How to See the Pyramids (and Egypt’s New $1B Museum) on an 8-Hour Layover
If you’ve ever dreamed of seeing the Pyramids of Giza but haven’t had time to plan a full Egypt trip, this is your sign — your Cairo layover might be the perfect chance.
This weekend, Egypt officially inaugurated the long-awaited Grand Egyptian Museum — a stunning, $1 billion architectural masterpiece that’s been over 20 years in the making. Sitting just a short distance from the pyramids themselves, this new cultural landmark showcases never-before-seen artifacts, including treasures from King Tutankhamun’s tomb, displayed together for the first time.
And the best part? You can see it all on a single layover.
Here’s how to make it happen:
1. Make Sure Your Layover Is at Least 8 Hours
Give yourself at least 8–10 hours to comfortably explore. The drive from Cairo International Airport to Giza takes about 45 minutes, depending on traffic. When we did this 3 years ago we were picked up around 9 AM, traffic was surprisingly manageable, and the drive itself offered a glimpse of local Cairo life. Starting the tour early also helps with avoiding crowds and the heat.
2. Book a Private Tour in Advance
Save yourself the hassle of haggling or figuring out transportation on the spot. I booked our tour through Viator — back then it was about $100 for two people for a 4-hour private experience. It included pickup, drop-off, lunch, a guide, and even a quick papyrus-making demonstration, which ended up being a highlight. Did you know that papyrus is considered the earliest form of paper in the world dating back to 3000 years BC?
I highly recommend Emo Tours Egypt — our guide was warm, knowledgeable, and had an air-conditioned car stocked with cold bottled water (a small but crucial detail in the Egyptian sun). Here’s a link to a tour that looks similar to what we did: Giza half day tour and here’s a longer one that includes the museum as well Giza and Museum full day tour. On any of these tours you can also include a camel ride, which we opted out of, but just in case you’re interested the camels are right by the pyramids.
3. Get a Transit Visa at the Airport
If you’re traveling on a U.S. passport, you can purchase a transit visa for $25 right at the airport — just make sure to get it before passport control, or you’ll be asked to rejoin the line. If you’re traveling via an Egyptian carrier, the Egyptian government has extended its 96-hour free transit visa initiative until the end of April 2026. You can read the details here , but always ensure you have the latest information and paper work ahead of your travels.
Before leaving the airport, grab an immigration form from your airline and fill it out early — it’ll save you time when you get to passport control for your return.
4. Dress for Comfort and Pack Smart
Cairo is hot year-round, so wear light, breathable fabrics, comfy versatile walking shoes like Toms, and bring water, sunscreen, and a hat. You’ll be moving between the pyramids’ open desert and the museum’s air-conditioned halls, so a light scarf or layer helps with the temperature change. Since you’ll be exploring during your layover, consider minimizing the valuables you have in your carry on. We only had backpacks on us but even that was too much to carry in the heat and we left it in the tour car. Booking in advance with a reliable provider like Viator or Trip Advisor will help reduce your anxiety of leaving your belongings with the driver.
5. Start with the Pyramids, End with the Museum
The pyramids are at their most photogenic early in the day when the light hits the limestone, and the crowds are smaller. Your tour guide will know the perfect vantage points to capture panoramic views of all three pyramids, but just in case here’s the Google Maps pin for where we took the picture above. After exploring the Great Pyramid of Khufu, the Sphinx, and maybe even stepping inside one of the smaller pyramids, head to the Grand Egyptian Museum — just 5 minutes away. Its massive glass façade faces the pyramids, creating the perfect full-circle ending to your quick Cairo adventure. Our tour ended with an Egyptian buffet at Caviar Restaurant, where we feasted on a traditional rice and noodle dish overlooking - you guessed it- the pyramids.
The Great Pyramid originally stood at about 481 feet (146.5 meters) tall — roughly 150 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty — making it the tallest man-made structure on Earth for nearly 3,800 years. Today, it stands around 454 feet (138.5 meters) after centuries of erosion and the loss of its smooth limestone casing.
It’s mind-blowing when you realize it was built entirely by hand, using an estimated 2.3 million limestone and granite blocks, each weighing between 2.5 and 15 tons.
Then there’s the Great Sphinx of Giza, carved from a single massive piece of limestone during the reign of Pharaoh Khafre (around 2558–2532 BC). Stretching 240 feet long and rising 66 feet high, it’s one of the oldest and largest statues in the world. The Sphinx’s lion body and human head are said to symbolize strength and wisdom, and its gaze — forever fixed eastward — has watched over the plateau for nearly 4,500 years.
And now, the story continues with the Grand Egyptian Museum, an ultra-modern masterpiece set against this ancient backdrop. It houses over 100,000 artifacts, including the entire Tutankhamun collection — many of which have never been displayed before. Its grand staircase leads you up toward panoramic windows framing the pyramids themselves, creating a literal bridge between Egypt’s ancient and modern worlds.
If you’ve ever wanted to feel the weight of history and the thrill of discovery all in one afternoon, a Cairo layover might just be the most epic use of your vacation day yet. I can’t wait to go back — this time, not just to stand before the pyramids, but to finally step inside that gleaming new museum that tells their story in full.