The Great Sphinx of Giza

5 min read Updated November 2026 Compare all tours

The Sphinx was cut from the natural rock of the plateau rather than built from blocks. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities dates it to the Fourth Dynasty and says it was carved during the reign of Khafre, whose pyramid rises behind it, and that the face resembles his statues. Not every Egyptologist accepts this: other kings have been put forward, and there is no full agreement on whose face it is.

The temples at its feet

Directly in front of the statue lies the Sphinx Temple, and next to it stands the valley temple of Khafre. Between the front paws, Thutmose IV set up the stone slab now called the Dream Stela.

What the ticket covers

The Sphinx area is part of the standard plateau ticket, which costs 700 EGP for foreign adults and 350 EGP for students as of November 2026, according to the official portal egymonuments.com. The QR entry ticket sold online also names the Sphinx area. The ministry lists the statue itself under "private visits only plus site opening fees". Such a visit is separate from the normal ticket and is not offered by the tours on this page.

The main entrance has been on the Cairo-Fayoum road, south of the pyramids, since April 2025. Reviews from October 2026 mention a second entrance near the Sphinx, roughly 2.8 km from the main gate, which visitors were sent to on a day the main gate was closed. From the main gate, electric buses run to stations across the plateau.

Tours that stop at the Sphinx

Almost every guided visit of Giza ends at the Sphinx and the valley temple. The differences lie in what comes before and after. The shortest option on this page is a private tour of about two and a half hours by Nice Tours, with pick-up from hotels in Cairo or Giza, entrance fees and a camel ride in the desert by the plateau included. The walking tour that meets at the ticket area takes about three hours, stops at a panorama viewpoint and leaves free time at the end; its description says gate tickets must be paid by card.

The full-day tour above runs seven to eight hours. It covers the pyramids, a panorama view, the Sphinx and the valley temple of Khafre, then lunch at a local restaurant and the Grand Egyptian Museum. Tickets for the plateau and the museum are included, the interior of the Great Pyramid is not. Some reviewers found the restaurant on a busy street with expensive drinks.

The most-booked private tour combines the pyramids and the Sphinx with a short camel ride. Its reviews mention shopping stops at papyrus, perfume and alabaster workshops, and one reviewer timed the camel ride at well under ten minutes. Ask at the start which stops are planned if you would rather spend the time on the plateau.

A few practical details differ between these tours. The short private tour comes with an English-speaking Egyptologist, and a guide in Spanish, German or French costs extra; drinks and tips are not included. The walking tour runs in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish, asks you to bring a passport or ID card (a copy is accepted) and is not suitable for wheelchair users. Most of the tours on this page can be cancelled free of charge up to 24 hours before the start.

Timing your visit

The plateau opens at 7am, while the sun rises between about 5:45 and 6:50am depending on the month. Because tours usually work their way down from the pyramids, a morning start gets you to the Sphinx before midday. In winter the sun sets around 5pm, and the official portal gives last entry at 4pm, as of November 2026. Average highs at Cairo airport stay between about 19 and 25 °C from November to March and climb to 32 to 35 °C from May to September, and there is little shade around the statue. A sunrise tour that starts at a stable outside the plateau and enters for a two-hour guided visit after breakfast is one way to see the Sphinx in the first hours after opening. For more on the layout, see our page on the Giza Plateau.