Things to do in Giza

Giza faces central Cairo across the Nile. The pyramids stand on a plateau about 13 km south-west of that centre. Tours in Giza mean the plateau, the museum nearby and the older pyramids to the south.

On the plateau

Three large pyramids stand on the plateau, with the Sphinx below them.

• Khufu. The Great Pyramid, built in the 26th century BC. It stood 146.6 metres tall and now stands 138.5. It is the oldest of the Seven Wonders, and the only one still largely intact.
• Khafre. Smaller than Khufu's, but it looks taller because it sits on higher ground.
• Menkaure. The third and smallest, completed around 2510 BC.
• The Sphinx. Carved from bedrock, 73 metres long and 20 metres high.

The museum nearby

The Grand Egyptian Museum opened on 1 November 2025, about 2 km from the pyramids.

• Ramesses II. An 11-metre statue stands in the Grand Hall.
• The staircase. It climbs six storeys to a terrace with views of the pyramids.
• Tutankhamun. The first complete collection shown together, 5,398 objects.

South to Saqqara and Dahshur

One six-hour day pairs Giza with the older pyramids south of it.

• Djoser's Step Pyramid. The first pyramid. It reopened in 2020 after 14 years of restoration.
• Imhotep Museum and Unas. The architect's museum, then the smallest pyramid of the Old Kingdom, its chamber walls inscribed.
• The Bent Pyramid. At Dahshur, where the slope changes partway up.

Where the day trips come from

Day trips run here from Alexandria, Hurghada and the cruise port of Ain Sokhna. From Alexandria the day runs twelve hours. From Hurghada it is five hours each way by bus.

A two-hour quad ride in the desert is the short option.

Practical

• Weather. January highs are 19C, with nights near 7C. July highs reach about 35C. Rain is close to nil, about 17 mm a year.
• Shared tours. They need four people, or the date moves or the tour goes private.
• Passports. Bring them on the Hurghada day, and send details ahead for port excursions.
• Tips. Guide and driver gratuities are not included.
• Kit. Walking shoes, a hat, sunglasses and cash.