Cairo and Pyramids from Hurghada

On this page we talk about how to visit the majestic pyramids in Egypt from Hurghada on a tour. You will learn how and where you can buy a tour to the Pyramids and Cairo cheaper, whether it's worth buying such a tour at all, what you need to know to avoid being scammed, and we give other tips for visiting the pyramids. Here we share our travel experience, and if you want to learn more from other travelers or share your experience, join our 💬 Egypt chat.

Description and is it worth visiting

The Egyptian capital Cairo and the Pyramids with the Sphinx in Giza are must-see attractions for every visitor to Egypt, which you simply cannot leave the country without seeing. This complex of ancient monuments on the plateau in the Giza area of Cairo is the only surviving monument of the seven wonders of the ancient world, as well as a national treasure of Egypt. You will see the three great pyramids of the pharaohs Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, tombs and small pyramids of the pharaohs' wives (queens), and, of course, the majestic Sphinx. In addition to the pyramids themselves, the tour also includes a visit to the National Museum of Egypt and the sights of the ancient city, but this already depends on the specific tour program.

Is it worth going to the Pyramids from Hurghada with a tour

Theoretically, you can go to Cairo and the Pyramids from Hurghada independently, using local intercity buses or flying to Cairo. This way you can get to know the ancient capital in much more detail and see much more at the Pyramids. But an independent trip only makes sense for several days with overnight stays, which, of course, requires some experience. And therefore, for the first time, we definitely recommend visiting Cairo and the Pyramids with a ready-made tour. Moreover, during the tour you will be accompanied by guides who tell about the mysteries of the pyramids, the history of Egypt and modern life in the country, and believe me, it is very interesting. For example, during our last tour we were accompanied by a guide who was a professional archaeologist, and even despite his difficulties with Russian pronunciation, listening to the stories was very exciting.

Where is it best to buy tours to the Pyramids

Ready-made tours to the Pyramids from Hurghada can be bought from hotel guides, at street travel agencies, online on travel agency and aggregator websites.

Personally, we prefer to buy tours in Egypt online, as it is inexpensive and convenient: you can read reviews, choose a payment method, book at any time, and you simply don't have to go anywhere. The price of tours when booking online is the same as at street travel agencies, so if it's more convenient for you to buy offline, you can safely buy it at any street travel agency or from distributors in the hotel. But, of course, it's better to check a few places first to compare prices. Here are reliable sites with reviews where we usually buy:

• From Hurghada to Cairo and the Pyramids on Sputnik8.com
• From Hurghada to Cairo and the Pyramids on Tripster.ru
• From Hurghada to Cairo and the Pyramids on Tezeks.com

A separate story, and often an unpleasant one, is buying tours from hotel guides from the tour operator. Of course, there is nothing wrong with buying from hotel guides; on the contrary, it's good and reliable. But, unfortunately, hotel guides often sell exactly the same tours at twice the price. And what's bad is that they are not shy about deceiving and misleading tourists just to get them to buy from them.

What types of tours to the Pyramids are there

Inexpensive tours to Cairo and Giza from Hurghada are conducted by ground transport on a bus, minivan, or car. The transport depends on the tour category: group or individual. The route is long and tiring, but don't be afraid of the bus ride, as all buses are comfortable, have a toilet on board, and there are sanitary stops along the way. But it won't hurt to take motion sickness medicine with you. There is also a faster and more comfortable tour option - by plane, but it costs five or more times more than the bus tour.

Tour programs vary: from standard to individual tours. The standard one includes a sightseeing tour of Cairo, a visit to the National Museum (Egyptian Museum), time for independent walking in Cairo, viewing the pyramids and the Sphinx in Giza, a stop at a papyrus factory and a perfume museum. Additional expenses include a Nile cruise ($10), an entrance ticket inside the Pyramid of Khufu ($20), photo and video shooting in the National Museum (50 Egyptian pounds). Another variant of a tour to Cairo does not include a visit to the National Museum, but offers to see Old Cairo with mosques and churches, or simply to spend more time walking around the capital.

How the Pyramids visit works and what's important to know

During a group tour, no more than two hours are allotted for the famous Giza Pyramids and the Sphinx. Honestly, this is very little to even slightly understand the history and appreciate the scale and atmosphere of the ancient structures. But, unfortunately, during group tours you will lose a lot of time in all sorts of "museums" of cosmetics, stone carving, papyrus making, as well as on a not very interesting Nile cruise. It would be better if all these "museums" were not in the program and there was more time to view the Pyramids, but because of their inclusion, the tour is cheaper for the organizers, so there's no way around it. Well, if finances allow, it's better to buy more expensive individual tours without all this commercial nonsense.

But back to the Pyramids themselves. The territory of the Giza Pyramids complex is quite extensive: it contains the three great pyramids of Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure, small pyramids of the pharaohs' wives, and also the Sphinx. Therefore, to save time, the tour bus enters the territory and makes several stops at different places near the pyramids so you can walk near each one and take photos. Time flies very quickly here, so in the end, considering the stop, group disembarkation, re-boarding, moving to a new stop point, you will have about 15-20 minutes to walk near each pyramid, no more. So don't waste time: take photos and walk around the pyramids as quickly as possible.

The culmination of the tour will be viewing the pyramids from a viewpoint, the so-called Panorama, from where all three great pyramids are visible at once. This panorama is located right there, on the territory of the archaeological park not far from the Menkaure pyramid (guides sometimes call it Mycerinus). This is not an equipped viewpoint, but simply a place with a good view on a sandy hill next to the Menkaure pyramid, near which the last stop of tourist buses is usually made. Buses do not go directly to the viewpoint itself, as there is no road to it. Therefore, you need to be ready to immediately get off the bus and get to the viewpoint as quickly as possible. You can do this on foot, it's just a 5-minute walk through the sand. But you can also ride a camel or in a carriage for $5-10. The accompanying guide will already offer a "ticket" for the carriage or camel for $10 on the way to the Pyramids, gently hinting that you can't walk. But this is a small scam, and in our opinion, such a short camel ride is not worth $10. And don't believe the guide if he says you won't make it to the viewpoint without a camel and carriage. We personally walked to the viewpoint faster than tourists from our bus rode, and returned back also faster.

Another option available when visiting the pyramids is going inside. The Pyramid of Khufu and Menkaure are open for visits for $20 and $10 respectively. The guide will persistently offer you to do this, and of course it's up to you. But just be aware that inside there is practically nothing except corridors, and the viewing will be very brief, only 5-10 minutes.

The tour of the pyramid complex usually ends near the Sphinx. Unfortunately, it is now fenced off, you cannot get close, and they only let you inside the fence for additional tips. At least that's how it was during our last visit in December 2023, but perhaps in the future the Sphinx will become more accessible again.

Useful tips for the excursion trip to Cairo and the Pyramids

• Take one or two bottles of water with you, as the trip will last a whole day, and buying it near the attractions or in a cafe will be expensive.
• Considering that the departure is planned at midnight, be sure to order an early breakfast (breakfast-box) from the hotel reception the evening before, and don't forget to pick it up in the morning before departure.
• At night and early morning in desert areas of Egypt it can be cool, and there will also be one or two stops along the way where you can stretch and get off the bus. A warm hoodie will come in handy here. It will also be needed in case the air conditioning in the bus is on, as it's not a short ride.
• A hat, sunglasses - essential items that will be needed during the walking tour to the ancient monuments. Those particularly sensitive to the sun should also take care of sunscreen.
• The walk will be more comfortable if you wear comfortable shoes, as you will have to walk around the pyramids on sand.
• Don't forget a certain amount of money to pay the guide (if you bought the tour without prepayment), and to leave for unforeseen expenses (souvenirs, drinks in a cafe at lunch, tips for the accompanying staff and guide). Don't take too much, so as not to be tempted to spend on unnecessary things in all sorts of useless "museums".
• For comfortable sleep on the way to the attractions, and you have to ride only one way for 6-8 hours, you can take a travel pillow with you.
• Upon arrival at the attractions, you can leave your things on the bus during the walk, but the most valuable items (documents, money, phone, camera) are better to carry with you, for which a small backpack will come in handy.
• At every step, you will be offered to buy souvenirs and basically anything for a dollar, but this is a scam. As soon as you decide to actually buy something from a vendor, the price will immediately increase many times over.
• Accompanying guides also offer to buy something interesting from them during the tour, such as souvenirs, teas, cartouches with your name custom-made, etc. Treat their offers with respect, but also with a healthy dose of caution, as sometimes they offer to buy, albeit quality goods, but at an inflated price.
• During visits to "museums" of papyrus, stone carving, cosmetics, etc., you will be very intensively and professionally processed to make you buy something. If you have firmly decided not to buy anything in these places, make it clear to the sellers immediately and openly say that nothing interests you. If you start showing interest in their goods just out of politeness, they will only put more pressure on you to buy, and it will be very difficult to get rid of them.

💥 We remind you that it is much more interesting to explore Hurghada's attractions with the help of tours, so we advise you to look at options with online booking on these reliable search and price comparison sites:

• 📷 Search for tours in Hurghada on Sputnik8.com
• 📷 Search for tours in Hurghada on Tripster.ru
• 📷 Search for tours in Hurghada on Tezeks.com