TIPS FOR VISITING THE PYRAMIDS OF GIZA (FREE AND ON TOUR)

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Who has not ever dreamed of a trip to Egypt? We were able to fulfill that dream a few months ago, and we will never forget the thrill of seeing, finally, the silhouette of the Pyramids of Giza in front of us. Egypt has lots of super interesting places, but none like those ancient giants that drive so many explorers, Egyptologists and tourists. There is no photo that can render justice to these monuments, nor an article that conveys what it really feels to contemplate them for the first time, but we can give you useful information! So next we will give you a few Tips for visiting the Pyramids of Giza.

Few know, but around the country there are more than 100 pyramids, yes ... the most famous are, without a doubt, the Pyramids of Giza. And, did you know that, unlike what is often believed, everything indicates that it was not slaves who worked on the construction of the pyramids? They were actually salaried workers, in fact next to the Pyramid of Cheops there is a construction that served as a crypt to bury the workers who lost their lives (which shows that their lives were, at least, considered).

The pyramids of Giza are a funerary monumental complex (necropolis), located about 15 km southwest of downtown Cairo, and formed by 4 main elements:

The Cheops Pyramid (Great Pyramid)
The Kefren Pyramid
The Pyramid of Micerino
The sphinx

There is two forms to visit the pyramids of Giza: for free and on tour. Below we talk about each option. But for now we will know the true protagonists ...

The first pyramid you will see is the Great Pyramid (or Pyramid of Cheops), the highest (146 meters) and the most impressive of the 3 you will visit. It consists of more than 2 million blocks of stone and nobody knows how to build (each block weighs several tons). On this there are lots of theories, which more rare (we prefer not to say our favorite).

It was Pharaoh Keops who sent her to build in 2,570 BC. and, although in theory the idea was to use it as his mausoleum, the original sarcophagus was never found.

Curiosity: The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one of the seven wonders of the Ancient World that still stands.

Is it worth entering the Great Pyramid?

We did not do it, but if one wants to (and has paid what is due) he can enter and go through part of the inner halls of the Great Pyramid. These tunnels are quite narrow, so if you suffer claustrophobia it is NOT recommended.

We talked to people who had just come in and some liked it and others came out disenchanted. The conclusion would be that it is a recommended visit for those who want to live the experience of being inside the Pyramid and reaching the Pharaoh's chamber, just because it is one of the most magical and enigmatic places on the planet. If you do it to enjoy hieroglyphs and archaeological remains, it is NOT too much worth paying the extra entrance, since both the room and the passages are practically empty, except for a stone sarcophagus that was placed a few years ago.

In Egypt there are other pyramids that can be visited inside and that look much better, such as the Red Pyramid of Dashur.

The Pyramid of Kefrén is the only one that continues to maintain the original lining at the top, which made the pyramids look completely smooth (and not with its characteristic stepped) and reflect the sunlight in a show, almost stellar. Its height is 136 meters, although for a long time it was believed to be the highest due to an optical effect that makes it appear somewhat larger than the Pyramid of Cheops.

Curiosity: Chephren was the son of Cheops.

It is also known as "Pyramid of Menkura" and is the smallest of the whole (measures 62 meters). In the twelfth century, the son of Saladin, in his attempt to dismantle the Pyramids to use his stone blocks, damaged part of the north face of the monument.

Curiosity: Menkura (Egyptian name of Micerino) was the son of Chephren and grandson of Cheops. So, although the three pyramids are thousands of years old, they were actually all built in a very short period of time.

With the head of a pharaoh and the body of a lion, the Sphinx is one of the most curious and mysterious mythological figures in history. It was said that he questioned who approached her, and if the answer was not correct, pam! death guaranteed.

This one from Giza is the most famous without a doubt, and according to the latest theories, the human face could represent Pharaoh Kephren. It measures about 20 meters high and almost 60 meters long. Our guide told us that in the past the Sphinx did not present that rough aspect of the stone, but was painted (specifically red 0_o).

Everything indicates that it rose around 2,500 B.C. and it is placed in front of the Pyramid of Chephren, as if it were its guardian.

Curiosity: the story that Napoleon shattered the Sphinx's nose with a cannon shot is not true (and less that it was Obelix who broke it): most likely it was a vandalism there by the year 1378. Although The nose has no clues, the beard that also came off is in the British Museum in London! Here you can see other curiosities of Egypt.

These types of temples were built next to the pyramids and served as the entrance function. The one next to the Pyramid of Chephren is especially interesting because it remained covered with sand until the 19th century, so its conservation status is very good. The truth is that the dimensions are quite imposing, with huge stone walls and lots of columns. We recommend you enter before visiting the Sphinx, because it is in this temple that the famous photo is made by kissing (or fighting) with the Sphinx.

In this case, and without serving as a precedent, we believe that the tour option is appropriate, for several reasons. In the first place because of the distances and the heat, having the transport you avoid walking a good run under the African sun, which tightens a lot. And second, you are in a place surrounded by stories, enigmas and curiosities, no matter how much you have learned beforehand it is always better to have a specialized guide that gives you explanations.

In this case, there are different types of tours and ways to hire it:

Reserve on-line a half day group tour, with guide in Spanish, pick up at your hotel and transport. We have reviewed several options and this is the one that we find most interesting, in addition the price seems very good: € 23, for 5 hours of tour. This other one has great reviews and also includes tickets to the venue.

Reserve on-line full tours of a group day, including other visits. You would have a visit to the Pyramids of Giza just like the previous point, plus other interesting visits. These are the most recommended day tours from Cairo (all in Spanish):

Visit the pyramids of Giza, Memphis and the step pyramid of Saqqara. More info.
Visit to the pyramids of Giza, step pyramid of Saqqara and Dashur. More info.
Pyramids of Giza, visit the Great Egyptian Museum and the Khan Al-Khalili Market. More info.

Tour private, with guide, and own transport. It has the advantage that you do not depend on more people to establish schedules and is more flexible. You can book it on-line (This costs about € 32 per person and has a guide in Spanish), or you can search for contacts of guides / taxis in Cairo that offer this service. This second option seems riskier, although you can save some money if you negotiate it well. How to find a guide? In the same box office you will see a few that offer their services (mostly in English), or you can take a look at forums like Travelers, or Facebook groups, where contacts from these recommended guides are sometimes shared.

What did we do and what would we do?

We settled for the half-day group tour to the Pyramids of Giza, since we believed that we would have done something heavy all day, but the truth is that we regret it! If we could go back in time we would have chosen the option of making a full day tour which also includes the visit of Menphis and from the step pyramid of Saqqara. And leave another day to visit Cairo.

We want to highlight that we did not lack time, we took all the photos we wanted and we walked quietly, but if you want to go at your own pace and spend hours and hours here ... well maybe go for free It suits you. In this case, the ideal would be to take a taxi (or Uber) since the pyramids are located in Giza (or Giza) about 15 km from Cairo.

Important! Do not be fooled by the trick of the horse car ... taxis / cars can reach the box office quietly, do not get off before as they often try to sell you horseback riding!

Here we leave you a map to give you an idea of the distribution of the Pyramids and the rest of the points to visit:

If you go on a tour, the entrance will normally be included, otherwise you will have to queue at the box office and pay the ticket (s). These are the prices:

Entrance to the enclosure: 160 LE (about € 9).
Entrance to the interior of the Great Pyramid: 360 LE (about € 20).
Entrance to the interior of the Pyramid of Kefrén: 100 LE (about € 5.5).

Prices are cut in half if you are student, but you will need a university card to prove it.

If you are interested in entering any of the pyramids, you will have to buy the ticket at the box office at the time of passing, once inside they do not sell tickets at the same accesses of the pyramids. The Pyramid of Micerino is under renovation and at the moment it cannot be visited inside.

There is a tourist card (Cairo Pass) which includes the entrance to the main attractions of Cairo, including museums, the Saladin Citadel, the pyramid enclosure, etc ... The price is 100 USD and lasts for 5 days. You can buy it in these same keels.

By power you can, but it is not something we recommend, especially if you travel during a very hot season. We went in December and even in winter it was calorazo… we don't even want to imagine in summer! When going with a guide we went by bus, which was appreciated :-p we are getting old ...

If the whole route is done, including the viewpoints from where the best views with the aligned pyramids are obtained, they are not less than 6 km. It can be greatly reduced if only the Great Pyramid, the Pyramid of Chephren and the Sphinx are made with the Temple Valley, but you miss the wonderful views.

Here are some tips that can help you plan your visit to the Pyramids of Giza:

The schedule It is from 08:00 to 16:00.
Try to arrive as soon as possible, queues are usually formed large enough to buy tickets. Then inside the premises people tend to disperse and there is no feeling of being overwhelmed.
Carries Water, sunscreen, sunglasses and cap: the sun in Egypt is very tight and there is practically no shade in the enclosure.
Sellers can become overwhelmingIf you do not want to hire their services, be polite but firm ... if you start talking to them they will assume that you will hire them / buy something.
If you decide to go for free and not hire a tour or guide, read about the pyramids Before visiting them: there are no informative posters.
Don't ride horse or camel, is a maximum and unnecessary tourist.
We did not go to the Pyramids night show: we had read that it was not worth it and considering the high price of admission, as we passed. But we enjoy it the same way: from the terrace of the Al Hadaba restaurant (where, by the way, you eat fancy!). Go before sunset to enjoy this amazing show and stay to watch the night show (obviously it does not look or listen as well as inside the venue, but for us it was enough and free!).
Another VERY good idea is to stay (even one night) in a hotel overlooking the Pyramids, like the Panorama Pyramids Inn.
There is a viewpoint called Japanese point (The name already gives you an advance: from here you can not stop taking photos hehe). Do not miss it since the panorama of the Pyramids is brutal!
If you only have one day of time to visit Cairo, there is a tour that takes you to see the Pyramids of Giza, to know the Egyptian Museum and Market of Khan Al-Khalili. More info here.

We hope you enjoy this amazing place (surely) and that our tips to visit the Pyramids of Giza They have been helpful. Before you go ... check out the other posts we wrote about the trip to Egypt.