Private Full-Day Tour to Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara & Memphis

Highlights

Inclusions

Itinerary

1. The famous Great Pyramid of Khufu is by far the biggest, tallest, and most intact pyramid in Egypt. After its construction, it became one of the “Seven Wonders of the Ancient World”, and today, it is the only one of them remaining. For a period of 4300 years, the pyramid was also the tallest building on earth, until the French built the Eiffel Tower in 1889. Khufu’s Pyramid is built entirely of limestone and is considered an architectural masterpiece. It contains around 1,300,000 blocks ranging in weight from 2.5 tons to 15 tons. Its square base covers 13 acres, and its sides measure about 230m (755ft). Its four sides face the four cardinal points precisely and it has an angle of 52 degrees

   1 h

2. Khafre's Pyramid, or the 2nd Pyramid, is easily recognizable by the layers of its original casing stones that still remain near its summit and this, along with the fact that it actually stands on a higher part of the plateau, gives the impression that it is taller than the Great Pyramid. An optical illusion, as it is only 136m (446 ft) tall, with sides of 214.5m (704ft), a surface area of 11 acres and an angle of 53 degrees. It also has lost some of its original height through the years, once being 143.5m (471ft) tall.

   1 h

3. Khafre's son, Menkaure, built the smallest of the 3 main pyramids on the Giza Plateau. This one was only a mere 65.5m (215ft) tall, nowadays 62m (203ft), with sides of 105m (344ft) and an angle of 51.3 degrees. It is thought that this pyramid was altered during its construction, and made a lot bigger than originally planned. The original, smaller pyramid had a simple descending corridor and burial chamber, but when it was enlarged, a new corridor was built with 3 portcullises and a small paneled chamber. Later still, another burial chamber, along with a storeroom were added at a lower level. This pyramid, like its 2 neighbors, has a north facing the

   1 h

4. the Great Sphinx, or as the ancients knew it, “Shesep Ankh” or “the living image”, has to be one of the most recognizable constructions in history. Think of the Sphinx and you automatically think of Egypt and the Giza Plateau. Sculpted from soft sandstone, many believe that it would have disappeared long ago had it not been buried in the sand for so many long periods in its lifetime. The body is 60m (200ft) long and 20m (65ft) tall. Its face is 4m (13ft) wide with eyes measuring 2m (6ft) high. It faces the rising sun and was revered so much by the ancients, that they built a temple in front of it. then back to hotel

   1 h

5. Visit the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the oldest stone structure in the world and one of the most important archaeological sites in Egypt.

   2 h

6. Explore the ancient city of Memphis, the first capital of ancient Egypt, and see the colossal statue of Ramses II and other remarkable artifacts.

   1 h

Cancellation

Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.

Reviews

Ratings come from 15 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.

Know before you go

How it compares in Cairo

• Its from-price is 11% above the median of the 2673 day trips we list in Cairo.
• Its length is typical for the group.
• By number of reviews it ranks 479 of 2673.
• The operator lists free cancellation on it.

About Cairo

Cairo is Egypt's sprawling capital on the Nile, where the Pyramids of Giza meet medieval mosques, busy bazaars and the treasures of the pharaohs.

On the western edge of the city, the Pyramids of Giza and the Great Sphinx rise from the desert plateau, with the step pyramid of Saqqara and the ruins of Memphis further south. Cairo's great museums, the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square and the vast Grand Egyptian Museum beside the plateau, hold artefacts spanning thousands of years.

Top-ranked sights in Cairo: Egyptian Museum (Museum of Egyptian Antiquities), Saqqara (Sakkara), Khan El-Khalili.

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