Egypt's Pyramids of Giza: The Last of the Seven Wonders

The Pyramids of Giza are the most visited archaeological site in the world and the most ancient — the Great Pyramid was built around 2560 BCE, making it 4,500 years old and the oldest of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. It is also the only one still standing. The pyramid was the tallest man-made structure in the world for 3,800 years, and the precision of its construction — the base is level to within 2.1 centimetres, and the sides are aligned to the cardinal points with an accuracy of 0.05 degrees — remains extraordinary.

The Giza plateau contains three pyramids — the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the slightly smaller Pyramid of Khafre, and the much smaller Pyramid of Menkaure — along with the Great Sphinx, the largest monolithic statue in the world. The Sphinx, carved from a single outcrop of limestone, has the body of a lion and the head of a pharaoh (probably Khafre), and has been guarding the plateau for 4,500 years.

The interior of the Great Pyramid is accessible to visitors — a narrow passage leads to the King's Chamber, a room of red granite at the heart of the pyramid, where the sarcophagus of Khufu once stood. The climb is claustrophobic and physically demanding, but the experience of standing in a room that has been sealed for 4,500 years, in the centre of the largest stone structure ever built, is one of the most extraordinary in archaeology.

The Egyptian Museum in Cairo, a short drive from Giza, contains the finest collection of ancient Egyptian artefacts in the world — including the treasures of Tutankhamun's tomb, discovered by Howard Carter in 1922. The golden death mask of Tutankhamun, the innermost of three coffins, and the extraordinary jewellery and furniture from the tomb are the highlights of a collection that spans 5,000 years of Egyptian history.

Luxor, 700 kilometres south of Cairo, is an extraordinary open-air museum — a city built on the site of ancient Thebes, the capital of the New Kingdom pharaohs. The Karnak Temple complex, the largest religious building ever constructed, and the Valley of the Kings, where 63 royal tombs have been discovered, are the principal sights. The tomb of Ramesses VI and the tomb of Seti I are among the most elaborate in the valley.

The Nile cruise between Luxor and Aswan is one of the finest river journeys in the world — a four-day voyage past temples, villages, and the agricultural landscape of the Nile Valley that has changed little in thousands of years. The temples of Edfu and Kom Ombo, visited on the cruise, are among the best-preserved in Egypt.

The best time to visit Egypt is from October to April, when the temperatures are comfortable — the summer months (June to August) can see temperatures exceeding 45°C in Upper Egypt, which makes outdoor sightseeing genuinely dangerous. The winter months (December to February) are the most popular and the most crowded, but the weather is excellent and the light on the monuments in the low winter sun is extraordinary.

Getting to the Giza plateau is straightforward from central Cairo. The site is located on the western edge of the city, and the journey from downtown Cairo by taxi or ride-hailing app typically takes between 30 and 60 minutes depending on traffic. The Cairo Metro does not currently reach Giza directly, though the network is expanding. Organised tours from Cairo hotels are widely available and include transport, an English-speaking guide, and entry tickets; independent visitors can purchase tickets at the site entrance. It is worth noting that the plateau is large and the distances between the pyramids and the Sphinx are greater than they appear in photographs — comfortable walking shoes are essential.

Visiting the Giza plateau independently requires some preparation. The site opens early in the morning and closes in the afternoon; exact hours should be confirmed before visiting as they can vary by season and on public holidays. Separate tickets are required for the plateau itself, for entry into the pyramids, and for the Solar Boat Museum, which houses a reconstructed cedar boat discovered in a pit beside the Great Pyramid in 1954. The number of visitors permitted inside the Great Pyramid each day is limited, and tickets for interior access can sell out; arriving early gives the best chance of securing them. Guides offering their services at the entrance are not officially affiliated with the site, and visitors who prefer a guided experience are generally better served by arranging one in advance.

Cairo itself rewards time beyond the pyramids. The Islamic Cairo district, centred on the Al-Azhar Mosque and the Khan el-Khalili bazaar, is one of the finest medieval urban landscapes in the world — a dense network of medieval mosques, madrasas, and covered markets that has been continuously inhabited for over a thousand years. The Coptic Cairo neighbourhood, in the south of the city, contains some of the oldest Christian churches in the world, including the Hanging Church (Al-Muallaqah), which dates to the 4th century. The new Grand Egyptian Museum, located near the Giza plateau, opened in stages from 2021 and is designed to house the complete Tutankhamun collection and many other major artefacts in a purpose-built facility.

Practical considerations for visiting Egypt are worth addressing directly. The country has a well-developed tourism infrastructure in the main sites, but conditions — including entry requirements, visa arrangements, and local safety advisories — can change. Checking the current travel advice from your government's foreign affairs department before booking is recommended. Guided tours that combine Cairo, Luxor, and Aswan are a popular way to see the principal sites efficiently, and Nile cruises between Luxor and Aswan are a well-established part of the Egyptian tourism offer. Travelling in the cooler months (October to April) makes outdoor sightseeing considerably more comfortable.