fun things to do with kids in egypt    
  Travel for Kids
Egypt
   
     
    Giza, Saqqara, Dashur
Giza –
    Inside the pyramids at Giza At Giza, kids will never forget going inside the pyramids of Cheops (Khufu), Chephren and Mencerinus. The ramps leading down into the pyramid are kid size (an adult has to bend over). Inside, you emerge into the galleries, some with very high ceilings. The sensation of being inside these huge piles of stone is unforgettable.
Kids at the pyramids in Giza, Egypt
    Ride donkeys, camels or horses around the pyramids – It sounds tacky, but do yourself a favor. Rent horses (or donkeys) for an hour or two. On horseback you are less likely to be approached by all the souvenir sellers and self appointed "guides." Most importantly, you can ride in the sandy area northwest of the pyramids where there are no roads and no tour buses. The kids said, "It's the best way to see the Giza pyramids."
      Sphinx Sound and Light show – Your kids may find the narrative boring, but the very cool lighting effects are sure to please. Also, it begins early in the evening and there is something wonderful about seeing the pyramids in the dark.
     

Editor’s note –Giza is a circus. Sometimes I wanted to make all the souvenir sellers and camel drivers just disappear. A sense of humor helps. When I’d been accosted for the gazillionth time, "Want to ride a camel?" and I’d replied, "We’ve ridden camels and they aren’t comfortable," one guy wittily responded, "Want to buy a camel." The kids loved the idea.

Saqqara (Sakkara) – Saqqara is close to Cairo, but light on tourists. The Step Pyramid is impressive in its own way, and it has a large sandy area like a giant sandbox for the kids to play in. Around the back (north) of the Step Pyramid, find the peek hole in a stone "shed" to see a full size statue of Zoser inside.
      At Saqqara, our favorite tomb was the Mastaba of Ti. There we saw a live scarab beetle. Our guide caught it in a plastic bag and asked if we wanted to take it home. Very appealing, but you can't bring insects back in into the U.S.
Dashur – Dashur is just a little further than Saqqara, and worlds away from the flurry of Giza and Cairo. The Red Pyramid is as large as the Great Pyramid of (Cheops) at Giza and the interior rooms are very impressive. My son said, "We squeezed through a narrow stone doorway and came out into a room. Not just any room, but a huge stone room with vaulted ceilings that looked like it has upside down steps in it. I stared there for awhile with my nose and mouth hanging open, just staring."
family travel tools luxor egypt

Avoid the hassle of negociating with guides or taxi drivers for your visit to Giza and the Sphinx. With a private tour (4 hours), explore inside the pyramids on your own and decide how much time to spend at each location:

Giza Pyramids Private Tour
Sakkara and Dashur are well worth a visit, but you'll need a car and driver to get there. When you sign up for a private tour, step out of your hotel and your guide will whisk you away to the pyramids.
Sakkara and Memphis Private Tour
kids books egypt
     
The Great Pyramid - kids books Egypt  
The Great Pyramid
Elizabeth Mann

All about the pyramid of Khufu, and a good explanation of Egyptian cosmology – why the afterlife was so important to the ancient Egyptians, especially for a pharaoh. Wonderful illustrations. (Picture book)

 

     
Secrets of the Sphinx
James Cross Giblin, Bagram Ibatoulline

Get the scoop on the Great Sphinx through the centuries, the sculpture of a lion topped with a man's head. Find out about builders of the Sphinx, rediscovery by Thutmose a thousand years later, protecting the sculpture today. Fabulous illustrations, including reconstruction of the Sphinx with a red face and blue beard. (Chapter book, illustrations )

 

 
Secrets of the Sphinx - kids books Egypt
     
Mummies in the Morning - kids books Egypt  
Mummies in the Morning
Mary Pope Osborne

When the magic tree house whirls Jack and Annie into ancient Egypt, they go deep inside the great stone pyramid. Will they decipher the hieroglyphs on the pyramid wall to find the Book of the Dead and discover a way out?
(Easy reader)

 

     

Each page has facts about the pyramids, plus an ingenious 3-D maze. At the end, there's a hieroglyphic code to crack. (Picture book)

 

 
Secret of the Pyramids - kids books Egypt
(More children's books on other Egypt pages)