Quick answer: The official Cairo Pass costs $130 (€120) for adults, $70 for students under 30, is valid for 5 consecutive days, and is sold cash-only in person (passport, photocopy and a passport photo required). It covers the Giza Plateau, Saqqara, Dahshur, Memphis, the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir, the Citadel, the Coptic Museum, the Museum of Islamic Art and the Historic Cairo churches. It does not cover the Grand Egyptian Museum (~1,450–1,590 EGP, about $30), the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, pyramid interiors or the sound-and-light show. Because Egyptian gate prices are low in dollar terms, the included sites add up to only about $75–80 — so the Cairo Pass loses money for almost everyone and is only justified by repeat entry to Giza or as a 50%-off ticket to the Luxor Pass.
Cairo Passes at a Glance
| Pass | Price (2026) | Validity | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cairo Pass (Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities) | $130 / €120 adult; $70 / €60 student under 30 | 5 consecutive days | Giza Plateau (re-entry allowed), Saqqara, Dahshur, Memphis, Egyptian Museum (Tahrir), Citadel & Mohammed Ali Mosque, Coptic Museum, Museum of Islamic Art, Historic Cairo sites; 50% off the Luxor Pass | Multi-day repeat visitors to Giza, and anyone continuing to Luxor who wants the Luxor Pass discount |
| Individual tickets | See table — most sites 300–700 EGP ($6–15) | — | Bought at each gate; Giza and GEM also online | Almost everyone on a 2–4 day Cairo visit |
| Guided day tour with tickets (Viator) | from ~$40–80 per person | — | Giza + Saqqara + Memphis with an Egyptologist, vehicle and usually entry tickets | First-timers who want the logistics handled |
Buy it only at the three official desks — the Giza Plateau visitor centre, the Citadel ticket office or the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir — with crisp new dollar or euro notes. There is no online sale; any website selling a “Cairo Pass” is not official. Prices at Egyptian sites rise most years, and several have doubled since 2023; the numbers below are the foreign-adult rates at the time of checking (September 2026).
Top-Rated Cairo Tours & Skip-the-Line Tickets
What the Main Attractions Cost — and Whether the Pass Covers Them
| Attraction | Adult ticket (2026, approx.) | In the pass? | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giza Plateau (pyramids & Sphinx, exterior) | 700 EGP (~$14) | Yes | Re-entry on the pass; individual ticket is single-entry |
| Great Pyramid of Khufu (interior) | 1,500 EGP (~$30) | No | Limited daily tickets; buy at the plateau |
| Khafre / Menkaure interior | ~280 EGP each (~$6) | No | Alternate closures for restoration |
| Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM) | ~1,450–1,590 EGP (~$30) | No | Book online; Tutankhamun galleries are the draw |
| Egyptian Museum, Tahrir | 550 EGP (~$11) | Yes | Still worth it after the GEM opened |
| Saqqara (Step Pyramid complex) | 600 EGP (~$12) | Yes | Some tombs and the Serapeum carry extra tickets |
| Dahshur (Red & Bent Pyramids) | 300 EGP (~$6) | Yes | Red Pyramid interior included in the site ticket |
| Memphis open-air museum | 300 EGP (~$6) | Yes | 20 minutes; pair with Saqqara |
| Citadel of Saladin | 500 EGP (~$10) | Yes | Mohammed Ali Mosque inside |
| NMEC (Royal Mummies) | ~500–550 EGP (~$11) | No | The mummies moved here from Tahrir |
| Coptic Museum / Museum of Islamic Art | ~300–350 EGP each (~$6–7) | Yes | Both quiet and excellent |
| Sound & Light show at Giza | ~1,000 EGP (~$20) | No | Skip unless it is your only evening |
| Khan el-Khalili, Al-Azhar Park, Coptic Cairo streets | Free / 30 EGP | — | No pass needed |
Add up every included site — Giza, Saqqara, Dahshur, Memphis, Tahrir museum, Citadel, Coptic Museum, Islamic Art — and you reach roughly 3,600 EGP, about $75–80 at the time of checking. That is $50 short of the pass price, and the three tickets most visitors care about besides Giza (the Great Pyramid interior, the GEM and NMEC) are all excluded.
The Break-Even Maths
| Itinerary | Individual tickets | Pass | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic 2 days: Giza + Egyptian Museum + Citadel + Saqqara | 2,350 EGP (~$49) | Cairo Pass $130 | Individual tickets win by ~$80 |
| Everything included, once each (4–5 days) | ~3,600 EGP (~$75–80) | Cairo Pass $130 | Individual tickets still win by ~$50 |
| Everything included + Giza on 3 separate mornings | ~5,000 EGP (~$105) | Cairo Pass $130 | Close, but tickets still win |
| Cairo Pass + Luxor Pass Premium (normally $200) at 50% off | Pass value = $100 saving on Luxor | Cairo Pass $130 → effective $30 | The only scenario where the Cairo Pass clearly pays |
| Giza + GEM + Great Pyramid interior + NMEC | ~4,200 EGP (~$88) | Cairo Pass covers only Giza (700 EGP) | No pass — every item but one is excluded |
The maths is unusually one-sided. Unless you are heading on to Luxor and would buy the Luxor Pass anyway (the 50% discount is worth $75–100), the Cairo Pass costs more than every site it covers, and it does not even save queue time — Egyptian ticket lines are short outside the GEM.
| Tour | From | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| VIP Private Giza Pyramids, Sphinx Tour –Inside the Pyramids&More | $12 | ★ 5.0 (1,719 reviews) |
| Giza Pyramids all inclusive,Sphinx,lunch,Camel,insid pyramid | $9 | ★ 4.9 (1,587 reviews) |
| Alexandria Day Trip From Cairo | $29 | ★ 4.7 (1,474 reviews) |
| VIP Grand Egyptian museum tour and King Tut Collection | $8 | ★ 4.9 (308 reviews) |
| Ultimate Giza Pyramids Tour Private Guide,Camel& Hidden Gems | $9 | ★ 4.9 (290 reviews) |
| Private Pickup Transfer from Cairo Airport to Hotels in Cairo | $13 | ★ 4.6 (261 reviews) |
Who Should Buy It
Buy the Cairo Pass if you are continuing to Luxor and plan to buy the Luxor Pass, where the half-price discount turns the Cairo Pass into a net saving. It also suits archaeology enthusiasts on a week-long stay who will return to Giza and Saqqara on several mornings and visit every museum on the list. Students under 30 with a valid card at $70 are close to break-even on a full itinerary.
Who Should Skip It
Skip it if you are here for two to four days, if the Grand Egyptian Museum is your priority, or if you are already on a guided package where tickets are bundled. Skip it if you cannot get cash dollars or euros in clean notes — the desks refuse worn bills — and skip it if you arrive without the passport photo, because the desks will not issue the pass without one.
How to Get the Most Out of It
If you do buy it, activate on a Giza morning (the plateau opens around 7–8 am; go before the coach groups), do Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur as one half-day loop by private driver, and use the Tahrir museum, the Citadel and Coptic Cairo as your city days. Keep the pass and your passport together — guards check both. Book the GEM online separately, ideally a weekday morning.
Guided Alternatives
For most visitors the better “pass” is a guided day with an Egyptologist and a driver — Giza, Saqqara and Memphis in one day, or a GEM-plus-pyramids combination — where tickets are often included and the guide handles the hassle. See private vs small-group tours in Cairo for whether to go private. For passes and tickets in general, see best sites for attraction tickets and timed-entry tickets explained. Everything else Cairo: our Cairo tours hub, what tours cost in Cairo, 48 hours in Cairo.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is the Cairo Pass in 2026?
$130 or €120 for adults and $70 / €60 for students under 30, cash only, valid for 5 consecutive days. It is sold only at the Giza Plateau visitor centre, the Citadel and the Egyptian Museum on Tahrir.
Does the Cairo Pass include the Grand Egyptian Museum?
No. The GEM, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization, the pyramid interiors and the sound-and-light show are all excluded.
Is the Cairo Pass worth it?
Rarely. The included sites cost about $75–80 in total, well under the $130 price. It pays only if you will also buy the Luxor Pass (the Cairo Pass gives 50% off it) or return to Giza and Saqqara repeatedly.
How much are the Giza Pyramids in 2026?
700 EGP (about $14) for the plateau; the Great Pyramid interior is an extra 1,500 EGP (about $30) and Khafre or Menkaure about 280 EGP each.
What do I need to buy the Cairo Pass?
Your passport, a photocopy of it, a passport-size photo and clean, new US dollar or euro notes. Cards and Egyptian pounds are not accepted for the pass.
Kratos Review is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you book through links on this page, at no extra cost to you. Prices and policies were checked on 28 September 2026 and can change.
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