36 Egypt-specific tools · No login · No tracking
Pyramid Compass is a set of small, opinionated calculators and decision tools that solve the things trip guides never quite explain ?when to leave Cairo for the airport, how the Khamsin sandstorm actually hits your week, whether your hotel's "Nile view" room is worth the upgrade, and how a 6-night cruise compares to a 4-night one for the way you travel.
Built 2026. Updated monthly for EGP rates, ticket prices, and visa rules. Sources cited on every tool.
Every tool on this site solves a specific decision an independent visitor to Egypt has to make ?and the answer most generic travel sites skip. Examples: which Giza ticket tier lets you inside the Great Pyramid versus only the perimeter; which hour of the morning gets you to the Valley of the Kings ahead of the cruise-ship bus; how the baksheesh cascade actually rolls down when you tip at one point in your trip versus another; which Sinai climb keeps you down before the wind picks up.
The 36 tools are grouped into six categories. Each tool has a calculator or decision widget, plus a "what this solves", "how to read the result", "limitations", and a short FAQ. There are no ads disguised as buttons, no email collection, no autoplay. The site is funded by anonymous advertising through Google AdSense, which is the only reason a no-login, no-tracking site like this can afford to exist.
If a tool answers a question you already know the answer to ?good, that's a sign you've done your homework. The point is to compress the decisions that don't have an obvious right answer.
Six decision tools for the sites every Egypt itinerary has to choose between.
Hour-by-hour order optimizer + Great Pyramid / Solar Boat / Sphinx / Sound & Light timing.
Which tombs to pay extra for ?Serapeum, Mereruka, Unas pyramid ?access tier decoder.
Bent vs Red pyramid effort/payoff + Dahshur↔Saqqara combo.
Bus vs convoy vs fly from Aswan ?cost, season, fatigue tradeoff.
GEM vs Egyptian Museum Tahrir ?which Tut to prioritize + transit time from hotel zones.
Why this small museum matters pre-cruise + the Nubian village half-day decision.
Six tools for the cruise you almost certainly have to plan around.
3N/4N/6N/7N with weighted scoring ?archaeology vs relaxation vs photography.
3-star / 4-star / 5-star / deluxe ?what each tier really means on the Nile.
Visit order + taxi vs group tour vs felucca + 30-min window for the temple light.
Beat the cruise-bus wave ?Kings / Queens / Tibetamania + optional-entry decoder.
Wind/cancel probability by month + sunrise on the ground alternative.
Aswan sail cost, sunset timing, when to insist on a motor jacket.
Six tools for the city that breaks most generic itineraries.
Station-skip cost + airport route decision + women-only car hours.
Hour-by-hour congestion probability + minute savings calculator.
Distance/cost matrix + surge prediction + when to know if the meter is honest.
Who to tip + when NOT to + the one phrase that resets the price.
Vodafone/Orange/Etisalat cost matrix by trip length + airport kiosk check.
Who you tip, in what order, with what impact downstream.
Six tools for the parts of Egypt most travelers get wrong financially or socially.
Real-USD budget for your trip with monthly devaluation tracker.
Egyptian bank fee + FX + your home-card fee stack.
Souq vs mall vs supermarket ?what to pay without haggling.
Cairo vs Luxor vs Red Sea resort ?what to actually wear.
What's allowed / forbidden by zone ?military, mosque, tomb, museum.
60 phrases with transliteration + politeness level + which register.
Six tools for the half of Egypt that is not the Nile.
1-day vs 2-day vs Bahariya camp vs Farafra extension.
Cairo ?Siwa vs Marsa Matrouh via ?overland cost vs fly.
St. Catherine's vs Mount Sinai dawn ?steps, fatigue, fee structure.
Dive cost + quality + visa-restricted zones + boat-day tradeoffs.
Pace/hour + cost negotiation rules + Sinai vs Luxor west bank.
Route grade + risk matrix + what guide license actually means.
Six tools for the calendar and the kitchen ?both matter more than the guidebook says.
Date window + site hours + restaurant closures by governorate.
Heat, sandstorm, crowd probability ?day-by-day matrix.
Week-by-week probability + indoor backup plan.
Restaurant type vs hygiene score ?what street-corner koshary doesn't tell you.
Shai/ahwa/turkish transliteration + price norms + when sugar is mandatory.
Where you can buy it, where you can't, and the Ramadan exception.
Every tool on this site cites its sources at the bottom of its page. The major reference categories we lean on:
Numbers are updated monthly. When a tool can't be more precise than a rule of thumb, the tool says so in its "Limitations" section ?we'd rather under-promise than over-promise in a country where conditions change quickly.
What this site is. Pyramid Compass is a small, opinionated set of 36 free travel tools for visitors to Egypt. It is built and maintained by a long-time independent traveler and an Egypt-based fixer. The tools answer the decisions a thoughtful independent traveler has to make ?the ones most cookie-cutter guides skip. Examples: how the EGP devaluation reshuffles a mid-range trip budget; which tombs at Saqqara are worth the extra ticket; what time to leave for the airport so you don't get crushed by Cairo rush hour.
Who it's for. First-time and repeat independent visitors to Egypt who plan their own itinerary and want the local-rules-of-thumb most guides skip. It is not for tour-package travelers (your operator handles this) and it is not for backpackers on a 6-week shoestring ?those travelers have different priorities.
Who built it. A long-time independent traveler with two decades of experience in MENA, plus an Egypt-based fixer who reviews every tool for accuracy. Names are not displayed on the site; we don't want the tools to be mistaken for personal recommendations about specific hotels or operators. The footer of every tool names its sources.
How it's maintained. Numbers (prices, EGP rates, ticket tiers, opening hours) are re-checked monthly. Logic is reviewed quarterly. When a tool can't be more precise than a rule of thumb, the tool says so.
What this site isn't. It is not a hotel booking site, a tour operator, a visa service, or a substitute for travel insurance. It does not collect your email, your itinerary, or anything else. The only external requests on every page are the Tailwind CSS CDN, Font Awesome 6.5.1, and ?where ads are served ?Google AdSense. See Privacy Policy.
Limitations. Conditions in Egypt change faster than any single human can track: fuel prices shift, ticket tiers change, visa rules adjust, sites close for restoration. The tools on this site are accurate as of the date stamped at the bottom of every page. Always cross-check current conditions through your hotel concierge or a licensed guide. Do not rely on any tool on this site as a substitute for professional advice specific to your itinerary.
What this site collects. Pyramid Compass does not collect, store, or process personal data. There is no login, no account, no email capture, no analytics beyond what Google AdSense requires, and no first-party tracking. You can use every tool on this site without entering a name, an email, or any account detail. The calculators all run client-side in your browser.
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Data retention. Since this site does not collect personal data, there is no first-party data to retain, delete, or export. For data Google has collected through AdSense, see myaccount.google.com.
Contact. This site does not provide a contact form. For corrections, see the disclaimer below.
Last updated: October 2026.
Not professional advice. The information and tools on Pyramid Compass are for general informational and educational purposes only. They are not professional travel, legal, financial, medical, or safety advice. Nothing on this site constitutes a recommendation to visit any specific site, hire any specific operator, or skip any specific safety protocol.
Accuracy. We do our best to keep prices, ticket tiers, opening hours, EGP rates, and visa rules current. Conditions in Egypt change quickly ?sites close for restoration without notice, ticket prices change, EGP can move several percent in a week, and operators come and go. Always cross-check with your hotel concierge, your embassy, and the official site before committing to a plan based on any tool on this site.
Personal responsibility. Travel in Egypt, particularly in desert and Sinai regions, carries real risks. Heat, sandstorms, road conditions, and political events can shift on short notice. You are responsible for your own safety, your own insurance, your own visa, and your own decisions. Do not rely on any tool on this site as a substitute for current official guidance or licensed local advice.
Affiliate disclosure. This site is supported by anonymous advertising through Google AdSense. We do not run affiliate links, sponsored placements, or paid recommendations. The tools answer the question they say they answer; if a tool recommends an operator class, it is because of a property of that class (capacity, license, season), not a financial arrangement.
No warranty. The tools are provided "as is", without warranty of any kind, express or implied. We do not warrant that the tools will be uninterrupted, error-free, or fit for a particular purpose.
Limitation of liability. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Pyramid Compass and its contributors disclaim all liability for any loss or damage arising from your use of, or reliance on, this site.
Last updated: October 2026.