Pyramid of Khafre

Archaeological Site

Archaeological Site · Giza, Egypt 29.9760°N 31.1310°E

Why you should go

Ninety seconds on Pyramid of Khafre

Time needed

45 minutes

Best time

Busy from morningCrowded even early

Cost

TicketedArea ticket excludes it

Effort

Gentle, stoopedA 21-degree slope down

Season

Cooler Oct to AprExtremely hot in summer

Access

Ground-level doorThen a low passage

Going inside

Can you go inside the Pyramid of Khafre?

Yes, when the interior is open; access varies with the maintenance rotation across the Giza pyramids. The plateau area ticket does not cover the pyramid, so ask at the gate whether the interior is open and what entry it needs that day.

Khafre vs Khufu

Is the Pyramid of Khafre taller than Khufu's pyramid?

No. Khafre's pyramid was built to a height of 143.5 metres, while Khufu's Great Pyramid stood 146.5 metres when it was finished. Khufu's remains the larger of the two.

Discovery

Who discovered the inside of the Pyramid of Khafre?

Giovanni Belzoni. In 1818 he became the first person to enter its inner chambers, reaching the burial chamber that visitors still walk down to today.

Khafre's pyramid is one of the few you enter at ground level, and its sloping passage down is roomier than the Great Pyramid's, with fresh air you can feel moving through it.

What makes it special

Look up at the top of the pyramid. The smooth stone up there is what survives of its casing: polished blocks of high-quality limestone that once clothed the faces. It is the one place on the pyramid where the finished surface can still be seen.

The burial chamber at the end of the passage is large, with a very high ceiling. It was stripped of its treasures, and what is left is an inscription on the wall and the sarcophagus.

The pyramid was the top of a whole complex. At its foot lie the remains of Khafre's mortuary temple, and a causeway runs from there down to the Valley Temple of Khafre, with the Great Sphinx carved beside it.

Visiting

The way in is at ground level, through the lower of the pyramid's two entrances, so there is no climb before you go in.

The lower passage runs down at a gentle 21 degrees. You still go down hunched over, so take it slowly.

It brings you to the burial chamber. Once you are back outside, step away from the base and look up at the casing near the top.

If you only have time for one pyramid interior, choose this one for value: it costs less to enter than the Great Pyramid of Giza and is far less hot inside.

Tips

Buy your plateau ticket on egymonuments.com, the official ticket platform, and keep it safe: tickets cannot be refunded or cancelled, and a lost one is not replaced.

Photos are allowed in the burial chamber, unlike inside the Great Pyramid, so keep your phone to hand on the way down.

Know before you goAs of October 2026, the last entry to the plateau is at 4pm on its official pages. The Giza pyramid interiors close for maintenance in rotation, so ask at the gate which are open that day.