Long before souvenir stands and selfie sticks, travelers made the trek to Egypt’s pyramids for something far more elusive: wonder. These 17 photos taken between the 1860s and 1930s show early tourists picnicking atop the Pyramids, scaling its massive stones in leather-soled shoes, and taking in desert sunsets without another group in sight. With no ropes, railings, or rules, the experience was raw, surreal, and strangely intimate. These hauntingly beautiful snapshots capture a time when the pyramids felt less like a tourist attraction and more like a portal into the ancient world.
1. Having a picnic
2. Watching the sunset
3. The Zeppelin makes this feel surreal.
4. It is interesting to see the etched graffiti in the rock.
5. This angle really gives you a sense of scale.
6. Resting on top of the pyramid where the capstone would have been.
7. Helping this visitor was a group effort.
8. This tourist photo goes pretty hard.
9. Those leather-soled shoes are not helping him here.
10. That’s a long way up.
11. Even with two helpers per visitor, this looks terrifying.
12. It makes you wonder how long it took them to climb the entire pyramid.
13. It must have been magical to see it back then.
14. Not a store, shop, or restaurant in sight.
15. This is what we’d call an ‘Instagram Spot’ today.
16. Ladies get the camels, men get the donkeys.
17. Going for a climb.
