Cairo half-day tour: Saqqara, Memphis & Dahshur pyramids

Three pyramid complexes in one morning, 27 to 40 kilometers from Cairo.

A half-day tour from Cairo covering Saqqara, Memphis, and Dahshur: three major pyramid sites spanning 6 hours with hotel pickup and a live guide in English, Spanish or Arabic. The itinerary includes the Step Pyramid built for Pharaoh Zoser, the 120-ton limestone statue of Ramses II at Memphis, and the Bent and Red Pyramids at Dahshur, a royal necropolis 40 kilometers south of Cairo. Entry fees, lunch and guide are available as separate options at checkout. All tours include a bottle of water and 20-minute stops at local artisan workshops (papyrus making, perfumes, handwoven carpets).

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time at each

1. Memphis30m
2. Saqqara1h

Explore Sakkara, Memphis, and Dahshur

• Pickup from hotel at 8:00 am
• Visit Memphis ancient capital
• See Ramses II statue and Alabaster Sphinx
• Visit Sakkara Step Pyramid
• Explore Pyramid of Teti
• Visit Mastaba of Ti
• Visit Dahshur Bent and Red Pyramids
• Return to hotel around 1:00 pm

The experience

The tour starts with hotel pickup at 8 a.m. from either Cairo or Giza. A guide meets you and drives to Memphis first, the ancient capital dating to 3100 B.C., where the colossal statue of Ramses II (carved from a single piece of limestone and weighing 120 tons) lies in an open-air museum. The alabaster Sphinx, another 80-ton sculpture, stands nearby along with other artifacts from the site. From there, the route heads 27 kilometers southwest to Saqqara, home to the Step Pyramid built for Pharaoh Zoser. This pyramid marks a turning point in Egyptian architecture: it represents the transition from the simple mastaba tombs to the pyramid form that would define the kingdom for centuries. The site also includes the Pyramid of Teti and the Mastaba of Ti, an important Old Kingdom tomb discovered by Auguste Mariette, with walls showing scenes of daily life.

The final stop is Dahshur, a royal necropolis 40 kilometers south of Cairo on the Nile's west bank. The Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid stand here, among Egypt's oldest, largest and best-preserved structures, built between 2613 and 2589 B.C.E. The tour wraps up around 1 p.m. with a return to your hotel. Along the way, the itinerary includes 20-minute stops at local workshops: a papyrus studio where you watch traditional paper-making, a perfume and cotton shop, and a school where artisans hand-weave rugs. These are government-endorsed stops where souvenirs are guaranteed authentic.

You choose your setup at checkout: the car and driver alone, or add a live guide, entry fees, and lunch at a local Egyptian restaurant. A bottle of water is included in all options. The tour is wheelchair accessible and suitable for all fitness levels. Infant seats are available if needed. Public transportation options exist nearby if you prefer to arrange your own way to the meeting point.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off from Cairo or Giza.
• private air-conditioned vehicle.
• a bottle of water.
• 20-minute stops at local papyrus workshops, perfume and cotton shops, and handwoven carpet studios. Depending on which option you select at checkout, you can add a live guide in English, Spanish or Arabic.
• entry fees to all three sites.
• or lunch at a local Egyptian restaurant.

Options for this experience

4 options

Car and tour guide onlyGuide in English, Spanish or Arabic · 09:00Duration: 5 hours. Car and tour guide only; pickup is included

Car with driver and audio guideGuide in English, Spanish or Arabic · 09:00Car with driver only; pickup is included

Car, guide, and entry feesGuide in English, Spanish or Arabic · 09:00Duration: 5 hours. Car, guide, and entry fees; pickup is included

Car, guide, entry fees, and lunchGuide in English, Spanish or Arabic · 09:00Koshari is an Egyptian dish made with rice, pasta, lentils, chickpeas, fried onions, and a tomato-garlic sauce. VIP. Duration: 6 hours, lunch included, pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (under 6): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish and Arabic

Audio guideEnglish, Spanish and Arabic

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleInfant seats availablePublic transport nearby

Operated by Egypt Tours Online

Is this one for you?Book the car-and-guide option if you want someone who knows the sites to explain what you're standing in front of; the entry-fee option if you're ready to walk inside the pyramids and tombs instead of viewing them from outside; the lunch option if you'd rather eat at a local restaurant than bring your own food. The car-only option works if you're traveling with someone who speaks Arabic or if you prefer to move through the sites at your own pace.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish and Arabic.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (under 6): free.

What's the difference between the four booking options for this tour?

The car and driver come with every option. You can add a live guide (in English, Spanish or Arabic), entry fees to all three sites, or lunch at a local restaurant, or combine any of these at checkout. The car-only option gives you transport and a driver. The other three add guide, entry or both, depending on which you select.

How long does the tour actually take, and when does it end?

The tour runs 6 hours total, starting at 8 a.m. with hotel pickup and ending around 1 p.m. when you return to your hotel. That includes 20-minute stops at local artisan workshops along the way.

What exactly will I see at Memphis?

Memphis, the ancient capital of Egypt founded in 3100 B.C., holds two major sculptures: the colossal statue of Ramses II (120 tons, carved from a single piece of limestone) and the alabaster Sphinx (80 tons), displayed in an open-air museum with other artifacts from the site.

What's the Step Pyramid, and why is Saqqara important?

The Step Pyramid at Saqqara was built for Pharaoh Zoser and marks a crucial moment in Egyptian architecture. It shows the transition from simple mastaba tombs to the pyramid form. Saqqara also holds the Pyramid of Teti and the Mastaba of Ti, an Old Kingdom tomb with walls depicting everyday life in ancient Egypt.

Are the Bent and Red Pyramids at Dahshur worth the drive?

Dahshur's Bent and Red Pyramids are among Egypt's oldest, largest and best-preserved pyramids, built between 2613 and 2589 B.C.E. The site sits 40 kilometers south of Cairo on the Nile's west bank and is a royal necropolis with structures that have survived millennia largely intact.

What happens at those 20-minute stops mentioned in the itinerary?

The tour includes stops at three local workshops: a papyrus studio where you watch traditional paper-making, a perfume and cotton shop, and a school where artisans hand-weave rugs. These are government-endorsed stops where souvenirs are guaranteed authentic.