Pricing policy
All prices are per person in US dollars and depend on the size of your group. Your quote lists the final price and what it covers. After the deposit, changes to your plan cost US$25 per request, plus any third-party fees.
Cairo Layover Tour
An 8.5-hour private tour from Cairo Airport for a long stopover: the Pyramids of Giza and the Sphinx, lunch, then the Tutankhamun galleries of the Grand Egyptian Museum. Meeting at arrivals, return to departures, an Egyptologist, a private car, entrance tickets, lunch and water are included.
- Duration
- 8.5 hours
- Tour type
- Private, your own group
- Pickup
- From your hotel
- Lunch
- Included
- Guide
- Private Egyptologist, English-speaking
- Entrance fees
- Included
Overview
Cairo Airport is one of the few hubs in the world where a long connection can take you to an ancient wonder. The Pyramids of Giza are about 45 kilometres from the terminals, and the Grand Egyptian Museum, with the treasures of Tutankhamun, stands two kilometres from them. With a layover of eight hours or more, a private guide and car can take you to both and bring you back with time to spare, and the day is planned around one thing above all: your flight.
Your Egyptologist meets you in the arrivals hall after passport control and customs. A private air-conditioned car takes you to the Giza plateau for the Pyramids, the Sphinx and the Valley Temple, then to lunch, then to the Grand Egyptian Museum for the Tutankhamun galleries and the Grand Staircase. You are back at the departures terminal at least three hours before your next flight. With a shorter connection the program is cut to the Pyramids only; with a longer one, Khan el-Khalili or Old Cairo can be added.
Who this tour suits
- Travelers with a connection of eight to fourteen hours at Cairo Airport, in daylight hours.
- Anyone who wants to see the Pyramids without booking a hotel night in Cairo.
- Business travelers and crews with a free day between flights.
- Families who want the trip timed, ticketed and driven for them, with one guide from start to finish.
It is not possible with a connection shorter than about seven hours, or at night when the sites are closed. If you can stay a night or two, our Cairo day tours give the Pyramids and the museum more time, for example the Grand Egyptian Museum tour.
How we protect your connection
Before you book, send us your arrival and departure flight numbers and times. We plan the day backwards from your departure: international flights need you at the terminal three hours before take-off, and we add a margin for Cairo's traffic. Your guide watches the time all day and will cut a stop rather than risk the flight. If your arrival is delayed, we shorten the program; you are not charged for what you do not see because of the delay.
What you will love
- The Pyramids between two flightsThe Great Pyramid, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure and the Sphinx, on a single long connection.
- Tutankhamun's treasuresThe Tutankhamun galleries of the Grand Egyptian Museum, two kilometres from the Pyramids.
- Planned around your flightThe day is built backwards from your departure time, with a margin for traffic.
- One guide, door to gateYour Egyptologist meets you after customs and stays with you until you are back at departures.
- Bags in a locked carHand luggage, or your checked bags if needed, stay safely in the private car all day.
- Lunch near the PyramidsA seated Egyptian lunch at a local restaurant in Giza between the two visits.
- Tickets includedEntrance to the Giza plateau and a timed ticket to the Grand Egyptian Museum, bought for you.
Your stops
Times assume a morning arrival at about 08:00 and an evening departure after 20:00; your guide fits the stops to your real flight times and the traffic on the day.
Stop108:45 Meeting in the arrivals hall at Cairo Airport
After passport control and customs, your Egyptologist meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign and walks you to the private air-conditioned car. The drive to Giza takes about an hour.
Stop210:00 The Pyramids of Giza
On the plateau your guide explains how the pyramids of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure were built around 2500 BC and what they were for. You stop at the panoramic point for the classic view of all the pyramids together, and can enter one of them if time and your ticket allow.
Stop311:15 The Sphinx and the Valley Temple
Down at the edge of the plateau, you walk through Khafre's Valley Temple, built of huge granite blocks, to the terrace in front of the Great Sphinx.
Stop412:15 Lunch in Giza
A seated lunch of Egyptian dishes at a local restaurant near the plateau, and a chance to rest after the morning in the sun.
Stop513:30 The Grand Egyptian Museum
A short drive to the museum. With your timed ticket you go straight in: the statue of Ramesses II in the Grand Hall, the Grand Staircase with its view of the Pyramids, and the Tutankhamun galleries, where the objects from his tomb are shown together. Allow about two and a half hours.
Stop616:00 Drive back to Cairo Airport
You leave the museum in the late afternoon and reach the departures terminal at about 17:00 to 17:30, three hours or more before an evening flight. With more time, Khan el-Khalili or Old Cairo can be added before the airport.
Price
Group size and pricing
Prices are per person in US dollars. Children pay less, see the children policy below.
Get a quoteWhat is included
- Meeting at Cairo Airport arrivals and return to departures, in a private air-conditioned car.
- A private English-speaking Egyptologist guide from arrivals to departures.
- Entrance tickets to the Giza plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum.
- All taxes and service charges.
- Lunch at a local restaurant in Giza.
- Bottled water in the car.
- Extras not in the program, such as tickets inside the pyramids, camel rides and drinks with lunch.
- The Egyptian visa fee (our guide can help with the visa on arrival).
- Tips for the guide and driver (optional).
Practical information for this tour
Visa and leaving the airport
To leave the airport you need to pass Egyptian passport control, so you need an Egyptian visa: many nationalities can buy one on arrival at the bank counters before passport control or apply for an e-visa in advance; check the rules for your passport before you travel. Our guide meets you after customs and can help with the process. The visa fee is not included.
Luggage
If your bags are checked through to your final destination, you only carry your hand luggage, which stays locked in the car during the visits. If you must collect your bags, they can also stay in the car; tell us so we send a vehicle with room for them.
Opening hours and the best time of day
At the time of writing the Giza plateau opens at 08:00 and closes at 17:00, and the galleries of the Grand Egyptian Museum open at 09:00 and close at 18:00 (21:00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays). A layover tour needs to start by about 10:00 to see both. In summer, the plateau is very hot after 11:00, so with an early arrival we visit it first.
Tickets and photography
The entrance tickets to the Giza plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum are included. Entering one of the pyramids needs a separate ticket, bought on site if time allows. Personal photos are allowed at both sites; flash, tripods and drones are not, and some areas of the Tutankhamun galleries restrict photography.
What to wear and bring
- Light, comfortable clothes and shoes; a change of clothes in your hand luggage helps after a night flight.
- A hat and sun cream for the plateau, which has almost no shade.
- Your passport, boarding pass for the next flight and some cash in Egyptian pounds or US dollars.
Children, mobility and breaks
Children are welcome. The Pyramids area involves walking on sand and uneven ground, while the museum is modern with lifts. Lunch is a seated break, and the car is always close by if anyone needs to rest.
Travel policy guide
Booking confirmation
A deposit of 30% of the total tour cost confirms your booking. We send you a secure payment link for the deposit; the balance is paid in cash or by card on arrival in Egypt, unless your written offer gives another date. We never ask for card details by email, chat or WhatsApp. We confirm every booking by email.
Cancellation and refund
- 22 days or more before departure: 100% refund
- 15 to 21 days: 70% refund
- 8 to 14 days: 50% refund
- 0 to 7 days: no refund
No-show travelers are charged 100%. During peak events in Egypt, hotels and Nile cruises do not refund deposits. Groups of more than 10 people may have different terms.
Children policy
- Under 2: free, sharing the parents’ bed, meals not included
- 2 to 5 years: 25% of the adult price
- 6 to 11 years: 50% of the adult price
- 12 and over: adult price
Add each child and their age in the enquiry form so the quote is exact.
Optional visits
Add a lunch stop, a longer visit or a second site to your day. Tell us what you want and we add it to your quote with its cost.
Extra expenses
Not included in the price: Optional extras beyond program; Egypt visa (on-arrival assistance available).
Tipping guide
Tipping is customary in Egypt and is not included in the price. A usual amount for a private day tour is US$5 to 10 per person for your guide and US$3 to 5 for your driver.
Questions about this tour
How long does my layover need to be?
At least seven to eight hours between landing and take-off for the Pyramids alone, and nine to ten hours to add the Grand Egyptian Museum, in daylight hours. Send us your flights and we will tell you what fits.
Do I need a visa for a layover tour?
Yes. You pass passport control to leave the airport, so you need an Egyptian visa, on arrival or an e-visa, depending on your passport. Check the rules for your nationality before you travel; the fee is not included.
What happens if my incoming flight is late?
Your guide tracks the flight and waits. The program is shortened so that you are still back at the terminal in good time; you are not charged for the parts that are cut because of the delay.
What do I do with my luggage?
If your bags are checked through, you only carry hand luggage, which stays locked in the car. If you have to collect your bags, tell us and we send a car with room for them.
Is the tour private?
Yes. The guide and car are for your group only, from arrivals until you are back at departures.
Can we see the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir instead?
Yes, on request, but the Tutankhamun treasures have moved to the Grand Egyptian Museum, which is also much closer to the Pyramids. Tahrir still has the gold of Tanis and great Old Kingdom statues.
What travelers say about Egypt Online Tour
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Tripadvisor
5.0
193 reviews
Ranked #121 of 2,706 tours and activities in Cairo
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5.0
Based on 6 Google reviews
60 Ahmed El Zomor, Cairo, Egypt
Open 24 hours on the Google listing
Christiane SMay 2026
Amazing Egyptian vacation! We did an 11 day private tour of Cairo, cruise on the Nile between Aswan and Luxor and a 4 day stay in Hurghada. The guided tours were very interesting, with extremely knowledgeable guides, attentive and helpful.
Ehrhart MAugust 2024
Egypt package to the Pyramids of Giza and Saqqara was a fascinating journey through Egypt's ancient past ,guide knowledge, the majesty of the pyramids, and the historical depth of Saqqara made this tour truly enriching!
Clayton Z973August 2024
our honeymoon to Egypt ,Giza and Saqqara was a magical escape into history The pyramids looming in the distance, the quiet serenity of the desert, and the ancient wonders of Saqqara created moments that will be with me forever!
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