The first time I came to Egypt (2000) was on a 7-night group cruise on the Nile with a lovely bunch of people. I had no intention of going to Cairo or seeing the Pyramids. I was on a tight spending budget. Unfortunately, I listened to the guide on the cruise when he gave us little talks on the benefits of an optional extra trip to the Pyramids. If you want to know why my first visit to the Pyramids of Giza was a complete waste of time and money, read on here
It’s always wise to plan your trip to the pyramids at the very beginning of your stay in Cairo, in case you have to abandon the day due to parts of the plateau being closed to the public to allow visiting dignitaries, etc. to visit. That way, you can change your plan for the day, go see something else, and come back another day.
If you know nothing about the Pyramids at Giza, you will easily find hundreds of sites on the web, so I am not going to rehash that information here. Instead, I will point you to two other posts I have written containing information I think is a little more exciting and worth thinking about. Also, at the end of the page, I will put links to related articles by others that I find interesting, and maybe you will too.
And if you are wondering if you really need a guide in Cairo, check out my post on the subject here: Do I Need A Guide in Cairo? where I give you 7 reasons why you might want to have a guide in Cairo.
When I help my guests plan their trip, I always have my own first trip to Giza in the back of my mind and warn them against overstretching themselves, especially if they have children with them. Children don’t want memories of holidays with stressed-out, tired adults. If you would like to see Egypt with my wonderful guides and have me help with your itinerary, feel free to send me a message here and I will be happy to help. The following is the tour to the Giza Plateau that I usually organize.
GIZA PLATEAU Tour Itinerary: Mara House Tours
- Pick up from your hotel in air-conditioned transport
- You will be accompanied by a qualified, experienced Egyptologist guide
- Entry to the Great Pyramid
- NOTE: I include the entry ticket to the Gt. Pyramid in my Giza Plateau Tour. At the moment, there is not a problem with the number of tourists allowed in, as there was some years ago. I do think the Gt. Pyramid is amazing, and you should go inside. On the day of your tour, we do everything we can to ensure this. However, as tourist numbers are rising again in Egypt, I must add this note to say “I cannot guarantee entry.” If we fail, I will substitute entry to the two smaller pyramids. Entry to the two smaller pyramids is not included in my Giza Plateau Tour, as people rarely want to see them if they have been in the Gt. Pyramid.
- Entry to the Valley Temple at the Sphinx
- Entry to the Sphinx Viewing Platform
- Drive to the Giza “Panorama” and take some optical illusion photos, such as this one of the Pyramids.
- Visit to the GEM Grand Egyptian Museum which has 16 galleries currently open
Camel Ride at the Panorama
- Drop off at your hotel or apartment.
- Tipping for the guide and driver is not included in the price but is expected. My tipping guide for Egypt.
- The tour is subject to availability of guide and transport
- Food and drink are not included.
VIP Private Time inside the monuments by special permission
Mara has specialised in providing private time access for interested individuals and groups to all chambers inside the Great Pyramid and down inside the actual Sphinx enclosure since 2000. If you would like VIP Private Time on your own (not to be confused with the private tours offered by all travel agents), please ask Mara about it.
VIP PRIVATE TIME inside the Great Pyramid is outside of official public opening hours – between 5pm and 6am and includes
- time on your own inside the Kings Chamber at the top of the pyramid. The Kings Chamber contains the red granite sarcophagus, in which you can spend some time if you wish. This is the sarcophagus mentioned in the book “INITIATION” by author Elizabeth Haich, where she describes lucid memories of her initiation into the hidden mystical teaching of the ancient Egyptian priesthood, of which time in this sarcophagus was an element.
- time in the Grand Gallery
- time in the Queens Chamber which is not open to normal visitors.
- time in the subterranean tunnel, also known as “The Pit,” which has been equally, if not more, prized than time in the Kings Chamber by generations of visitors. Time here has been strictly forbidden and is now only available to chosen agents, among which we are numbered. This is an amazing and supernatural space with a very special secret.
VIP PRIVATE TIME inside the Enclosure of the Sphinx includes
- time in the area between the paws of the Sphinx and around the body of the sphinx. Normal visits to the enclosure are only to a viewing area above the actual enclosure. There are several hidden doors on the body of the Sphinx, and it is conjectured that they have already been secretly opened, although this is categorically denied by all officials. One door is reportedly to the fabled “Hall of Records” and I recommend reading “The Emerald Tablets of Thoth, the Atlantean” for more information on this. Private time allows you to access the area around the body of the Sphinx – up close and personal.
The normal tour takes about three hours. Some people opt to add on Saqqara or/and the Antiquities Museum at Tahrir Sq. This is very advisable, as it saves you the cost of a guide and transport for a second day and also leaves you with the option of seeing two or three more places the next day. We can make a change to the itinerary if the GEM (Grand Egyptian Museum) is open during your visit.
If you would like to discuss your options, you can send me a message here.