The Pyramids of Giza sit about 11 miles southwest of downtown Cairo on the Giza Plateau and are open daily from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Public transportation is not available within walking distance, so it's best to drive, hail a taxi or take a bus tour to the site.
- How long you'll need at the Pyramids: Plan for at least 4–5 hours to leisurely explore the Giza Complex. If you purchase tickets to enter the different pyramids and visit the cemeteries and tombs as well, you can easily spend 7+ hours there.
Can I wear shorts in Cairo? Cairo is not a coastal city or anything like that, so it is not common to wear shorts there… But as long as they're not hot shorts; it's OK to wear them.
How far are the pyramids from Cairo airport? Cairo Airport is located 41 km away from the Pyramids of Giza. To get there, you can take a 60 minute Cairo airport taxi ride or a 1 hour 50 minute bus ride.
The specially designated space around the Great Sphinx in Giza makes it impossible to get close to the monument and touch it, but you can still get close enough to have a good look at the Egyptian Sphinx nose, and take an effective photo.
If you're looking for a quieter, self-led experience, it is completely possible to visit the Pyramids independently. In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about planning your visit there without booking a tour.
Cairo has walkable areas, but is not typically a walkable city. Sidewalks are not consistent throughout the city and can often land you walking in the street, even in suburban areas such as New Cairo City.
I would say that Cairo is safe, provided you take precautions and wise up on common scams. Like any large city, petty crime does happen, but this can easily be avoided by locking up valuables and not carrying around large amounts of cash.
Pants, t-shirts, and long-sleeve shirts are acceptable as clothes to wear in Egypt. Avoid wearing shorts or sleeveless shirts to fit in with local customs. Men do not need a head-covering scarf to enter mosques.
However, I quickly found out that jeans, even skinny jeans, are ok in Egypt; so long as you have a longer top to pair with them, like this one. Many of the young local girls paired their skinny jeans with longer sleeved tunic-type tops that covered their bums.
Though, to be honest, I didn't expect I would wear them; assuming they would be too tight and show off my 'assets' too much to be considered appropriate. However, I quickly found out that jeans, even skinny jeans, are ok in Egypt; so long as you have a longer top to pair with them, like this one.
How to Get from Cairo Airport to Giza by Taxi (recommended for speed, without a guide) If you are going straight from Cairo Airport to Giza, this likely will cost around 10–15 US dollars in a taxi, and takes around 60 minutes.
You should plan to spend around E£824 ($27) per day on your vacation in Cairo, which is the average daily price based on the expenses of other visitors. Past travelers have spent, on average, E£225 ($7.35) on meals for one day and E£142 ($4.62) on local transportation.