The pyramids of Giza are the most famous ancient monuments on earth, and they are also, absurdly, right at the end of a city street. The plateau lies on the western edge of Giza, a city of some two and a half million, and the urban sprawl runs right up to the fence. The Great Pyramid, built around 2560 BC for the pharaoh Khufu, was the tallest human structure in the world for nearly four thousand years, and it still takes the breath away, even when the first view comes between a fried-chicken sign and a minibus.
But Giza is only the beginning. To the south, along the edge of the desert, lie the necropolis fields of the Old Kingdom: Abusir, Saqqara and Dahshur. At Saqqara stands the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first great stone building in the world, designed by the architect Imhotep around 2650 BC. At Dahshur, the pharaoh Sneferu built two pyramids, the Bent Pyramid, with its odd change of angle halfway up, and the Red Pyramid, the first true smooth-sided one, and both are far quieter than Giza, with sometimes only a handful of visitors and the wind.
Riding between them is a meeting of old and new. You travel along canal-side roads, through green farmland, palm groves and villages where donkeys pull carts and children wave, and the desert edge shows as a sudden line of sand at the end of a field. Traffic in the Cairo area is wild, with everyone using the horn and few observing lanes, so ride defensively and watch for potholes and speed bumps with no warning. Start at dawn, before the heat and the crowds.
The nearest big place is Giza, with plenty of fuel, but the road south has fewer stations, and some sites in the area lie in military zones with checkpoints, so carry your passport and permits and be patient. Bring water and a hat, and plan on at least half a day for the southern sites. The sand, the silence and the pyramids standing alone on the skyline are well worth the effort.