Getting to the Giza pyramids

6 min read Updated October 2026 Compare all tours

The pyramids stand on the desert plateau at the western edge of Greater Cairo, in the governorate of Giza. Most visitors arrive from a hotel in Cairo or Giza, straight from one of the two airports, or on a long day trip from the beach resorts at Hurghada and Sharm el-Sheikh. The distances below are road routes calculated on OpenStreetMap data without traffic, which in Cairo is the exception.

Flying into Cairo

Cairo International Airport is the main gateway, with about 30.94 million passengers in 2025 according to figures the airport reported to the press. It lies on the north-eastern side of the city, about 35 km from the plateau by road. The route crosses the whole of Cairo. The calculated drive is just over half an hour, but that assumes empty roads, so do not plan a tight connection on it.

Sphinx International Airport lies west of Giza, on the desert road to Alexandria, so arrivals there reach the plateau without crossing central Cairo. Its route list changes from season to season, so check with the airline before you plan around it. Uber operates in Cairo around the clock and covers trips from the airports, including drop-offs at Sphinx.

From central Cairo and Giza

From the Tahrir area in central Cairo the plateau is about 15 km by road. The Grand Egyptian Museum is about 2 km from the pyramids in a straight line and 5.7 km by road, so the two fit easily into one day. Most tours on this site pick up at hotels in Cairo or Giza. If you go on your own, ask a ride-hailing driver or taxi for the new main gate on the Cairo–Fayoum road, although we could not confirm that drivers can stop right at the gate; private cars are not allowed onto the site itself. How that works on the day is on the getting around page.

There is no metro to the pyramids yet. Line 4 of the Cairo Metro will include a Pyramids station, and its tunnel is finished, but the station is scheduled to open only in the first half of 2028.

Day trips from Hurghada

Hurghada is about 467 km from the plateau by road. Coach and minivan tours describe a journey of around six hours each way, with hotel pickups from about 2 am and a return late at night. In total they take 15 to 24 hours, depending on the operator and on how many museums are added. Some itineraries mention that buses wait at the end of the day for the convoy back to the coast, which adds time you cannot plan for.

The flying versions take you from Hurghada to Cairo on a domestic flight and back the same evening, for a day of 16 to 17 hours. They still start early, and the airline sets the times. Bring the passport or ID you need for a domestic flight. For a family or a small group, a private car is the other option: one operator on this page leaves at 3 am for the drive of roughly 430 km and spends the day in Cairo and Giza with an Egyptologist.

Day trips from Sharm el-Sheikh

Sharm el-Sheikh is further away, about 525 km by road to the airport there. Reviews of the coach day from Sharm describe around nine to ten hours on the road in each direction, a start shortly after midnight and waits for a police convoy. The whole trip takes about 24 hours. A flight shortens the day to 16 to 18 hours. The full comparison of tours from both resorts is on the day trips from Hurghada and Sharm page.

On the road at night

The UK Foreign Office says road accidents are common in Egypt because of road conditions, dangerous driving and poor enforcement, and advises against driving outside the main cities and resorts at night. Many visitors from the coast therefore travel with a tour rather than a hire car. If you do drive, the convoy and checkpoint rules on the Red Sea roads have not been published in a form this guide could check.

Visas and passports

Most visitors need a visa. The official e-visa portal asks you to apply at least seven days before departure. Visas on arrival are also sold at approved airports, and from 1 August 2026 Cairo International Airport has offered a digital visa on arrival paid by card, according to the UK Foreign Office. Your passport should be valid for at least six months from the day you arrive. British visitors flying straight to Sharm el-Sheikh for less than 15 days can get a free entry stamp, valid only for the nearby resorts, which does not cover a trip to Cairo. For German citizens, travel trade press quoting the German Foreign Office advises against entering with an identity card instead of a passport. Fees differ between sources and nationalities, so check your own government's advice and the Egyptian embassy before you travel.