Day trips · Cairo · Egypt
5 best day trips from Cairo
Where to go when you want a day away from Cairo, and how long it really takes.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Bishoy Samuel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quick answer
The classic day trip from Cairo is Saqqara (About 1 hour by car). The closest option is Memphis, about 25 km away.
Key facts
- Day trips in this guide
- 5
- Closest
- Memphis (25 km)
- Most popular
- Saqqara
Day trips compared
| Destination | Distance | Travel time | How | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saqqara | 30 km | About 1 hour by car | Car with driver or tour | Culture, First-timers |
| Dahshur | 40 km | About 1–1.5 hours by car | Car with driver, often combined with Saqqara | Culture, Quiet stays |
| Memphis | 25 km | About 45 minutes by car | Car with driver, usually combined with Saqqara | Culture, Families |
| Alexandria | 220 km | About 2.5–3 hours by train | Train from Ramses Station, or car | Culture, Food lovers, Couples |
| Fayoum and Wadi El Hitan | 150 km | About 2.5–3 hours by car | Car with driver or 4x4 tour | Families, Quiet stays, Culture |
The day trips
30 km · About 1 hour by car
1.Saqqara
The vast necropolis of ancient Memphis holds the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built about 4,700 years ago and the oldest large stone building in Egypt, along with richly decorated Old Kingdom tombs and the huge granite sarcophagi of the Serapeum. It is much quieter than Giza.
- Getting there
- Car with driver or tour
- Best for
- Culture, First-timers
40 km · About 1–1.5 hours by car
2.Dahshur
Two of Egypt's earliest true pyramids stand in the desert at Dahshur: the Bent Pyramid, whose angle changes partway up, and the Red Pyramid, which visitors can enter by a long sloping passage. Crowds are thin and the desert setting is striking.
- Getting there
- Car with driver, often combined with Saqqara
- Best for
- Culture, Quiet stays
25 km · About 45 minutes by car
3.Memphis
Little remains of Egypt's first capital, but the open-air museum at Mit Rahina displays a colossal fallen limestone statue of Ramesses II and an alabaster sphinx among palm groves.
- Getting there
- Car with driver, usually combined with Saqqara
- Best for
- Culture, Families
220 km · About 2.5–3 hours by train
4.Alexandria
Egypt's Mediterranean city has a long seafront Corniche, the modern Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the Citadel of Qaitbay on the site of the ancient Pharos lighthouse, Roman catacombs and seafood restaurants. It makes a long day, and an overnight stay is more relaxed.
- Getting there
- Train from Ramses Station, or car
- Best for
- Culture, Food lovers, Couples
150 km · About 2.5–3 hours by car
5.Fayoum and Wadi El Hitan
In the Western Desert beyond the Fayoum oasis, Wadi El Hitan — the Valley of the Whales — is a UNESCO site where fossil skeletons of early whales lie in the sand. Combine it with Lake Qarun and the pottery village of Tunis.
- Getting there
- Car with driver or 4x4 tour
- Best for
- Families, Quiet stays, Culture
Day-trip tips
- Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
- For trips over about 150 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.
Questions travellers ask
+What is the best day trip from Cairo?
Saqqara. The vast necropolis of ancient Memphis holds the Step Pyramid of Djoser, built about 4,700 years ago and the oldest large stone building in Egypt, along with richly decorated Old Kingdom tombs and the huge granite sarcophagi of the Serapeum.
+How long does it take to get from Cairo to Saqqara?
About 1 hour by car — Car with driver or tour, about 30 km.
+How long does it take to get from Cairo to Dahshur?
About 1–1.5 hours by car — Car with driver, often combined with Saqqara, about 40 km.