Egypt Without a Guide: Giza Beyond the Souvenir Stalls

I had been to Egypt before, as part of an organised tour. We stayed in Hurghada, cruised the Nile from Luxor to Aswan, and visited Abu Simbel. Those were enjoyable trips, and the days spent sailing on the Nile were particularly relaxing.

We also took a two-day bus trip to Cairo.

I hated it.

Looking back, I eventually realised that perhaps it wasn’t entirely Cairo’s fault. It was the whole setup. On a trip like that, there is never enough time. Everyone wants to see as much as possible, and the guides drag you through souvenir shops, camel photo stops, and endless tourist attractions until you’re completely exhausted.

This time was different.

Since I was already travelling in the neighbouring Libya, I decided to give Cairo—and Egypt—a second chance. This time without guides, without a large group, and entirely at my own pace.

I had about twelve days available and decided to focus on Cairo, Giza, and Alexandria.

Public transport in and around Cairo can be exhausting. Taxis are often the easiest solution, but I generally prefer not to rely on them more than necessary. Instead, I stayed in three different locations around the Cairo area before eventually taking the bus to Alexandria for the final part of the trip.

My first hotel was located just a two-minute walk from the entrance to the Giza Plateau. From there, it was only a short stroll to the Sphinx, and in the evenings I had a magnificent panoramic view of the pyramids directly from my room.

Another major reason for returning to Cairo was the new Grand Egyptian Museum, or simply the GEM. During my previous visit, we had rushed through the old Egyptian Museum as part of a tightly packed itinerary, and I remembered surprisingly little from it.

This time, I stayed within walking distance of the GEM. The route was not always straightforward, but it was perfectly manageable. What will be truly impressive in the future is the elevated walkway currently being built between the museum and the Giza Plateau. Once completed, it should provide a remarkable connection between Egypt’s ancient and modern monuments.

I had set aside an entire day for the GEM, and it turned out that I needed every minute of it.

The museum is enormous. I was genuinely overwhelmed by the scale of the project, and it is obvious that an immense amount of money has been invested in it. It is certainly commercial in many ways, but that is simply how the world works.

The architecture is minimalist yet monumental at the same time. The ceilings soar overhead, and there is an entire hall dedicated to a grand staircase lined with statues and artefacts. The galleries themselves are thoughtfully curated, with the different historical periods clearly separated and easy to follow.

I should also be honest. I was deeply impressed by much of the artwork, craftsmanship, and decoration created thousands of years ago. Yet after several hours, it almost becomes too much to absorb. There is simply so much splendour, so much history, that eventually the mind begins to struggle to process it all.

Tutankhamun’s treasures occupy a dedicated section of the museum. Although I remembered seeing his famous death mask during my previous visit, I had forgotten just how vast the collection really is. The sheer amount of gold and wealth buried with a single individual for the journey into the afterlife is difficult to comprehend.

For me, this was undoubtedly the highlight of the museum.

The Giza Plateau

One of the advantages of staying so close to the plateau is that you can simply walk there early in the morning, before the buses and tour groups arrive. Even the camel handlers and the overly enthusiastic “guides” seem reluctant to start work too early.

As a result, entering the site is surprisingly easy. Even the free shuttle buses had not started running when I arrived. If you have a decent pair of legs and a bit of energy, there is no reason not to explore on foot.

The Sphinx is the first member of the welcoming committee, sitting quietly as it has for centuries while the city gradually crept closer and closer. Today, Cairo is almost at its doorstep.

From a distance, the pyramids do not appear quite as enormous as you might expect. But as you approach them and realise that a single stone block reaches almost to your shoulder, the scale suddenly becomes very real.

And, of course, the inevitable question returns:

How on earth did they build this?

The three great pyramids stand in a magnificent line, but they are surrounded by numerous smaller pyramids that are often overlooked by visitors eager to reach the main attractions.

The site itself is vast, and comfortable shoes are highly recommended if you plan to spend the day walking. If you are clever enough to avoid the large bus parking areas, there are even moments when you can feel surprisingly alone.

It may sound rather banal, but in the end they are simply enormous piles of stone standing in the desert.

Yet the scale is extraordinary, and the symbolism is powerful.

Most of all, I appreciated being able to experience them at my own pace, in relative silence, and without anyone rushing me towards the next souvenir shop.