Best Things To Do In Saqqara Egypt
Are you planning a trip to Saqqara, Egypt? Looking for the best things to do in Saqqara? You’re at the right place.
Saqqara is an ancient Egyptian city that is home to one of the oldest necropolises in the world. Egyptian kings and royalty from Memphis were buried in Saqqara. You’ll find numerous tombs and pyramids in the area, many of which are still pretty offbeat.
The tombs in Saqqara are covered with colorful murals that give us rich insights into the life and culture of ancient Egypt.
From visiting the first stepped pyramid in Egypt to checking out gorgeous frescoes and exploring a mysterious burial chamber for bulls, there are many exciting things to do in Saqqara.
Here’s my ultimate guide to visiting Saqqara and everything you need to know to plan the best Saqqara trip, including how to get there from Cairo, where to buy your tickets, which tickets to get, and lots of other travel tips.
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Best Things to Do in Saqqara, Egypt
Stepped Pyramid of Djoser
One of the best things to do in Saqqara is to visit the Stepped Pyramid of Djoser, which stands proudly as the city’s centerpiece.
Built between 2700 and 2600 BCE, Djoser’s Pyramid is believed to be the first pyramid in the world and the oldest stone structure in Egypt. While the Giza Pyramids may be the most popular in the world, it helps to know that the history of Egyptian pyramids started right here in Saqqara.
Djoser, or King Netjerykhet as he is locally known, entrusted his architect Imhotep (who was later deified) with building a tomb for him.
Imhotep came up with the idea of stacking mastabas (rectangular bench-like structures) on top of one another and built the first pyramid in the world. He stacked six mastabas – one over another – creating a stepped appearance and thus creating ancient Egypt’s first stepped pyramid.
Before the pyramids had appeared, mastaba tombs were the popular way of burying royals. You can see many mastaba tombs (read our next section) in Saqqara.
After feasting your eyes on the pyramid’s exterior, be sure to go inside and walk through a well-lighted passage to get to the center of the pyramid. From here, look down the shaft to see the burial chamber where King Djoser’s sarcophagus lies.
Inside the pyramid, there are over 400 rooms and several passageways leading into them. Unfortunately, these are no longer open to the public.
The Djoser Pyramid Complex includes a roofed colonnade hall lined with massive stone columns, a Southern Court that once hosted the Heb-Sed Festival during which the king demonstrated his fitness to rule, the South Tomb, the T-Temple, and the South Pavilion.
Saqqara Tombs
Beyond the Djoser Pyramid Complex, Saqqara is also home to numerous mastaba or “bench-like” tombs adorned with vivid hieroglyphic murals that provide rich insights into ancient Egypt’s life and culture.
Saqqara’s tombs housed the remains of nobles and high-ranking officials. The intricate carvings and paintings in each tell stories of their lives and beliefs. Here are some of the most popular ones.
Tomb of Idut
One of the most remarkable tombs is that of Princess Idut. The chambers in her tomb are filled with colorful paintings of birds, fish, and animals. Humans are out fishing, doctors prescribe medicines for the sick, while an image of the princess closely monitors whether her servants are doing their duties properly.
My tour guide, Moustafa, told me that it was important for people to show that they were good masters even in the afterlife. That’s why we see so many depictions of servants in the afterlife, a fair bit of which include sick servants being taken care of.
Tomb of Mereruka
We also visited the Tomb of Mereruka, one of Ancient Egypt’s most powerful officials.
His tomb has 33 chambers, including 6 for his wife and 5 for his son, though not all are open.
Mereruka’s tomb features everyday scenes from antiquity, including cattle herding, fishing, and fowling. Unmissable highlights include the intricately carved false door and the life-size statue of Mereruka ready to step out to receive his offerings.
Tomb of Mehu
The Tomb of Mehu is another spectacular mastaba tomb that once housed the remains of Vizier Mehu, his son, and his grandson.
Mehu’s Tomb is filled with vivid illustrations depicting scenes from daily life, including grain harvesting, metalworking, fishing, sailing, baking, and so much more.
The best part about Mehu’s Tomb is that the murals’ original colors are still intact, showing us how these tombs would have looked in their heyday.
Serapeum of Saqqara
One of my favorite (and the most mysterious) places in Saqqara was the Serapeum, a vast underground complex that served as the burial place of the Apis Bull, a sacred animal worshiped by the ancient Egyptians.
The Serapeum is filled with massive stone sarcophagi, and no one knows how they got there. I was struck by the sheer size of the sarcophagi, some weighing up to 70 tons.
There are no animal remains inside the sarcophagi which adds to the mystery.
However, the inscriptions on the coffins tell us they were built for sacred bulls. Whether the bulls were buried there or not remains to be found out.
How to get to Saqqara from Cairo?
The best way to reach Saqqara from Cairo is by car. You can drive (rent a car in Cairo here), hire a taxi, or join a guided tour.
There is almost no public transport, and the attractions in Saqqara are located in the middle of the desert, so the best way to get there is by car.
If you decide to hire a taxi for the day, it will cost you around $50 – 100.
The best way to explore Saqqara from Cairo is on a guided tour with a knowledgeable local guide. On these tours, Egyptologist guides, who have done considerable digging in the region, will guide you through the ruins and give you lots of insider information that you will not find in any guidebook.
For example, I would have never known what some of the inscriptions inside the mastaba tombs meant or how Imhoptep went about building the world’s first pyramid had it not been for my tour guide, Moustafa.
Additionally, guided tours of Saqqara are pretty budget-friendly. Here’s a great Saqqara tour from Cairo that you can check out.
Combining Saqqara, Dashour, and Memphis on a day trip from Cairo is a common practice because all three can be visited in one day. Here’s a guided tour that takes you to Dashour, Memphis, and Saqqara from Cairo at a very affordable price.
Remember that Egypt is one of the most inexpensive destinations in the Middle East. Taking guided tours or hiring full-day taxis is very affordable. Egypt is one of those places where you can have a luxury vacation without burning a hole in your pocket. So go for it.
Saqqara Opening Hours
The archeological site of Saqqara, Egypt, is open from 8 am – 5 pm every day of the week.
Saqqara Tickets
Like all historical sites in Egypt, Saqqara has separate tickets for foreigners and Egyptian nationals. Foreigner tickets are usually 3-4 times more expensive than the local ones.
The Saqqara all-inclusive ticket for foreign adults costs 1000 EGP (20 USD). It is best to get this ticket if you want to see most of Saqqara’s attractions, including some of the important ones, such as the Stepped Pyramid, the Serapeum, and the tombs of Mehu and Mereruka.
You can also purchase separate tickets for different attractions, such as the Pyramid of Djoser, the Tombs of the Nobles, the Tomb of Mereruka, and the Serapeum. The latest ticket prices are on the official website here.
There is one ticket counter at the entrance to Saqqara Archeological Site. This is the only place you can buy tickets for the archeological site.
I did not see any ticket counters at the individual attractions. Unfortunately, if you change your mind and decide to see something later, you cannot buy a ticket to the attraction on the spot. I recommend getting an all-inclusive ticket to save you the trouble.
Practical Tips for Visiting Saqqara
- Visit Saqqara with a knowledgeable tour guide who can provide rich insights into its history, culture, and place in the Ancient Egyptian Empire. Here’s a guided tour to Saqqara from Cairo that I highly recommend.
- Saqqara’s attractions are all in the middle of the desert, and you will need to walk on sandy paths to get to them. Wear comfortable clothes, get a sunscreen, hat, and water, and put on good walking shoes.
- Buy an all-inclusive ticket to see all of Saqqara’s attractions. But first, check if tickets are included in your guided tour.
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