Day Tour to Pyramids, Memphis and Sakkara

8:00 AM – Your adventure begins

Your Egyptologist guide meets you at your hotel in Cairo or Giza. Settle into your private air-conditioned vehicle while your guide sets the scene for the day ahead.

Stop 1 – The Giza Plateau: Wonder of the Ancient World (about 2.5 hours)

Arrive at the only surviving wonder of the ancient world, a landscape that has awed travellers for over 4,500 years.

The Three Great Pyramids. Stand at the foot of Khufu's Great Pyramid (Cheops), once the tallest man-made structure on Earth. Then compare it with the pyramids of Khafre (Chephren) and Menkaure (Mykerinos) and hear how and why they were built.

The Valley Temple of Khafre. Step inside this massive granite-and-limestone temple, the ceremonial gateway to Khafre's pyramid complex, and see monumental stonework that has stood for millennia.

The Great Sphinx. Come face to face with the legendary guardian of Giza, a lion's body topped with the head of King Khafre, carved from a single outcrop of bedrock. Your guide shares its mysteries and the stories behind its missing nose.

Photo moments. Your guide takes you to the best viewpoints for classic pyramid shots.

Midday – An Egyptian lunch (about 1 hour)

Relax at a local restaurant and enjoy a full Egyptian meal. Beverages are not included in the lunch.

Stop 2 – Sakkara: where the pyramid age began (about 2 hours)

A short scenic drive takes you to Sakkara, the vast necropolis of ancient Memphis.

The Step Pyramid of Djoser. Marvel at the world's oldest monumental stone building, designed around 2650 BC by the legendary architect Imhotep. Your guide traces how simple mud-brick tombs (mastabas) grew into six stacked steps, the breakthrough that led to the smooth-sided pyramids of Giza.

The surrounding funerary complex. Walk through the colonnaded entrance and courtyards of the complex built to carry a king into eternity.

Stop 3 – Memphis: the first capital of Egypt (about 1 hour)

Finish at the city said to have been founded around 3100 BC by Egypt's first unifier, King Menes. Once the most powerful city in the ancient world, it is now an open-air museum.

The colossal statue of Ramses II. Stand beside the lifelike, fallen giant of Egypt's most celebrated pharaoh.

The Great Alabaster Sphinx. See this graceful, gleaming sphinx, one of the finest surviving works of its kind.

Late afternoon – Return to your hotel

Your driver takes you back to your hotel in Cairo or Giza, with a day's worth of stories and photographs.