From Cairo: Full-Day Tour of Giza Pyramids, Sphinx, Saqqara & Memphis with Lunch & Transfers

Of all the day tours available from Cairo, the Giza–Saqqara–Memphis combination offers the most coherent journey through Egypt’s pyramid age in a single day. You begin at the world’s most famous ancient monuments, move south to see where it all began — Saqqara, where Egypt’s first large-scale stone structures were built nearly a century before Giza — and finish at the ruins of Memphis, the ancient capital from which the Old Kingdom pharaohs ruled. By the end of the day, you have walked through more than 1,000 years of ancient Egyptian history in a sequence that makes each site more legible because of the ones before it.

What Is Included

Included:

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle
• Licensed Egyptologist or Ministry-certified guide
• Giza Plateau general area entry ticket
• Saqqara necropolis entry ticket
• Memphis open-air museum entry ticket
• Lunch at a local restaurant
• Bottled water

Not included:

• Great Pyramid interior ticket (EGP 1,000, purchased on site if wanted — numbers are limited daily, see our Pyramids of Giza ticket prices guide for full pricing)
• Camel rides at Giza (arranged independently with plateau vendors — see our camel and horse rides guide for how to negotiate safely)
• Personal spending and tips

Important — Great Pyramid interior access: Interior access is not included in most versions of this tour. If entering the interior is a priority, discuss this with the operator when booking — some will arrange it as a pre-purchased add-on. Arriving at the Giza gate by 8:00 AM is the most reliable way to secure an interior ticket on the day, as numbers are capped daily and can sell out by mid-morning in peak season.

How the Tour Works

Hotel pickup (approximately 7:00–8:00 AM): Your licensed guide and driver collect you from your Cairo hotel. An earlier start means a cooler, quieter Giza Plateau on arrival — most tours aim to reach the complex by 8:30–9:00 AM.

Giza Plateau (2.5–3 hours): The guide leads you through the three main pyramids — Khufu, Khafre, and Menkaure — the Great Sphinx and its adjacent Valley Temple, and the panoramic desert viewpoint where all three pyramids align in the famous row photograph. The guide covers construction methods, Old Kingdom religious beliefs, and the individual pharaohs interred here. Optional camel rides can be arranged independently on site.

Saqqara Necropolis (1.5–2 hours): The tour drives approximately 30 km south to the Saqqara plateau — Egypt’s oldest and largest pyramid field. The centrepiece is the Step Pyramid of Djoser, the world’s oldest large-scale stone structure, built around 2650 BC by the architect Imhotep and predating the Giza pyramids by nearly a century. The Saqqara complex also includes mastaba tombs of Old Kingdom nobles with vividly painted relief carvings depicting daily life, agriculture, and the afterlife. These painted interiors are among the most striking ancient Egyptian artworks accessible to visitors anywhere in Egypt — and rarely crowded. If your guide offers access to the tombs of Mereruka, Ti, or Kagemni, take it.

Lunch: A sit-down lunch at a local restaurant between the Saqqara and Memphis stops. Typically Egyptian cuisine — bread, dips, grilled meats, salads. Vegetarian options are usually available on request.

Memphis Open-Air Museum (45–60 minutes): The final stop is the ancient city of Memphis — once the largest city in the ancient world and Egypt’s capital for much of the Old and Middle Kingdom periods. The open-air museum at Mit Rahina contains a monumental limestone colossus of Ramesses II (preserved horizontally under a purpose-built shelter) and a small alabaster Sphinx. A shorter stop than the morning sites, but one that rounds out the historical narrative of the day in a satisfying way.

Hotel drop-off (approximately 5:00–6:00 PM): Back at your Cairo hotel by early evening.