Saqqara

How to Visit Saqqara

There are no public transport routes from Cairo to Saqqara, so unless you plan on hiring a car, a private taxi is your only option for exploring independently. If you don’t feel like haggling over prices with a driver on the street, ask your hotel to organize a taxi for you. Because the site is so vast, it’s worth hiring a driver for the whole day so that they can ferry you in between Saqqara’s most important sites.

Many travel agencies, hotels and tour companies offer half or full-day tours to Saqqara. Although visiting with a group means that you have less freedom to explore at will, it can be a relief to have all costs included while the insight of a professional Egyptologist is invaluable. Many tours include visits to the nearby sites of Memphis and the Dahshur necropolis as well.

How much does it cost to visit the Saqqara Necropolis?

Tickets, which cost 200 Egyptian pounds (approximately $14) for adults and 100 Egyptian pounds (or $7) for students, can be purchased at the entrance’s visitors center. 

Things to remember before visiting Saqqara

Timing your trip carefully can make all the difference to your experience at Saqqara. The Egyptian workweek runs from Sunday to Thursday, and traffic getting in and out of Cairo can be stressful on these days. To avoid wasting time sitting in gridlock, try to plan your outing for Friday or Saturday instead. Similarly, the time of day is important, especially in summer. Plan to visit as early as possible so that you can avoid the midday heat.

Things to bring with you during visiting Saqqara

There is little shade and no refreshment available at the necropolis, so plan accordingly by bringing sunscreen, a hat, water and a picnic. Comfortable walking shoes and a flashlight for illuminating the tombs’ dim interiors are a good idea as well. Lastly, don’t forget that Saqqara is huge. Instead of trying to see everything in a single morning or afternoon, pick your must-see sights and focus on those.

History of Saqqara

The custom of burying pharaohs at Saqqara dates back thousands of years to the time of the First Dynasty, when kings ruled over a united Egypt for the first time. No fewer than 17 pharaohs are known to have chosen Saqqara as their final resting place and royals, their family members, sacred animals and important officials continued to be buried there for more than 3,000 years. Today, the Saqqara necropolis covers an area of 4 square miles (10 square kilometers).

When the burial site fell out of use during the time of the Romans, it was gradually reclaimed by the desert. With the exception of the Pyramid of Djoser, the entire site was buried in sand by the time French Egyptologist Auguste Mariette uncovered the Serapeum in the mid-19th century. Since then, a constant process of excavation, recovery and restoration has been taking place at Saqqara. In 1979, it was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site along with the pyramid fields that run from Giza to Dhashur.