Down inside the Red Pyramid
Climb to the entrance, then descend a low passage into Sneferu's corbelled chambers.
- Where
- Dahshur, south of Cairo
- Length
- Half day from Cairo
- Needs
- None; you must crouch down a long, steep passage
The story
The Red Pyramid was built for Sneferu, and its entrance passage slopes down at 27° for about 61 m to chambers roofed with corbelled vaults about 12 m high (Wikipedia; Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities).
Its neighbour changes angle halfway up. The Bent Pyramid's interior opened to visitors in July 2019, with a passage of about 79 m (Egyptian Streets, 2019). Together they show a king's builders learning, in stone, how to build a true pyramid.
What happens
Climb the steps on the north face to the entrance, high above the desert.
Descend the long, low passage bent over, holding the handrail.
Stand in the first corbelled chamber and look up at the stepped roof.
Walk on to the burial chamber, then outside to see the Bent Pyramid, whose own passages opened to visitors in 2019.
A proposed shape, not a fixed programme. The final arrangements and order are agreed before booking.
Who it suits
A long crouch in a hot, airless passage, down and back up. Not for anyone with claustrophobia or knee or back trouble. The descent is steady, not technical.
- Previous experience
- None; you must crouch down a long, steep passage
- Minimum age
- No published minimum; we discuss it for children
- Best season
- Year-round; the passage is hot, so go early
- What you see
- Sneferu's corbelled chambers, then the Bent Pyramid outside
Time and travel
- Starting location
- Dahshur
- Total time
- Half day from Cairo
- Active time
- About 30–45 minutes inside
Times are planning estimates. Confirm pickup, travel from your accommodation and the time you need to be back. Our effort judgement: active.
Our recommendation
Most Giza days never go inside a pyramid. Dahshur puts the effort, the quiet and the engineering in the same morning.
What we confirm before you go
- That both pyramids' interiors are open on your date
- Current ticketing at Dahshur, which we confirm rather than quote
- A guide who can explain the building sequence at the site
Every item is settled in writing before anything is arranged.
Where it fits
Trip ideaCairo, Luxor and Aswan: Egypt in a sequence that makes senseA first visit in the order that makes sense: the pyramids, the temples, then the river.- c. 2600 BCThe Red PyramidThe first pyramid that worked.
c. 2600 BCThe Bent PyramidA pyramid that changes its mind halfway up.
c. 2600 BCDahshurWhere the Egyptians learned how to build a pyramid, by getting it wrong first.
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Questions?
Ask about “Down inside the Red Pyramid”
Tell us your dates, where you will be and who is coming. We confirm the host, the timing, the price for your party and the terms before anything is booked.
Sources and review
Reviewed on by Deluxe Trips Egypt. Facts are attributed to their sources; where we give a judgement, we say so. Arranged on request; we confirm every detail before anything is booked.
Photography credits (5)
Olaf Tausch, CC BY 3.0; U.S. Air Force photo by Senior Airman Erin Dunkleberger, Public domain; Zezinho68, CC BY-SA 4.0; KennyOMG, CC BY-SA 4.0; Kristina from Magdeburg, CC BY 2.0. Resized and cropped for display.
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