Additional Costs

Once you see capital city Cairo’s traffic, you won’t want to rent a car. The city is home to more than 17 million people. Driving can be high-speed and erratic. Officials at the U.S. Embassy advise personnel to avoid Cairo’s mini-buses. Hiring a private guide to drive and narrate your four-hour pyramid trip costs about $4 for adults and $2 for children. Solitary travelers can expect to pay a $2 supplemental fee.

Admission to all the plateau’s pyramids should cost about $3.50, but expect extra charges if you arrive early enough to nab one of the limited tickets to tour inside the Great Pyramid. Another set of tickets is available after lunch.

For an additional $8, visitors can attend a language-appropriate version of an evening sound and light show. In it, the Sphinx plays the narrator of ancient Egyptian history.

Tipping

Tipping is an expected part of touring Egypt and it’s wise to load up on small bills when exchanging money at airport banks. Restaurant servers typically receive $1 per person, rather than basing the type upon the meal price. Bellmen typically receive 30 cents per bag and hotel housekeepers receive about $2 every two days.

Other Sites

There is plenty to do in and around Cairo to keep visitors busy once they’ve seen the pyramids. The Egyptian Museum displays more than 136,000 items, including more than 1,700 items in the Tutankhamun Galleries. Admission is about $4 for adults and $2 for children. Admission into the mummy rooms is an additional $8 and $4 respectively.

Visitors interested in the history of early Christianity in Egypt may enjoy The Coptic Museum for a $3 ticket.

Some attractions ask visitors to pay a fee for photography privileges. Typical charges are about $2 for cameras and about $18 for video cameras.