Can You Go Inside the Great Pyramids? Tickets, What You See and Tips

Yes, you can go inside the Great Pyramids of Giza. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is open to visitors with a separate interior ticket (EGP 1,500 for a foreign adult and EGP 750 for a student at the time of writing), bought on top of the general Giza plateau ticket of EGP 700. Inside, a narrow passage and the tall Grand Gallery lead up to the King's Chamber, a plain granite room with an empty sarcophagus.

The pyramid of Menkaure, and usually one more of the main pyramids in rotation, can also be entered on a cheaper ticket. Our guides take travellers inside almost every day, so this guide covers what you really see, how hard the climb is, the rules and how to decide which pyramid to enter. We last checked the prices on 4 November 2026; they change often, so check at the ticket office or on the official e-ticket site before you go.

Every ticket for the interior is bought in addition to the plateau entrance ticket. These are the prices for foreign visitors at the time of writing:

The Khufu interior price rose from EGP 900 to EGP 1,500 on 1 January 2025. Egyptian visitors pay much lower prices. Tickets are paid by card at the plateau; cash is not accepted at the main gate. Keep the interior ticket with you: it is checked at the pyramid entrance, not at the plateau gate.

Is there a limit on tickets?

The number of people allowed inside the Great Pyramid each day is limited to protect the monument from the humidity of visitors' breath, and the guards control how many people are in the passages at once. In the busy months, from October to April, arrive at opening time if going inside matters to you.

The Great Pyramid was built for King Khufu of the 4th Dynasty, around 2560 BC. It was the tallest structure made by humans for almost 4,000 years. Its inside is plain: there are no paintings or inscriptions on the walls, which surprises visitors who have seen the colourful tombs of Luxor. What impresses is the scale and precision of the stonework.

The entrance tunnel

Visitors do not use the original entrance high on the north face. You go in through a lower tunnel cut into the stone, traditionally said to have been dug by the workers of the caliph al-Ma'mun in the 9th century AD. It joins the original passages inside.

The ascending passage

This is the hard part. The passage is about one metre high and one metre wide and climbs steeply for around 39 metres. You walk bent over on wooden boards with steps and handrails, in single file, with people coming down the same way.

The Grand Gallery

Suddenly the ceiling opens up. The Grand Gallery is about 47 metres long and 8.6 metres high, with a corbelled roof of stepped stone blocks. It is the most striking part of the visit, and many of our guests find it more memorable than the burial chamber itself.

The King's Chamber

At the top, a low passage leads into the King's Chamber, built entirely of red granite brought from Aswan, about 900 km to the south. It measures roughly 10.5 by 5.2 metres. The only object inside is Khufu's lidless granite sarcophagus, which was already empty when the chamber was first explored in modern times. No mummy of Khufu has ever been found.

What you cannot see

The Queen's Chamber, the unfinished underground chamber and the narrow shafts are closed to visitors. The space detected above the Grand Gallery by the ScanPyramids project in 2017, and the corridor behind the north face announced in 2023, are known only from scans and cameras.

• Time: about 20 to 30 minutes up and down at a normal pace, longer when the passages are busy.
• Heat and air: it is warm and humid inside all year, and the air feels heavy in the ascending passage.
• Space: the passage is low and narrow. If you are claustrophobic, have back or knee problems, heart or breathing conditions, it is better to skip it.
• Fitness: no climbing skills are needed, but you walk bent over up a steep slope. Children who are comfortable with tight spaces usually enjoy it.

Our honest advice: if you go inside only one pyramid, make it Khufu's, for the Grand Gallery. If the price or the passage worries you, Menkaure's pyramid gives you the feeling of entering a pyramid for a fraction of the cost, and the tomb of Meresankh III shows painted reliefs, which the pyramids do not have.

Pyramid of Khafre

The second pyramid, built for Khufu's son Khafre, has a long sloping passage to a burial chamber cut into the bedrock. On the wall is the name of Giovanni Belzoni, who entered it in 1818. Khafre's pyramid and Menkaure's are opened in rotation for restoration, so one of them may be closed on your day. Read more about the pyramid of Khafre.

Pyramid of Menkaure

The smallest of the three main pyramids has a descending passage, a panelled antechamber and lower burial rooms. It is usually much quieter than Khufu's. See our article on the pyramid of Menkaure.

Other pyramids near Cairo

At Saqqara you can go inside the Step Pyramid of Djoser and the pyramid of Teti, whose walls carry the Pyramid Texts, and at Dahshur the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid can be entered. They are quieter and the interiors are often more interesting than Giza's. Our guide to the Dahshur pyramids explains what you find there. Dahshur, Saqqara and the Serapeum open our 6-day spiritual tour to the Pyramids, Cairo and Luxor.

• Photos: phone photos without flash were allowed inside at the time of writing. Tripods and professional cameras need a permit.
• Bags: take only a small bag and a bottle of water; you need your hands for the rails.
• No climbing outside: climbing the outside of the pyramids is forbidden. You can step onto the first blocks next to the entrance, but that is all.
• Dress: wear comfortable shoes with grip and light clothes; the boards in the passage can be slippery.

The official monuments site lists the plateau as open daily from 8:00 to 16:00, and the pyramid interiors and the tomb of Meresankh III from 7:00 to 17:00 (we last checked on 5 November 2026). Hours can be shorter in Ramadan, so check on the day.

Since 2025 most visitors arrive through the new entrance and visitor centre on the Fayoum road side of the plateau, near the Grand Egyptian Museum, and move around the site on electric buses. Private cars and tour buses no longer drive between the monuments, and camel and horse rides operate from fixed zones. With a private tour, your guide handles the tickets and the order of visits.

Best time to go inside

• At opening: the passages are coolest and quietest. We usually take guests into Khufu's pyramid first and see the outside afterwards. Day 6 of our 11-day meditation tour to Cairo, the Nile and Dahab is a private session inside the Great Pyramid.
• Avoid late morning: from about 10:00 to 13:00 the coaches from the Red Sea resorts and the cruise ships arrive.
• Summer: from June to September, plan the plateau before 11:00 and keep the afternoon for an indoor visit such as the museum.

For most travellers, yes, once. Standing in the Grand Gallery inside a 4,500-year-old building is something no photograph prepares you for. It is not worth it if you expect decoration or treasure, if you dislike tight spaces, or if your budget is tight: the EGP 1,500 ticket costs more than twice the plateau ticket. The treasure that belonged to pharaohs of that age, such as Khufu's boat, is now displayed at the Grand Egyptian Museum, 10 minutes away. Our guide to the Grand Egyptian Museum ticket price helps you plan both on one day.

• The Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple of Khafre, at the lower end of the plateau. Read when the Great Sphinx was built.
• The panoramic viewpoint in the desert to the south-west, for the classic photo of all the pyramids in a line.
• A camel or horse ride from the official zones. Agree the price and the duration before you get on.
• The Sound and Light Show in the evening, in front of the Sphinx. Note that the pyramids are not open inside at night.

Plan at least half a day for the plateau with one interior visit. For safety and scams, read our guide to visiting the pyramids of Giza safely.

Our Giza Pyramids and Saqqara tour combines the Great Pyramid with the Step Pyramid, with an Egyptologist guide who books the interior tickets for you. If you only have a few hours, the private day trip of Giza covers the plateau, and you can end the day at the Sound and Light Show at the pyramids.

How much does it cost to go inside the Great Pyramid?

EGP 1,500 for a foreign adult and EGP 750 for a foreign student at the time of writing, plus the Giza plateau ticket of EGP 700.

Is there anything inside the Great Pyramid?

The Grand Gallery and the granite King's Chamber with Khufu's empty sarcophagus. There are no paintings, inscriptions or treasure inside.

Can you go inside the pyramids at night?

No. The interiors close with the plateau in the afternoon. In the evening you can watch the Sound and Light Show from outside.

Can you climb the pyramids?

No. Climbing the outside of the pyramids is forbidden and guards enforce it. You can only step onto the lowest blocks near the entrance.

Is it scary inside the Great Pyramid?

It is not dangerous, but the ascending passage is low, narrow, hot and steep. People with claustrophobia or back, heart or breathing problems should skip it.