Airbnb drops camel trips but Giza is already changing, here’s what you know

In February 2025, Airbnb joined a continuous growing list of travel companies that no longer promote and sell camel travel tickets and horse at Giza Pyramids, Egypt.

Since the investigation by humans for the ethical treatment of animals (Peta) in 2019 revealed shocking footage of mistreated camels and horses, numerous travel companies stopped offering these trips.

“I have been in Egypt twice and the level of animal abuse there is shocking,” says Alexandra Dubakova, the head of marketing at the Freetoour.com. “Horses attract a carriage of overweight tourists as the driver screams at them. The camels go for travel after traveling on extreme heat without feeding or drinking water by the end of the day. I contacted a guide and asked them to go with me as I didn’t want to ride a camel and they refused. I was forced to contact another guide, who luckily agreed, “she continues.

However, Giza is already changing. Ahram Online reported in October 2024 that Sherif Fathy, Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, and Alaa Farouk, Minister of Agriculture and Earth Recovery began the first program of animal welfare for horses, camels and pets in archaeological sites.

Orascom Pyramids Entertainment (OPE), the company that leads the transformation of the experience of Giza Pyramid visitors, has also announced plans for better regulation and organization of animal operators on this site, as reported by Ahram Online.

So how to be an ethical traveler when it comes to exploring one of the most iconic monuments in the world in this transitional period?

Plateau Giza is one of Egypt’s eternal heritage

Giza Plateau is one of the most famous archaeological sites in the world. It sits on the west bank of the Nile River about eight miles south -west of the city of Cairo. It takes 30 to 40 minutes by car and 1 to 1.5 hours of public transport.

The plateau is home to, among other things, the Great Pyramid of Giza, the Pyramid of Khafre, the Menkaure Pyramid and the Great Sphinx. While the entry fee gives access to the plateau, the entrance to the pyramid requires a separate ticket.

If you have only seen photos of Plateau Giza, you already know that the landscape is a mixture of sand and rock, with little or no shade for visitors. While some paved areas exist near the entrance, most of the terrain is broken.

Justin and Karolina Jaczewska-Bagri, a UK couple who visited Giza in December 2024, confirmed in an interview with all these monuments are within each other’s standing distance. They thought that only one point of view was a little far away, but they did not feel the need to use any animal transport.

However, if tourists visit the site during the summer, extreme heat can feel scary, and distances can feel longer. It is not difficult to see that camel trips or carriages drawn from the horse can provide a easier way to move between different places for those who do not want to walk in heat. But does the convenience justify the current practice?

Camel trips from the pyramids may look magical in the picture but the reality is different

Travelers accompany riding a camel with the classic desert adventure often seen in films such as “Hydalgo” or “Sahara”, embedding this images in our heads.

Moreover, travel photos showed by tourists riding camels in desert landscapes are further cementing this association. For example, Getty Images expect more than 12,000 pictures of people in turning camels into sandy landscapes. Instagram has almost 400,000 posts under the “Camelrid” hashtag.

My husband, Nandor Barta, was eager to visit the pyramids during a work trip to Cairo. After all, he could see them from the window of his hotel. He had imagined to visit one of the seven wonders of the world would be an exciting, intimidating experience.

However, what stood the most was not iconic monuments but a ruthless herd of locals pushing the donkey and the camel traveling on it. Even when the pyramids were two minutes away, they tried to convince him: “It is too far away.” He felt that everything costs money, taking a photo of a camel or locals “helping” to take a picture of him in front of a pyramidon.

After all, he firmly refused all the trips and left with a sour impression. The area felt chaotic and he could not shake the feeling that there was little or no control over what was happening within the archaeological area.

Jaczewska-Bagri Coupleifi also recommends a simple Russian to avoid any trouble. “We just told everyone who tried to sell us a trip that we have already been here yesterday and made it. It worked as a beauty,” they said.

Another way to avoid it according to Jasmine Charbonier, a travel blogger visited by Giza last year, is to arrive at the time of opening. Not just to beat the crowds, but because many animal holders have not yet arrived. She found that by mid -afternoon, demand becomes increasingly aggressive, making it the worst time to visit.

If you browse reviews on sites like Tripadvisor or Google Review, you will find hundreds of travelers sharing the same unpleasant experience. So how can you experience the pyramids without falling for fraud while you still have a great time?

Why smart travelers are reserving private guides and how to find them trusted

Many travelers, such as Alicia Walter, a travel journalist who has been in Giza, agree to have a reliable guide is invaluable. She explained that having a private guide allowed them to cross many of the “sellers” as they immediately saw that they were with a bar.

Guide will handle transportation in and from downtown Cairo, help you buy tickets at the entrance and help you divert unwanted attention. Having them next to you would allow you to focus on experience than on hassle. But where to find those guides?

Online platforms connecting travelers with verified local guides have emerged to make it easier to navigate unknown destinations, especially in places where tourist fraud and aggressive sales tactics are common.

One of the oldest private tournament platforms is a tournament by locals, founded in 2008. You can find 34 local guides in Giza, some with hundreds of comments.

Thanks to a strict selection and review process, most clients report that they are very satisfied with their shifts, making many travelers booked through their website repeatedly.

Gowithguide and Tourhq are other alternatives that focus on verifying guides and reviews of users to connect travelers with the well -known locals.

The official website of the Egyptian visit also advises travelers not to hire a tourist guide right at the entrance to the archaeological site as they often overload.

Electric buses are connecting the highlights of Giza since 2020

As part of Giza Plateau rebuilding an eco-friendly electric bus service has already begun its test operation in 2020, connecting the visitors center with the first restaurant in the country, 9 Pyramids Lounge. According to AMR Gazar, the leader of Ope, its latest form will be a Hop-on-off-off bus service between the visitors’ center and seven additional locations.

Ahram Online reported in December 2024 that Ope is set to invest an additional Egyptian pounds ($ 51.1 million) to create a more organized and eco-friendly experience of visitors. And this comes after the November 2024 announcement of 500 million Egyptian pounds.

Dubakova tried them when she visited the site and she thought they were surprisingly more comfortable than she expected them to be.

Travels to the quad are clearly an alternative, but are they really better?

With camel trips and the horse under increasing control, some travelers are turning into bicycle tours with buggy and quad as an alternative way to explore the desert landscape surrounding the Pyramids of Giza. As they receive visitors outside the archaeological site, they offer panoramic views of the pyramids without continuous offers from sellers.

Rebecca Leigh, a travel writer at Ukwritits.com, visited the Pyramids of Giza and chose a quad bike tour instead of an animal trip.

In an email interview, she described the Quad Bike experience as memorable, with the wide desert and the pyramids creating a staggering background. However, she noted that the sun’s glasses or glasses were essential due to intense sand.

The main point of her journey was the excitement acceleration of speed on the dunes, with the pyramids that were dramatically rising in the distance. She felt part of a movie scene. The guides carefully led her and her group to a favorable point, where the three pyramids were perfectly lined up against the sky, offering a stunning photographic opportunity.

As the bike shifts remove the animals from the equation, it asks another question. Is it really a steady alternative? Vets off -road vehicles, while undoubtedly attractive, contribute to noise pollution and dust, which have a higher carbon footprint. Is this price to pay if you want to stop abuse of reported animals in this area?

No tickets, no tours, but a great meal with an iconic view

If you are a traveler who does not want to navigate the crowds, grip with sellers or brave the heat of the desert to see the pyramids nearby, you can still find stunning views of the comfort of restaurants and hotels on the roof with Plateau Giza.

The emergence of sound and light from a private balcony offers a perfect stress -free experience, perfect without tickets, tournaments or camel trips. From Wednesday to Saturday, the show begins at 7:30 and 8:30 in the afternoon

Rethinking how we experience the pyramids

Giza’s pyramids remain one of the most frightening destinations in the world, but how travelers experience those issues. With travel companies that provide support for camels and horse trips on ethical concerns, visitors also play a role to play in advocating responsible tourism. As the tourism industry in Egypt evolves, the question remains: what should ethical travel in the pyramids look like? And how can we achieve it?