Giza Pyramids & Saqqara: Private Day Tour with Egyptologist Guide

See four pyramids and watch ancient crafts come to life with your own guide

A private full-day tour of Giza and Saqqara with hotel pickup, expert Egyptologist guide, and live demonstrations of papyrus-making and cartouche crafting. You'll explore the Great Pyramid, Sphinx and Valley Temple at Giza, then travel to Saqqara to see the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, the world's first stone pyramid. The guide explains how and why the pyramids were built while you move between sites in an air-conditioned vehicle.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Giza Pyramids3h
2. Saqqara2h

Explore Giza and Saqqara ancient sites

• Hotel pickup from your accommodation
• Visit Giza Pyramids Plateau
• See Great Pyramid and Queens’ Pyramids
• Optional entry into Great Pyramid
• Enjoy panoramic desert photo stops
• Explore Great Sphinx and Valley Temple
• Travel to Saqqara and visit Step Pyramid
• Watch papyrus making demonstration
• Visit essential oils and fragrance workshop
• See cartouche craft demonstration
• Return to hotel

The experience

Your guide picks you up from your hotel and drives you to the Giza Plateau, where you'll spend the morning exploring the three main pyramids (Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos) plus the Queens' Pyramids and panoramic viewpoints across the desert. The guide walks you through the construction methods and purpose of each structure, then takes you to the Great Sphinx and the Valley Temple, where mummification rituals once took place. If you want to enter the Great Pyramid itself, that's an optional extra ticket you can add at checkout.

After Giza, you travel south to Saqqara to see the Step Pyramid of King Zoser, which predates the Giza pyramids and marks the evolution of pyramid-building in ancient Egypt. On the way back to your hotel, you stop at three working demonstrations: a papyrus institute where artisans show how Egyptians made the first paper from papyrus plants; a traditional oils center where you'll see how natural essences were extracted using ancient methods; and a cartouche workshop where craftspeople create personalized hieroglyphic cartouches. You can purchase your own cartouche if you want a souvenir.

The tour runs 7 to 8 hours total. Your guide speaks English, Spanish or Arabic depending on your choice at booking. The vehicle is air-conditioned, bottled water is provided, and all taxes and service charges are included in the price.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• bottled water throughout the day.
• professional Egyptologist guide speaking English, Spanish or Arabic.
• all taxes and service charges.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day5 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 11:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (21 to 49 years) · Senior (50 to 70 years) · Youth (8 to 20 years) · Child (3 to 7 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 9 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Amon Ra Toura

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want a private guide to explain the pyramids' construction and purpose as you move between sites, rather than navigating on your own or joining a shared group. The demonstrations of ancient papyrus-making and cartouche crafting are unique stops that break up the day and show how Egyptians worked with materials.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (8 to 20 years); Child (3 to 7 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What's inside the Great Pyramid if I pay the extra ticket?

The Great Pyramid of King Cheops is the only one you can enter on this tour. The interior contains the burial chamber and passages, though the space is tight and climbing is involved. Entry is not included in the base price and requires a separate ticket purchased at checkout.

How long do you spend at each pyramid site?

The Giza Plateau takes up most of the morning, with time to walk around the three main pyramids, see the Queens' Pyramids, visit the Sphinx and Valley Temple, and stop for photos at panoramic viewpoints. Saqqara and the Step Pyramid take up the early afternoon before the demonstrations on the return journey.

Are the papyrus and cartouche demonstrations hands-on or just watching?

Both are live demonstrations where you watch artisans work. At the papyrus institute, you see how the plant is processed into paper. At the oils center, you observe traditional extraction methods. At the cartouche workshop, craftspeople create personalized hieroglyphic cartouches in front of you, and you have the option to buy one.

What's the difference between the Giza pyramids and Saqqara?

Giza's pyramids (Cheops, Chephren and Mykerinos) were built during Egypt's Old Kingdom and are the largest and most famous. Saqqara's Step Pyramid of King Zoser is older and marks the world's first stone pyramid. It shows how pyramid design evolved before the smooth-sided pyramids at Giza were built.

Is lunch included, and where do you eat?

Lunch and drinks are not included in the tour price. You can add lunch as an extra at checkout, or your guide can recommend a restaurant during the day. The tour is structured around the sites and demonstrations rather than a formal meal stop.