Giza pyramids and Sphinx tour with a private guide

Private tour, group tour or a visit without a guide

You can visit the Giza plateau in three ways. The table does not show prices, because each company sets its own price.

A private tour is a good choice if you want to ask many questions or walk slowly. Without a guide, you can go at your own speed, but you must plan the transport and the route.

Ask for a licensed guide

By law, a tour guide in Egypt must have a license (Law No. 121 of 1983, Ministry). Today, the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities issues this license. Ask the tour company for the name of your guide. Ask to see the guide's license on the day of the tour.

What the plateau ticket includes

The plateau ticket lets you enter the Giza plateau. It costs EGP 700 for a foreign adult. A foreign student pays EGP 350 and must show a valid student ID. The plateau ticket does not include these sites:

The pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure open to visitors in turns, for maintenance work (Al-Masry Al-Youm).

Children under 6 enter free. Photos with a mobile phone are free.

Every day, except Ramadan, you can enter the plateau from 07:00, last entry 16:00. During Ramadan, you can enter from 08:00, last entry 15:30.

For all ticket types and where to buy them, read Pyramids of Giza tickets. To decide on a ticket for the inside, read Inside the Great Pyramid.

Stops on the plateau

The plateau has three main pyramids. Each pyramid is part of a larger complex. A complex has smaller queens' pyramids, tombs for the royal family and officials, and two temples. A causeway (a road that goes up from the valley temple to the pyramid temple) joins the two temples.

A typical visit includes these stops:

1. The Great Pyramid of Khufu. It is the oldest and largest of the three pyramids.
2. The Pyramid of Khafre. Khafre was the son of Khufu.
3. The Pyramid of Menkaure. Menkaure was the grandson of Khufu.
4. The queens' pyramids and tombs. These are next to the main pyramids. The Tomb of Meresankh III needs a separate ticket.
5. The Valley Temple of Khafre and the Great Sphinx. They are at the lower end of Khafre's causeway.

The pyramids are on high ground. The Sphinx and the Valley Temple are lower down, on the east side. Wear shoes for sand and uneven stone. For more about the Sphinx area, read The Great Sphinx of Giza.

What a private tour includes

Tour contents change from company to company. Before you book, ask the company these questions:

• Is the plateau ticket in the price?
• Are tickets for the inside of a pyramid in the price?
• Is transport from your hotel in the price?
• How long is the tour?
• Which languages does the guide speak?

How to request a private tour

Send your date, group size, hotel and guide language with the tour request form. A licensed local tour operator replies with the price and what the tour includes. The reply names the company that operates the tour.

For other tour options, read Pyramids of Giza tours.