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The Pyramids of Giza
The last surviving wonder of the ancient world, best seen slowly, from the plateau and from the desert beyond.
01 · Giza · Memphis · Saqqara
Cairo
The Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the ancient capitals of Memphis and Saqqara, with the energy of a great city all around them.
Where the story begins
Where Egypt’s story begins.
The Pyramids of Giza are the best-known symbols of Egypt. Today they stand at the edge of the desert, yet when they were built they rose close to the banks of the Nile, and how such enormous structures were raised without machine power is still debated.
A few kilometres south lie Memphis, the first capital of a unified Egypt, and the royal necropolis of Saqqara, home to the Step Pyramid of Djoser. Together they tell the earliest chapters of a story that runs the length of the river.
Highlights
What to see in Cairo
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The Great Sphinx
The guardian of the Giza plateau, carved from the living rock with the Pyramid of Khafre rising behind it.
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Saqqara
The Step Pyramid of Djoser, the earliest of Egypt’s great stone monuments, set in a vast royal necropolis.
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Memphis
The first capital of ancient Egypt, where the alabaster sphinx still rests among the palms.
The Cairo guide
Cairo & Giza, area by area
Pyramids, museums, Islamic and Coptic Cairo, and the older pyramid fields to the south, grouped so that each day stays in one part of the city.
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Giza Plateau
The Pyramids & ancient Giza
The Great Pyramid of Khufu
Built around the 26th century BC and the tallest structure made by people for thousands of years. The interior can be entered with a separate ticket.
Pyramids of Khafre & Menkaure
Khafre still keeps part of its original casing near the summit; Menkaure, the smallest of the three, is surrounded by satellite pyramids and temple remains.
The Great Sphinx
A lion’s body with a human head, carved beside the causeway to Khafre’s pyramid.
The panoramic viewpoint
The classic wide view of all three pyramids together, and the best place for photographs of the plateau.
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Giza · Tahrir · Fustat
Museums & Egyptian history
Grand Egyptian Museum
A major museum of ancient Egyptian civilisation near the pyramids, with monumental galleries and the Tutankhamun collection. Tickets are timed.
The Egyptian Museum, Tahrir
The historic museum on Tahrir Square, with statues, jewellery and papyri from every period.
National Museum of Egyptian Civilization
The story of Egypt across the ages, and the Royal Mummies Hall.
Museum of Islamic Art
Ceramics, metalwork, woodwork, textiles and manuscripts from across the Islamic world.
03
The medieval city
Islamic & historic Cairo
The Citadel & Mosque of Muhammad Ali
A fortress begun under Salah al-Din in the 12th century, with Ottoman domes and wide views over the city.
Sultan Hassan & Al-Rifa’i
A monumental Mamluk mosque and madrasa beside the later, richly decorated Al-Rifa’i Mosque.
Al-Muizz Street
Mosques, madrasas, gates and old houses from several Islamic periods, best explored on foot with a guide.
Khan el-Khalili
The great bazaar: lamps, crafts, jewellery and old cafés in a maze of lanes.
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Babylon Fortress
Coptic Cairo & Old Cairo
The Hanging Church
Built above a gatehouse of the Roman Babylon Fortress, with icons and a carved wooden interior.
Ben Ezra Synagogue
A historic synagogue known for the Cairo Geniza documents. Access arrangements vary.
Abdeen & Manial palaces
Royal palaces of modern Egypt; Manial blends Egyptian, Ottoman, Persian and European styles among its gardens.
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Saqqara · Memphis · Dahshur
Day trips south of the city
Saqqara
Full day with Memphis & DahshurThe Step Pyramid of Djoser, one of the earliest large stone monuments in Egypt.
Memphis
The open-air museum of Egypt’s first capital, with its colossal statue of Ramses II and alabaster sphinx.
Dahshur
The Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, where pyramid building was perfected before Giza.
A felucca on the Nile
An unhurried sail through the heart of Cairo, at its best towards sunset.
Suggested visit times are estimates. Opening hours, tickets and access change, so every visit is confirmed before it is booked.
Planning Cairo
Good to know
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One area a day
Giza, historic Cairo and Old Cairo sit far apart in city traffic, so each day is planned around one of them.
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Allow a full day for Saqqara
Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur are separate sites outside central Cairo, best combined into one day with private transport.
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Special tickets
The Great Pyramid interior and some museum halls need their own tickets, which are checked before they are promised.
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Clear inclusions
Every quote states whether tickets, lunch, drinks, boat rides and tips are included.
Experiences
Programmes & ways to experience Cairo
Each experience can be arranged around your dates and your group.
Giza, Memphis & Saqqara
A private, all-inclusive journey through the earliest chapters of Egypt: the Pyramids and the Sphinx, the first capital at Memphis and the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, with lunch and a camel ride.
View detailsPyramids & the GEM
A day at Giza: the pyramids and the Sphinx in the morning, then the treasures of ancient Egypt, including Tutankhamun, at the Grand Egyptian Museum.
View detailsHistoric Cairo
A thousand years of Islamic Cairo in a day: the Citadel and Muhammad Ali Mosque, Sultan Hassan and Al-Rifa’i, Al-Muizz Street and the lanes of Khan el-Khalili.
View detailsOld Cairo & museums
The Royal Mummies at the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the churches of Coptic Cairo, a second great museum, and an optional felucca at sunset.
View detailsSaqqara, Memphis & Dahshur
A day south of Cairo among the pyramids that came before Giza: the Step Pyramid at Saqqara, the open-air museum of Memphis, and the Bent and Red Pyramids at Dahshur.
View detailsCoptic Cairo
A half day among the churches and lanes of Coptic Cairo, beginning at the Hanging Church above the gate of the Roman Babylon Fortress.
View details
Nile evening & market
Cairo at its gentlest: a felucca on the Nile as the light fades, followed by the lanterns and stalls of a traditional market.
View detailsContinue the journey
