Memphis and Saqqara
Private tourSmall groupsNo forced shopping stops
from €48 per person
Overview
Memphis was the capital of unified Egypt for centuries, before being largely buried under Nile floods and the villages that settled over it. What remains today — an open-air museum with the fallen colossus of Ramesses II and an alabaster sphinx — gives a concrete sense of what this now-vanished city once was.
Minutes away, Saqqara holds Djoser's Step Pyramid, the very first great cut-stone construction in human history, designed by the architect Imhotep. It's a site we consider essential for understanding how Egypt moved from the simple tomb to the perfected pyramid of Giza.
This excursion pairs well with Giza on a different day, or can be combined with Dahshur for a longer, pyramid-focused day.
This price covers the guide and private transport
This price covers the guide's fee and private transport during the excursion (hotel pickup, travel between the sites, drop-off). It does not include entrance tickets or meals. You buy your own tickets at the official price: we take no cut on them, and we never take you into a shop.
Highlights
- The fallen colossus of Ramesses II at Memphis
- The alabaster sphinx of the open-air museum
- Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara
- The architect Imhotep and the beginnings of stone construction
- A site noticeably less crowded than Giza
Schedule for the day
- 08:30
Hotel pickup
Departure to Memphis, south of Cairo.
- 09:30
Memphis
Visit of the open-air museum: the fallen colossus of Ramesses II and the alabaster sphinx.
- 10:45
Drive to Saqqara
A short drive between the two sites.
- 11:15
Djoser's Step Pyramid
Visit of the funerary complex and its colonnades.
- 12:30
Return to hotel
End of the excursion and drop-off at your accommodation.
What's included / What's not included
What's included
- Your licensed French-speaking Egyptologist guide’s fee
- Private transport throughout the excursion: hotel pickup, travel between the sites, drop-off
- A combined itinerary between the two sites, with no unnecessary detour
- Pickup at your hotel in Cairo or Giza
- Full attention, paced to suit you
What's not included
- Entrance tickets to Memphis and Saqqara
- Meals and drinks
- Tips, at your discretion
The stops on the map
Meeting point
Meeting point
Pickup from your hotel in Cairo or Giza, at the time agreed when booking.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 48 hours before the tour begins. No deposit is required at booking: you settle on site, on the day of the tour.
