Saqqara, Memphis & Dahshur Day Trip from Cairo

Where the Pyramid Age Began

Most visitors to Cairo see Giza and leave. This tour shows what came before it. In roughly a century, Egypt's builders went from a stepped pyramid at Saqqara to the first true, smooth-sided pyramid at Dahshur, and every stop on this route is a step in that experiment. With your guide explaining each site in order, you finish the day understanding why the Great Pyramid looks the way it does.

The three sites lie close together south of Giza and are far quieter than the Giza plateau, so you can explore at an easy pace and take photographs without the crowds.

Saqqara: The Step Pyramid of Djoser

Around 2670 BC, the architect Imhotep built a tomb for King Djoser by stacking six stone platforms on top of one another. The result, the Step Pyramid, is the oldest pyramid in Egypt and one of the earliest large stone buildings in the world. It stands inside a walled complex with a grand entrance colonnade and courtyards used for royal ceremonies. Saqqara remained the burial ground of Memphis for about 3,000 years, and new discoveries are still announced there almost every year.

Memphis: Egypt's First Capital

According to tradition, King Menes founded Memphis around 3100 BC when he united Upper and Lower Egypt, and it remained one of the country's most important cities for thousands of years. Little of the ancient city survives above ground today, but the open-air museum at Mit Rahina keeps two of its treasures: a colossal limestone statue of Ramses II, now lying on its back so you can see the fine detail of his face, and the Alabaster Sphinx, the largest calcite statue ever found in Egypt.

Dahshur: The Bent and Red Pyramids

At Dahshur, King Sneferu, the father of Khufu, tried twice to build a true pyramid. The Bent Pyramid changes angle halfway up, most likely because the builders realized the original slope was too steep to be stable. The Red Pyramid, named for the reddish tone of its stone, got it right: it is the first successful smooth-sided pyramid and the model for the Great Pyramid at Giza. When it is open, you can climb down a long, low passage into its burial chambers — a memorable experience if you are comfortable in tight spaces.

Practical Tips

• Entrance tickets for the three sites are paid separately. Bring a bank card as well as some cash, and your guide will help at each ticket office.
• Wear comfortable shoes and a hat; the sites are open and sunny. Bottled water is provided during the tour.
• Lunch is optional — add it when booking and the tour stops at a local restaurant on the way back.
• Allow six to eight hours in total, including pickup and drop-off at your hotel in Cairo or Giza.
• Photography is welcome outdoors at all three sites, and Dahshur's open desert setting is especially photogenic.
• You will be back at your hotel with time to rest before an evening Nile dinner cruise, a relaxing way to end the day.

Pair It With Giza and the GEM

This trip works best alongside a day at Giza. See the finished masterpieces on the Giza Pyramids and Saqqara tour or the Grand Egyptian Museum and Pyramids tour, where many objects from these same sites are on display. Our Cairo travel guide helps you plan the rest of your stay.