Cairo Pyramids without guide

Pyramids in Cairo on your own. Without guide.
So challenging in so many ways but so amazing. And best of all 👉🏻it’s doable.

We stayed in a shabby hotel just 300 meters from ‘Entrance 2’ which is only gate only open for pedestrians. Just beside the Sphinx. 
We were there when they opened at 8 and could silently stroll around in the morninglight among the 5000 year old pyramids and enjoy the beautiful plateau of Giza all on our own before the herds of tourists arrived.

We had an amazing beautiful brunch at 9 pyramids lounge . You need to book a table in advance. It was so pretty. One of the most memorable meals of our life. 🍳

We spend the afternoon in the brand new museum GEM. Grand Egyptian museum. Amazing. History meets the future. Ancient Egypt meets modern architecture. Buy tickets online.

And of course we got ripped off and scammed during our days in Cairo, it’s a part of the egyptian experience but I will tell you all about.

Egypt is fantastic but you need to be aware about the ‘scamming-culture’ so here are some life-saving advices when travelling on your own:

1. Book a taxi before you land with either Uber (used a lot in Egypt)or Booking or directly with the hotel. Settle a price in advance. Make sure you have internet on your phone & whatsup. Make sure you have the taxidrivers direct number. Airalocom iralo will give you one week with an e-SIM card for 7 dollars. Very easy to connect. No need to buy an extra external SIM card anymore.
2. Don’t believe the booking-rates in booking. I don’t know how but the reviews are doped and they change names and fool even the booking-system. When you do book a hotel at booking read the LATEST reviews cause they will hopefully tell.
   
3. When you buy something small and only have a big money in cash, don’t except their change. Many times they give you change in old banknotes (dollars or euro) which can no longer be used.
   
4. Don’t ever ride on the camels or horses. Don’t support animal-suffering (and it will cost you a lot)
   
5. Have in mind that EVERYONE will scam or rip you off and then it’s easier to say NO. NO. NO. You are NOT obliged to buy anything (not even from the ‘papyrus-museums’ or ‘essence-shops)
   
6. Whatever the ‘guides’ at the hotel will tell you don’t believe them. The ‘guides’ don’t know more than what you read yourself on google. Use entrance 2 close to the sphinx (where only pedestrians are allowed. Tickets are sold on place) and walk into the Giza-plateau yourself and enjoy the amazing pyramids on your own. You can walk around the pyramids without problem. 
   
7. The hotels will try to make you pay 10% extra in ‘bank-service’ when you pay with card. Don’t pay that. This is something they make up and it’s not your problem. Kindly say no and negotiate it. They will eventually accept.
   
8. To get to the special restaurant ‘9 pyramids lounge’ inside the plateau (amazing view, only prebooked guests allowed) you will need a taxi or Uber.
   
9. The grand Egyptian Museum (buy tickets online) is amazing (whatever the ‘experts’ are saying).
   
10. The gates opens at 7 (in the summer) and 8 (in winter.) they close at 17:00 but last entrance is at 16:00.

Follow these advices and you will have the pyramids all by yourself.