The pyramids: enter at the Mena House gate, and expect the camel sales pitch

Buy pyramid tickets at the official gate near the Mena House hotel; anyone who approaches your car or taxi before the gate claiming the entrance is closed or elsewhere is steering you to a stable. Camel and horse rides are negotiable and the ride price rarely includes the "photo stop" or the "return"; agree on everything, in writing on your phone if needed, before you mount. A guide from a licensed agency, booked ahead, removes most of this. Go at opening, 8 a.m.; it's cooler and the touts are fewer.