Thanks to a $30 million renovation aimed at enhancing the experience, visiting the pyramids now inspires more wonder than frustration. A fleet of buses transports guests around the site, aggressive sales tactics have been curtailed, and fine dining options with views of the 4,600-year-old structures are now available.
This transformation officially launches on July 3 — a significant milestone that has taken seven years to realize. In 2018, the Egyptian government entered a public-private partnership with billionaire Naguib Sawiris’ Orascom Pyramids Entertainment to revitalize the Giza Plateau, located west of Cairo where the ancient pyramids are situated.
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A soft launch began in early April, allowing OPE to implement improvements and rectify issues ahead of the full reveal, as stated by OPE Executive Chairman Amr Gazarin in an interview. The firm will manage the site for the next 11 years, generating revenue not from ticket sales — which remain exclusive to the government — but through VIP tours, sponsorships, and commercial leases within the area.
The opening date aligns with the much-anticipated inauguration of the Grand Egyptian Museum — the $1 billion centerpiece located approximately a mile away. Together, these two initiatives mark significant progress in Egypt’s aim to double annual visitors to 30 million within a decade. Achieving this goal would position Egypt alongside Greece as one of the most-visited countries globally.
New gate, new rules
A major change includes making the Giza Plateau car-free. Rather than driving up a twisting road alongside the Great Pyramid, visitors will now enter through a gate located 1.5 miles to the southwest.
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Upon passing through the new Great Gate and purchasing tickets, guests can explore a modern hall filled with introductory exhibits before boarding the updated hop-on, hop-off buses. In just minutes, they can arrive at the base of the towering pyramids, each constructed from 80-ton limestone blocks. The Great Sphinx awaits a bit further down.
Khufu’s, which offers a gourmet twist on traditional Egyptian dishes and features a terrace with views of the pyramid built for Pharaoh Khufu, has been recognized as one of the top restaurants in the Middle East and North Africa by World’s 50 Best.
“It definitely wasn’t a pleasant experience in the past,” noted Mariam Al-Gohary, a 37-year-old Egyptian-Canadian who revisited the pyramids in mid-May for the first time in 15 years.
“Now it feels like visiting a museum,” added Al-Gohary, who is employed in human resources in Calgary, Alberta. “It resembles what one would expect from a major tourist destination.”
Visitor numbers surged nearly 24% in April compared to the previous year, according to the Tourism Ministry. With Egypt’s tourism sector already seeing record arrivals in the early months of 2025, it remains uncertain how significantly this initiative contributed to that growth.
Tackling horsemen
Gazarin of OPE mentioned that Egyptian authorities are also assisting in addressing a major concern: vendors offering rides on horses and camels. These individuals have long been criticized for being overly aggressive and charging inflated prices as they engage tourists.
Al-Gohary recalled her camel ride experience in 2010, where the owner insisted on extra payment to have the camels kneel for her and her friend to dismount — a notorious tactic. She avoided any such encounters during her recent visit.
For first-time visitors, it is now easier to steer clear of these scams. The new layout restricts horsemen and vendors from accessing the former entrance, where they were often known to harass tourists. Authorities have designated a separate, more isolated area for the horsemen, though many still push for closer access to the pyramids.
Gazarin describes this as a developing situation, anticipating that authorities will gradually strengthen restrictions to ensure better enforcement.
“Many people were hesitant to visit the pyramids” due to this issue, he stated.
He lamented that the pyramids attract only 2.5 million visitors annually — with half being Egyptians. In contrast, over 12 million tourists visited the Colosseum in Rome in 2023.
However, Gazarin understands that increasing those numbers will take time, especially given regional conflicts that contribute to some local unpredictability. What matters, he insists, is an upward trend in visitor numbers.
“It’s unacceptable that the world’s most important monument draws just over one million foreign tourists.”
