You arrive along Al-Haram Road and the pyramids rise ahead of you before you have even reached the gate. That approach, with the plateau filling the windscreen and the city pressing in behind, is the moment most visitors remember.
Giza suits travellers who want the ancient monuments first and everything else second. The sights are spread across a plateau and a museum campus, so a little planning about timing and tickets saves a lot of walking in the heat.
This guide covers the sites on the Giza Plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum, and the experiences the sources describe around them, with practical notes on when to go and what to combine.
Top things to do in Giza
1. Great Pyramid of Giza
The oldest and largest pyramid in Egypt, and the last surviving representative of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Entry to the interior is on the north side, facing your approach.
Come very early if you want to go inside. The interior is hot, humid, cramped and claustrophobic, the passages are steep and dusty, and anyone with heart, lung or musculo-skeletal limitations will be uncomfortable. No cameras are allowed into the pyramids.
2. Great Sphinx of Giza
A single block of sandstone bearing a man's head upon a lion's haunches, understood to have been carved in the reign of Khafre as a guardian spirit of the necropolis. You approach it along its north flank as you near the exit gate.
The Sphinx faces east, so its main features are in shade later in the day. You need morning light for a good photo. Paying extra for the enclosure in front of its paws is of limited value, as it is crowded and the closer view mostly emphasises the wear on the stone.
3. Grand Egyptian Museum
The primary replacement for the Egyptian Museum in Midan Tahrir, with main galleries covering Egyptian history from prehistory to the Greco-Roman period. The highlight is the Tutankhamun gallery.
Allow at least four hours to see the whole museum at a comfortable pace. Tickets can be booked only online, so arrange them before you travel. It sits on the Cairo-Alexandria Desert Road, northwest of the pyramids.
4. Pyramid of Khafre
Khafre was the son and successor of Khufu. His pyramid is slightly smaller than the Great Pyramid but sits on higher ground, so it looks larger. A few blocks of the original limestone cladding survive at its tip.
Entry to the interior is on the north flank. Access to the Khafre and Menkaure interiors alternates each year, and only a limited number of extra tickets are available each day with no pre-booking system, so by mid-morning they may be gone.
5. Pyramid of Menkaure
Menkaure was probably the son and successor of Khafre. His is the smallest pyramid here. Along the south flank are his Queens' pyramids, and on the east flank is his funerary temple.
Entry to the interior is on the north flank. The shade of one of the Queens' pyramids along the south flank is a good place to take a break from the activity on the plateau.
6. Queens' Pyramids and Nobles' Tombs
Scattered across the complex, especially around the Great Pyramid, are various queens' pyramids and nobles' tombs. On the eastern flank you will find the burial pits for the solar boats; along the west flank are noblemen's tombs.
Several of these tombs are open to visit and usually free of crowds. There is no extra charge, though baksheesh may be appreciated.
7. Walking the plateau
In good weather the site is walkable if you are moderately fit, and there is no need for a camel or horse ride. You can walk out to the west of the pyramids for a wide panorama.
The complex absorbs crowds well, though they are greater on Friday when Egyptians visit in numbers. In the heat of summer you may feel differently about walking. Most hustlers give up if you shake your head and say nothing.
8. The pyramid interiors
Going inside a pyramid is a separate decision from seeing the plateau. The extra admission is not cheap, and the interiors are hot, humid, cramped and lacking atmosphere in any conventional sense.
You do need to come early for these tickets, as numbers are limited each day. The Great Pyramid interior is always open, while access to the Khafre and Menkaure interiors alternates each year.
9. Horse riding in the desert
Riding out into the desert gives you the pyramids seen from outside the wall that surrounds the site, and a sense of the Egyptian horses. It is best arranged through one of the better quality stables.
Be careful of touts. Before you get on the back of a horse or camel, look at how the animals are treated, and agree the price and the route first. At the end, hand over the agreed money and walk away.
10. Giza Zoo
Established on 1 March 1891, the Giza Zoo holds the distinction of being Africa's first zoo and the world's third oldest zoological garden. It sits on approximately 80 acres.
It makes a change of pace from the plateau and is one of the city's long-standing institutions rather than an ancient site.
11. Pharaonic Village
Jacob Island was transformed into a replica of ancient Egyptian life in 1974. The village contains the Mummification Museum, a replica of Tutankhamun's Tomb and village souvenirs.
It also includes museums for former Presidents Gamal Abdel Nasser and Anwar Sadat, so it covers the modern era as well as the ancient one.
If you only have one day
Morning: Arrive at the Giza Plateau as early as you can, entering by the main gate at the western terminus of Al-Haram Road. Head first to the Great Pyramid of Giza and, if you want to go inside, buy that ticket immediately, as numbers are limited and gone by mid-morning. Work anti-clockwise through the site, taking in the Queens' Pyramids and Nobles' Tombs and the Pyramid of Khafre along the way.
Afternoon: Continue to the Pyramid of Menkaure, then walk down towards the exit near the Great Sphinx of Giza, which you approach along its north flank. If you have the energy and the day is cool, walk out west of the pyramids for the panorama. Keep walking past the horse and camel drivers as you near the exit.
Evening: The Grand Egyptian Museum runs later on Wednesday and Saturday, so if your day falls on one of those, use the late hours for the Tutankhamun gallery and the main galleries. Otherwise, plan the museum as a separate half day, since it needs at least four hours.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit the pyramids?
Come very early to beat the crowds, who arrive fairly soon after you. Friday is busier because Egyptians visit in large numbers. In the cool months the midday sun is not hot, though it is still strong on UV.
Do I need to book tickets in advance?
Grand Egyptian Museum tickets can be booked only online. For the pyramid interiors there is no pre-booking system, and only a limited number of extra tickets are available each day, so by mid-morning they may all be gone.
Should I take a camel or horse ride at the pyramids?
In good weather the site is walkable if you are moderately fit, and there is no need for a ride. Some people express concern about the way the animals are treated. If you do ride, agree the price and the route first, and be aware that drivers may try to extract more money at the end.
How long do I need at the Grand Egyptian Museum?
At least four hours are needed to see the whole museum at a comfortable pace. Do not confuse it with the Egyptian Museum or the Museum of Egyptian Civilisation.
Decide your dates, book the museum ticket online, and plan to be at the plateau gate at opening.