Great Sphinx of Giza tour: how to see the Sphinx and what the ticket includes

Where the Sphinx is on the plateau

The Great Sphinx is on the east side of the Giza plateau. It faces east. It is next to the Valley Temple of Khafre. It is also at the lower end of the causeway (a road that goes up from the valley temple to the pyramid temple) to the Pyramid of Khafre.

The three pyramids are higher up, to the west. The causeway from the pyramid temple of Khafre to the Valley Temple is approximately 495 m long. The 2022 trial route of the plateau shuttle bus included a Sphinx station (State Information Service, September 2022). Wear shoes for sand and uneven stone.

Does the plateau ticket include the Sphinx?

Yes. The plateau ticket lets you see the Sphinx from the public area next to it. Prices are for foreign visitors.

The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities lists the Sphinx itself as "private visits only plus site opening fees". This means that the plateau ticket does not let you go into the enclosure (the area around its body).

The plateau ticket does not include entry inside the pyramids. For all prices, read Pyramids of Giza tickets.

The Valley Temple of Khafre

Each king's pyramid at Giza was part of a group of buildings, called a pyramid complex. Each complex had two temples. The valley temple was the entrance to the complex. It was on or near water, where boats could stop. A causeway connected it to the pyramid temple, near the pyramid.

The Valley Temple of Khafre is next to the Sphinx. Archaeologists found that this temple was complete before work started on the Sphinx.

A second temple, the Sphinx Temple, is in front of the Sphinx. It is part of the same group of monuments.

Facts about the Sphinx

• The Sphinx has the body of a lion and the head of a king. Ancient Egyptian sphinxes showed the power of the king.
• The face is similar to the faces on statues of Khafre.
• In the 18th Dynasty, people saw the Sphinx as a form of the sun god. They called it Horemakhet, "Horus in the Horizon".
• King Thutmose IV put a large stone, the Dream Stela, between its front paws.

When to take photos

The Sphinx faces east. In the morning, the sun is behind you when you look at its face. In the afternoon, the face is usually in shadow. You do not pay to take photos with a mobile phone on the plateau.

The Sound and Light show

In the Pyramids Sound and Light show, the Sphinx is the narrator. It tells the story of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.

When we checked on 28 October 2026, the operator's website said that the Pyramids shows are temporarily suspended for development works. Check the official Sound and Light website before you plan a visit.

Visit the Sphinx with a guide

A guide can explain the Sphinx, the Valley Temple and the pyramids in one visit. To compare a private tour, a group tour and a visit alone, read Giza pyramids and Sphinx tour.

To plan a full day, read Pyramids of Giza tours.