The Pyramids of Giza – Do I Need a Guide?
What is it Really Like Visiting the Pyramids of Giza?
The three Pyramids of Giza are the most popular and most visited of the approximately 118 pyramids in Egypt. When planning my trip to the Pyramids of Giza, I had two questions. First, what is it like visiting the Pyramids of Giza? Would it be overly touristy and crowded? Would there be vendors everywhere trying to sell me cheaply made items? The other question I had was, do I need a guide to visit the Pyramids of Giza? This page will address both of those questions. I decided not to spend hours writing the history and story of the Pyramids of Giza as that information is easily found on the Internet.
So to answer my first question, what is it really like visiting the Pyramids of Giza? Well, I thought the Pyramids of Giza were spectacular, but it is definitely a crowded tourist destination. Expect large crowds of people and a line to purchase tickets to enter. Also, there will be many vendors selling everything from souvenirs to camel rides. I found that a polite but stern “no thank you” or, in Arabic, “La Shukran,” kept the vendors from harassing me.
A common misconception about the Pyramids of Giza is that they are located in the middle of the Sahara Desert with sand for miles in every direction. In reality, the Pyramids of Giza are located less than a mile from the city of Giza, Egypt, which has a population of over 8 million people. If you want to visit pyramids that are more isolated and less crowded, I recommend a trip to the Perfect Pyramid and Bent Pyramid of Dahshur.
The Pyramids of Giza are not the only attraction that an entry ticket grants access to. Be sure to visit the Great Sphinx of Giza as well.
The Pyramids of Giza - Do I Need a Guide? - Table of Contents
- What is it Really Like Visiting the Pyramids of Giza?
- Should I Visit the Pyramids of Giza with a Guide?
- My Experience Visiting the Pyramids of Giza
- My Experience Visiting the Sphinx
- Pyramids of Giza Tours and Packages
- Support Buzzin’ Around the World – Visit Our Affiliates
- Earning Points and Rewards
- Related Content
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Should I Visit the Pyramids of Giza with a Guide?
One of the questions I had before my visit to the Pyramids of Giza was, is it necessary to hire a guide? While having a guide at the Pyramids of Giza is not necessary, I highly recommend it. I booked a private tour with the company Deluxe Tours, which is based in Cairo. My guide, Morsy, was extremely knowledgeable, friendly, and passionate about the pyramids and ancient Egyptians. Deluxe Tours also supplied a wonderful driver named Mohammed. For anyone who’s visited Egypt, driving can be extremely dangerous if you don’t have experience driving in Egyptian traffic.
Hiring a guide comes with quite a few benefits. First, Morsy took care of purchasing my ticket. While he waited in the queue, I was able to take photographs.
Another benefit of a tour is having a car. The Pyramids of Giza are spread out over a large area, and without a car, I would have had to walk many miles to see all the best views. During my tour, Mohammed would shuttle us between the best viewing areas.
While tourists without guides were walking from location to location, Morsy had already picked out the best photo opportunities. With Mohammed’s skillful driving, we were able to quickly move around the Pyramids of Giza to get the best angles to photograph the pyramids.
The other advantage of having a guide is that they can explain the process of how the pyramids were built and what purpose they served. I highly recommend hiring a guide to tour the Pyramids of Giza.
If you are interested in booking the tour that I took, you can click on the link below. Please note that as an affiliate of Viator, I will receive a small commission if you purchase a tour using one of my links. This commission is at no additional cost to you. If you prefer to book directly with Deluxe Tours, you can click on this LINK. I will not receive any commissions for purchases made through Deluxe Tours website.
Prices are accurate as of November, 2023.
 Private Tour Giza Pyramids,Sphinx, Sakkara ,Dahshur Pyramids,Lunch and Camel - $132.00 A Special tour of the most famous pyramids in Egypt . |
My Experience Visiting the Pyramids of Giza
I had a great experience visiting the Pyramids of Giza. When we arrived, I was able to take photographs while my guide purchased my ticket. The ticket queue was fairly long, and it took Morsy, my guide, about 20 minutes to get my ticket.
After entering the paid area, our first stop was the Great Pyramid of Giza, also known as Khufu.
I was given the option to view the inside of the Great Pyramid, but I declined. Earlier in the day, I had crawled down a narrow corridor to view the inside of the Perfect Pyramid of Dahshur. The confined space that I had to crawl through was too much for me to deal with, and I felt quite claustrophobic. The entrance fee to the Great Pyramid was an additional E£100.
Included in my tour was a camel ride around the Great Pyramids. Before arriving in Egypt, I had spent some time touring the Sahara Desert in Morocco. Much of that tour was on the back of a camel, which was not the most comfortable experience of my life. Instead of riding a camel, I was able to get shuttled from location to location by our driver Mohammed.
The other reason I chose not to take the camel ride was that it appeared the camels were being treated unkindly. From my research, camels should only walk on sand, and these camels were forced to walk on the hot pavement, which is not good for their feet.
After spending about 20 minutes taking photos of the Great Pyramid, Mohammed drove us up the main road to get a better angle to photograph the Great Pyramid and the Khafre Pyramid. A big advantage of having a guide like Morsy is that he knew the best locations to take photos.
As we continued up the road, we eventually got to the panoramic viewing area. This area provided a view of all three of the Pyramids of Giza.
The panoramic viewing area is the best location for taking photographs of the Pyramids of Giza.
The panoramic viewing area also provided a great view of the Sahara Desert.
After spending about 20 minutes at the panoramic viewing area, Morsy suggested we get back in the car and drive to view the Great Sphinx of Giza. As we drove back towards the Great Pyramid, I asked if we could stop and take a photograph of the pyramids with the city of Giza in the background. I wanted to be able to show people how close the pyramids are to the city.
My Experience Visiting the Sphinx
Located in front of the Pyramids of Giza is the Great Sphinx of Giza. The Sphinx is a mythical creature with the head of a person and the body of a lion. The Great Sphinx of Egypt is the largest of 100s of sphinxes located throughout Egypt. Although the original Sphinx was carved directly out of limestone, parts of the Sphinx have been restored with limestone bricks.
While it is possible to get some nice photo opportunities from in front of the Sphinx, the best photos are found by walking through the Temple of the Sphinx, which allows visitors a chance to get closer. There is some amazing stonework inside the Temple of the Sphinx. It is astounding to think that the ancient Egyptians were able to cut the stones so precisely and stack them together without the use or mortar.
The photos below were all taken after walking through the Temple of the Sphinx. It is important to remember that the Sphinx is at least 4,500 years old. Unlike the inside of the tombs, the Sphinx was exposed to the elements which caused quite a bit of erosion.
Pyramids of Giza Tours and Packages
Below are some additional packages that feature the Pyramids of Giza. Please note that I am an affiliate of Viator. If you purchase a tour or package using one of my links, I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no additional cost to you.
Prices are accurate as of November, 2023.
 Day Tour Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx from Cairo - $60.00 Tour to Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx with their grandeur architecture that testifies the glory of ancient Egyptian civilization. This is a must-do Cairo Tours to see one of the wonders of the ancient world |
 Best Day Tour to the Pyramids of Giza, Saqqara, Memphis from Cairo - $55.00 Rewind to ancient Egypt with this full-day private tour to Giza, Sakkara and Memphis. With your own Egyptologist guide, admire the magnificent pyramids at Giza. After learning about these age-old tombs and the Sphinx, leave Cairo to see the Sakkara pyramid, an extraordinary stepped tomb known as Egypt’s oldest pyramid. Lastly, continue to Memphis to discover the UNESCO-listed ruins of ancient Egypt’s capital, including a giant statue of Ramses II. Enjoy a flexible itinerary on this private tour, and upgrade to include lunch and entry to Giza’s Solar Boat Museum. |
 pyramids of Giza & Sphinx,Sakkara,Memphis, Full day tour with free camel ride - $181.00 Experience ancient Egypt first-hand on a full-day tour from Cairo or Giza to the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx, Memphis and Saqqara. Walk alongside your guide as you visit a trio of pyramids and the Valley Temple, then visit the ancient and mysterious sphinx. See a pyramid that transformed Egyptian architecture at the Saqqara necropolis, then explore the remains of a great city that once ruled Lower Egypt. |
 Pyramids of Giza and Sphinx trip - $23.01 Your Visitors Egypt Tour guide will be waiting you. They will be holding a sign of Visitors Egypt, You do not need to look for them – they will be waiting for you and will find you. |
 Camel Ride arround Pyramids of Giza - $34.00 Enjoy a camel ride at Giza Pyramids for 2 hours during the sun rise or sun set. Mount a camel and ride it through the desert to the base of the Great Pyramid. There are horses if a camel seems a bit intimidating. |
 Private Tour to Pyramids of Giza and the Egyptian Museum - $114.29 Your Sawa 4 Tours guide will be waiting you. They will be holding a sign of Sawa4Tours, You do not need to look for them – they will be waiting for you and will find you. |
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