On Christmas Eve 2023, I found myself with a spare day in Cairo before continuing my Winter travels to Malaysia.
I decided to take a half-day tour to see the most iconic landmark of Egypt, the world famous Pyramids of Giza.
I was picked up shortly after midday at the Intercontinental Citystars Hotel, in a relatively modern and comfortable minibus, for the one hour drive to the pyramids.
The tour began at the Great Pyramid, dating from roughly 2,600 BCE.
The tour included an entrance ticket to the Great Pyramid. However, I declined this, having been warned of the long queues to enter and the crowded and cramped conditions inside.
Instead, I took a short stroll around the base of the pyramid, to view some of the smaller tombs, as well as the holding area for the camel rides.
After the visit to the Great Pyramid, my tour group was driven roughly ten minutes to the panoramic viewing area, offering a sweeping view of the ancient structures, juxtaposed against the distant metropolis.
Here, there was the option of taking a camel ride.
As this was Christmas Eve, there was even a camel decked out in festive garments.
Whilst there was not such an obvious animal welfare issue as I observed in Edfu, I couldn’t be sure of the situation and preferred instead to spend my time admiring the vista.
The tour concluded with a visit to the legendary Great Sphinx, the oldest known monument in Egypt, dating from the 26th Century BCE.
The tour was around six hours long, including transport from and to my hotel near the Citystars Mall, at a price of $138 (£109). With only one free day, I considered this to be good value in view of the comprehensive nature of the tour.