The Pyramids are the place many people come hoping to live out their Lawrence of Arabia dreams. You might have visions of strolling amongst the desert sand staring up in wonder at these spectacular ancient monuments, all whilst taking in the primeval atmosphere. Now wouldn’t that be nice?
Unfortunately the Pyramids are the wild west of Egypt, and not in a good way. Yes, they are utterly fabulous and you must visit, but you’ll need to temper your expectations and lose any notion that a visit here is romantic.
Exploring the Pyramids requires running a gauntlet of never ending scammers that begin with the security staff and end with… well, they never end.
But before you get put off, we have you covered on all the common scams and mistakes you need to avoid so you can have the best possible trip to these ancient wonders of the world.
Mistakes to avoid at the Pyramids of Giza
1. Believing that you need to take a horse or camel to explore
The most common mistake is the notion that you can’t get around the pyramids without a horse or camel. You expect to hear this from the horse and camel owners, what you don’t expect is that most online sources will back this up. However, it’s simply not true.
Yes the pyramid complex is large, but horses and camels are not the only way to get around. You can easily hire a driver as there is a road that runs between each pyramid, and you’ll only need to walk a little in between. Don’t buy into the rhetoric that cars cannot get you around the complex. They can get you right up to, or very close to all the main sites and viewpoints.
The animals working at the Pyramids are generally treated appallingly, so it’s best to avoid supporting this industry. You will also find that many camel and horse owners will quote you an initially low price to lure you in and then try and extort you for much more later.
2. Trying to see the entire site on foot
When we say the entire site, we mean all the outer viewpoints. If you just want to visit the three main pyramids, the Sphinx and Mers Ankh tomb you can absolutely visit on foot, and we did this on our second visit.
You’ll cover 3km in total and it’s almost entirely flat. The whole area is exposed, so you’ll feel the full brunt of the sun and wind, but if you’re visiting in the cooler months, it’s a great way to see the pyramids.
However, if you want to head to the outer viewpoints (where you can see all nine pyramids) this will add on a number of extra kilometres (we estimate around 6km) and there will be some uphill involved too.
With no shade around, you have to be a super keen walker to take on this option. It can be done, but it won’t be an option many people choose.
If you do opt to visit on foot and arrive by Uber or taxi then make sure you ignore all the touts that try to flag you down - hopefully your driver will help here.
We were waved down so many times with people trying to say the car must stop and we must do the last bit by horse or take a guide etc etc. The list of lies went on and on. Our Uber driver was fab and ignored them all and had a good laugh about it all with us.
3. Believing that everyone with a lanyard is legit
You’ll see plenty of people wandering the site with lanyards strung prominently around their necks. Some will even have whistles. It all looks very official. However, the majority of these people are just hoping to get some money from you.
They might offer to show you something or take you somewhere in a friendly way, insisting no money is required for the service. Trust us, money will be required.
The best thing to do is politely say no to anyone offering you assistance, including those that look official, as even the police can be on the lookout for some baksheesh. That sounds a bit sad as we all like to think the best of people, but this is the pyramids and extortion is the name of the game.
4. Not realising that baksheesh will get you a long way
Baksheesh (aka a tip or bribe) is part of the culture in Egypt and understanding and partaking in it will get you a long way.
For instance, we were told by one of the security staff (at the scanners before you enter the site) that zoom lenses are not allowed inside the complex and that we would have to leave it with the security guard.
Had we not offered a little baksheesh, we wouldn’t have got our lens in. It doesn’t matter if you know it’s not true, make your life easier and give a little tip and you’ll find that zoom lens are now miraculously very welcome inside the pyramids.
This is the same process for using the road to the Nine Pyramids Lounge. The security guard on the road would not let us pass, he literally blocked the road and said we couldn’t go any further. Then an open hand was shown, we passed a little baksheesh, and hey presto we were on our way to the lounge!
Using baksheesh applies to all of Egypt and trust us when we say, it will make your life a lot easier. Sometimes it will enhance your experience, as at many sites a little baksheesh will grant you access to things you wouldn’t otherwise be allowed into (such as roped off rooms in tombs etc).
5. Forgetting to bring small change
This relates to the aforementioned baksheesh. You want to bring small notes in Egyptian currency. If you only have 50’s ($2) and 100’s ($4), or worse still American dollars, then your baksheesh bill is going to be a lot higher than it needs to be.
Most ‘tips’ for things such as we mentioned above (getting your zoom lens into the site) - only need to be small. I mean you’re tipping for things that are actually allowed - like using the road that leads to a restaurant - so you want small bills.
We only needed to pay 5 EGP (USD $0.20 at time of writing) to get our zoom lens in, and to use the road to the lounge.
If you’re paying for an additional service, such as someone opening a tomb for you, or something similar, then you will want to tip considerably more.
6. Thinking you can’t take your camera into the Great Pyramid
When it comes to rules regarding photography, it changes a lot in Egypt. I’ve visited three times and rules have varied from no photography allowed, to only cellphone photography, to photography on any camera you want (minus drones of course).
We’d read that we wouldn’t be allowed to take our camera into the Great Pyramid and left it behind. It turns out that - at time of writing - you can take cameras in, and we were gutted that we didn’t bring ours.
The best thing to do is bring your camera and if the rules have changed you’ll just be asked to keep it in your bag. Don’t risk missing some great photo ops by assuming old rules still apply!
7. Believing that Panorama Point is the best viewpoint
A lot of the tour guides around the pyramids will include a stop at Panorama Point. The view from Panorama Point is good, but it’s not the best - as it’s widely touted to be.
It’s also incredibly busy and you’ll be surrounded by numerous trinket sellers and camel owners trying to tempt you into a ride.
The souvenir sellers at Panorama Point
The view from Panorama Point
The best views in our opinion are the ones that are further away, allowing you to see all nine pyramids, or the three main pyramids stacked on top of each other.
They won’t be empty either, but they will be much quieter than Panorama Point, and offer even more spectacular views.
The view round the corner from Panorama Point
8. Trying to climb the pyramids
We’ve probably all seen some pretty fabulous photos of people sitting atop one of the pyramids, however, attempting this nowadays has grave consequences.
With fines of USD $500,000, up to 10 years in prison and a lifetime ban from visiting Egypt, it really isn’t worth the risk!
However, climbing a few rocks for a photo op? You guessed it, just hand over a little baksheesh. But don’t go for it until you’ve had the nod from security.
If you want to climb a few of the rocks for free you can do so beside the stairway up to the entrance of the Great Pyramid tomb - but unless you get lucky, this area is always very busy.
9. Thinking the close time is strict
At time of writing the pyramid complex closes at 4pm in winter and 5pm in summer. However in reality it’s somewhat relaxed. We were really surprised that 4pm rolled around and no one asked us to leave.
It was only at 4.40pm that we finally started getting whistled at and told to leave. You might wonder why this would matter. It’s only 40 minutes extra.
But for us in winter this meant we got to watch the sunset at the Pyramids, something I had longed to do, but assumed wasn’t possible due to the opening hours.
It was a pretty magical experience. This leads us nicely on to point number 10.
10. Believing you have to take an expensive tour to watch the sunset
The following only applies to a visit between October and March which fall under winter opening hours.
We’re sunset lovers and photography enthusiasts and I was gutted when I realised that the Pyramids opening times would mean it wouldn’t be possible to catch one at the complex.
I started asking around and I was universally told I needed to take a sunset tour, this was backed up by articles I read online. You’ll see from the above point that this was not the case for us and we visited twice at sunset.
However, if you’re like me and super keen to see a sunset, then you might not want to rely on the relaxed close time we got in case you don’t get so lucky. For this reason my advice would be to aim to be at the furthest of the three main pyramids (Menkaure) at closing time. You can then slowly walk back towards the Sphinx (an ideal sunset spot) and watch the sun set as you go.
You will also be offered the chance to go into the desert by horse or camel, and this is allowed outside the Pyramids opening times. We were offered the price of 200 EGP for a sunset camel ride (USD $32 less than tour companies were offering).
We declined because we didn’t want to ride a camel, but we could probably have just paid to be allowed to go to the area on foot. In the end we got almost the full sunset at the Sphinx, so we didn’t need this option.
In essence, the point is that there are ways and means, so don’t feel you have to book one of those expensive tours. Test out your options on the ground and as always be prepared with a little baksheesh.
11. Skipping Mers Ankh tomb
Mers Ankh tomb is well worth a visit, but it’s not for the tomb itself that I’m calling it unmissable.
The truth is that the eastern cemetery beside the tomb was the only time that exploring the Pyramids felt like how you dreamt it would be. The three small crumbling pyramids beside the cemetery were deserted.
You could wander the ruins with views out to the Great Pyramid, not to the backdrop of ‘you like camel? You want camel ride?’, but to the sound of silence.
Well maybe not silence, this is still Giza, and you’ll hear the constant honking of car horns, but you’re otherwise alone.
We came for the tomb, but we stayed for the serenity.
12. Thinking you’ll get a good night’s sleep in Giza
Giza is the city that never sleeps. If you choose to stay in this area (and who can resist those pyramid view rooms?!) then you’ll want to bring ear plugs, or simply surrender to the fact that sleep will not come easily.
To be honest it’s very similar in Cairo, so you can’t really escape it, but certain parts of Giza are the noisiest places we’ve ever tried to sleep in our lives - and we’ve spent a lot of time in India, Bangladesh and Nepal!
The honking cars, shouting, music, packs of stray dogs and excruciatingly early call to prayer ensured that we were pretty much up all night. However, the noise was actually a lot less right beside the Sphinx, so if you can snag one of those rooms, then it will be much better than other parts of the city.
We stayed in four different hotels and our favourite, and the quietest, was definitely Guardian Guesthouse. It’s the only place we’d return to in Giza and also the cheapest place we stayed, so it’s a bit of a win all round.
13. Underestimating the traffic
This applies more if you plan to stay in Cairo and visit the pyramids from there. It might be a mere 18km between downtown Cairo and the Pyramids, but we made the journey several times and it can take anywhere between 30 minutes (a wonderful traffic free run on Friday, when everywhere is quieter as it’s the start of the Egyptian weekend) to 2 hours.
That’s right. Two hours to travel 18km. It was painful. You’ll want to factor traffic in when planning your Pyramids trip, so you don’t end up caught out with less time than you bargained for.
14. Believing the only pyramids worth seeing are the Pyramids of Giza
You know those Lawrence of Arabia dreams I mentioned at the beginning of the post? We’ve established they won’t be fulfilled in Giza. But what you might not know is that less than one hour from Giza you can visit the oldest pyramids in the world. Far away from the touts and maddening crowds you’ll find some of the most atmospheric pyramids in Egypt.
The Pyramids of Dahshur are the real deal. The Red Pyramid, in particular, is picture perfect on the outside and a proper adventure on the inside. If you thought venturing into the tomb inside the Great Pyramid was fun then you have to go inside Red, or Bent Pyramid in Dahshur.
Prepare to get your Indiana Jones on in what may just be your most memorable adventure in Egypt. Not for claustrophobes.
The Red Pyramid of Dahshur
Where to stay in Giza
Guardian Guesthouse
Few hotels in the world have a view that can rival Guardian Guesthouse. Situated just metres from the entrance to the pyramid complex, the best rooms here have head on Sphinx views, with the pyramids behind it. Sunset from the room is simply magical and you can even get a free glimpse of the sound and light show in the evening from the hotel rooftop.
It’s also one of the few places in Giza that is almost entirely away from the car horns and engine noise of Giza, as it’s tucked away beside the Sphinx, which is completely dead when it’s closed. The rooms are dated, but clean and comfy enough.
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Marriott Mena House
The Marriott Mena is what pyramid dreams are made of. This historic hotel is situated within walking distance of the entrance to the Pyramids and has hosted some of the most famous people in the world, including US Presidents, movie stars, writers and musicians.
The view from the grounds are spectacular, with Khufu’s and Khafre’s pyramids overlooking the green oasis of Mena House.
If you’ve got the budget, this is the place to stay in Giza.
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