Point At The Pyramids Of Giza
Ticked off in July 2009
Stand at the foot of a 4,500-year-old tomb built from around 2.3 million stone blocks, with Cairo humming behind you.
The adventure
Nothing quite prepares you for the scale. From a distance the pyramids look neat and geometric; up close, each block of the Great Pyramid comes up to your chest, and they keep going, course after course, towards a summit nearly 140 metres above the sand. The city runs right up to the edge of the plateau, which only makes the leap back in time more dizzying.
Duck inside and you climb a steep, cramped passage into the Grand Gallery, then on into the King's Chamber, a bare granite room that is silent and strangely warm. Outside, head to the panoramic viewpoint where all three pyramids line up against the desert, then walk down to the Sphinx, gazing east as it has for some 4,500 years.
Why it’s epic
- The Great Pyramid, built for the pharaoh Khufu around 2560 BC, was the tallest structure on Earth for about 3,800 years.
- It originally stood around 146 metres high, before its smooth limestone casing was stripped away.
- The Great Sphinx, carved from a single ridge of bedrock, is about 73 metres long.
- The nearby Grand Egyptian Museum now displays Tutankhamun's treasures under one roof.
What it is
The Great Pyramid of Giza is the last surviving Wonder of the Ancient World, built around 4,500 years ago.
How to do it
Visit from Cairo, arriving at opening time. Buy a separate ticket to go inside the Great Pyramid, and visit the Grand Egyptian Museum nearby.
Top tip
Agree prices for camel rides before getting on.
Need to know
- UK visitors need a visa for Egypt, available online in advance or on arrival at Cairo airport.
- Tickets to go inside the Great Pyramid are limited and sold separately from the main site ticket.
- Go at opening time between October and April; midday summer heat on the plateau is punishing.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £750 to £2,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Best time to go
- October to April
- Fly into
- CAI airport
Flights to Cairo are the main cost; entry tickets and guides are modest, with a little extra to go inside.
Do it yourself
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My experience
Ticked off, but the full story is still to be written up.
Over to you
Is “Point At The Pyramids Of Giza” on your bucket list, or have you already done it? Tell me in the comments, and if you've got a question about it, ask away and I'll answer.