, Sakkara mit optional Dahschur und Feluke-Tour
- Provider
- Egypt Excursions Online
- Price
- from 31 €
- Duration
- 3 to 8 hours
- Group type
- group
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.8 (388)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Pyramiden von Gizeh: Quad-Wüstensafari und optionaler Kamelritt
- Provider
- Emo Tours Egypt
- Price
- from 34 €
- Duration
- 1 to 2 hours
- Group type
- private
- German-speaking
- yes
- Area ticket
- Add-on
- Pickup
- yes
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.5 (1,167)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
Pyramiden von Gizeh und Sphinx: Halbtägige private oder Gruppen-Tour
- Provider
- Emo Tours Egypt
- Price
- from 25 €
- Duration
- 4 hours
- Group type
- private
- German-speaking
- no
- Area ticket
- included
- Pickup
- not specified
- Rating (reviews)
- 4.4 (1,607)
- Quality threshold
- passed
- Free cancellation until
- 24 h
The order follows the documentation and not the commission. All values come from the same catalog fields 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 of this page is ten reviews. Anything below is not a judgment but a coincidence.
Figures in this chart as a table
| Row | A Half-Day Expedition to the… (4.3) | Giza: Guided Pyramid Tour… (4.7) | Giza: Pyramid, Memphis, Sakk… (4.8) | Pyramids of Giza: Quad Desert… (4.5) | Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx… (4.4) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| reviews | 11 reviews | 928 reviews | 388 reviews | 1,167 reviews | 1,607 reviews |
4.3 out of 11 reviews: a narrow basis for the rating
The stated rating of 4.3 comes from eleven reviews. This number is too small to gain a reliable impression; a single review noticeably shifts the average. By the number of reviews, the tour ranks 21st of 43 in the category. Rank 20 follows a weighting by evidence strength, not solely the rating. Whether the tour is better or worse than the group average cannot be deduced from eleven votes.
The day, stop by stop
The order follows the usual sequence. Each stop tells you what to expect there and the documented figures; everything else is in the data sheet.
Pickup at your accommodation
The provider picks you up; the duration of the tour counts from here, not from the gate.
Giza Plateau
The site itself: the three pyramids, the Sphinx, and the viewpoints in between. Private vehicles are not allowed up; you go by electric shuttle or on foot.
- Site ticket foreigners (adults)700 EGPMinistry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Opening hours (official website)08:00–16:00Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities
- Ticket office closes before gate closes1 hourAltertümerverwaltung (Regelpraxis)
Great Sphinx
Carved from the bedrock, not built. The public stands on the terrace above, not 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 included in almost no 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 with casing 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 on its 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)
- 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 stop in this list is a stop, not a promise about the duration of the stop.
Temperatures in Cairo over the year
Average daily maximum and minimum values per month. Two series, one axis; the points mark the hottest and coldest months. Giza (city) 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 temperatures in Cairo: When the four hours on the plateau remain bearable
The chart shows the average maximum and minimum values for Cairo; Giza itself has no official measuring station. For the four-hour tour, the maximum values matter: In June, July and August they are 35 degrees; the minimums stay between 22 and 24 degrees. May and September reach 32 and 33 degrees. There is hardly any shade on the plateau. The months December to February are more pleasant with 19 to 20 degrees during the day and 10 to 12 degrees at night. In the transitional months of March, April, October and November, the maximums range between 24 and 30 degrees. These 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: 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 | ||
| Tour title | A half-day expedition to the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Provider | Emo Tours Swiss GmbH | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Product number | 639315 | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Start location | Giza | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Duration | 4 hours | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Multi-day | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Starting price | 58 € | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Starting price in local currency | approx. 3,430 EGP | Exchange rate 59.14 EGP per euro |
| Rating | 4.3 stars | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Number of reviews | 11 | GetYourGuide, live retrieval |
| Project quality threshold | Passed | Own rule: at least 4.0 with at least 10 reviews |
| Rank in category | 20 out of 43 in "Tours from Giza" | Own evaluation, 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 this | Own evaluation of all 252 offers |
| Hotel pickup | Included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Lunch | Not included | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Type of guide | Live guide | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Guide languages | Arabic, English, German, Spanish, Italian | GetYourGuide catalog |
| German-speaking guide | Yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Private booking possible | Yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Small group | No | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Group type according to provider | Private group | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Preferred entry | Yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Wheelchair accessible | No information | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Free cancellation | Yes | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Cancellation deadline | 24 hours before start | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Giza reference in catalog | High | Own check of catalog fields |
| Provider images | 5 photos | GetYourGuide catalog |
| Data status | 2026-09-03 | Own retrieval |
| Giza Plateau22 | ||
| Area ticket foreigners (adults) | EGP 700 · Students EGP 350; Egyptians EGP 60/30. Does NOT cover the interiors | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities |
| Site ticket for 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 the gates close | 1 hour | Antiquities administration (standard practice) |
| Payment at the ticket office | card only, no cash · Cashless sales since 2023; cash is 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 is open but has no ticket office | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Private vehicles on the plateau | banned since the 2025 reorganisation | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Electric shuttle | included in the entrance fee, hop-on/hop-off · Stops confirmed: Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure, Panorama Point, Sphinx | RESEARCH-BASE |
| Visitor operations | Orascom Pyramids Entertainment (OPE), 15-year contract since 2018 · Ticket revenue remains entirely with the state, plus 50% of project profit | Egyptian Streets |
| Visitors per year (operator's figure) | 3,500,000 · Figure from 5 Jan 2026; target 5 million; no official figure per site published | Middle East Observer |
| Visitors per day (derived) | 9,600 · Calculated from 3.5 million/year | Middle East Observer |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 · Part of 'Memphis and its Necropolis', No. 86 | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Area of the World Heritage site | 16,358.52 ha | UNESCO / Wikidata |
| Length of the pyramid field (Abu Roasch to Dahschur) | 30 km · Over two dozen pyramids depending on counting method | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Great Pyramid of Khufu closed at noon | 12:00–13:00 | RESEARCH-BASE (on-site visit 2026-08-31) |
| Interior of the Great Pyramid (figures in circulation) | 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/public holidays | only with ID or accompanied · Regulation from June 2022; current application unverified | Egypt Independent |
| Major concerts on the plateau since | 1978 · Around 15 confirmed major performances in five decades, almost annually since 2021 | The National |
| First professional boxing match on the plateau | 2026-05-23 · Usyk vs Verhoeven, T.K.o. round 11 | Saudi Press Agency |
| Private photography at the sites | free of charge, also with system/SLR cameras · Permit required for: photo umbrellas, artificial light, equipment that blocks the way | 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' – 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 of 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 covered in sand, probably only the head visible | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| The plateau in the New Kingdom | recreation area for the court: hunting, chariot driving, archery, resting places in the shade | Kasia Szpakowska in conversation with NOVA (PBS) |
| Dream Stele: material and size | granite, almost four metres high, several tonnes · 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 · Exposed 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 in 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 |
| 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 metres 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 with high-quality limestone | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Builder | King Khufu (Cheops), c. 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) |
| Great Gallery | corbelled ascent to the King's Chamber | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Boat pits on the south side | 2 ships · Found dismantled; the first boat is now in the Grand Egyptian Museum | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (The Great Pyramid) |
| Interior visit foreigners (adults) | EGP 1,000 · Official amount; the site ticket is 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 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 of Khufu; 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 located in the chambers, not in the ascending passage | Egyptian Streets / Ahram Online, September 2025 |
| ScanPyramids: Big Void | at least 30 m above the Great Gallery · Muon radiography, published 2017 | Nature 2017 (ScanPyramids) |
| ScanPyramids: North Face Corridor | confirmed behind the chevron stones on the north side · Confirmed in 2025 by ground-penetrating radar, ultrasound and resistivity measurement | Scientific Reports 2025 (North Face Corridor) |
| UNESCO World Heritage since | 1979 · As part of “Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur” | UNESCO World Heritage Centre |
| Pyramid of Khafre23 | ||
| Original height | 143.5 m · Only slightly lower than the Great Pyramid of Khufu | 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 of Khufu, which partially compensates for the loss in height | Wikipedia (en): Pyramid of Khafre |
| Builder | King Khafre (Chephren), c. 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 high 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 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 the Khafre complex · Listed literally as a "colossal statue next to his valley temple" | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Statue discoveries | 1860 by Auguste Mariette, some from a shaft in the temple | Giza Project, Harvard University |
| Current location of the statues | contradictory records · 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 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 · The 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 on the open site | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Giza Plateau) |
| Interior visit | not officially indicated · The monument page lists no ticket block; circulating figures range from 130 to 280 EGP. Do not treat as a price | Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (Pyramid Complex of Khafre) |
| Claimed structures beneath the pyramid | not substantiated · The March 2025 press conference relied on a method whose foundational work was retracted on August 10, 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 (Mycerinus), 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 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, site ticket required additionally | 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, organizing 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 |
| Giza (city) and the climate17 | ||
| Population | 4,458,135 inhabitants · As of 2023; third largest city in Egypt | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| City area | 98.4 km2 | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Elevation above sea level | 30 m | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Latitude | 29.99 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Longitude | 31.21 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Founded | 642 AD | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Administrative seat | Capital of Giza Governorate | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Visitors 2025 | 14,700,000 people · According to the article, this makes it Egypt's most visited destination | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Road to Giza Plateau | 12.2 km · From Giza city center; the plateau lies on the western edge of the city | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Driving time to Giza Plateau | 15 min · Free-flow time without traffic; in Greater Cairo realistically much longer | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Distance to Memphis (Mit Rahina) | under 30 km south | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| International airport | CAI IATA · According to the article, 45 km from Giza via the Cairo-Alexandria desert road | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Second airport: Sphinx International (SPX) | Opened 2018 · Explicitly built to serve the plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum | Wikipedia (en): Sphinx International Airport |
| Sphinx Airport to Giza Plateau | 36.8 km | OSRM routing on OpenStreetMap data |
| Cairo University on site since | 1924 · The campus is in Giza, not Cairo | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Public transport | Cairo Metro, shared network with Cairo | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Nearest official climate station | Cairo Airport (NOAA normals 1991-2020) · According to the article, the climate matches that of Cairo; no separate official normals exist for Giza | Wikipedia (en): Giza |
| Cairo: Normals from 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 |
| Greater area | 2,744 km2 | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Elevation above sea level | 23 m | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Latitude | 30.04 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Longitude | 31.24 degrees | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Founding of the Fatimid city | 969 AD · Earlier predecessor settlements (Babylon, Fustat) are significantly older | Wikipedia (en): Cairo |
| Nearest airport | CAI IATA | Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport |
| Airport to city 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 Greater Cairo 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 minimum | 22.7°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| October daily maximum | 30°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| October daily minimum | 20°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| November daily maximum | 24.9°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| November daily minimum | 15.6°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| December daily maximum | 20.5°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| December daily minimum | 11.7°C · Cairo Airport station (CAI) | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Annual precipitation | 24.8 mm | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Annual mean of daily highs | 28.1°C | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Annual mean of daily lows | 17.5°C | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Highest recorded value | 47.8°C | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
| Lowest recorded value | 1.2°C | NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020 via Wikipedia |
At the Gate: Card Payment, Electric Shuttle, and Early Ticket Office Closure
Since the 2025 reorganization, the Giza Plateau operates as follows: private vehicles stay below, visitors take the electric shuttle or walk. The shuttle is included in the site ticket and stops at Khufu, Khafre, Menkaure, the Panorama Point, and the Sphinx. The main entrance is the Great Gate on the Cairo-Fayoum desert road; the Sphinx Gate is open but has no ticket counter. Payment is by card only. Official opening hours are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM; the ticket office closes one hour before the gate closes. An older source lists 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
Who This Tour Suits and When to Choose Another
This tour suits you if you want to visit the plateau and the Sphinx with a German-speaking guide for four hours, without adding other off-site destinations. It does not suit you if you also want to see Memphis and Saqqara on the same day: for that, there is the tour “Pyramid, Memphis, Saqqara with optional Dahshur and Felucca Tour” from €31, which also lists a German-speaking guide. If you are mainly comparing prices, you will find a cheaper option for the pyramids and Sphinx with the “Half-Day Private or Group Tour” from €25; however, that one does not list a German-speaking guide.
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Six offers that a reader of this page might actually weigh: 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.
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The order follows proximity to this tour, not commission. Reviews, prices and availability according to GetYourGuide, retrieved on 2026-09-03. Prices in euros; "from" is the provider's lowest entry price.
Frequently asked questions
Is the entrance to the plateau included in this offer?
Yes. The site ticket for about €11 (700 Egyptian pounds) is included in the price.
How long does the tour actually take?
The catalog lists 4 hours. This span is counted from the meeting point or hotel, not from the gate; in Cairo traffic, a good half to full hour each way goes to that.
Is there a German-speaking guide?
Yes, the provider lists German as the guiding language. That is a promise from the provider, not a verified attribute of the person on site.
Will I get into a pyramid with this?
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, the official price is about €16 (1,000 Egyptian pounds).
Is the rating of this offer meaningful?
Yes. 4.3 stars from 11 reviews is above the threshold of 4.0 with at least ten votes that this page uses.
Where can I find all data on this tour?
In the data sheet on this page. It lists every detail about the tour, each destination, and the climate of the starting city, each with a source, and can be downloaded as a CSV.
GetYourGuide
A half-day expedition to the Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx
Dates, availability, and the latest version of services are listed with the provider. This page reflects the catalog status, not the status of this morning.
from 58 €
ViewSources
Every figure on this page comes from one of these sources. The running text does not name them to keep it readable; the data sheet lists the source in each row.
- 1GetYourGuide: Eine Halbtagesexpedition zu den Gizeh-Pyramiden und der Sphinx 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): Giza abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 38OSRM-Routing auf OpenStreetMap-Daten abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 39Wikipedia (en): Sphinx International Airport 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
- 44Wikipedia (en): Cairo abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 45Wikipedia (en): Cairo International Airport abgerufen 2026-09-03
- 46NOAA-Klimanormalen 1991-2020 via Wikipedia abgerufen 2026-09-03