Saqqara, Dahshur & Memphis — Private Day Tour

Overview

This private day runs south from Cairo into the older pyramid fields, where you can watch the idea of the pyramid take shape. You begin at Saqqara and the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the earliest large stone building in Egypt, laid out by Imhotep around 2650 BC; the surrounding funerary complex still keeps its colonnaded entrance, and a nobleman's tomb nearby is covered in crisp reliefs of hunting, farming and feasting. At Memphis, capital of the Old Kingdom, the open-air museum at Mit Rahina holds a fallen colossus of Ramesses II and a carved alabaster sphinx among the palms. Then on to Dahshur, far quieter than Giza, for Sneferu's two great pyramids: the Bent Pyramid, whose builders changed the angle partway up, and the smooth Red Pyramid, which you can climb into and descend to the burial chambers. Your Egyptologist puts the sites in order so the day reads as one story rather than three separate stops. Travel is in a private air-conditioned car, entrance tickets are arranged for you, and a sit-down lunch is included. It makes an easy, uncrowded alternative to the Giza plateau, and you will often have whole monuments almost to yourself.

Highlights

• ✦Step Pyramid of Djoser, Egypt's oldest stone pyramid
• ✦Climb into the Red Pyramid at Dahshur
• ✦The Bent Pyramid's changed-angle silhouette
• ✦Fallen colossus of Ramesses II at Memphis
• ✦The carved alabaster Sphinx of Memphis
• ✦Private Egyptologist guide and air-conditioned car
• ✦Far fewer crowds than the Giza plateau

What's included

Itinerary

1. 1
   Hotel pickup

   Your guide and driver meet you at your Cairo or Giza hotel in a private air-conditioned car for the drive south into the older pyramid fields.

2. 2
   Saqqara and the Step Pyramid of Djoser

   Walk the funerary complex of Djoser, the world's oldest monumental stone structure, and step into a nobleman's mastaba to see brightly cut reliefs of daily life in ancient Egypt.

3. 3
   Memphis Open-Air Museum (Mit Rahina)

   Explore the remains of Egypt's Old Kingdom capital, where a giant recumbent statue of Ramesses II and a fine alabaster sphinx stand among the palm groves.

4. 4
   Dahshur: the Bent and Red Pyramids

   See Sneferu's Bent Pyramid, where the builders famously changed the slope midway, then climb into the Red Pyramid and descend to its corbelled burial chambers.

5. 5
   Lunch

   Break for a sit-down Egyptian lunch at a local restaurant before the return drive.

6. 6
   Drop-off

   Return by private car to your hotel in Cairo or Giza in the late afternoon.

Meeting point

📍 Hotel pickup included, or meet at the operator's downtown office.

Frequently asked questions

How long is this experience?

Full day

Can I cancel my booking?

Yes — you can cancel free of charge up to 24 hours before it starts.

Where does it start?

Hotel pickup included, or meet at the operator's downtown office.

Will I get instant confirmation?

Yes — your confirmation arrives on your phone right after booking.

What's included?

Private air-conditioned car with hotel pickup and drop-off · Licensed Egyptologist guide · Entrance tickets for Saqqara, Dahshur and Memphis · Lunch at a local restaurant · Bottled water