Cairo tours: day tours from Cairo to Saqqara, Dahshur, Alexandria and Luxor

Compare day tours from Cairo

The times below are approximate. Traffic in Cairo can make road times much longer.

Entry tickets are not the same as the tour price. Check if a tour price includes entry tickets. The ticket prices below are for foreign visitors. Buy entry tickets on egymonuments.com, the official ticket site of the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. You can also buy tickets at the site.

Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur

A Giza, Saqqara and Dahshur tour visits the Great Pyramid and the Sphinx. It also visits the pyramid sites south of Giza. The Step Pyramid and the pyramids of Sneferu at Dahshur are older than the Great Pyramid. Saqqara and Dahshur were cemeteries of Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt.

What you see

• Saqqara: The Step Pyramid of Djoser and tombs of Old Kingdom nobles.
• Serapeum of Saqqara: A group of underground galleries for the burials of the Apis bulls. People saw each Apis bull as a form of the god Ptah.
• Pyramid of Unas (Saqqara): It has the oldest pyramid burial chamber that is decorated with texts, the Pyramid Texts. Their purpose was to protect the dead king on his journey to the afterlife.
• Dahshur: Two pyramids of King Sneferu. The first, the Bent Pyramid, changes its angle partway up. The second, the Red Pyramid, has smooth sides.
• Memphis (Mit Rahina): The site of the ancient capital. Some tours stop here between Dahshur and Saqqara.

Travel time

Saqqara is approximately 30 km south of central Cairo by road. The drive from Cairo or Giza to Dahshur takes approximately 1 hour, but traffic can make it longer.

Entry tickets

The booking site calls the extra tickets "Addons". The all-inclusive ticket includes the site, the Imhotep Museum, the Nobles Tombs, the New Kingdom Tombs and the tombs of Mereruka and Mehu. The Ministry list for this ticket does not include the Pyramid of Djoser, the Serapeum or the Southern Tomb.

Giza needs a separate plateau ticket. See Pyramids of Giza tickets.

Entry hours:

• Saqqara: you can enter from 08:00, last entry 16:00, except during Ramadan. During Ramadan, you can enter from 08:00, last entry 15:30.
• Dahshur: you can enter from 08:00, last entry 16:00, except during Ramadan. During Ramadan, you can enter from 09:00, last entry 15:00.
• Memphis: you can enter from 08:00, last entry 16:00, except during Ramadan. During Ramadan, you can enter from 09:00, last entry 15:00.

Alexandria

Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in 331 BC on the Mediterranean coast. The sites below are underground tombs, a temple site and a fort.

What you see

• Kom el-Shoqafa Catacombs: Underground tombs from the Roman period. The paintings and carvings mix ancient Egyptian and Greek styles.
• Serapeum of Alexandria and Pompey's Pillar: The column is often called Pompey's Pillar, but its correct name is Diocletian's Column. It stands next to the remains of the temple of Serapis.
• Citadel of Qaitbay: A fort. A visitor center in its main tower shows a film about the site of the ancient lighthouse.

Travel time

The fastest trains from Cairo to Alexandria (Talgo and some VIP trains) take approximately 2.5 hours. Other express trains take up to approximately 3.5 hours. The rail distance is 208 km. The Cairo–Alexandria desert road is 220 km long.

Entry tickets

Entry hours:

• Kom el-Shoqafa Catacombs: you can enter from 09:00, last entry 16:00, except during Ramadan. During Ramadan, you can enter from 09:00, last entry 15:00.
• Serapeum of Alexandria: you can enter from 09:00, last entry 16:00, except during Ramadan. During Ramadan, you can enter from 09:00, last entry 15:00.
• Citadel of Qaitbay: in summer, you can enter from 09:00, last entry 19:00. In winter, you can enter from 09:00, last entry 17:00. During Ramadan, you can enter from 09:00, last entry 15:00.

Luxor by plane

Luxor is on the site of ancient Thebes. The rail distance from Cairo is 671 km, so the day trip below goes by plane.

What you see

• Karnak: Many temples and chapels on the east bank of the Nile. The largest part is the Amun Precinct, with the Great Temple of Amun.
• Valley of the Kings: More than 60 tombs on the west bank of the Nile. They are for New Kingdom kings, royal family members and some officials. Some tombs need extra tickets.
• Temple of Hatshepsut: A temple for Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt in approximately 1473–1458 BC. At Karnak, you can also see an obelisk (a tall stone pillar) from her reign.

Travel time

Check the flight time when you book. Add the time to go to and from the airports.

Entry tickets

Entry hours:

• Karnak Temple: you can enter from 06:00, last entry 16:00, except during Ramadan. During Ramadan, you can enter from 06:00, last entry 16:00.
• Valley of the Kings: in summer, you can enter from 06:00, last entry 17:00. In winter, you can enter from 06:00, last entry 16:00. During Ramadan, you can enter from 06:00, last entry 16:00.
• Temple of Hatshepsut: in summer, you can enter from 06:00, last entry 17:00. In winter, you can enter from 06:00, last entry 16:00. During Ramadan, you can enter from 06:00, last entry 16:00.

Cairo city: Egyptian Museum, Citadel and Coptic Museum

A Cairo city tour stays in Cairo. Travel time between the sites depends on traffic.

What you see

• Egyptian Museum (Tahrir Square): It opened in 1902. It shows the Narmer Palette, the treasures of Tanis, and statues of Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure.
• Salah El-Din Citadel: A medieval fort on the Muqattam Hills with a view of Cairo. The Mosque of Muhammad Ali is inside.
• Coptic Museum (Old Cairo): It has the largest collection of Coptic (Egyptian Christian) objects in the world. It opened in 1910.

Entry tickets

Entry hours:

• Egyptian Museum: you can enter from 09:00, last entry 16:00, except during Ramadan. During Ramadan, you can enter from 09:00, last entry 15:00.
• Salah El-Din Citadel: in summer, you can enter from 09:00, last entry 16:00. In winter, you can enter from 08:00, last entry 16:00. During Ramadan, you can enter from 08:00, last entry 15:30.
• Coptic Museum: you can enter from 09:00, last entry 16:00, except during Ramadan. During Ramadan, you can enter from 09:00, last entry 14:00.

The Egyptian Museum in Tahrir is not the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza. For that museum, see Grand Egyptian Museum tickets.

Ticket rules at the Ministry sites on this page

• Children under 6 enter free.
• Students must show a valid student ID. Students must be age 24 or less.
• You do not pay to take photos with a mobile phone.
• The Ministry asks you to arrive at least 1 hour before the site closes. This page shows the last entry time, not the closing time.
• The Ministry pages do not give the dates of the summer and winter hours.

Plan your day tour

To request one of these tours, use the tour request form. A licensed local tour operator replies with the price and what the tour includes. The reply names the company that operates the tour.

• For a private guide at Giza only, see the Giza pyramids and Sphinx tour.
• For a short stop between flights, see the Cairo layover tour.
• For all Giza options, go to Pyramids of Giza tours.