Saqqara & Dahshur day trip from Cairo

Home to lesser known pyramids and other funerary complexes, Saqqara and Dahshur are located ±40km south of Cairo, on the west bank of the Nile. It is not viable to do this by public transportation as you’ll need to catch different minibuses to get to Saqqara. Moreover, the sites are huge and to visit them on foot will take a huge toll on your time.

Expect to spend approximately 6-7 hours on this day trip.

Taxi price: 450EGP is a fair fee for this trip

1) Saqqara

Saqqara is the necropolis of the ancient capital city of Memphis. Here you shall find numerous pyramids but the most prominent one is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, as seen on the header of this article (circa 27th century BC). This pyramid was designed by the prominent architect Imhotep, under the rule of Pharaoh Djoser. The step design originated from the superposition of mastabas (an early funerary room where the royal families were buried). This Step Pyramid was the inspiration for the more modern smooth-sided pyramids just as the ones located in Giza.

Surrounding the pyramid, you can find smaller funerary buildings, including tombs of nobles and other generals, and the also smaller Pyramid of Unas, which you can enter. After a brief tunnel, you’ll arrive to a division with a typical house shape. The walls are covered with hieroglyphs and the ceiling has the characteristic starry-night designs.

Don’t miss the fantastic Serapeum, a long funerary tunnel praising the bull-god Apis with many huge coffins on each side, and the Mastaba of Ti, the best preserved smaller funerary complex with beautiful painted reliefs featuring aspects of daily life.

Before heading out, pay a visit to Imhotep Museum. There’s a section dedicated to this famous architect’s heritage and also pottery and jewels excavated from Saqqara archeological site.

Approximate visiting time: 2,5 hours

Ticket: 120EGP (additional fees apply for some sites within the area)

2) Dahshur

Dahshur is located further south and comprises 3 main pyramids: Bent Pyramid, Red Pyramid and Black Pyramid.

Bent Pyramid’s construction was ordered by Pharaoh Sneferu and got this name from the inconstant steepness of its walls. It rises from the ground at 54º and then “bends” to 43º until the top. It is assumed that the first angle deemed the structure some instability, so it was corrected thereafter. You can enter the pyramid by climbing the set of stairs on the front. The fist part is a descending tight tunnel measuring >50m. Once inside, there’s a chamber and a wooden staircaise leading up to an even tighter tunnel (±10m). After it, turn left on the corridor to find another set of stairs, and on the top of them you’ll reach the final chamber.

After discovering the perfect angle, the same Sneferu ordered the construction of the Red Pyramid (at 43º) – probably the first smooth-sided pyramid ever! This pyramid can also be visited and the course is very similar to the Bent Pyramid, albeit smaller. After the death of Sneferu, his son Khufu (Keops) ordered the construction of the Great Pyramid of Giza.

The last major structure of the complex, Black Pyramid, is a smaller and badly kept pyramid and doesn’t even resemble the shape of one. Entrance is not allowed.

Approximate visiting time: 1,5 hours

Ticket: 60EGP / Camera: 300EGP (we were allowed to use the camera without paying this fee)

3) Memphis

There’s also the possibility of visiting the ancient city of Memphis although we didn’t do it. Nowadays you can only see the foundations of the old city and statues in the open-air museum.

Ticket: 80EGP

If you have any questions on this, let us know in the comments section below.