The pyramids from Sinai
Cairo and the Pyramids in a Day from Sharm el-Sheikh, by Flight
From the Sinai coast to Giza and back by air: the pyramids and Sphinx, the Egyptian Museum, the Citadel and the old bazaar.
Full day · about 12 hours · Sharm el-Sheikh and Cairo · Private
- Nothing is booked until you accept a written quote
- A Deluxe Travel Egypt brand: read the reviews
- Duration
- Full day · about 12 hours
- On the road
- A domestic flight each way, plus airport transfers
- At the sites
- Most of the day in Cairo, between flights
- Format
- Private
- Pace
- Active
Before you choose
Is this the right tour for you?
Sharm el-Sheikh is across the Gulf of Suez from mainland Egypt, and the quickest way from its beaches to the pyramids is by air. This day trip flies you to Cairo in the morning and brings you back in the evening, with a guide waiting at each end.
The day begins at Giza. Khufu's pyramid remained the tallest building on earth for some 3,800 years, and it stands with those of Khafre and Menkaure above the Great Sphinx. Then the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir Square, the oldest archaeological museum in the Middle East, where the story runs from Egypt's first kings to the Roman period. After lunch the drive climbs to the Citadel, the fortress that was home to Egypt's rulers from the thirteenth century to the nineteenth, and the mosque Muhammad Ali built there in 1848 with its two needle-thin minarets. Khan el-Khalili, the old bazaar, is the last stop before the airport.
The return flights, transfers, guide, entrance fees and lunch are included. One thing to arrange before you book: if you flew into Sharm on the free Sinai entry stamp, you need a visa to leave the resorts, and you can get one at Sharm airport or online.
Our advice
Check your visa first: the free Sinai stamp does not cover a trip to Cairo. Then it is a long but straightforward day.
Consider instead: Staying in Sinai? The Mount Sinai sunrise climb and St Catherine's Monastery are a night's trip from Sharm.
7 stops
How the day runs
Early
Pickup in Sharm and the flight to Cairo
From your hotel to Sharm el-Sheikh airport; your guide meets you in Cairo.
Morning
Giza: the pyramids and the Sphinx
Khufu's pyramid, aligned to true north within minutes of arc, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, and the Great Sphinx at the foot of Khafre's causeway.
The Great Sphinx: A king's head on a lion's body, cut from the living rock at the foot of Khafre's causeway.
Midday
The Egyptian Museum
Opened in 1902 on Tahrir Square: start with the Narmer Palette at the entrance and follow Egypt from its first kings.
The Egyptian Museum: The old museum on Tahrir Square, where Egypt runs from its beginning to its end in one building.
Midday
Lunch
At a local restaurant, included.
Afternoon
The Citadel
The medieval fortress on a spur of the Muqattam hills, with Muhammad Ali's mosque, known as the Alabaster Mosque, at its highest point.
Muhammad Ali Mosque: The mosque that gives Cairo its skyline.
Afternoon
Khan el-Khalili
Time in the old bazaar before the drive to the airport.
Evening
Flight back to Sharm el-Sheikh
Met at Sharm airport and driven to your hotel.
The details
What is included
Highlights
- Return flights Sharm el-Sheikh–Cairo included
- Khufu's pyramid, the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure, and the Sphinx
- The Egyptian Museum
- The Citadel, Muhammad Ali's mosque and Khan el-Khalili
Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Sharm el-Sheikh
- Return domestic flights Sharm el-Sheikh–Cairo
- Meet and assist at both airports
- Air-conditioned transport in Cairo
- Professional English-speaking guide
- Entrance fees for the sites listed
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Taxes and service charges
Not included
- An Egyptian visa, if you arrived on the Sinai stamp
- Entry inside any pyramid and the Royal Mummies Hall
- Tips
- Insurance
- Personal spending
Places you visit
- Sharm el-Sheikh
- Giza pyramids
- Great Sphinx
- Egyptian Museum
- Cairo Citadel
- Mosque of Muhammad Ali
- Khan el-Khalili
- Group
- Private: your party only
- Transport
- Domestic flights; air-conditioned vehicle in Cairo
- Departure
- Early morning pickup, depending on flight times
- Meeting point
- Your hotel in Sharm el-Sheikh
- Guide languages
- English, Other languages on request
- Best time to go
- October to April for cooler days in Cairo; book a day or more ahead
- Entrance tickets
- Included: entrance to the sites listed
- Optional extras
- Entry inside a pyramid; the Royal Mummies Hall
- Your price
- Set in your written quote for your party, dates and pickup, with the payment and cancellation terms.
Details checked
Add to the day
Experiences nearby
Your first dive in the Red SeaReefs off Hurghada, Red Seafrom USD 59
The ThistlegormNear Ras Mohammed, South Sinaifrom USD 93
A boat of your own for the dayThe Giftun islands, off Hurghadafrom USD 174 per boat
One breath in DahabDahab, South Sinaifrom USD 232
Your first kiteEl Gouna, Soma Bay, Dahab or Ras Sudrfrom USD 418
Saqqara by quad and dirt bikeThe desert edge at Saqqara, south of Gizafrom USD 100
Quad, camel and supper in the desert behind HurghadaThe Eastern Desert inland from Hurghadafrom USD 29
Sinai by quad, then supper with the BedouinThe South Sinai desert inland from Sharm El Sheikhfrom USD 65
Sunrise on Mount SinaiMount Sinai and St Catherine's Monastery, South Sinaifrom USD 65
A telescope night in the Eastern DesertThe Eastern Desert inland from Hurghadafrom USD 30
A Sinai Trail daySt Catherine, South Sinaifrom USD 65
A tandem skydive over EgyptThe drop zone east of Cairo; Giza and El Gouna on event datesfrom USD 280
Down inside the Red PyramidDahshur, south of Cairofrom USD 120
Cairo by its street foodDowntown and Islamic Cairofrom USD 25
Questions
Before you ask
Do I need a visa for this trip?
If you flew into Sharm el-Sheikh on the free entry stamp, yes. The UK government's advice says the stamp covers stays of under 15 days in the resorts of Sharm, Dahab, Nuweiba and Taba, and travel outside them needs a visa, available at Sharm airport or online (read 29 September 2026). Check the rules for your own passport.
Will we see Tutankhamun's treasures?
Not at the Egyptian Museum: they now have their own galleries at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Ask to swap the museum stop if Tutankhamun matters most to you.
Can we go inside a pyramid?
Yes, with an extra ticket. Entry inside a pyramid is not in the price; ask for it in your request.
How early is the start?
The pickup follows the morning flight and the return the evening one. Your quote gives the times for your date.
Is the price for children different?
Children usually pay less, but the domestic fare sets part of the price. Tell us the children's ages and the quote shows it.
Pairs well with
Tours that go with this one
7 Days in Egypt: Cairo, Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel by Sleeper Train7 days · 6 nights · Cairo, Luxor and Aswanfrom USD 975
10 Days in Egypt: Cairo and a Nile Cruise, with Flights10 days · 9 nights · Cairo, Luxor and Aswanfrom USD 1,675
Ras Mohammed National Park and White Island Boat Trip from Sharm El SheikhFull day · about 8 hours · The Red Seafrom USD 50
Deluxe Trips Egypt
Ask for this tour, for your dates.
Send your dates and party size here. We reply with a written quote: the price for your party, what is included and the terms. Nothing is booked until you accept it.
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Photography credits (19)
Holger Uwe Schmitt, CC BY-SA 4.0; Hesham Farouk Ragab, CC BY-SA 4.0; Igorgalli, CC BY-SA 4.0; Wikicomman, CC BY-SA 4.0; cattan2011, CC BY 2.0; Lars Plougmann, CC BY-SA 2.0; Marc Ryckaert, CC BY 3.0; Berthold Werner, CC BY 3.0; Norhan Elmaghrabi, CC BY-SA 4.0; Egy2030, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sara Nabih, CC BY-SA 4.0; Fadyhesham0, CC BY-SA 3.0; Mohamed kamal 1984, CC BY-SA 4.0; U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Erin Dunkleberger, Public domain; Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0; Arria Belli, CC BY-SA 2.0; Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0; KennyOMG, CC BY-SA 4.0; Sovernigo, CC BY-SA 4.0
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