How not to spoil your first visit to the Pyramids of Giza
How not to spoil your first visit to the Pyramids of Giza
Many tourists dream of discovering the pyramids of Giza and when this moment arrives, the experience is completely missed. I can't tell you how many times I've seen clients and other visitors miss the experience of their first approach to the pyramids, and it still kills me inside to see that “experience slip away from them because from a lack of patience.
Most people will only travel to Egypt and visit the pyramids once in their lifetime, but even those who visit them multiple times will only see the pyramids for the first time once. I strongly urge you to listen and follow my advice to get the most out of your one and only first encounter with the Pyramids of Giza.
Your first glimpse of these mythical monuments will certainly be from afar. As you leave Cairo and are driven on the west bank of the Nile towards the start of the Sahara Desert, you will eventually begin to see the limestone crown of the Great Pyramid as you look out over the urban concrete jungle. As you get closer, its large triangular shape will begin to appear and you will begin to distinguish each stone individually, which says a lot about their size considering the distance that still separates you.
As you continue driving, a second pyramid will also begin to appear. At this point, without fail, those who were once starry-eyed explorers suddenly turn into obsessive modern tourists. They pull out their phones or cameras, the focus of their eyes and brains quickly shifting from those majestic monuments that appear to the tiny screens in front of them. And that lasts for the next 15 minutes, as we head for the compound doors.
There is obviously nothing wrong with taking pictures. You want. You have to. And you will, But what always saddens me is that visitors to the Pyramids spend the first 20 minutes in the presence of these ancient behemoths glued to a phone or camera screen instead of enjoying the experience of their first meeting.
When explorers and travelers came to such sites before the emergence of phones and cameras, many would recount the awe they felt looking up and approaching the pyramids. They could richly describe the full experience because they actually lived it fully. They absorbed every second of wonder and as a result had incredible scenes, feelings and memories etched in their minds forever.
This is why I always recommend that tourists make a conscious effort not to take their phones and cameras when approaching the pyramids. Instead, I simply invite them to enjoy the experience of their first encounter with them. Believe me the photos from afar and from outside the enclosure will be disappointing either way. You shouldn't deprive yourself of that amazing first experience for low-quality images that you'll end up deleting or scrolling through later in favor of much better ones that you'll soon get from much better vantage points.
The guides, tour leaders and local friends who will guide you all know that photos of the pyramids are a must. So don't worry, you'll get them. You will have pictures of each pyramid and of you "touching" the top of the pyramids, giving the impression of leaning against the pyramids or holding the pyramids in the palm of your hand.
What I like to do with friends and clients I'm taking to the pyramids for the first time is to let them have the classic “walk-in” experience. In the same way that explorers have done for centuries and millennia. Then I like to drive them to the scenic area behind the pyramids where they can take all sorts of photos like the ones described above for as long as they want.
Many want to go inside a pyramid, which is also an interesting experiment you can do. Unlike the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, which you will also see on your trip to Egypt, the interior of the pyramids is rather neutral. But it's still an extraordinary experience.
How not to spoil your first visit to the Pyramids of Giza
Many tourists dream of discovering the pyramids of Giza and when this moment arrives, the experience is completely missed. I can't tell you how many times I've seen clients and other visitors miss the experience of their first approach to the pyramids, and it still kills me inside to see that “experience slip away from them because from a lack of patience.
Most people will only travel to Egypt and visit the pyramids once in their lifetime, but even those who visit them multiple times will only see the pyramids for the first time once. I strongly urge you to listen and follow my advice to get the most out of your one and only first encounter with the Pyramids of Giza.
Your first glimpse of these mythical monuments will certainly be from afar. As you leave Cairo and are driven on the west bank of the Nile towards the start of the Sahara Desert, you will eventually begin to see the limestone crown of the Great Pyramid as you look out over the urban concrete jungle. As you get closer, its large triangular shape will begin to appear and you will begin to distinguish each stone individually, which says a lot about their size considering the distance that still separates you.
As you continue driving, a second pyramid will also begin to appear. At this point, without fail, those who were once starry-eyed explorers suddenly turn into obsessive modern tourists. They pull out their phones or cameras, the focus of their eyes and brains quickly shifting from those majestic monuments that appear to the tiny screens in front of them. And that lasts for the next 15 minutes, as we head for the compound doors.
There is obviously nothing wrong with taking pictures. You want. You have to. And you will, But what always saddens me is that visitors to the Pyramids spend the first 20 minutes in the presence of these ancient behemoths glued to a phone or camera screen instead of enjoying the experience of their first meeting.
When explorers and travelers came to such sites before the emergence of phones and cameras, many would recount the awe they felt looking up and approaching the pyramids. They could richly describe the full experience because they actually lived it fully. They absorbed every second of wonder and as a result had incredible scenes, feelings and memories etched in their minds forever.
This is why I always recommend that tourists make a conscious effort not to take their phones and cameras when approaching the pyramids. Instead, I simply invite them to enjoy the experience of their first encounter with them. Believe me the photos from afar and from outside the enclosure will be disappointing either way. You shouldn't deprive yourself of that amazing first experience for low-quality images that you'll end up deleting or scrolling through later in favor of much better ones that you'll soon get from much better vantage points.
The guides, tour leaders and local friends who will guide you all know that photos of the pyramids are a must. So don't worry, you'll get them. You will have pictures of each pyramid and of you "touching" the top of the pyramids, giving the impression of leaning against the pyramids or holding the pyramids in the palm of your hand.
What I like to do with friends and clients I'm taking to the pyramids for the first time is to let them have the classic “walk-in” experience. In the same way that explorers have done for centuries and millennia. Then I like to drive them to the scenic area behind the pyramids where they can take all sorts of photos like the ones described above for as long as they want.
Many want to go inside a pyramid, which is also an interesting experiment you can do. Unlike the tombs of the pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, which you will also see on your trip to Egypt, the interior of the pyramids is rather neutral. But it's still an extraordinary experience.