Climbing inside the pyramids should be on every Egyptian itinerary in my opinion – it’s an experience unlike anything else in the world. As impressive as it is to see the great pyramids of Giza from the outside, it’s completely different to see them from within!
Do you need a ticket to go inside the Pyramids of Giza?
Climbing inside the pyramids isn’t included in the general admission ticket. The Great Pyramid of Khufu costs 400 EGP and the Pyramid of Khafre is 100EGP. I opted to go inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Make sure to buy your extra tickets from the ticket booth when you enter, or you’ll have to walk all the way back down the hill to get them later.
How do you get inside the Pyramids?
Now, for the experience going inside. In the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the tunnel at the entrance is wide and well carved out. Once you get to the main tunnel though, it’s a complete different story. You’ll need to climb crouched over for around 40 metres, up a steep ramp. The ramp is in a very small tunnel – the width can really only accommodate one person comfortably, but it’s a two-way street so you’ll inevitably have to clamber over or under people coming from the opposite direction.
Once you’re through this section, you’ll walk up another steep ramp, although this one has high ceilings. You’ll duck under some large rocks and then enter the main chamber – at this point, you’ll have reached the top!
What does it look like inside the Pyramids of Giza?
The main chamber at the top is a small room with high ceilings. It’s completely bare apart from a large stone structure, which resembles the remains of a sarcophagus. The Pyramids of Giza were built before hieroglyphs became popular, so the walls inside are have no carvings or decorations. Since they all look relatively the same from the inside, it is recommended that you only need to go inside one pyramid for the experience.
After you’re done here in the main chamber, it’s back out the pyramid the same way you came in. You can expect the total time to go up and come back down to be about 30 minutes. Be aware that the further inside you climb, the warmer it gets. Even in winter, I was sweating heavily once I got up to the top. Bring a bottle of water as you’ll get thirsty!
If you have joint problems or suffer from claustrophobia, it’s probably best not to venture inside the pyramids, as you don’t want to injure yourself in the small tunnel.
Is it worth going inside the Pyramids of Giza?
All in all, paying for the extra ticket to go inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu was a once-in-a-lifetime experience that I would highly recommend. Going inside the pyramids gives you a completely different perspective to the one you’ll get from seeing them on the outside. Seeing the size of the stones and thickness of the walls from the inside makes you appreciate how difficult it would have been to build these pyramids with ancient technology. It really gives you a true sense of how great an architectural feat these ancient structures are.
Travelling to Salar de Uyuni (Uyuni Salt Flats) was one of my highlights in South America – I loved the experience of driving along the barren landscape and learning about the history of the region. Uyuni is home to the largest salt flat in the world (over 10,000 square metres of flat salty crust), but that’s not the only thing here to see – the area is full of rocky deserts, lagoons, mountains, volcanoes, hot springs and other incredible landscapes. In this post, I’ll answer some common questions about Uyuni, so you know what to expect when you visit.
Whereabouts is Uyuni Salt Flats?
The first thing to note about the Uyuni region is its remoteness. I’ll admit, I had no idea this was the case when I first decided I wanted to visit. While it’s a well-known tourist destination and bucket list item for lots of people, it’s not particularly close to any other destinations in Bolivia. It’ll take you around 10 hours to reach Uyuni town by bus, even longer by train. If you’re on a tight schedule and budget isn’t an issue, I would recommend flying into Uyuni. Flying from La Paz to Uyuni Airport will take less than an hour, which means you can spend those extra hours exploring more of the salt flats and the surrounding landscape. By the time I visited Uyuni, I’d already done several overnight bus rides around South America, so I chose to fly with Amaszonas Airlines. It’s also possible to visit overland from the Chilean and Argentinian – it’s reasonably close to both borders.
Uyuni has a small township where most people start their Salar de Uyuni adventure. There’s restaurants, hotels, hostels, and small shops in town.
What’s the weather like in Uyuni?
Weather wise, expect hot and ridiculously sunny during the day (especially with the glare bouncing off the salt) and reasonably cold during the nighttime. Even though it’ll be warm and sunny, it’s a good idea to wear long loose-fitting clothing during the day to protect yourself from drying out like a raisin and sunburn. Pack warm clothes for at night.
Uyuni has a wet season and a dry season. If you plan to visit during the wet season, keep in mind that some areas of the salt flats and desert may not be accessible due to rain. That being said, you have far better chance of experiencing those beautiful reflections in the top layer of the salt flats (which isn’t always possible during the dry season). I visited in between seasons in April, which meant I got the best of both worlds.
How long should I spend in Uyuni?
It’s totally possible to do a day trip to the Uyuni salt flats, but realistically it’s not enough time. You’ll see the main highlights of the incredible salt flats, but it will be rushed and you won’t be able to explore the surrounding desert area. If you’re going to spend the time or money getting out to Uyuni, you might as well make the most of it and see all the sights. I chose to do a 2 night/3 day tour, and I felt like it was the perfect amount of time to see everything and be comfortable with the altitude – if I visited it again I would make the same decision. It’s a good idea to arrive the night before your tour starts as most itinerary leave town early in the morning. There’s plenty of affordable accomodation options in Uyuni town.
How do I pick a good Uyuni Salt Flats tour?
Driving around Uyuni is not really doable by yourself – the rugged terrain and remoteness means you’ll need an expert to safely navigate through the area on a tour. Tourism is the main industry in the region, so you won’t be short of tour companies to choose from.
It’s really important to do some research and read reviews online before you book a tour. Look for reviews that mention well-maintained cars, as rust can be a big issue with all the salt. Drink-driving has been a known issue with some drivers, so look out for any reviews mention this as an issue too. It’s worth paying a bit extra for a company with a good safety record, as mechanical issues on the salt flats could potential be dangerous, especially in the wet season.
My research led me to booking my 2 night/3 day tour with Salty a Desert Aventours – they included airport pickup, had new cars, and I liked that they carried oxygen tanks for altitude sickness emergencies. I booked it all through whatsapp, and paid cash on arrival at the office in town.
Is it expensive to visit Uyuni Salt Flats?
Most Uyuni tours are quite affordable, considering they include guides, vehicles, meals and accomodation. Except to pay around 200USD for a 3 day/2 night tour. This doesn’t include park entry fees (which will be around 220 Bolivianos), tips for the driver or any other snacks or souvenirs you may wish to buy along the way. Make sure you have any cash you think you might need before you start your tour, as there’s no ATMs along the way. As a guide, 600 Bolivian Bolivianos will be plenty of spare cash for the time on your tour.
What should I pack when going to Uyuni?
Besides the usual things you’d pack for travelling, I’d recommend packing sunglasses, sunscreen, scarf and hat to shelter you from the sun, loose fitting clothing for day time, warm clothing for night time, a towel (accomodation doesn’t provide towels), swimming costume if you’d like to swim in the hot springs (definitely recommend!), plus any props you’d like to use for taking funny pictures on the salt flats. Depending on your tour and the time of year, you might need a sleeping bag as well.
Should I worry about the altitude at Uyuni Salt Flats?
The biggest thing to watch out for is the altitude. Altitude sickness is REAL, and if there’s anywhere in the world it’s going to effect you, it’s here. It’s easy to dismiss the altitude because the ground is incredibly flat – it’s not like you’re climbing to Everest base camp or something. But be warned, it will creep up on you if you’re not careful! Look out for headaches, dizziness, tiredness, nausea, and difficulty breathing – they’re all normal signs of altitude sickness. If you’re worried about how you’ll cope, talk to your doctor before you leave home about medication for altitude sickness.
They say that being fit and healthy gives you better chances at coping with the rise in altitude, but this definitely isn’t true! You’ll go to areas on your tour where the altitude is over 16,000ft, and you’ll definitely feel it. The key is to build your tolerance to the higher altitude gradually over a few days. If you’re coming from somewhere with high altitude like La Paz, your body will already be reasonably comfortable, but even still you’re likely to experience some headaches and sluggishness.
Since you’ll be spending most of your time in Uyuni inside your vehicle, take it easy and do you best to keep the altitude sickness from overwhelming you. Drink lots of water and tell your guide if you’re feeling really unwell – they deal with altitude sickness all the time, so they’ll be able to help.
What can I expect to see in Uyuni?
Besides the famous salt flats, there’s tonnes of other things to see in the Uyuni region. Most tour companies will follow similar itineraries, and you’ll often find different tour companies using the same accommodation options at night.
Some of the stops included on the Salty Desert 2 night/3 day itinerary were: Train Cemetery Colchani Village Uyuni Salt Flats Ojos de Sal (Salt Flat Eyes) Isla Incahuasi (Cactus Island) Playa Blanca Salt Muesum Altiplanic Lagoon Red Lagoon Árbol de Piedra (The Rock Tree) Aguas Termales de Polques ( Hot springs) Sol de la Mañana geyser Salvador Dali Desert Green lagoon Licancabur Volcano White Lagoon
What’s the accommodation like at Uyuni Salt Flats?
The accommodation on Uyuni tours is in remote areas, so don’t expect luxury. If you’re accustomed to rugged adventures you’ll find it reasonably comfortable, if not then you’ll find it fairly basic. Not all accomodation has showers/hot water, and there are often shared bathrooms, so be prepared. That being said, the accomodation is clean and it does the job.
Should I be concerned about safety if I’m travelling solo to Uyuni?
I went to Uyuni as a solo female traveller and I found it to be very safe. There’s nobody else out in the desert or salt flats apart from other tour groups, and the locals you’ll come into contact with are genuinely happy to have you there. Tourism is the main income source for the region, so everyone does all they can to make sure you have a great time. I would take regular precautions – lock your bags if there’s valuables inside, and if you go off exploring on your own, be sure to let someone from your group know where you are going (in case you fall off a rock or something).
Will the be places to charge my phone? What about cell reception?
Your accomodation will generally have facilities to charge your phone and camera, but electricity isn’t always reliable in the remote areas. I’d recommend bringing a portable battery as a precaution so your devices will be ready to go no matter to what. As for phone reception, it will be patchy out in the desert, so tell your loved ones not to expect any message from you while you’re out and about in Uyuni.
That’s all for the Uyuni questions and answers – my next Uyuni post will cover my Uyuni 3 day/2 night tour itinerary in more detail, so be sure to subscribe so you’ll know when it’s live!
Before I went to Egypt, I knew I wanted to visit the Great Pyramids of Giza without organising a guide or tour. I really wanted to spend a full morning roaming around the pyramids at my own pace, without having the pressure of other people waiting on me. I did a lot of research but there wasn’t much information online, so I went and hoped for the best.
The good news is visiting the pyramids without a guide is totally doable. Here are all the tips and tricks I learnt from my experience so you can do it yourself when you visit Egypt.
How do I get to the pyramids?
The easiest way to get to the pyramids is by Uber. It’s best to put your drop off location as the ticket booth, as this is where you’ll need to enter. If you search on google maps for ‘Giza Pyramids Ticket Office’ you will find the location of the ticket booth. It’s directly in front of the Pizza Hut. You’ll buy your admission tickets (200 EGP) and enter through the metal detector at the ticket office into the Giza complex. If you want to go inside any of the pyramids, you’ll need to buy seperate tickets at this point before entering the complex (more info about going inside further down).
When should I arrive at the pyramids?
I’d recommend arriving at the pyramids in the morning when the complex opens at 8am, or as close to 8am as you can. If you go in the morning, you’ll almost have the place to yourself, which makes for a special experience. It also means you’ll have done the majority of your walking before the midday sun starts beating down. Nobody likes a sweaty selfie.
Where should I start exploring from?
Most organised tours drive further up the road and start exploring the site near the base of the Pyramids, but by entering down at the ticket booth you’ll be treated to a panoramic view of the 3 main pyramids and the Sphinx as soon as you walk in. This view is what you came to Egypt for!
How do I get to the Sphinx?
To get down closer to the Sphinx, turn left to walk past the bathrooms and through the open gate (as if you’re exiting the complex from the side). Straight after the gate, take a right and follow the path where you can see the row of souvenir vendors set up. From this path you can go right (straight into the dirt) and walk around to get an iconic picture of the Sphinx head-on. Alternatively, you can jump the barriers to the left of the bathroom entrance and get to the same position. The security situation is hit and miss, and it really depends on the time of day and if the guards are bothered to punish you or not!
To the left of the Sphinx is the stone mummification temple with two entrance doorways. Go through the entrance on the right to go inside the mummification temple. This the only place where you might need to show your ticket to the guard, as they do have guards here most of the time (usually in civilian clothing which can be confusing). Once you go in, you’ll go around the corner and head up a ramp into the section where you can take the typical pictures kissing the Sphinx from the side!
How do I get to the base of the pyramids?
Once you’re done here, exit through the gate and head up the pathway towards the middle pyramid of Khafre. If you look to your left you’ll see ruins of priests’ tombs. If you look back toward the entrance, you’ll start to see a great view of Giza city.
When you reach the top of the path, you’ll be at the base of the pyramid of Khafre. From here, you can step over the barriers and go right up to the pyramids and touch the stones!
Where is the best view of all 3 pyramids?
If you walk around the base of the pyramid of Khafre towards the smaller pyramid of Menkaure, you’ll start to get some amazing vantage points of the pyramids without many tourists in the way. You can keep going through the dirt all the way over to the pyramid of Menkaure for a great view of all three great pyramids. This area is probably the best place for pictures. You’ll get some unique angles that most people won’t get to due to time constraints of a regular tour.
When you’re ready, you can head back through the dirt towards the great pyramid of Khufu.
Can I go inside the pyramids?
It’s possible to go inside the pyramid of Khafre for 100EGP and the great pyramid of Khufu for 400EGP – just remember to buy your seperate ticket down the bottom when you start, otherwise you’ll have to walk all the way back down to the entrance ticket booth. Many people say it’s not worth going inside the pyramids since there’s nothing inside, but I really enjoyed going inside the great pyramid of Khufu! You can read more about going inside the pyramids and what to expect here. You’ll only need to go inside one pyramid, since they’re all very similar from the inside.
Can I climb up the pyramids?
By law you aren’t allowed to climb the pyramids, although since the security is minimal many people do (or at least try to). I witnessed a man blatantly ignoring the guards screaming at him to get down. There are plenty of stories of people going to jail for climbing the pyramids, so climb at your own risk. At the end of the day, I think being respectful of these amazing structures and their history is more important than a few pictures for your socials. If you really want to get a picture of you climbing, it can be done around back side of the Great Pyramid of Khufu on your way inside the pyramid.
Is it safe to visit the pyramids solo?
The biggest problem you’ll have going to the pyramids without a guide is being touted by the local vendors. While it can be annoying and difficult to deal with, it’s important to understand that Egypt is a developing country where these people are trying to make ends meet through tourism. They will be very persistent, so make sure you are well prepared so it doesn’t rattle you and spoil your experience.
Beware of anyone who asks for your ticket and says they’re there from the Ministry of Tourism to help you. Their famous lines are “I’m not a camel or a horse man, you don’t need to worry, I don’t want money”. They can be extremely pushy trying to guide you around and even tell you that you can’t visit certain areas without a guide (which isn’t true). Be firm with declining their help and they’ll eventually leave you alone.
The men with camels and horses will ride up to you offering a cheap price for a trip to the top of the complex or out to the panoramic view – again, be polite but firm in saying no and they’ll continue on their way. If you come in the morning they’re more likely to target you since the complex is quiet and there are not many people to hustle. If you do happen to find a friendly guide or camel man and wish to have them help you, make sure you negotiate a good price before setting off.
You’ll be able to snap a few pictures of camels around the complex as there are plenty around, but if you want to pose with a camel be prepared to pay a tip for doing so. Although if you’re nice and the camel handler likes you, he might let you take them for free – that’s what happened to me!
What should I do once I’m finished exploring?
Once you’re finished exploring the site, you can walk down the sealed road back to the front entrance where you entered.
It’s easy to order and catch an Uber from here back into downtown Cairo. If all the walking has made you hungry, you can grab a pizza from Pizza Hut, or walk around the corner to have some traditional Koshary from a local restaurant called Koshary Hekaya (64 ش ابو الهول السياحى، Nazlet El-Semman, الجيزة، Giza Governorate, Egypt).
Hopefully this guide helps you to enjoy the Great Pyramids of Giza solo!!
