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Voykit pocket guide · Egypt
Saqqara
Spend a half‑day at Saqqara (4–5 h) combined with Dahshur; hire a taxi or microbus from Cairo for about LE 4,000 total.
Saqqara is a 6 km‑long necropolis south of Cairo, home to the Step Pyramid, Imhotep Museum and Serapeum. A half‑day visit covers the main sights; add Dahshur for a full‑day tour.
- Country
- Egypt
- Best months
- Oct–Apr
- Avoid
- Jun–Aug (high heat)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- EGP
- Money
- Currency is the Egyptian pound (EGP, also written LE or £E). Hotels, cruise boats and larger restaurants take cards; taxis, markets, small cafés, tips and toilet attendants are cash.
- Daily spend
- Budget LE 600–1,000 excl. bed · Mid LE 1,200–1,800 excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Vodafone, Orange, Etisalat (e&) and WE sell tourist SIMs at Cairo airport with passport; about EGP 500–1,000 for 20–40 GB — check.
- Emergency
- Police 122 · Ambulance 123 · Tourist police 126
- Plugs
- Types C, F · 220 V · 50 Hz · European round-pin sockets.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: 10% even when service is added (it rarely reaches staff).; Guide, full day: US$10–20 per person.; Driver, full day: US$5–10.; Cruise crew: About US$5–10 per person per day in the envelope.; Toilet, porter, small help: EGP 10–30.
- Water
- Tap water is chlorinated in cities but most visitors drink bottled; do not drink Nile water.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and restaurants; attendants at sites expect EGP 10–20. Carry tissue.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| General admission (complex + Imhotep Museum) | LE 600 |
| Step Pyramid entry | LE 280 |
| Serapeum entry | LE 340 |
| Taxi day‑rate (Cairo → Saqqara + Dahshur + lunch) | LE 4,000 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CAI · Cairo International Airport
- —
Typical fares
- Cairo → Saqqara (taxi, day rate)
- about LE 4,000, includes transport, admission and lunch (check)
- Microbus Giza → Saqqara
- LE 10–5 per leg; add tuk‑tuk LE 70–100 to site
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Hire a taxi from central Cairo (≈LE 4,000 day rate) or take a microbus from Giza/El‑Monib metro stations, then a short tuk‑tuk to the site.
See and do
Known for
- Step Pyramid of Djoser
- Imhotep Museum
- Serapeum
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Dahshur | Taxi or microbus from Saqqara, about 30 min each way | ≈2 h total |
| Memphis (ancient site) | Taxi or microbus from Saqqara, 20 min drive | ≈1 h total |
Sleep
- Saqqara Palm Club
- Small resort near the main entrance; basic rooms.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| How much does it cost? | بكم هذا؟bikam hatha? |
| Where is the entrance? | أين المدخل؟ayna al-madkhal? |
| I need water, please | أريد ماء من فضلكureed ma' min fadlik |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: 'Salam alaykum', handshake; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging strangers
- Eating: Right hand; accept tea; avoid: Refusing hospitality flatly
- Bargaining: Humour and patience; avoid: Anger
- Dress: Shoulders and knees covered in cities; avoid: Beachwear outside resorts
- Baksheesh: Keep small notes ready; avoid: Showing a thick wallet
- Photos: Ask; pay if agreed; avoid: Photographing police or military
Scams and watch-outs
- Peak summer temperatures can exceed 40 °C; carry water.
- Pepi I and Pepi II pyramid area closed to visitors (check status).
- Uber rarely serves Saqqara; arrange transport a day ahead.
Saqqara is generally safe for tourists; stay with a reputable driver, keep valuables hidden, and avoid wandering alone after dark.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Saqqara yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Step Pyramid of Djoser
- Imhotep Museum
- Serapeum
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Egyptian Ministry of Tourism (general): www.egypt.travel/en
- Wikivoyage: Saqqara, revision 5269277 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5269277
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/saqqara). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.