Pyramids of Giza Tourist Traps

When You get to the "other" side of the Pyramids from where the best view can be seen, and You go up on top of the small hill to look out, there will be people selling all sorts of little merchandise. This is clear, but there also will be people hanging out right where You want to take Your photos. They either offer their help to take a picture of You or put a hat on Your so that You can have a picture taken like the one here. And then in the end of course they request money and You are already in the position to not be able to chase them away...

Unique Suggestions: Be absolutely harsh to these people and have some other tourist take pictures of You. But if You feel like such a picture with a hat is worth a few pennies, than just go ahead, but I think it's a waste of money.

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This particular guy came to us and tried to give us a hat as a "free gift". We knew it was a trap and as Sting sings in one song: "There's no such thing as a meal for free", but still we couldn't avoid it. He sticked to us and was talking to us continously. Of course I said "No" like 20 times, but he was insisting that it's a gift. When I decided to take the God-damm hat in my hands, there was no way back, he opened his hand for some money. Of course I wanted to give back the hat, but there was no way he would take it back. So we ended up paying some (the smallest money I had was USD 5). At least we ended up with two hats by that time (my girlfriend had one as well).

Unique Suggestions: 1. Be very strong when saying "NO"!
2. NEVER take anything in your hands!
3. Never accept that he puts the hat on Your head, even if "only for a photo"!

It might be high on your wihslist to get inside the Pyramid where you pay more than you pay at the entrance. But when you get inside, there's absolutely nothing to see except a mummy-holder inside a big chamber.

Though they take your camera at the way inside as photography is not allowed. I wondered what kind a picture I could take.

The temperature inside is greater than outside. Having said all that, it might be just an experience with good exercise to the least.

the salesmen at the observation point.
Lots of tat souvenirs are on display at a price, though bargaining will achieve a reduction . However, some of the carvings are pretty poor quality [better at Khan el Khalili], coloured onyx eggs may lose some of their colour on your hand by the time you get home. Onyx is onyx- not bright blue or red!

Unique Suggestions: Look, take photos
From the amount of stuff on sale everywhere people must be buying...

Fun Alternatives: ...then go to Khan el khalili- or if heading that way Luxor or Alexandria to get the same without being ripped off as much.

While wondering arround you may be asked to show your ticket but be aware of these guys! We were approached by one guy (who looked pretty official ... he even had a whistle) and he was asking for our tickets. We gave them to him ... he checked it and after that it came the trick ... he was trying to take us to some site where we could see some kind of museum (he said so) ... but nobody else was heading that way ... so it was pretty strange to me ... it was also very strange that he was insisting very much! ... somehow we got rid of him, not too easily though, and later I saw him being sent away by the tourist police!

Unique Suggestions: Just be cautious about everything and do not believe everybody!

Be careful when you arrive with taxi to Giza Pyramids. The driver might take you directly to one of his "friend" who is by chance "the best" camel and horse owner and who can take you to the Pyramids without paying the entry fee! You'll be also told that the entrance is closed and you can go just by camel or horse!

Unique Suggestions: Do not believe them and insist on going to the main gate!

One of the main things that you need to know about Egypt is that everyone is after your dollar, or euro, DM, Franc, Ruble, or whatever currency you have in your pocket.

This picture is of a camel rider who harassed me for a good 5 minutes thinking I took a picture of his camel, and came over demanding a Baksheesh (tip) for the camel to have his picture made. Luckily for me, our tour guide had only moments before told me that you were not obligated to tip anyone, and the Antiquities Police would come over and get them away if you simply called for the Police.

Keep yourself out of an awkware position by taking a picture further away, or when they are not noticing what you are doing.

On our trip we were offered the opportunity to go down into the Pyramid of Menkaure. Although this seems like it would be a once in a lifetime opportunity to see what it was like to go into one of these large chambers, we found that it was not that exciting, you were rushed through it, and it was extremely claustrophobic. Were there any cool inscriptions down there, or anything left to the same integrity of its original state? No....

Also, you can not bring your camera with you anyway, so it is really not worth it in my humble opinion.

Fun Alternatives: Enjoy your time at the Pyramids, and take more pictures of everything else!