Cairo to Saqqara to see the oldest pyramid in the world.
As I stood there in solitude with the oldest pyramid in the world, it dawned on me.
Maybe the Pyramids of Giza aren’t the most impressive pyramids in Egypt after all!
The Step Pyramid of Djoser offers a different perspective of the pyramids in Egypt, and its surrounding desert landscape isn’t filled with hustlers shouting and heckling, meaning I could enjoy the history of the place in peace.
This blog will detail exactly why you should add Saqqara Necropolis to your Cairo itinerary, as it took me on an Egyptology journey back into ancient times, thousands of years ago.
Although this archeological site goes under the radar compared to Giza, it is a must-visit for anyone who wants to learn about the grand history of the region.
Selfie with the Step Pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara Necropolis.
What is Saqqara Necropolis?
Welcome to Saqqara, the ancient burial ground for ‘Memphis’, the former capital of Egypt for over 3000 years.
The impressive necropolis is covered in tombs, temples, and pyramids, which are said to date back to the First Dynasty in around 3100 BCE. New discoveries are regularly made, including some 2500 year old wooden coffins and bronze statues, as recent as May 2022.
Saqqara made global news in January 2023, as the 4300 year old mummy of a man named ‘Hekashepes’ was found, covered with gold.
Saqqara is a treasure trove, however, the preservation levels differ across the various monuments. I found the site to be like an open air museum, with many separate areas offering different aspects of history.
For people who visit Egypt to enjoy its historical landmarks, this site must not be missed!
Some notable highlights include:
Step Pyramid of Djoser.
Bent Pyramid.
Tombs of the Nobles.
Serapeum.
From Cairo to Saqqara in one afternoon!
How to get from Cairo to Saqqara?
Saqqara is located around 30km south of Cairo and can take anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour, depending on traffic. As with other cities in Egypt, the roads aren’t very good, which makes it harder to navigate. There is no public transport between the Egyptian capital and Saqqara, therefore, your options are limited:
Rent a car.
This is an option, but from my experience of travelling around Egypt, a very bad option! There are no rules on the roads in the country, along with very poor roads, meaning you would have to be very confident and a tad lucky to escape an issue when driving. The stress would ruin your day trip, for sure!
Taxi.
It is pot luck on the price you will pay if you just flag a taxi down off the street, as it is hard to haggle due to no fixed costs, and language barriers. This might be a viable option if you know a local to organise it, or alternatively, ask your hotel/hostel to sort it for you.
The best option - An official tour.
As with most of my trips visiting the attractions in Cairo, Luxor and Aswan, I opted to book an official tour when visiting Saqqara. I visited the Pyramids of Giza, Memphis, and Saqqara in the same day, and was chauffeured from my hostel, to all three sites, and given plenty of time to explore at my own leisure, in between learning from the knowledgeable tour guide with the rest of the group.
The best of both worlds!
This is the best option:
If you are on a tight schedule, or only on a short Cairo city break, you should be savvy with your planning.
Visiting on a Friday or Saturday will mean less traffic when leaving Cairo city centre, which can become gridlocked quite often. Visiting early for opening time is another way to beat the traffic and midday heat!
The locals love riding the horses and donkeys on site.
A local waiting to welcome my ‘wallet’ into Saqqara.
Practical information for visiting Saqqara Necropolis.
Saqqara Opening times:
8 am - 5 pm daily
Saqqara Entrance costs:
Standard entry cost = 300 EGP (£7.50) + add ons for entry into Step Pyramid, and the tombs.
Remember it is card payment only at the historical sites throughout Egypt.
Information boards throughout Egypt are displayed in English and Arabic.
Entrance colonnade at Saqqara.
If you enter through the main entrance, you will find yourself in the entrance colonnade, which is home to 32 stone columns. This was one of the first structures to use stone, with wood and mudbrick being popular previously.
Although the columns have fallen victim to time, they were said to have once been painted red, and would have displayed elegance and intricate carvings.
I found it interesting how many pharaohs and high status people would have walked the same path I did through the columns, but for such important events in the region.
Columns inside the entrance colonnade.
The Step Pyramid of Djoser.
At nearly 5000 years old, this beautiful step pyramid was built by ‘Djoser’, the first king of the third dynasty around 2700 BC.
It differs from other pyramids as it has a step design, which was designed by the famous architect of the ancient world, ‘Imhotep’. It is believed that his tomb is buried somewhere on site, but it has yet to be discovered.
The 6 tier structure was supposed to be a stairway to the sky, and King Djoser would climb it after being resurrected to join ‘Ra’ the sun god.
The pyramid has stood the test of time amazingly, and still strikes a beautiful pose amongst the desert sands and paradise greenery.
I noticed many other stone relics from Djoser’s reign in the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities.
Visitors can enter the pyramid and explore its interior for an extra 150 EGP (£4), and although there isn’t too much to see, I found it more interesting than the inside of the Giza Pyramids.
The Step Pyramid is one of Egypt’s most picture perfect structures, and is my favourite on the site!
It is awesome wandering around the site to get different angles and perspectives of the Step Pyramid.
Another angle, another selfie!
The southern corner of the Saqqara complex is home to the tombs.
5 Interesting facts about Saqqara Necropolis.
Saqqara is home to the oldest stone pyramid in the world, which served as a prototype for groundbreaking design and innovation for the future pyramids.
Saqqara has rightly taken its place on the UNESCO World Heritage List back in 1979, for its historical significance.
You can peek into hidden chambers called ‘serdabs’ to find life-sized statues of the dead, which are said to have served as a vessel for their souls in the afterlife.
There is also an animal necropolis at Saqqara, demonstrating the importance of pets to the ancient Egyptians.
The Tomb of Mereruka features a detailed depiction of a banquet, showcasing the diverse dishes and entertainment enjoyed by the elite in past civilisations.
More tombs.
The tombs of the nobles.
The tombs at Saqqara should not be overlooked when visiting the site.
The tombs date back to the Old Kingdom (2686-2181 BC), and are mastaba-style, which are rectangular structures with sloping mud brick sides.
I noticed that the walls are decorated with colourful art scenes of what appeared to be ancient Egyptians hunting and fishing. There was a significant amount of people carrying fish in their hands. along with humans and animals working together.
My favourite two tombs were the ‘tomb of lynefert’, and ‘tomb of Unasankh’, both of which were very similar.
Booking an official guide will help you understand the burial processes in the tombs, however, I like the idea of just imagining the ancient past in my head, after observing the structures and hieroglyphics.
The local got my money!
My honest review of my afternoon at Saqqara.
On my solo trip to Egypt, I only had a few days in the capital, therefore I booked a day trip to the Pyramids of Giza which included Saqqara and Memphis.
I would be lying if I was to say I was looking forward to Saqqara when on route - The morning at the Giza Pyramids had taken it out of me, and that was just the camel ride!
When pulling into the archaeological site, I could see the step pyramid in the distance, which piqued my interest and woke me up a little.
How wrong I was!
Once I entered the site and got past a few locals trying to sell me souvenirs, I walked through the entrance colonnade and into the main courtyard area, and there it was!
The oldest stone pyramid in the world!
There wasn’t another soul in sight either, so I had the mystical masterpiece all to myself. This was a complete contrast to my Giza experience, where I didn’t even get one minute to myself.
When my tour guide eventually caught up with me, she started to explain the main history points and then she directed me to tombs at the opposite side of the site.
I found the tombs to be very colourful compared to some at Valley of the kings in Luxor. One of the locals did eventually get a tip from me, but he did explain the hieroglyphics to me and made for a great photographer to be fair!
I spent around an hour at Saqqara and I honestly think it was a better experience than the Pyramids of Giza, which unfortunately are overrun with greedy locals.
This was my last activity in Cairo before I caught the sleeper train to Luxor later that evening.
Posing in front of some colourful art.
Some impressive Hieroglyphics.
I found that the hieroglyphics across Saqqara offer a fascinating glimpse into the beliefs and daily lives of ancient Egyptians.
I became very curious when trying to depict the ancient language.
The main points from my observations were:
Religious beliefs.
Many of the drawings and art seemed to show Egyptian people offering to a higher power, or one of their ‘ancient gods’, which included animals, as it is well known that previous civilisations in Egypt have always worshipped them in a sacred way.
Daily life.
As I stated above, many of the scenes are from what appear to be daily life of hunting, fishing and cooking. This gives an insight into what was important in their world.
Important names and titles.
One of the main indicators of an important person’s tombs are names inscribed into the walls. This was usually done for high priests and upwards, in terms of status.
Is visiting Saqqara a good history lesson?
You don’t have to walk far in Egypt to be given a hands on history lesson, and Saqqara is one of the best I experienced.
The information boards dotted around the burial site are very handy and explain the vast 4500 year history in a simple way. The local ‘unofficial guides’ do also help explain things well, and even though I didn’t want to keep handing out money to random people, the guy who helped me understand the tombs, did deserve it.
Although I didn’t actually see any mummies like at the mummification museum in Luxor, I saw some beautiful tombs, which would have been homes to the important mummies for thousands of years!
A deep tomb.
A sign in Arabic.
Camel shot with the pyramid.
Some local culture near Saqqara.
If temples impress you more than pyramids.
The Egyptian pyramids are wonders of the world, however, let’s not forget about the fascinating temples further south. Luxor is home to some of Ancient Egypt’s finest treasures, including the famous tomb of Tutankhamun, Karnak Temple, Luxor Temple, and the Temple of Hatshepsut.
If you are on a longer trip, you should not forget to add the underrated Medinet Habu Temple, and Colossi of Memnon to your travel plans.
If you venture even further south to the city of Aswan, then you will be rewarded with a trip to the island Temple of Philae, as close to an ancient paradise as you can get!
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