Gateway to the Pharaohs
PHONE: 1 877 260 3950
PHONE: 1 877 260 3950
TOUR TYPE:
Private
DURATION:
Half day
DEPARTURES:
Any day
This half day tour visits several less-visited ancient Egyptian sites on the outskirts of Cairo and provides a more in depth insight into the history and evolution of pyramid building. We see some early Mastabas, Zoser's step pyramid and the Imhotep Museum at Saqqara, followed by the Bent Pyramid and Red Pyramid at Dashour to see how the building of these great monuments changed over time. You'll be accompanied by a fully qualified local Egyptologist guide.
After picking you up from your hotel or the airport we start at Saqqara, a huge desert necropolis which was built for the kings and nobles of the Old Kingdom. Here we see some early Mastabas, Zoser's 'step' pyramid and the adjacent Imhotep museum where we learn more about Memphis and the history of the region. Next we head to Dashour to see one of the next attempts at pyramid building. Dashour's moniker of the 'bent pyramid' shows they still had a bit to learn, but this is a fascinating site and the pyramid still has much of its original limestone cladding. If open, we'll also visit the Red Pyramid at Dashour, which is actually the third largest in Egypt and uses the corrected angle of 43° used for the top section of the Bent Pyramid. You should also be able to explore inside the Red Pyramid (subject to current permissions). We'll then return you to your hotel or the airport.