Cairo and the Pyramids of Hurghada

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Pyramids of Giza

The Egyptian capital Cairo and the Pyramids with the Sphinx in Giza are mandatory items on the list of attractions of every guest of Egypt. Excursions with their visits are available from Hurghada. Unlike Sharm el-Sheikh, where tourists can arrive both by visa and free Sinai stamp, arrival in Hurghada will be possible only with a full-fledged visa on arrival for $ 25. So there is no question of a possible additional visa application to replace the Sinai stamp for a trip to Cairo, as in Charm, here.

Theoretically, you can go to Cairo and the Pyramids on your own, using local intercity buses or fly to Cairo by plane. So you can get to know the ancient capital in much more detail and see much more on the Pyramids. But an independent trip makes sense only for a few days with overnight stays, for which, of course, you need some experience. Therefore, for the first time we definitely recommend visiting Cairo and the Pyramids with a ready-made excursion.

Excursions to Cairo and Giza from Hurghada take place by land by bus, minivan or car. It all depends on the tour category: group or individual. The route is long and tedious, but there is no need to be afraid of a bus ride, as they are all comfortable, there is a toilet on board, and sanitary stops are made along the way. But taking motion sickness medication with you will not be superfluous. There is also a faster and more comfortable version of the excursion - by plane, but it costs five or more times more expensive than a bus.

The Sphinx

Excursion programs are different: from standard to individual tours. The standard includes a sightseeing tour of Cairo, a visit to the National Museum (Egyptian Museum), time for an independent walk around Cairo, an inspection of the pyramids and the Sphinx in Giza, a visit to the papyrus factory and the perfume museum. Additional expenses include a walk along the Nile ($ 10), an entrance ticket inside the pyramid of Cheops ($ 20), photo and video shooting at the National Museum (50 Egyptian pounds). Another option for a sightseeing tour to Cairo does not include a tour of the National Museum, but offers to see Old Cairo with mosques and churches, or just take a longer walk around the capital.

A visit to the National Museum - the treasury of Egypt, implies an inspection of rarities in the old museum building. To date, some of the exhibits have already been transported from it to the new building of the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization in the Fustat district of Cairo. However, despite this, there is a fairly large exhibition of antiquities, which takes no more than 1-1.5 hours to inspect, and even this time is not enough for a full study of the presented relics. The Mummy Museum with 18 mummies of ancient Egyptian pharaohs and 4 queens has also been moved to the new building, so that they can only be seen there. Unfortunately, organized excursions to the new museum are not held.

The Pyramids, and only three of them – Cheops, Chephren and Mikerin – are given no more than half an hour in a group tour, which is quite enough to listen to information and take photos. However, there is not enough time for those who want to see them from the inside (for an additional fee). At the same time, a lot of time is devoted to commercial trips along the Nile, visits to the papyrus factory and the oil museum.

At the National Museum of Egypt

Panorama of the Pyramids of Giza

Useful tips for a trip to Cairo and the pyramids

Take one or two bottles of water with you, as the trip will be delayed for the whole day, and it will be expensive to buy it near the sights or in a cafe.
Considering that check-out is scheduled at midnight, be sure to order an early breakfast (breakfast-box) at the hotel reception the night before, and don't forget to pick it up in the morning before check-out.
It can be cool at night and early in the morning in the desert areas of Egypt, besides there are one or two stops along the way where you can warm up and get off the bus. Here you will need a warm sweatshirt. It will also be needed if the air conditioner is turned on in the bus, because it's not close to go.
A headdress, sun glasses are mandatory items that will be needed during a walking tour to the monuments of antiquity. Those who are particularly sensitive to the sun should also take care of sunscreen.
Walking will be more comfortable if you wear comfortable shoes, because you will have to walk on the sand.
Do not forget a certain amount of money, which you need to pay with the guide, and leave for unforeseen expenses (souvenirs, drinks in a cafe at lunch, tips (bakhshish) for the services of accompanying and guide). Do not take a lot so that there is no temptation to spend on unnecessary things.
For a comfortable sleep on the way to the sights, and you have to go one way for only 6-8 hours, you can take a travel pillow with you.
Upon arrival to the sights for a walk, things can be left on the bus, but the most valuable (documents, money, phone, camera) is better to carry with you, for which a small backpack is useful.

🕐 Working hours: from the hotel to the excursion around midnight, the duration of the excursion is about 24 hours.

💵Entrance fee / ticket price: excursions from Hurghada cost from 45 USD (when purchased online or by personal travel agencies, more expensive from a hotel guide), entrance fee and meals during the trip are included. Additionally, if desired, a walk along the Nile River ($ 10), entrance to the pyramid of Cheops ($20), permission to photograph at the National Museum – 50 Egyptian pounds (approximately 0.99 rubles, see all about the money of Egypt and the exchange rate).

🚶 How to get there: Cairo and the Pyramids are about 470 kilometers from Hurghada, it's about 7-9 hours by bus or 1 hour by plane. It's worth going to Cairo on your own from Hurghada only if you want to get to know Cairo better and visit more museums and attractions there, which will take several days. In other cases, just buy excursions and do not waste time planning an independent trip. You can buy ready-made excursions from hotel guides, in travel agencies on the street or on sites with reviews: Tripster.ru, Sputnik8.com or Tezeks.com.

💥 We remind you that it is much more interesting to get acquainted with the sights of Hurghada with the help of excursions, and therefore we advise you to look at online booking options on these proven search and price comparison sites:

🕒 5 January, 2025

Cairo and the Pyramids of Hurghada

Panorama of the Pyramids of Giza

Useful tips for a trip to Cairo and the pyramids

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