Ten kilometres beyond Saqqara, in open desert that was a closed military zone until 1996, stand the two pyramids of Sneferu, Khufu’s father. They are the missing link between the Step Pyramid and Giza — the place where Egyptian builders worked out, by trial and error, how to make a smooth-sided pyramid.
The Bent Pyramid starts at a steep 54 degrees and then, halfway up, changes abruptly to 43, probably because cracks appeared during construction. It keeps more of its polished limestone casing than any other pyramid in Egypt. The Red Pyramid, built next at the gentler angle from the start, is the first true pyramid and the third largest in the country. Best of all, hardly anyone comes.
What to see and do at Dahshur
Go inside the Red Pyramid
Climb the outside steps to the entrance high on the north face, then descend a 60-metre passage to three chambers with magnificent corbelled ceilings twelve metres high. Entry is included in the site ticket. The passage is low and the smell of ammonia can be strong, but there is rarely a queue.
Walk round the Bent Pyramid
Its change of angle and intact casing make it the most photogenic pyramid in Egypt. The interior, reopened in 2019, involves a long, cramped descent and a climb up wooden stairs — for the determined only. A small satellite pyramid stands beside it.
Spot the Black Pyramid
The dark, collapsed mud-brick core of Amenemhat III’s Middle Kingdom pyramid is visible to the east across the desert. It cannot be visited, but it completes the skyline.
How to get to Dahshur
- By car: about an hour from Giza and 15–20 minutes beyond Saqqara. You need a vehicle to get between the two pyramids.
- On a tour: the easiest way to add Dahshur is a day tour that also covers Saqqara and Memphis.
Insider tips
- One ticket, paid by card at the gate, covers both pyramids including their interiors.
- There are no cafés and only basic toilets. Bring everything you need.
- Your legs will ache the day after the Red Pyramid — it is a good workout.
- Morning visits avoid the heat inside the pyramids.
Best tours & tickets for Dahshur
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Dahshur:
Day trip from €48 Giza: Sakkara, Memphis & Dahshur (Pyramid & Felucca Options)
A flexible tour of the pyramid fields: pick the sites you want, add Giza or leave it out, and optionally end with a felucca sail on the Nile. The best way to see the quiet, crowd-free pyramids of Dahshur.
- Bent and Red Pyramids at Dahshur
- Step Pyramid at Saqqara and the Memphis museum
- Choose one, three or all four sites
Day trip from €65 From Cairo: Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx, Saqqara & Memphis Tour
The complete story of the pyramid age in one day: the first pyramid at Saqqara, the old capital at Memphis and the great pyramids of Giza, with an Egyptologist to connect them. Easy-going and very highly rated.
- The Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara
- The colossus of Ramesses II at Memphis
- Giza pyramids, the Sphinx and the Valley Temple
