We arrive at 06:00 at Giza train station.
We have informed our hotel in Giza that we are arriving too early, hoping to have a room available to take a shower and change before visiting the pyramids.
We find a taxi for 200 EGP (4 €). The negotiation is more complicated than in Upper Egypt.
We arrive at our accommodation around 07:00.
Accommodation: West Pyramids Hotel
Address: 4 Abou Al Hool Al Seiahi, Giza
Location: 29°58’37.3″N 31°08’36.2″E
1 night, from 10/11/2024 to 11/11/2024
Price: €39
Booked with Booking.com
Excellent news, our room is available, great.
We have breakfast in our hotel with a superb view of the pyramids.
The manager kindly agrees to change our breakfast day.
We have to meet in front of the hotel at 10:00 with our driver for a tour of the pyramids.
The tour was organized in advance via WhatsApp (+20 102 000 4261) with our guide of the day.
She was also in charge of finding the driver to pick us up.
Her name is Sherwet. We were very satisfied with the tour we did with her.
Her Instagram: @sherwet_tourguide_in_egypt_
1 – We leave by car towards the Mena House hotel entrance of the site
There is an entrance closer to our hotel, but it will be our exit door.
We pay our entrance tickets to the site 60 EGP (1.2 €) per person (special Arab rate). The price without discount is 700 EGP (14 €)
We also take an additional entrance ticket for the third pyramid (Mykerinos) (the smallest) for 30 EGP (normal price: 280 EGP)
Here we go for the visit. Welcome to the must-see #1 in Egypt.
2 – We start with the largest and most famous pyramid, that of Cheops (Khufu). It is the only wonder of the ancient world that is still standing.
It is truly imposing. And to think that it is a tomb for a single person. But hey, he is a pharaoh.
3 – We continue the tour on foot towards the second pyramid, that of Chephren.
The advantage of visiting with a driver and a guide, in addition to the explanations, the comfort during travel is to avoid the solicitations of sellers and camel owners. It seems unbearable.
4 – in some places, the pyramid of Chephren seems higher than that of Cheops. This is explained by its better preserved summit and by its construction on a higher place
5 – We take the car again which drops us off at the foot of the third pyramid, that of Mykerinos
6 – Our guide explained to us that inside the pyramids, it is very hot, humid and that it is difficult to breathe. This is why we took an entrance ticket for the third pyramid, less difficult to access than that of Cheops. That of Chephren was not open to visitors that day.
It must be admitted that visiting the inside of the pyramid is very complicated. In fact, the goal was not to make a welcoming and easy-to-access tomb in order to repel thieves, even if that did not prevent them from plundering the treasures of the pharaohs.
PS: From the treasure of Cheops, there remains only a tiny 7.5 cm statuette exhibited at the Egyptian museum. Given the size of the pyramid, we let you imagine the immensity of stolen loot.
7 – End of the visit of the third pyramid, our driver takes us to a photo spot – where we can see the alignment of the pyramids. PS : there are 9 pyramids, not only 3
8 – The view is breathtaking.
9 – It’s time for lunch, we go by car to the restaurant “9 pyramids lounge”
10 – This is the restaurant that has the best location on the pyramids site. You have to book by email, 2 weeks in advance (9pyramidslounge@9pyramidslounge.com)
We take a seat in a magnificent place.
With a view like that, The success of this restaurant is justified.
On the other hand, for the food, it is just ok, but it is not the best cuisine there is. We knew it in advance, in a place like this, the most important thing is the view, and it is extraordinary
11 – End of the meal, our guide and our driver were waiting for us. They take us to the Sphinx
12 – It is the famous Sphinx with a human head and a lion body. It is the largest monumental sculpture in the world. There are several theories concerning the identity of the Sphinx. Some say it is Cheops, others say it is Khafre. The pharaohs are still keeping several secrets
13 – This marks the end of our visit shortened by the state of fatigue and the hot weather.
PS: For a longer visit, we recommend you to see the Saqqara necropolis. It houses the very first pyramid of Ancient Egypt. It is the step pyramid of Djoser.
We return to our hotel to rest.
During the evening, we go out for a walk in the surroundings of our hotel.
We tested the « Pyramids Restaurant« . It has good cuisine and is clean.
A cup of tea in a local and authentic cafe (Sphinx Coffee)
Before finishing on a rooftop with a shisha and a magnificent view of the pyramids
my-trip-memories.com 