Dahshur and Saqqara: the Red, Bent and Step Pyramids Without the Crowds

The Red Pyramid at Dahshur is the first “true” smooth-sided pyramid in history and one of the few you can walk into calmly, with no queue. Together with the Bent Pyramid and the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, it shows how the Egyptians learned step by step to build pyramids before Khufu came along. Below: what to see at Saqqara and Dahshur, whether you can go inside and how to get there.

Saqqara and the Pyramid of Djoser: where it all began

Saqqara is the ancient necropolis of the capital, Memphis. Around 2670 BC the architect Imhotep built a six-step, 62-metre pyramid here for Pharaoh Djoser — the first large stone building in the world. Around it are the Heb-Sed festival court, nobles’ tombs with vivid reliefs and the Pyramid of Unas with the first “Pyramid Texts” on its walls.

Our guides recommend not stopping at the pyramid itself: the Old Kingdom nobles’ tombs have some of the finest reliefs in Egypt, with scenes of fishing, crafts and feasts.

The Bent Pyramid: learning from mistakes

Sneferu began a smooth-sided pyramid at a steep angle of about 54°, but halfway up the angle was reduced to about 43° — hence the “bend”. The usual explanation is that the builders feared subsidence and cracks. As a bonus, this pyramid has the best-preserved casing in Egypt.

The Red Pyramid: the first smooth pyramid

Learning from experience, Sneferu built a new pyramid nearby at a gentle angle of about 43° from the start. It is 105 m high, the third-largest pyramid in Egypt after Khufu and Khafre. It is named after its reddish limestone, which glows especially at sunset; it is also known as the Pink Pyramid.

Prefer an organised day? Our private pyramids tour from Cairo covers Dahshur, Saqqara and Giza in one go.

Why visit Dahshur and Saqqara

• You see the evolution of the pyramids: from stepped to bent to smooth — and only then Khufu.
• Far fewer people than at Giza, and almost no hawkers.
• You can go inside pyramids calmly and cheaply.
• Saqqara has the finest Old Kingdom reliefs in the nobles’ tombs.

More about this evolution in our article “How were the pyramids built”.

How to get to Dahshur and Saqqara

Dahshur is about 40 km south of central Cairo and 25–30 km from the Giza pyramids, with Saqqara on the way. Public transport barely goes there, so people travel by car with a driver or on a private tour. It is hard to add Dahshur to a day trip from the resorts: the drive from Hurghada takes 5.5–6.5 hours each way. A private tour or a two-day trip is the better choice.

The main pyramids are covered in our Giza pyramids guide.