--- title: "Pyramids, Saqqara and Memphis Full-Day Tour from Cairo" date: 2026-10-28 canonical: https://pyramidscairotour.com/tours/pyramids-saqqara-memphis-tour/ --- # Pyramids of Giza, Sphinx, Saqqara and Memphis Full-Day Tour - Ticket price: From 72.8 USD per person (Prices checked 2026-10-28, prices may vary) - Duration: 8 hours - Best for: Giza plus Saqqara and Memphis in one day - Full-day combos - Check availability: https://www.getyourguide.com/cairo-l92/giza-pyramids-sphinx-saqqara-and-dahshur-tour-from-cairo-t215709/?partner_id=D7H7I6M&utm_medium=online_publisher&cmp=pyramidscairotour_com_all_agent_markdown (GetYourGuide · This site contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission when you book through our links, at no extra cost to you.) - ★ Visit the Step Pyramid of Saqqara, Egypt's oldest stone pyramid - ★ Explore the ruins of Memphis, Egypt's first capital - ★ Full tour of the Giza Pyramids and Great Sphinx - ★ Lunch at a local restaurant - ★ Free time for shopping with direct vendor negotiation ## Our take I'd recommend this to anyone who wants the full arc of Egyptian pyramid history in a single day, not just the famous Giza trio, since Saqqara's Step Pyramid is genuinely the oldest of them all and most visitors never make it there. It's a full 8-hour day, so pace yourself and skip this one if you're already tired from travel. The free shopping stop is optional and purely a chance to browse, not something you're pressured into buying from. This **pyramids, Saqqara and Memphis tour** covers three sites in one day: the Giza Pyramids and Great Sphinx, the Step Pyramid of Saqqara, Egypt's oldest colossal stone building, and the ruins of Memphis, the first capital after Egypt's unification. It's the tour to book if you want the fuller timeline of Egyptian pyramid building rather than just the Giza trio. ## What Makes This Pyramids, Saqqara and Memphis Tour Worth It? Most first-time visitors only see the Giza Pyramids and never make it to Saqqara, even though the Step Pyramid of Zoser there, built around 2630 BC, predates the Giza pyramids and is widely considered the first large stone structure anywhere. Pairing it with Memphis, Egypt's ancient capital, gives you the broader story in a single day instead of three separate trips. ## What Should You Expect? Your day starts with pickup from your Cairo or Giza hotel and a drive to Saqqara, where you'll see the Step Pyramid of Zoser up close. From there, you head to Memphis to view the Colossal Statue of Ramesses II and learn about the city's role as Egypt's first capital after unification. Lunch at a local restaurant follows, then the tour continues to Giza for the pyramids of Cheops, Chefren and Mykerinus, the Great Sphinx, and the Valley Temple. There's also free time for shopping, where you can browse and negotiate prices directly with vendors at your own pace. ## Who Should Book This Full-Day Tour? This fits travelers who want to go beyond the standard Giza visit and see where pyramid-building started, history-focused visitors who want Memphis and Saqqara explained properly rather than skipped, and anyone comfortable with a full eight-hour day of sightseeing. It's not the best fit if you're short on time or energy; the half-day Giza-only tours cover less ground but ask less of your schedule. ## What Does the Tour Include? The price covers pickup and drop-off in Cairo or Giza, transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle, an Egyptologist guide, bottled water, and entry tickets to the Pyramids-Sphinx area, Saqqara and Memphis if you book that option. Lunch at a restaurant is included if selected as part of your option or as an add-on. Long-range pickup, a camel ride, entry inside the Great Pyramid, and tips are not included and would need to be arranged or paid for separately. ## How Much Does This Tour Cost? Prices start at $72.80 per person, a discount off the standard rate, though the saving varies with demand so it's worth checking the live price before booking. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the tour, and reserve-now-pay-later booking is available if your plans aren't fully locked in yet. ## Getting There Pickup from your hotel in Cairo or Giza is included in the base price. If you're staying in Nasr City, Heliopolis, New Cairo, or near Cairo Airport, long-range pickup is available as an add-on at checkout rather than being automatic. ## Is the Full Pyramids, Saqqara and Memphis Tour Worth the Extra Time? If you're genuinely interested in how Egyptian pyramid-building evolved rather than just checking the Giza trio off a list, yes, this is worth the extra hours. Seeing the Step Pyramid at Saqqara right before the smooth-sided pyramids at Giza makes the architectural progression click in a way that visiting Giza alone never quite shows. If history isn't the draw and you're mainly after the classic pyramid photos, the shorter Giza-only tours get you there faster and for less. ## What's the Difference Between Saqqara and Giza? Saqqara's Step Pyramid came first, roughly a century before the smooth-sided pyramids at Giza, and the design shows the transition: a stack of mastaba-style platforms rather than the flat-faced triangle most people picture when they think "pyramid." Standing at both sites on the same day makes that evolution tangible in a way that reading about it beforehand doesn't quite capture. ## Insider Tips Wear comfortable shoes and bring a sun hat, since this tour covers more ground on foot across three separate sites than a Giza-only visit. Pack a light jacket too; it can get surprisingly cool at Saqqara and Memphis outside of peak midday heat. If you want to buy souvenirs, the shopping stop is the time to do it, since prices are negotiated directly with vendors rather than fixed. ## How Does This Tour Compare to Other Giza Pyramid Tours? If a full eight-hour day is more than you want, the [Giza Pyramids camel ride tour](https://pyramidscairotour.com/tours/giza-pyramids-camel-ride-tour/) covers just the Giza sites in half the time, with Memphis and Saqqara available there as a lighter add-on instead of the main focus. If the museum matters more to you than Saqqara, the [Grand Egyptian Museum and pyramids tour](https://pyramidscairotour.com/tours/grand-egyptian-museum-pyramids-tour/) swaps the ancient capital stop for the modern museum instead. ## What's included - ✓ Pickup and drop-off in Cairo or Giza - ✓ Transportation in an air-conditioned vehicle - ✓ Egyptologist tour guide - ✓ Bottled water - ✓ Entry tickets to Pyramids-Sphinx area, Saqqara and Memphis (if option booked) - ✓ Lunch at a restaurant (if option or add-on booked) - ✗ Long-range pickup and drop-off (available as an add-on) - ✗ Camel ride (available as an add-on) - ✗ Entry inside the Great Pyramid - ✗ Tips ## Route and itinerary 1. **Hotel Pickup in Cairo or Giza**: Your Egyptologist guide picks you up in an air-conditioned vehicle to start the full-day route. 2. **Step Pyramid of Saqqara**: Visit the Step Pyramid of Zoser, built around 2630 BC and widely considered the first large stone structure in the world. 3. **Ancient Memphis**: See the Colossal Statue of Ramesses II and learn about Memphis's role as Egypt's first capital after the unification of Upper and Lower Egypt. 4. **Lunch at a Local Restaurant**: Stop for lunch at a restaurant roughly midway through the day, included if you booked that option or add-on. 5. **Giza Pyramids and Valley Temple**: Visit the pyramids of Cheops, Chefren and Mykerinus, and the Valley Temple, a funerary complex tied to the Great Sphinx. 6. **Great Sphinx and Free Shopping Time**: See the Great Sphinx up close, then use your free time to browse shops and negotiate souvenir prices directly with vendors. 7. **Return to Your Hotel**: Your driver returns you to your Cairo or Giza accommodation, closing out the roughly eight-hour day. ## FAQs ### What's the difference between this and a Giza-only pyramids tour? This tour adds Saqqara's Step Pyramid and the ruins of Memphis to the standard Giza Pyramids and Sphinx visit, covering a fuller timeline of pyramid building in one eight-hour day. ### Is lunch included? Lunch at a local restaurant is included if you book that option or add it at checkout. ### How long does the full tour take? About 8 hours, including hotel pickup and drop-off, since it covers three separate sites. ### Is the camel ride included? No, a camel ride is available as a separate add-on, not part of the base price. ### What is Saqqara and why does it matter? Saqqara is home to the Step Pyramid of Zoser, built around 2630 BC. It predates the Giza Pyramids and is considered the first large stone structure in history. ### Can I go inside the Great Pyramid on this tour? No, entry inside the Great Pyramid is not included and would need to be arranged separately.