Complete Guide to visiting the Pyramids of Giza
The Giza Pyramids guide has everything you need to know before visiting and booking your excursion. I hope you can learn from my mistakes and save your money.
Booking Tips
My number one tip is: Do your RESEARCH! These touristy areas are known for over promising and under delivering. Find a guide on your own, don’t go with the first place the hotel recommends. I highly suggest browsing tripadvisor.com, you can find excursions that are more than 50% cheaper than what the local agencies will charge you.
Package Options
When I visited in July 2021 the excursion was presented as 3 packages it went something like this:
- The small package: visit 1 large pyramid, 2 smaller pyramids and the tombs (I think they said this was $95)
- The medium package: visit 2 pyramid, 2 smaller pyramids, tombs & sphynx ($125)
- The large package: see all the pyramids, tombs, sphynx and photo opportunity on a hill ($175)
Personally I feel like this is a lot for an excursion, but don’t worry do your research and you won’t end up paying this much.
I’m not sure if this how other agencies propose the packages too but this is how it was done for us, this place was recommended by the hotel. I think it was more expensive because the hotel was getting their cut for referring us there. As a group we only wanted to see one big pyramid up close and get the photo at the top of the hill, so we tried to negotiate for a mix between the small and large package.
The Catch
All these sights are in the same area, it’s marketed as you are visiting all these places but as you see the pyramids you will be seeing/passing by all these other promised locations, I felt jipped because they made it seem like we would be going inside these places or getting up close but it was just to the right you’ll see the tombs
If this is on your bucket list, I highly recommend checking TripAdvisor for tours they have some from $22- $75, don’t wait till you are there to book because you mostly will get stuck with an overpriced excursion and haggling.
Preparing for the excursion
The Heat
We were also tired from the sun so we only saw one large pyramid up close before we were ready to get the show on the road. Go in the early AM or late afternoon. Wrap your head, you will need it to protect yourself from the heat and it’ll catch your sweat. The guides were helpful and wrapped our scrafs on our heads to help us stand the heat. Pack a light scarf if you have one or you can buy one there for like $5 USD.
Duration of trip
Stay hydrated during this tour, it can take 2-3 hours depending on what you want to see. Slap on that sunscreen because it gets hot and you’ll want to protect your skin, that isn’t covered up. The agency I booked it through gave us the option of riding a camel or a horse. There is an option to walk it, I did feel bad for the animals and the guides because there is one person who is walking in front of them guiding them but I don’t think I would’ve been able to manage walking it back and forth from the mountain top to the pyramids and back.
What to pack for the Pyramids of Giza
- Small backpack
- Water
- Mini sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Light scarf for your head
- Breathable tank and pants
- Phone or Camera
- Shoes that you don’t mind getting sand in
I even wore a light cardigan to protect my arms from the beating sun, but I know that might be uncomfortable for some. If you go in the summer you will most likely sweat a lot so keep that in mind when choosing your clothes.
Hope this helps you plan the perfect excursion roaming one of the seven wonders of the world!
Happy Traveling – Ex 🙂
