The Great Pyramid of Khufu is the only one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that still stands, at the edge of a city of more than twenty million people. Seen in person, the structure keeps rising above you long after a photograph would have ended.
This page covers the pyramid itself: its size, how it was built, what is inside, and how entry works. For the layout of the whole site, see the Giza Plateau guide.
How big is the Great Pyramid of Khufu?
It was built for King Khufu in the Fourth Dynasty, around 2600 BC, and stood about 146.6 metres high, with a base of roughly 230 metres per side. It is commonly described as the tallest human-made structure on Earth for about 3,800 years, until Lincoln Cathedral’s spire passed it in the early 14th century. Today it is around 138.5 metres, as the top and the smooth outer casing have been lost.
The structure is made of an estimated 2.3 million blocks, mostly local limestone with granite brought from Aswan for the interior. The original white limestone casing was largely removed in the Middle Ages, which is why the surface looks stepped today.
How was the Great Pyramid built?
Excavations just south of the plateau found bakeries, storehouses and worker housing, which indicates an organised, paid and fed workforce of seasonal and permanent builders. The details, including the evidence for how stone was moved, belong to the workers’ village guide.
Beside the pyramid, pits held full-sized ships for the king, one of which survives and is described in the Khufu solar boat guide. The smaller pyramids to the east are covered in the queens’ pyramids guide.
Stand There Yourself
A photograph can show you the shape of the Pyramids. It can't show you the scale, the heat on the stone, or the silence once you're past the crowds at the entrance. These Egypt Sun Travel tours get you there with a licensed Egyptologist and a vehicle that handles the rest.
What is inside the Great Pyramid?
The entrance is on the north face, and from it a passage descends and another rises. The ascending passage opens into the Grand Gallery, a tall corbelled hall about 47 metres long that climbs steeply towards the upper chambers.
At the top is the King’s Chamber, a granite-lined room of roughly 10 by 5 metres, which holds an empty lidless sarcophagus. Below are the so-called Queen’s Chamber and an unfinished subterranean chamber cut into the bedrock.
The interior has no painted decoration, so the appeal is the architecture and the atmosphere rather than art. Passages are low, steep and warm, and some sections require stooping.
Can you go inside, and what does it cost?
Entry to the Great Pyramid needs its own ticket, approximately EGP 1,500 for adults and EGP 750 for students as of 2026, in addition to the plateau ticket of about EGP 700 (EGP 350 for students). Daily numbers are limited, and sources vary, so confirm prices and availability on the day.
Access is sometimes suspended for conservation, and interiors of the other pyramids open on a rotating basis. If the inside matters to you, ask your operator or the ticket office in advance; if it is closed, the exterior and the other monuments still reward a visit.
When is the best time to visit, and what should you expect?
Arrive at opening, typically around 7:00, for cooler temperatures, better light and smaller crowds, and plan the visit between November and March if you can. There is almost no shade in any season, so bring water, a hat and sturdy shoes.
Expect vendors offering camel rides and photographs; agree prices first and decline politely if you are not interested. Remember that tickets are single-entry and that private cars and buses no longer drive among the monuments, so plan on walking or using the shuttle loop.
What else is near the Great Pyramid?
Within walking or shuttle distance are the Pyramid of Khafre, the Pyramid of Menkaure and the Great Sphinx. The Sphinx sits lower down and east of Khafre’s pyramid, and the solar boat is now in the Grand Egyptian Museum.
For the evening, see the sound and light show. To follow pyramid-building back to its earlier experiments, add Saqqara and Memphis on a half-day extension.
Frequently Asked Questions
How tall is the Great Pyramid of Giza?
It was originally about 146.6 metres tall and is about 138.5 metres today, because the pointed top and the outer casing stones are gone. Each base side is roughly 230 metres long.
Was it really the tallest structure in the world for 3,800 years?
It is usually described as the tallest human-made structure for about 3,800 years, until the spire of Lincoln Cathedral in England was completed around 1311. Some accounts give a slightly shorter span, but the claim is widely repeated.
Can you go inside the Great Pyramid, and is it extra?
Yes, when it is open, but it needs a separate ticket on top of the plateau entrance, and daily numbers are limited. Access can change for conservation work, so ask at the ticket office or your operator before you plan around it.
What will I see inside?
A climb along narrow passages leads up through the Grand Gallery to the King’s Chamber, a bare granite room containing an empty sarcophagus. There are no wall paintings, and the interior is hot, steep and cramped.
Who built the Great Pyramid?
Workers living in a planned settlement near the plateau, according to excavations there, not slaves under the whip. See the workers’ village guide for what the archaeology shows.
How much time should I allow for the Great Pyramid?
About an hour for the exterior and photographs, and a further 45 to 60 minutes if you queue and enter. Combine it with the rest of the plateau using the Giza Plateau guide.
