From Makadi Bay the road to Giza is about 490 kilometres, from Sahl Hasheesh about 480 – around five and a half hours each way before stops and checkpoints. That is half an hour more than from Hurghada, because you start south of the town and the road runs north.
It can be done in a day, and we do it: pickup around midnight in a car set up for sleeping, Giza at opening, the Grand Egyptian Museum, lunch, and back late at night. If that sounds like too much, read the section on flying below before you decide.
The essentials
| The essentials | |
|---|---|
| Distance to Giza | about 490 km (Sahl Hasheesh about 480 km) |
| Driving time each way | about 5.5 hours, plus stops |
| Hotel pickup | around midnight, confirmed with your booking |
| Back at your hotel | late at night |
| Total | midnight to late the same night |
| Group | private, your party only |
| Guide | licensed Egyptologist |
| Alternative | flights instead of the road, on request |
| Price | from $240 per person |
The drive from Makadi Bay and Sahl Hasheesh
First north through Hurghada, then along the Gulf of Suez past Ras Gharib and Zafarana, and inland near Ain Sokhna towards Cairo and Giza. We collect you directly at your hotel in the bay – no meeting point, no detour to a bus station.
Because this is one of the longer drives, the flight option is worth a serious look from here: it turns ten or eleven hours in a car into two short flights.
How the day runs
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| around midnight | Pickup at your hotel in Makadi Bay. The vehicle is set up for sleeping. |
| early morning | Arrive at Giza for opening time |
| morning | The three pyramids, the panoramic point, the Sphinx and the valley temple of Khafre |
| late morning | The Grand Egyptian Museum |
| midday | Lunch at a local restaurant |
| afternoon | Optional: Khan el-Khalili and El Fishawi |
| late night | Back at your hotel in Makadi Bay |
The exact pickup time depends on your hotel, and we confirm it when we confirm the booking. It is a private car: if you would rather leave a little later and drop one stop, that is your call.
What you see in Cairo
The Giza plateau at opening. The three pyramids, the panoramic point where all of them line up, and the Sphinx with the valley temple of Khafre. Arriving early matters more here than anywhere: the light is better and the plateau is still quiet.
The Grand Egyptian Museum. Tutankhamun’s complete burial assemblage, shown together for the first time since it was found, plus the hanging obelisk and the grand staircase. The building is far too large to see whole, so your guide picks a route through it – here is how long the museum actually needs. If you prefer the older collection at Tahrir Square, tell us beforehand.
Lunch, and if the day allows, Khan el-Khalili. An hour in the old bazaar and a coffee at El Fishawi, when the day is running well. It is optional, not a shopping stop.
What is included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off, door to door
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for the whole day
- Private licensed Egyptologist guide in Cairo
- Entrance to the Giza plateau and the Grand Egyptian Museum
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Bottled water throughout
What is not included
- Entry inside the Great Pyramid, which is ticketed separately
- A camel or horse ride on the plateau
- Domestic flights, if you choose to fly instead of drive
- Drinks beyond water, and gratuities – what to tip in Egypt
Price
From $240 per person from Hurghada – a private tour with your own car and your own Egyptologist, not a seat on a coach. Because Makadi Bay sits outside Hurghada, we confirm the exact price with your enquiry, pickup included.
Flying instead of driving. Flights from Hurghada to Cairo are possible and cut the day almost in half. They are not in the price; tell us your dates and we quote both versions so you can compare.
What to bring
- Your passport. There are checkpoints on the road.
- Something warm and a neck pillow. The night drive is long and the car is air-conditioned.
- Shoes you can walk in. Sand and stone on the plateau, long floors in the museum.
- Sun cream, hat, sunglasses. There is little shade at Giza.
- Small notes in Egyptian pounds for drinks and tips.
Who should not do this
A day that starts at midnight, most of it at night or in a car, is hard on an adult. For small children we would talk you out of it – a few days in Cairo work far better.
If you have limited mobility, the plateau is sand and uneven stone. Tell us beforehand and we build the day differently. If you are diving, leave a day between the dive and this trip.
Staying somewhere else?
We run the same day from the other resorts on this coast. The drive differs; the day in Cairo does not:
- From El Gouna – about 440 km, about 5 hours, plus stops each way
- From Soma Bay – about 505 km, 5.5 to 6 hours, plus stops each way
- From Hurghada – about 450 km, just under 5 hours, plus stops each way
If one day is not enough
A day trip shows you the highlights, but it stays a day trip. Four days in Cairo and Giza covers the same ground and much more, without the night drive.
Closer and shorter: the Luxor day trip from Makadi Bay – Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut and Karnak.
Still weighing it up? The month you travel changes this day a lot – when to come.
Ask us
Tell us which hotel in Makadi Bay you are in and which day you have in mind. We will confirm the pickup time and the price, quote the flight version too if you like, and say plainly if we think this is not the right day for you.