Doing a trip to the pyramids of Egypt was a dream come true. There is nothing like seeing the Pyramids, but on the other side there is nothing worse than missing them when your whole family is going, and you have to work. That´s what happened to Alfonso on our family trip to Egypt. Anyway, since I was the only one there and we know how important is a trip to the Ancient Pyramids, we have decided to tell you all the information about Pyramids of Egypt. That way, everyone who is visiting the Pyramids for the first time will be ready and won´t miss anything. Plus, writing about Egypt was another good excuse to make my brother jealous.
What are the Pyramids of Egypt??
Before we tell you all the important information about Pyramids of Egypt, let´s start with the basics…Don´t be like us and at least be able to answer, “what are the Pyramids of Egypt?” We are sure that you all know this question, but in case you are not: The Pyramids of Egypt are ancient structures in the shapes of pyramids who were built a long time ago as tombs to the pharaohs of the country in Egypt.
Name of the Pyramids of Giza
In case you didn´t know (we hope you do) there are three pyamids at the Giza Pyramid complex and its names are: The great pyramid of Giza, (also known as Pyramid of Khufu or the Pyramid of Cheops) which is by the way one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. And the other two which are the Pyramid of Khafre (or Chephren) and the Pyramid of Menkaure which is the smallest of the three pyramids of Giza.
Where are the great pyramids of Egypt?
Another simple question, but, where are the Pyramids of EGYPT located? Yes, of course, these are in Egypt, congrats! No, but seriously, where are exactly located? Well, it may surprise you as it did to us, but the Pyramids of Egypt are not situated very far away lost in the dessert as we all imagine in our minds. The three pyramids are located just 9km away from the city of Giza and about 13km from Cairo. Crazy right?
Right when you leave behind the city of Giza, you will start seeing a big desertic area. In just five minutes you will see the Giza plateau. In the Giza plateau other than the Ancient Pyramids, you can also see some tombs and the famous Sphinx.
Here you can find the Pyramids of Egypt map location:
How to get to the Pyramids
The worst about visiting the Pyramids is getting there, as the traffic in Egypt is crazy. Fortunately (in this case) we were staying at the Barceló Cairo Pyramids which is located in Giza and it just takes 15 minutes by car (30minutes with traffic) to the Pyramids. Unless you are going with a tour and they drive you by bus, we recommend you using Uber.
The only problem with Uber is that you need a SIM card (you can get it at the airport) to have internet to come back to the city. Uber prices are not really expensive, a 30-minute distance costs about 45 EGP which is about 2,5€. If you are staying in Cairo it takes you about 45 minutes and the price it´s a little bit higher.
You can also go by metro or bus, but it takes a lot of time and we don´t recommend it.
Best time to visit Egypt Pyramids
Of all the information about Pyramids of Egypt, the most useful is about the best time to visit Egypt Pyramids. Your visit will be totally different if you go at one time or another. For example, seeing it with a bunch of tourists will for sure ruin your day, but seeing it with colours on the sky will make it way better.
Egypt Pyramids sunset and sunrise
We would advise you to visit the pyramids at sunrise time, but unfortunately it´s still not open at that time. So, if somehow, you make it for sunrise, let us know how you did it! You can still visit the Pyramids as soon as it opens and have it all empty for yourself! And the second-best time to go to the Pyramids is at sunset. Although we were not able to do it, we have been told that seeing these wonders with colours on the sky is like a dream.
Going during the day
If you are unlucky, like us, and you need to go during the day, at the touristic time…Good luck. These times are the worst, and the light at the desert is really bad, but you can still make the best of it. Remember to go away from the big groups and look for different spots (be creative). Sometimes you will be surprised of what you can find
Seeing the Pyramids at night
Another amazing opportunity is to see the pyramids at night. No matter if you went during the day or not, we would advice you to visit it at night as well. There is a light show going on and is more than worth it
Giza Pyramids opening hours
Of course, some of the most important information about the Pyramids of Egypt are its opening hours. The Pyramids are open every day of the week, but there are two different times, winter and summertime:
Giza Pyramids opening hours in winter (October to March) are from 8 am to 4 pm and in summertime (April- September) from 7am to 7 pm. Don´t be lazy and wake up early!!
Best entrance to the Pyramid complex
Surprise! There are two entrance to the pyramids of Giza! Did you know that?
Each entrance has pros and cons, but we have our mind clear on which one is better.
One entrance is at the Great Pyramid, and you will have to go downhill to see the Sphinx (where the other entrance is located) and then leave. This one of course, sounds better as going uphill will get you tired and you guys are lazy, right? But the truth is that most people thinks the same, so you will be following the crowds during the whole day! If you chose the second entrance and see the Sphinx the first, you will skip most of the tourists.
Comment us, which one did you choose at the end. We really want to know if you guys are lazy or not.
How long do you need to visit the Pyramids?
There should never be a hurry to visit the Pyramids, but in case there is you can count with about 2 hours to see it all “properly”. In our case, we would spend the whole day there, taking photos, videos, and just admiring it for a while.
But as you may not have a whole week in Cairo, you should save some time to enjoy the best places to visit in Cairo and Giza.
Giza Pyramids entrance fee
Here comes what everyone wants to know…What´s the entrance fee for the Pyramids? Although we are sure no matter what´s the price we would pay it! I mean if you are already going to Egypt, you just can´t miss the Pyramids, right?! Anyway, don´t worry because the prices are not that expensive!
- The entrance ticket to the Pyramids complex is 160 EGP which is about 9€.
- You can also pay tickets to go inside the Great Pyramid which is more expensive 360 EGP (20€) or the Pyramid of Khafre 100 EGP (5,50€).
- Last of all, you can also go inside Mers Ankh Tomb, 50 EGP (3€).
- If you want to see it all, there is a combined ticket that costs 500 EGP (28€).
- Don´t forget that there are discounts for students.
Going inside the Pyramids of Egypt
As we said you can have an entrance to two of the pyramids. You can go inside the Great Pyramid, but also the Pyramids of Khafre.
If you don´t have much time, we don´t recommend you paying the tickets, as the outside is way better. Plus, you are not allowed to either use or take your camera inside.
Inside, everything is very narrow and a little bit claustrophobic, plus of course everything is empty as they took the things to the museum.
History about the Pyramids of Egypt
If there is one thing we all focus a lot when visiting Egypt is on its history. Once we made it to the country our whole family turned into wise people who wanted to learn all about the history of Egypt. I wish I was so excited about history when I was at the school.
Well, the same happened when we visited the Pyramids, we had too many questions. I mean, who is not wondering why are these Pyramids still standing perfectly after so many years?
So, we got to the conclusion that everyone needs an answer to these questions about the history of the Pyramids.
When, how and who build the Pyramids?
These questions were killing me when I was standing under those huge monuments. These famous Pyramids of Egypt date back to 2560 BC and were ordered by the Pharaoh Khufu.
Although for a long-time people have been thinking that the pyramids were made by slaves (you can even see it in movies). Recently some years ago, they discover tombs of the builders very near to the pyramids. This means that they were not slaves and they were just Egyptians doing their job.
Other 5 facts about the Pyramids of Egypt
This was some of the most important information about Pyramids of Egypt that you should keep in mind for your trip. But there are also some other additional and interesting facts about the pyramids that you may want to know:
Pyramids of Egypt height
The tallest pyramid of Giza is the Pyramid of Khufu and it´s 139 metres tall. The second one with 136 metres is the pyramid of Chephren. Meanwhile, the height of the pyramid of Menkaure is 61 meters.
Can you climb the Pyramids of Egypt??
No, officially you can´t climb the pyramids. You can even get arrested if you do. But sometimes even the policemen tell you to climb (maybe not to the top).
We wouldn´t climb it as these are historical monuments and probably the goal of building it was not to use it as a hike. If we don´t climb it probably it will last longer, and more generations will see it in a future.
What to wear at the Pyramids?
Although there is no dress code to visit the pyramids, or recommendation is to bring sun cream and maybe a hat or something to protect your head as even in winter the sun heats really hard. Other than that, just wear comfy clothes and get ready for good pictures!
Get ready for sellers
Sellers will try to sell you everything they can, souvenirs, tours, secrets spots… The best tip we can give you is to tell them that you don´t want anything from the beginning. If you answer them back or ask for prices or something the wont stop. Oh, and don´t believe them if they try to give you things for free…NOTHING IS FREE!
Find the best photo spots at the Pyramids!
Last of all, if you are looking for a good place to take pictures at the pyramids then go far away. Sometimes sellers will offer you a ride by a mini-bus or cars to get there.
From a far distance you will have an outstanding view to the three pyramids of Egypt!
Hope You enjoy visiting the Pyramids of Giza
This is all the information about Pyramids of Egypt, hope you have an incredible trip and if you have any other question or suggestion, let us know in the comments!