Things to Do in Giza (2026): Pyramids, Sphinx & the GEM

Quick answer: Giza is where most Egypt trips begin: the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World stands on a desert plateau on the edge of Cairo. But there is far more to a day here than a photo — you can climb inside the Great Pyramid, meet the Sphinx face to face, ride a camel across the sand at sunset, and finish next door at the vast new Grand Egyptian Museum. Across more than 1,000 bookable experiences the typical price is about 3,736 EGP (~$71) per person. Here is how to make the most of the plateau.

What a Giza day costs, and what that price includes (per person, lowest listed option; prices and exchange rate checked 11 October 2026):

• Pyramids and Sphinx with your own guide: Cairo: Pyramids & Great Sphinx Private Tour with Camel Ride, from about $54 (2,828 EGP). Includes a private Egyptologist, car and hotel pickup, plateau entry and a camel ride of 10 or 30 minutes by option; entry inside any pyramid and lunch are extra. Non-refundable.
• Inside the Great Pyramid: Giza Complex Skip-the-Line Entry and Access Inside the Great Pyramid, from about $63 (3,301 EGP). Includes plateau entry and entry inside the Great Pyramid; it is a ticket, not a guided tour, and hotel transfers and the Menkaure interior depend on the option. Non-refundable.
• A private full day with Saqqara and Memphis: Private Full-Day Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Memphis and Saqqara, from about $100 (5,231 EGP). Includes a private Egyptologist, car and hotel pickup, a 30-minute camel ride, a quad bike ride and lunch; site entrance fees are extra.

For private and VIP options and what they cost, see our guide to private Giza pyramids tours and access.

The Pyramids of Giza

Three pyramids dominate the plateau: the Great Pyramid of Khufu — the oldest and largest, raised around 2560 BC and the only Ancient Wonder still standing — flanked by those of Khafre and Menkaure. You can walk right up to the two-tonne blocks, and a separate ticket lets you climb inside the Great Pyramid, up a cramped ascending passage to the bare granite burial chamber. Most tours finish at the panorama viewpoint out in the desert, where all three pyramids line up for the classic shot.

The Great Sphinx

Carved from a single ridge of limestone, the Sphinx — a lion's body with a pharaoh's head, most likely Khafre's — crouches at the eastern edge of the plateau beside its Valley Temple. It is smaller than people expect but no less arresting up close, and it anchors the after-dark Sound & Light show, when the monuments are lit and narrated.

Camel, horse and quad rides

The desert around the pyramids was made for it. A camel or horse ride across the sand to the panorama point is the classic way to escape the crowds at the base, while ATV and quad-bike tours run out into the dunes behind the plateau, best at sunset. These are the cheapest and most-booked extras, usually bundled with the entry tour.

The Grand Egyptian Museum

Right on the doorstep of the plateau, the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) is the largest archaeological museum in the world devoted to a single civilisation — home to the complete Tutankhamun collection and a grand staircase lined with royal statues. Many Giza tours now pair the pyramids with the GEM; see our Grand Egyptian Museum guide for tickets and what to see first.

Day trips: Saqqara, Memphis & Dahshur

Half an hour south, the older necropolis of Saqqara holds Djoser's Step Pyramid, the world's oldest monumental stone building; Dahshur has the Bent and Red Pyramids, the first true smooth-sided pyramids; and Memphis, Egypt's ancient capital, keeps a colossal fallen statue of Ramesses II. The Giza–Saqqara–Memphis full day is one of the best-value, highest-rated tours in the country.

The top-rated experiences travellers book

Prices are per person for the lowest listed option, with what that price includes (checked 11 October 2026).

• Half Day Tour: Giza Pyramids & Great Sphinx with Private Tour Guide: 4.9★ · 2,593 reviews · from 1,412 EGP (~$27). Includes hotel pickup and a private guide; plateau entry, lunch and a camel ride depend on the option booked, and entry inside the Great Pyramid is extra.
• Giza Pyramids & Private Felucca on the Nile: VIP Experience: 5.0★ · 492 reviews · from 3,923 EGP (~$75). Includes a private Egyptologist, private transport and plateau entry; a camel ride and entry inside the pyramids are extra.
• Giza Pyramids, Sphinx & Saqqara: Full Guided Private Day Tour: 5.0★ · 239 reviews · from 3,400 EGP (~$65). Includes a private Egyptologist, air-conditioned car and hotel pickup; entrance fees and lunch are extra.
• Giza Pyramids & the Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM): 5.0★ · 262 reviews · from 8,630 EGP (~$165). Includes a private van and an Egyptologist guide; entry tickets are not listed as included, so ask before booking.
• Pyramids, Sphinx & Grand Egyptian Museum , Nile Felucca OR Bazaar: 4.9★ · 843 reviews · from 549 EGP (~$10) for the lowest option. Includes an air-conditioned vehicle and lunch; the guide, pyramids and museum entry, camel ride and felucca come only with the matching option.
• Giza Pyramids,Sphinx,Camel Ride,ATV Bike,Shopping, Dinner cruise: 4.9★ · 744 reviews. Includes a private vehicle with hotel pickup; the guide, plateau entry, camel or quad ride and the Nile dinner cruise depend on the option booked, so ask for the price of the option you want.

Browse all things to do in Giza, or see how activity prices compare in the Egypt activity price guide.

When to go and practical notes

The plateau is open year-round; October–April brings comfortable temperatures, while summer means fierce midday sun — arrive at opening (around 8am) to beat both the crowds and the heat. Separate tickets are needed to go inside the Great Pyramid and for the Solar Boat area, where a reconstructed cedar boat buried beside Khufu's pyramid is displayed. Ignore the touts offering "free" camel photos, agree every price up front, and most tours include hotel pickup from Cairo or Giza.

How we built this guide

This guide combines the live prices and details of 1,041 bookable Giza experiences (June 2026) from our marketplace with Egypt's official tourism sources and the archaeological record of the Giza plateau for the facts on the pyramids, the Sphinx and Saqqara. Prices are per person in Egyptian pounds at about 52.4 EGP to the dollar (exchange rate checked 11 October 2026); we use the median. Updated as prices and availability change.

New for 2026

• The Giza tethered balloon — a new elevated view of the pyramids.
• The Grand Egyptian Museum grand opening.