Before Giza

Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur: The First Pyramids

The Step Pyramid, the first capital and the Bent and Red Pyramids: how pyramid-building began.

About 6 hours · Cairo & Giza · Private

Starting priceUSD 45Per person at the lowest group rate; solo travellers and couples pay more.Your written quote confirms the price for your party, dates and choices.

Nothing is booked until you accept a written quote
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Djoser's Step Pyramid seen beyond palms and cultivated ground.

Duration: About 6 hours
On the road: Saqqara is about 25 km south of Cairo; short drives between the three sites
At the sites: Most of the 6 hours across three sites
Format: Private
Pace: Moderate

Before you choose

Is this the right tour for you?

This Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur private tour tells the part of the pyramid story that Giza leaves out: how it began. It starts at Saqqara, about 25 km south of Cairo, at the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built around 2650 BC by the architect Imhotep. It marks the beginning of monumental building in stone.

Saqqara is more than one pyramid. Your Egyptologist takes you into the decorated tombs of officials such as Ptahhotep and Idut, whose walls show daily life in carved detail, to the Pyramid of Teti, and down into the Serapeum, the underground galleries where the sacred Apis bulls were buried in huge stone sarcophagi. The Imhotep Museum holds finds from the site.

At Memphis, the first capital of Egypt, you see the colossal statue of Ramses II. The day ends at Dahshur, where King Sneferu's builders learned their craft: the Bent Pyramid, whose angle changes halfway up, and the Red Pyramid, the first true smooth-sided pyramid. These sites are far quieter than Giza, which makes them a good day for questions.

Our advice

Do this before Giza if you can: the Great Pyramid makes more sense once you have seen the attempts that came first.

6 stops

How the day runs

The invention of the pyramid, in one day. At Saqqara you begin with Djoser's Step Pyramid, the first building in Egypt of truly monumental scale built throughout of stone. At Memphis you see the city all these cemeteries served. At Dahshur you end with Sneferu's two attempts: the pyramid that changes its mind halfway up, and the first one that worked. This is how the first chapter of the story began: kings who built to be seen, learning how as they went.

Start
Hotel pickup
Collection from your hotel in Cairo or Giza.
Stop 2
Saqqara
The Step Pyramid of Djoser, the tombs of Ptahhotep and Idut, the Pyramid of Teti and the Serapeum. Saqqara comes first because it holds the beginning: before Djoser, the great tombs here were built of mud brick.
Step Pyramid Complex of Djoser: The first building in Egypt of truly monumental scale built throughout of stone.
Stop 3
Imhotep Museum
Finds from the Saqqara necropolis. Imhotep is traditionally credited as Djoser's architect.
Imhotep Museum: The museum at the gate of Saqqara, named after the first person in history to whom a great building can be credited.
Stop 4
Memphis
The first capital and the colossal statue of Ramses II. In our judgement it is an important stop: every pyramid you see today was built as part of this city's cemetery. Memphis is where the living were.
Stop 5
Dahshur
The Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid of Sneferu: one king's two attempts. The day ends where the true pyramid was finally built.
Dahshur: Where the Egyptians learned how to build a pyramid, by getting it wrong first.
Finish
Return
Drive back to your hotel.

The story behind these places

The details

What is included

Highlights

The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara
Decorated tombs of Saqqara's officials and the Serapeum
The colossus of Ramses II at Memphis
The Bent and Red Pyramids of Sneferu at Dahshur

Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Cairo or Giza
Entrance fees to all sites listed
Private air-conditioned vehicle
Qualified Egyptologist guide
Taxes and service charges

Not included

Tips
Travel insurance
Personal expenses

Places you visit

Step Pyramid of Djoser
Saqqara
Serapeum of Saqqara
Imhotep Museum
Memphis
Bent Pyramid
Red Pyramid
Dahshur

Group: Private: your party only
Transport: Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver
Departure: Morning pickup
Meeting point: Your hotel in Cairo or Giza
Guide languages: English, French, German, Italian, Spanish
Best time to go: Morning; Saqqara's open ground is hot by early afternoon
Entrance tickets: Included: entrance to all sites listed
Cancellation: Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour for a full refund.
Your price: Set in your written quote for your party, dates and pickup, with the payment and cancellation terms.

Add to the day

Experiences nearby

A few hours of something different, placed around this tour in your quote.

All experiences

Local tips matched to this route

Complete this day

We place these around the tour’s real timing. Anything that cannot fit cleanly stays an untimed request until we confirm it.

Central Cairo Nile
Choose the boat before the buffet
A dinner cruise can be an easy final evening, but the sailing time, table position, show volume and food differ more than the words ‘dinner cruise’ suggest.
Evening · Allow about 3 hours including transfers. An evening request, never squeezed behind a late-running full-day tour.
We confirm the exact vessel, sailing window, table, entertainment, food, drinks, transfer and cancellation terms.
Add as a request
Grand Egyptian Museum
An Egyptian lunch without leaving the museum
The museum is large enough that leaving for lunch can break the day. Its public dining area gives you a proper pause before returning to the galleries.
Lunch · 45–75 minutes. Use it between the plateau and the galleries, not after a rushed final room.
We recheck the open outlets, museum entry window and dietary request.
Fits at its stated time
Wekalet El Ghouri, Islamic Cairo
The Tanoura show in Islamic Cairo
A whirling Sufi dance and a folk orchestra in a sixteenth-century caravanserai: the one evening show Cairo visitors mention most.
Evening · About 90 minutes, plus arriving early. On its performance evenings only, usually a few nights a week; we confirm the night.
We confirm the performance night, the start time and the arrival plan for seating.
Add as a request

Build this day and choose your additions

Photography credits (3)

Hatab10, CC BY-SA 4.0; Slyronit, CC BY-SA 4.0; Violinistman, CC BY 4.0

Questions

Before you ask

Why visit Saqqara and Dahshur as well as Giza?

They show how pyramid-building developed, from Djoser's stepped design to the bent and then true pyramids of Sneferu, Khufu's father, before the Great Pyramid was built at Giza.

Are these sites crowded?

Much less than Giza, especially Dahshur.

How much does it cost for my group?

Prices are per person and fall as the group grows: 1 person $120; 2–4 people $70 each; 5–7 people $60 each; 8–10 people $45 each. All prices are in US dollars.

What should I wear?

Light, modest clothing and comfortable walking shoes. Shoulders and knees covered is the safe choice at every site; bring a hat, sunscreen and water.

Deluxe Trips Egypt

Ask for this tour, for your dates.

Send your dates and party size here. We reply with a written quote: the price for your party, what is included and the terms. Nothing is booked until you accept it.

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