Saqqara, Memphis & Dahshur
The birthplace of the pyramid — from Djoser's first step pyramid to the great geometric tombs of Dahshur.
What does Saqqara, Memphis & Dahshur include, and what does it cost?
Saqqara, Memphis & Dahshur is a private full-day tour of Saqqara, Memphis and Dahshur, from €68 per person for a party of 6 or more. It includes a private Egyptologist guide throughout, lunch on each touring day, private air-conditioned transfers and hotel pickup & drop-off. Entrance tickets are paid at the gate.
Overview
Before Giza there was Saqqara. This day follows the invention of the pyramid across three sites south of Cairo, often quieter than Giza and all the more atmospheric for it. You begin at the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the world's oldest monumental stone building, walk the open-air remains of Memphis, the first capital, and finish at Dahshur, where the Bent and Red Pyramids show the engineering leap toward the true pyramid form. Private throughout.
Itinerary
Step Pyramid of Djoser
Saqqara's centrepiece — the stepped pyramid designed by Imhotep for King Djoser, the world's oldest large stone monument, set in its vast funerary enclosure.
Memphis & the colossus of Ramses II
The open-air museum of Memphis, ancient capital of a united Egypt, home to a recumbent colossus of Ramses II and a finely carved alabaster sphinx.
Bent Pyramid of Dahshur
At Dahshur, the Bent Pyramid of Sneferu, whose changing angle records the moment ancient engineers corrected course mid-build.
Red Pyramid
The Red Pyramid nearby, the first successful true pyramid, which you can enter to descend into its corbelled chambers.
Included & not included
Included
- Private Egyptologist guide throughout
- Lunch on each touring day
- Private air-conditioned transfers
- Hotel pickup & drop-off
- Bottled water every day
Not included
- Entrance tickets to sites and monuments — paid at the published gate rate, with nothing added
- International flights to and from Egypt
- Egypt entry visa
- Tipping (gratuities)
- Personal expenses
- Optional extras — Abu Simbel, camel rides, dinner cruise, drinks
Good to know
How does Saqqara compare with Giza?
Saqqara is older and usually quieter. It tells the story of how pyramids developed, from Djoser's stepped form to the true pyramids at Dahshur — a perfect complement to a Giza day.
Can we go inside the pyramids at Dahshur?
Yes — the Red Pyramid is generally open to enter, with a stooped passage down to the burial chambers. Your guide will advise on the day.
Is this a good first day in Cairo?
It is an excellent one — fewer crowds and a clear narrative that makes the later Giza visit richer.
Is this journey right for you?
- Travellers who would rather see four things properly than twelve badly
- Anyone who wants a licensed Egyptologist beside them, not a headset and a flag
- Couples and families for whom pace, comfort and privacy decide whether a trip works
- Visitors marking something — a honeymoon, an anniversary, a milestone birthday
- Anyone looking for the lowest price on Egypt — we are not the cheapest and do not try to be
- Coach tours, shared group departures and itineraries sold by the seat
- Hostels, dormitories and hop-on backpacking routes
- Travellers who would rather organise the logistics themselves
What this journey is, without exception
Every operator in Egypt uses the word luxury. These are the specifics behind ours — checkable before you pay for anything.
A licensed Egyptologist, not a guide
Every journey is led by a guide licensed by the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism with a degree in Egyptology. They are with you at the monuments, not waiting in the car park — and they are yours for the day, answering your questions rather than reciting to forty people.
Your party only
No shared coaches. No fixed departure dates. No strangers on your itinerary. If you are two people, the vehicle, the guide and the pace belong to two people.
Built around you, then written down
We design the itinerary from your interests and your dates — not from a catalogue page. You receive it in writing before anything is paid, and it changes as often as you want it to until it is right.
One price, itemised
The quote lists what is included and what is not, line by line, before you commit. Your Egyptologist, private air-conditioned transfers and lunch on touring days are inside the price on every journey, and entrance fees are inside it on every multi-day one. Where something sits outside — monument tickets on a day tour, for instance — it is named on the page you are reading, at the rate the ticket office charges, not discovered at the end.
Reachable while you travel
You have a direct line to the people who planned your journey for the whole time you are in Egypt — not a call centre, and not a number that stops answering after the deposit clears.
Time protected, not filled
A day with four sites crammed into it is a cheaper day to sell and a worse day to live. We plan around light, heat and crowds — the Valley of the Kings at opening, the Egyptian Museum when the coaches have gone — and we leave the afternoon alone.
On price, plainly
Kemet sits at the upper end of the Egyptian market and we are comfortable saying so. A private Egyptologist for a week costs what it costs; so does a car that is yours alone and a room that faces the river rather than the car park. What we will not do is quote low, then recover the difference through optional extras, shopping stops and an itinerary that quietly turns into a group. Every price on this site is a per-person starting point for a private journey, and the written quote that follows is the price you pay.
Preparation reading
Guides to help you prepare for this journey.
Egypt Travel Guide
Everything you need to plan a trip to Egypt — visa requirements, the best time to go, getting around, top destinations, culture and practical essentials.
Best Time to Visit Egypt
Egypt's best travel season is October to April, when Nile Valley temperatures are mild and monuments are comfortable to explore. Here is what to expect season by season and destination by destination.
Getting Around Egypt
How to travel between Egypt's cities and sites — domestic flights, the sleeper train, Nile cruises, the Cairo Metro, taxis and private transfers explained.
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Talk to a local expert
Our team lives and breathes Egypt travel. Share what draws you here — we'll help you design the journey that fits.