Each year millions of people flock to Egypt to see one of the most recognizable landmarks man has ever created; the Pyramids of Giza. In fact, in 2010, before all political turmoil rocked Egypt, almost 15 million tourists a year visited this monumental site! For all the attention that the Pyramids receive, one would think that once there, the experience is this well-thought out, orderly event that leaves a lasting impression and a feeling of wonder. During our visit to the Pyramids in early May 2019 we certainly left with a lasting impression, although not one that fills you with wonder.
While I wholeheartedly recommend anyone with the chance to visit the Pyramids to do so, and unequivocally agree that the landmark deserves its spot among the most breathtaking structures ever created, all first timers ought to be prepared! The experience is far from orderly and requires visitors to deal with a constant barrage of prepositions from various vendors who will aggressively attempt to sell you tours, camel & horse rides, souvenirs, photos, and the like. The exception might be for people who are coming with a group tour, which many people choose to do.
Since doing a guided tour was undesirable for us, we opted to explore the Pyramids by ourselves and this post applies to anyone thinking about doing the same thing.
The Entrance
When you first pull up to the Pyramids plateau, whether coming by bus, or taxi, you’ll have to first get your entrance tickets at the booth. The tickets to the plateau itself are cheap, costing around $10 USD per person. This main tickets allows you to enter the Pyramids complex and see the Pyramids and the Sphinx from the outside. You’ll also have the option of buying separate tickets to go inside the Pyramid of Khufu for $20 and the Pyramid of Khafre for $5. There is also yet another ticket you can purchase to enter the Solar Boat Museum (the museum contains the 4500 year old boat that Pharoah Khufu supposedly rode into the afterlife in). Once you’ve decided what you want to see, you can start heading inside the complex. This is where the waters start to get choppy if you are visiting the Pyramids without a pre-booked tour.
You may have heard legends of Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs booby-trapping their burial tombs to prevent looters. We found that this is at least partly true, as the very entrance to the Giza Plateau is still a trap to this very day! Immediately upon entering, you’ll be approached by a Ministry of Tourism Official who will proceed to take your entry tickets into his hands and start to show you around the Pyramids and telling you about the site.
It happens so quickly – he shows you his Official ID card & badge, and charms you by asking you where you are from and other small talk and asks you to follow him. He is super friendly and trustworthy and will soon ask for your phone and have you pose for a couple of photos where it appears you are holding the Pyramids with your own hands, how cute…
At this point a small voice in my head chimed in ‘wait just one second – you did not book any tour!’. So I politely asked the Tour Minister Official
‘Sir, is this free? We are not interested in a tour.’
He went on to tell us that his services are free and are paid for by the Egyptian Tourism Ministry and that this was included in our ticket. This was surprising, to say the least but we went along with it for a few minutes as he took us around one side of the Great Pyramid. I was not satisfied with his response so I continued to press him. After all, we did not want a guided tour, even if it was free. No one wants their ear talked off while they are taking in one of the Greatest Monuments of mankind! I insisted that we’d like to explore the plateau by ourselves to which he responded
‘It is forbidden.’ ‘You can’t.’ ‘No one walks around by themselves.’
He continued to say that we must get around between the Pyramids and the rest of the complex by horse or camel. We then realized that something wasn’t right. Even though the man had an official Ministry of Tourism badge, we found out that he was lying to our face!
When you go to see the Pyramids, you are not obliged to take a tour and can explore the site at your own leisure. DO NOT TRUST the shiesters at the entrance who try to guide you around. They will insist that their service is free, is included in the entrance price, and tell other lies about how it is forbidden to walk around by yourself. It is all B.S! Don’t fall for it! Once you buy your ticket and enter, HOLD ON TO IT and don’t give it to anyone regardless of what they say. The Pyramid complex is very manageable to walk through even on a hot day.
Don’t Trust the Touts
These touts will repeatedly and aggressively insist that their service is free, but after their tour is over, they will demand money or tip for their families and tell some sob story to make you feel obliged to pay. Indeed, we saw many people around us fall for this trap. Don’t be one of them!
Once you get past the first set of touts who want to sell you on a tour, things do get easier and you will have a chance to enjoy the Pyramids themselves. Unfortunately the complex is not well maintained and the facilities are desperately lacking some TLC. Trash cans are few and far between, and bathrooms are completely non-existent. Apparently there are some restrooms near the Sphinx, or so I read online, but did not see any myself. Keep this in mind and go before you enter. You’ll want to give yourself at least 3-4 hours to visit the site so plan accordingly.
Is it worth it?
Given the experience above, you might be wondering if it is even worth going to see this World Treasure. The answer is a resounding YES! The Pyramids themselves are spectacular and appear as advertised. I was especially blown away by the inside, which I highly recommending seeing for yourself. The stone work is just incredible. The stones are massive and cut and placed so precisely, a piece of paper couldn’t fit between the joints. The exterior has deteriorated over time after thousands of years of erosion, climate change, and earthquakes however the interior looks as if it was built within the last 50 years!
Also interesting is the lack of Egyptian hieroglyphs, which are present at other Egyptian sites and in the Valley of the Kings down in Luxor. The common belief is that the Pyramids of Giza were burial tombs for Pharaohs and virtual every Egyptologist will unequivocally assert this theory as truth. I am no expert but am doubtful of the official story. As far as I know, no sarcophagi or mummies were ever recovered from the Great Pyramids, which leads me to question the whole official version! Then there is the mystery of how they actually built the Pyramids, which experts still debate. Whatever the truth, I suggest you come to Cairo to see the real deal for yourself before forming your opinion!
What’s the inside look like?
Other Warnings
Besides the tour-guide-scammers that invade your personal space immediately upon entry, there are other hacks all over the complex who look at you like a walking money tree. These will be plain clothed Egyptian men who try to engage you in conversation. At first they’ll extend their hand for a handshake, seems harmless right? Then they’ll ask where you are from and regardless of your response, they’ll claim to have a wife/sister/brother/donkey from the country of your origin. If you say you are from Mexico, they’ll tell you how much they love Avocados, if you are British, they tell you how they are related to James Bond – anything to engage you in conversation.
These are all clever ploys intended to sell you something. It could be something small, a scarf, a little stone pyramid, or other trinket. They’ll even offer to take your photo, but then demand something for it! Be polite but firm and tell them No and keep walking! The best thing I’ve found is to completely ignore them as if they don’t exist. Don’t shake their hand, don’t smile, don’t even look at them! In the advise of the great Johnny Walker – keep walking!
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