Our tour will bring you into the heart of Old Kingdom Egypt. We will visit the Giza pyramid complex, one of the oldest necropolises still standing today! As you take in the wonders of the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Menkaure, the Pyramid of Khafre and the adjoining Great Sphinx, you will learn about all aspects of life in Old Kingdom Egypt. We will meet the pharaohs, their queens, and the people who toiled away for years to create these great monuments that we can still see today.
Tour Creator
Jill is currently a PhD student in Egyptian Art and Archaeology in the department of Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins. Her focus is funerary complexes of the Middle Kingdom…Read More Bio »
Giza
GPS-directed
Remote Tour Included
1+hr/2.5hrs(Extended itinerary)
1km/2.5km
Avoid the Crowds
Allows you to explore without having to be shoulder-to-shoulder in a large tour group
Expert-created Tour
Written by a PhD student in Egyptian Art and Archaeology in the department of Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins
GPS Directions
Easy-to-follow GPS directions to get you from one point to the next on your tour
Highlights include:
Pyramid of Khufu, The Queen's Pyramids, Pyramid of Khafre and The Great Sphinx
Remote Tour Included
As with all our tours, a remote tour is included that can be enjoyed from home
Itineraries
Pyramids of Giza: Extended
Pyramids of Giza: Standard
- Approaching the Giza plateau - There have been settled communities in the Nile River Valley for over 8,000 years, during which these settlement developments created a unique belief system in the afterlife
- Pyramid of Khufu - Old Kingdom pharaohs built their necropolis at Giza, the grandest of them all being Khufu’s Great Pyramid. The construction of the pyramid's interior and preparation of the deceased's bodes were all intertwined with belief system of Ancient Egyptians.
- The Stones Next to Khufu’s Pyramid - In 2580 BCE, conscripted workers began constructing Khufu’s final resting place at the Giza plateau, it stood for over 4000 years and scientists have debated how the pyramid was built for centuries.
- The Boat Museum - One of the most fascinating discoveries at the Giza complex is a collection of boats surrounding Khufu’s pyramid. They were not simply a means of transport you see, but bore symbolic meaning as well.
- The Queen’s Pyramids - In addition to the three main pyramids, the Giza complex is also home to multiple smaller pyramids and tombs housing the queens of the Fourth Dynasty. The stories of these women are mostly lost to history, but their tombs tell fascinating tales of womanhood in Old Kingdom Egypt.
- Queen Hetepheres’ Tomb - Daughter, wife and mother of Pharaohs, Hetepheres was a woman who inspired multiple rulers of the Old Kingdom. Two tombs are associated with her, one of which housed magnificent grave goods that display the wealth and power of Old Kingdom Egypt.
- The Eastern Cemetery - The Eastern Cemetery tombs belonged to the highest-ranking members of Khufu’s court. The size and position of the Eastern Cemetery give archaeologists an insight into how elite burials were planned during the Old Kingdom.
- The Western Cemetery - The mastabas provide a deep insight into what the Egyptians idea was of rebirth and afterlife.
- The Pyramid of Khafre - The 25 year reign of Khafre followed after a brief period of instability. He is best known for commissioning the Sphinx statue standing next to his pyramid, the second largest at Giza.
- The Great Sphinx at a distance - The Great Sphinx, Egypt’s largest monumental sculpture today, is one of the most mysterious sculptures in the world. While Egyptologists agree that it dates to Khafre’s reign, there is surprisingly little information on why it was commissioned and what it represents.
- The Ancient Sphinx - Today the Sphinx is considered “the guardian of Giza,” with a religious significance attached to its presence.
- Are the Myths and Stories Surrounding the Great Sphinx True? - Most of what we know of the Great Sphinx is complete exaggeration, where the worlds of history and mystery combine. So which stories about the Sphinx are true?
- Queen Khentkawes: The Mysterious Queen - Khentkawes has her own tomb complex at Giza, located close to Menkaure’s pyramid. Khentkawes is perhaps the most mysterious queen buried at Giza.
- Heit el-Ghurob: The “Lost City of the Pyramid Builders” - The pharaoh provided funding to house his workers during the construction at Heit el-Ghurob, a workers village. Such settlements became self-sufficient cities, complete with their own trades, business, and social structure.
- The Pyramid of Menkaure - Menkaure‘s pyramid is the smallest of the three main pyramids at Giza. The pharaoh deliberately constructed his tomb smaller than his father’s and grandfather’s, beginning a trend that would last until the end of the Old Kingdom.
- Pyramid of Khufu - Old Kingdom pharaohs built their necropolis at Giza, the grandest of them all being Khufu’s Great Pyramid. The construction of the pyramid's interior and preparation of the deceased's bodes were all intertwined with belief system of Ancient Egyptians.
- The Stones Next to Khufu’s Pyramid - In 2580 BCE, conscripted workers began constructing Khufu’s final resting place at the Giza plateau, it stood for over 4000 years and scientists have debated how the pyramid was built for centuries.
- The Queen’s Pyramids - In addition to the three main pyramids, the Giza complex is also home to multiple smaller pyramids and tombs housing the queens of the Fourth Dynasty. The stories of these women are mostly lost to history, but their tombs tell fascinating tales of womanhood in Old Kingdom Egypt.
- The Pyramid of Khafre - The 25 year reign of Khafre followed after a brief period of instability. He is best known for commissioning the Sphinx statue standing next to his pyramid, the second largest at Giza.
- The Great Sphinx at a distance - The Great Sphinx, Egypt’s largest monumental sculpture today, is one of the most mysterious sculptures in the world. While Egyptologists agree that it dates to Khafre’s reign, there is surprisingly little information on why it was commissioned and what it represents.
- The Ancient Sphinx - Today the Sphinx is considered “the guardian of Giza,” with a religious significance attached to its presence.
- Are the Myths and Stories Surrounding the Great Sphinx True? - Most of what we know of the Great Sphinx is complete exaggeration, where the worlds of history and mystery combine. So which stories about the Sphinx are true?
- The Pyramid of Menkaure - Menkaure‘s pyramid is the smallest of the three main pyramids at Giza. The pharaoh deliberately constructed his tomb smaller than his father’s and grandfather’s, beginning a trend that would last until the end of the Old Kingdom.
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