The Great Pyramids of Giza: a Treat For Your Eyes.

The Great Pyramids of Giza

The Great Pyramids are on every world traveler’s checklist. For me, it was the one travel destination I had literally dreamt of, and for Dheymy it was an opportunity to see one of the world’s greatest monuments and most photogenic locations. Whatever your feelings are, the experience can be a little daunting. There are a million-and-one sites recommending different things and sharing different prices, so we’ve consolidated the latest information and tips for you, as well as some suggestions based on our experience.

The day started when we strapped into our Uber (about 120 EGP from central Cairo) and headed out. The ride from downtown or Zamalek is exciting on its own. We’ve come to call traveling by car through Cairo “a treat for our eyes,” as there’s always some new, interesting, exciting, or bizarre multi-sensory experience to be had on the road.

We weaved through the charmingly chaotic menagerie of hotels, cafes, horse traffic, and pedestrians clogging the road on the way to the pyramids and arrived at the south gate (the best entry point as it provides a dramatic entry with the Sphinx in the foreground). Entrance fees are 300 EGP for foreigners, or 150 EGP for foreigners with a student ID. Technically, those with residence visas should be eligible for the local price (30 EGP), but it’s quite difficult to convince the security guys to give you the local price unless you have a local with you. It’s another 300 to enter the great Pyramid of Khufu, which we heard is well worth the price, although we didn’t partake.

Come early! The crowds flood in around 11 am. Show up when the park opens at 8 am if you want to spend time some personal time with the Sphinx.

The Sphinx, Egypt.

Walking through the south gate – at 8 am sharp – and made our first eye contact with the Sphinx. The Sphinx is bigger than you’d expect and stunningly well preserved. There are lots of details you might not notice in pictures. For example, the Sphinx has a tail! After we finished talking to the Sphinx and comparing it to our own cats, we wandered through the Pyramid’s garden.

Pro-tip: This isn’t the US, and there are no velvet ropes preventing you from a real tactile experience. The American museum-goer in us felt a little guilty touching these archeological sites, but the inner-children in us thought it was totally worth it. There is something truly magical about being that close and personal with a stone pulled from the ground by our ancient ancestors. I can’t encourage physically climbing on the pyramids (although local pre-teens obviously think otherwise), but a little hand to stone action never hurt anybody.

The Great Pyramids of Giza

The best view of the pyramids is from the dunes in the desert. To get there, you can walk or rent a camel. The camel ride is the quintessential tourist experience. Camels with drivers run 300 EGP an hour, and be careful, because if you spend a minute over an hour they’ll try to charge you for two hours. We rented one and it was awesome, if even just for the pictures and the novelty. Anyway, you’ll probably only come once!

Sitting next to our Camel (Ted) and looking at the pyramids from the dunes was by far the highlight of the day. We sat there in silence for quite some time, neither of us able to put words to the experience. You may have seen pictures of the Pyramids, camels sitting in front, with a stark desert landscape in the background. While that’s true from a certain angle, the Pyramids plateau is actually closely nested on three sides by modern Cairo. While we’ve heard and read this disappointed some visitors, seeing the pyramids integrated seamlessly into the modern landscape reminded us that this wasn’t built by a “them,” it was built by us. This is the beginning of modern civilization, our shared human heritage. Cairo circa 2020, and ancient Cairo (then Memphis), is one, long story of humanity.

All that said, the Pyramids aren’t perfect. There is a certain side of the experience that can really taint your memories of the place if you don’t prepare for them. Mainly, the hustle. This is Egypt’s main draw for tourists and a huge economic driver. Not everyone there is kind and patient while trying to sell you trinkets and ad-hoc tour guiding. As much as it may not come naturally, prepare a solid poker face and memorize the phrase “la la la, Shukran” – no no no, thank you—and you’ll be fine. You’ll also draw a bit less attention if dress in a way that’s locally appropriate. For me, that meant wearing long pants rather than shorts, and for Dheymy, it meant a long dress and covering her shoulders and collar bones.

Pack some sunscreen, some patience, and your childish sense of awe, and you’ll have a great time.

P.s. If you’re looking for a local photographer, we highly recommend @manar_gad_photography. She’s awesome, and we love to support young female artists when we travel.