Saqqara

Saqqara is the vast burial ground of Memphis, Egypt’s first capital, spread along the desert edge about 30 km south of central Cairo. It was used for more than 3,000 years, from the earliest dynasties to the Ptolemaic and Coptic periods, but its fame rests on the Old Kingdom. Here, in the 27th century BC, the architect Imhotep built the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the first monumental stone building in the world and the prototype for every pyramid that followed. Saqqara is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Memphis and its Necropolis, and excavations still produce major discoveries most years.

What to see

• Djoser’s complex: the six-stepped pyramid, the colonnaded entrance hall and the great courtyard. The interior of the pyramid and the South Tomb need separate tickets.
• Pyramid of Unas: its burial chamber carries the Pyramid Texts, the oldest known religious texts carved inside a royal tomb.
• Mastaba tombs of Old Kingdom officials such as Mereruka, Kagemni, Ti and Ptahhotep, decorated with lively painted reliefs of farming, fishing, crafts and daily life. Mereruka’s tomb has its own ticket.
• Serapeum: long underground galleries where the sacred Apis bulls were buried in huge granite sarcophagi, from the New Kingdom to the Ptolemaic period. Separate ticket.
• New Kingdom tombs, including the tomb Horemheb built as a general before he became king.
• Imhotep Museum at the entrance, with finds from across the site’s history.

Visiting tips

• The site opens at 08:00. Arrive early: it is exposed desert with little shade, and the tombs are quieter before tour groups arrive.
• Decide in advance which add-on tickets you want. The general Saqqara ticket does not cover everything, and there is also an inclusive ticket for the tombs.
• Tombs open and close for conservation, so check at the ticket office which ones are accessible that day.
• Bring a card for tickets, water, a hat and a torch for darker corridors.
• Allow at least half a day. Saqqara combines well with Memphis (Mit Rahina) and Dahshur on the same trip.

Getting there

There is no convenient public transport to the site itself. Most visitors come with a hired car and driver, a taxi or ride-hailing app booked for the return trip, or a tour from Cairo or Giza. The drive from Giza takes roughly 45 minutes, depending on traffic. A vehicle parking fee is charged at the gate. Check current hours and prices on the official Saqqara page.

Last checked October 2026. Sources: egymonuments.gov.eg, mota.gov.eg.