There are few monuments in the world as iconic as the Pyramids of Giza, a necropolis that dates back nearly 5,000 years. The first pyramid of the bunch I visited was the Dahshur necropolis' Red Pyramid, so named for its red limestone stones. After visiting the Red Pyramid, I talked to other tourists who had already paid extra to go in the Pyramids of Giza. They told me that going inside those pyramids yields the same collection of brick walls and narrow passageways, with one difference: There are a lot more people. August 2, 2023: A photo caption in this story was updated to clarify that the photo shows the Red Pyramid, not the Great Pyramid.

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Locations: Giza, Egypt, Djoser, Unas