Built more than 4500 years ago during Egypts old kingdom era, the Pyramids are a symbol of Egypt and ancient Pharaoes. The pyramids of Giza are one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. However there are older pyramids in Egypt with the Djoser Pyramid believed to be the oldest in the world. There are actually 118 pyramids in Egypt, but the Giza pyramids are by far the most famous and busiest.
WHAT are the pyramids of giza?
The 3 largest pyramids are ancient tombs for the Pharaoes Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure. The Pyramids in photos all look a similar size but in reality the pyramid of Menkaure is much smaller than Khufu and Khafre. There are also 3 smaller pyramids for the queens. The pyramids have a large square base which creates a very stable structure. Modern scholars believe that it took 20,000 workers 20 years to build the great pyramid. The great pyramid rises 139 meters into the sky and it is estimated that it is made up of 2.3 million blocks.
WHERE are the Pyramids of Giza?
The pyramids of Giza are located 40km from Cairo airport, the journey from the airport takes roughly 60 minutes but can be much longer at certain times of day because of traffic. The pyramids themselves sit just outside of the city of Giza and there is a distinct seperation of modern day city and pyramids leading to a strange divide between desert and city.
HOW TO GET TO the pyramids?
We were staying at a hotel in Giza as it is closer the the pyramids than Cairo. We took a taxi from the hotel which dropped us off at a tour company despite us asking to go to the pyramid main entrance. Often tourist will be scammed by being told you have to take a tour guide. Ignore this and walk up to the official pyramid ticket office and buy your tickets there.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT THE PYRAMIDS?
We visited Egypt in April and the recommend months to visit is between October - April. This is when the weather is cooler than the summer heat, yet it is still warm and sunny. When visiting the ancient sites there is little to no shade and the sun is intense. There for we do recommend avoiding mid summer as this would make the experience less enjoyable.
Is it safe TO VISIT THE PYRAMIDS?
We felt very safe during our time in Egypt and felt free to explore the sites without any worry. Be aware that as a white westerner we did get hassled a lot by people trying to sell us things or trick us with local scams. In the pyramid complex you can pay to ride horses or camels and are often told that the complex is too big to walk. This isnt the case and if you wish you can walk the entire complex. Be aware that Egypt has a tipping culture and even talking a photo of someone or their camel will result in you be asked for money.
WHEN IS THE BEST Time of day to visit THE PYRAMIDS?
We visited the pyramids before sunset and stayed as long as possible after the complex closed. There are security guards who usher people out and we tried our best to stay as long as possible to take photos as the sun was setting. Eventually we were asked to leave and by this time all the taxis had left. This is something to be aware of if you have to take a taxi as you may have to walk a way to find the next taxi.
