Saqqara, Memphis & Dahshur Day Tour from Cairo

Saqqara – the Oldest Stone Pyramid in the World

First, we visit Saqqara, the most important pyramid field after Giza and the oldest in Egypt. Pharaoh Djoser’s Step Pyramid was designed around 2650 BC by the architect Imhotep. That is why it is considered one of the first monumental buildings in human history. The whole funerary complex covers about 16 hectares and is surrounded by a limestone wall more than 10 metres high. Inside are chapels, false doors and temples. Your English-speaking Egyptologist guide also explains how the mastaba evolved into the pyramid and why this change mattered so much.

Dahshur – the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid of Sneferu

A few kilometres away lies Dahshur, rarely visited by tourists and all the more impressive for it. The Bent Pyramid was built for Pharaoh Sneferu (c. 2600 BC). Interestingly, the angle of its sides changes from 54° to 43°, as the builders corrected the structure’s stability. The nearby Red Pyramid, meanwhile, is the first fully smooth-sided pyramid in history and a forerunner of the Pyramid of Khufu.

Lunch

Next, there is a lunch break at a local restaurant.

Memphis – the First Capital of Egypt

Finally, you explore Memphis, the first capital of unified Egypt, founded by King Menes around 3100 BC. Here you see the colossal statue of Ramesses II (10 metres, carved from a single block of limestone), a mysterious alabaster sphinx and commemorative stelae. For millennia, Memphis was Egypt’s centre of power and religion, so it will delight any lover of antiquity. In this way, the Saqqara Memphis Dahshur tour shows you the origins of the Egyptian pyramids. See more Cairo tours.