The Great Pyramids of Giza: What to Expect

The scale doesn’t register until you’re standing at the base. Photographs compress the Pyramid of Khufu into something that looks manageable from a distance. In person, it is 138 metres tall and covers 5.3 hectares. The limestone blocks average 2.5 tonnes each, and there are approximately 2.3 million of them. Constructed over roughly 20 years beginning around 2560 BCE, it remained the tallest man-made structure in the world for over 3,800 years. You spend the first few minutes just trying to take in the dimensions.

Tickets in 2026

As of 2026, almost all entrance fees at Egyptian sites must be paid by credit or debit card – cash is no longer accepted at the pyramids. Book online in advance at egymonuments.com or buy at the card-only machines on site.

General admission to the Giza Plateau (covering the three main pyramids and the Sphinx) is 700 EGP for adults. Entering the interior of the Great Pyramid of Khufu costs an additional 400 EGP, with only 300 interior tickets available daily – 150 sold at 8am and 150 at 1pm. Arrive at the site before opening if you want an interior ticket. Entering Khafre’s Pyramid costs 280 EGP; Menkaure 200 EGP.

The Solar Boat Museum is 100 EGP separate, not included in general admission. It houses a reconstructed 4,500-year-old cedar boat found sealed in a pit beside the pyramid, essentially intact. The boat was buried to transport the pharaoh in the afterlife, and what you see is the real object, not a replica.

The Interior

The interior of the Great Pyramid involves significant bending and a steep climb through a low, narrow ascending passage. The burial chamber at the top is largely bare granite. Worth doing once if you don’t have claustrophobia concerns; skip it otherwise.

The Sphinx

The Great Sphinx is at the eastern end of the complex, adjacent to Khafre’s Valley Temple and included in the general admission. Up close it is more eroded than any photograph suggests – the nose was gone by the medieval period and the face is much diminished. The context makes more sense than any single view: framed by Khafre’s causeway and pyramid behind, the Sphinx reads as an integrated element of the mortuary complex it was designed for.

Timing

Go at opening (8am) or after 3pm. Midday in summer is brutal – temperatures regularly hit 40 degrees. The site closes at 5pm. The Sound and Light Show in the evenings is tourist-facing but the setting, with the lit pyramids against a dark sky, is genuinely atmospheric.

Eating

Don’t eat at the on-site restaurants – overpriced and mediocre. Head back into Giza or to Cairo. Koshary Abou Tarek near Ramses Square is the canonical spot for koshary, Egypt’s rice-lentil-pasta street dish, around 25-40 EGP a bowl. In Khan el-Khalili, El Fishawy has been a tea house since 1773 and is worth a stop.

Staying

The Marriott Mena House at the foot of the pyramids is the famous choice, with direct pyramid views from some rooms. Budget travellers do well in Zamalek or Mohandessin and take the metro or a taxi out.

A Practical Warning

Scammers at the Giza plateau are persistent and experienced. Don’t accept anything offered as a “gift.” If someone offers to take your photo, they will ask for payment afterward. The camel and horse riders near the entrance will approach aggressively. A clear, consistent “no” is more effective than any form of engagement.