Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx, Saqqara & Memphis Day Tour from Cairo

Memphis, the First Capital of Egypt

Memphis was founded around 3100 BC, traditionally by King Menes when he united Upper and Lower Egypt, and it stayed the country's capital for much of the pyramid age. Today the site at the village of Mit Rahina is an open-air museum among palm groves, about 20 kilometres south of Cairo, and a quiet contrast to the crowds at Giza.

The star of the visit is a colossal limestone statue of Ramesses II, around ten metres long, lying on its back inside a covered hall so you can study the carved details up close. Outside stands a large alabaster sphinx, the largest of its kind found in Egypt. Allow about 45 minutes here; a day trip to Memphis and Saqqara fits easily together as the two sites are ten minutes apart.

Saqqara and the Step Pyramid of Djoser

Saqqara was the great burial ground of Memphis, used for more than 3,000 years. Its centrepiece is the Step Pyramid of King Djoser, built around 2670 BC by the architect Imhotep. Six stacked levels rise about 60 metres, making it the first large building in history made entirely of cut stone and the prototype for every pyramid that followed.

Around it you walk through the restored enclosure wall, the colonnaded entrance and courtyards where the king renewed his power. Depending on the day, our guide also shows you painted tombs of nobles with scenes of farming, fishing and daily life. A Saqqara pyramid tour is often the part travellers remember most, because the site is vast, calm and full of colour.

The Pyramids of Giza

After lunch the tour moves to the Giza plateau, where the idea born at Saqqara reached perfection a century later. The Great Pyramid of Khufu is so precisely built that its sides are aligned almost exactly to the points of the compass. Nearby, archaeologists have uncovered the village and bakeries of the skilled workers who built it, proving they were paid labourers rather than slaves.

Your Egyptologist walks you around the base of the Great Pyramid, past Khafre and Menkaure, then drives to the panoramic desert viewpoint for the classic photo. The best time to visit the Giza pyramids is in the late afternoon, when the stone turns golden. Going inside the Great Pyramid needs an additional ticket bought at the gate.

The Great Sphinx of Giza

The Great Sphinx guards the eastern edge of the plateau, carved directly from the limestone ridge with the body of a lion and the face of a pharaoh, generally identified as Khafre. Between its paws stands the granite Dream Stele of Thutmose IV, which tells how the young prince cleared the Sphinx from the sand and was promised the throne in return.

You reach it through Khafre's Valley Temple, whose polished granite pillars have stood for 4,500 years. Our guide points out the spots for the best photos and explains the long history of restoration that keeps the Sphinx standing. It is the perfect final chapter of a Pyramids and Sphinx day tour from Cairo.