One of the best day trips from Cairo is visiting the pyramids of Dashur. Dashur is a royal necropolis located in the desert on the west bank of the Nile 40 kilometers south of Cairo. It is known for its several pyramids, two of which belong to King Sneferu, the founder of the 4th dynasty, and father of King Khufu. The pyramids here are just as impressive as the ones at Giza, but the site is much more peaceful.
In this post, you will find everything you need to know for a visit to the Pyramids of Dashur.

How to get there
Dashur is open daily from 8 am – 4 pm and the entrance fee is 60 LE per person.

Bent Pyramid
Trying to create a true smooth-sided pyramid, Sneferu’s architects began with the same steep angle and inward leaning courses of stone they used to create step pyramids. When this began to show signs of stress and instability around halfway up its eventual 105m height, they had to reduce the angle from 54 degrees to 43 degrees and begin to lay the stones in horizontal layers. This explains why the structure has an unusual shape that gives it its name.
The pyramid has several large chambers, low passageways, a long descent, and an enclave of bats inside. We admired the Bent Pyramid from the outside.



Red Pyramid
We recommend entering the Red Pyramid, there are way fewer people going down than at the Giza Pyramids, which makes it easier to take a break. We were the only ones there.








Black Pyramid

Visiting the Pyramids of Dashur was one of the highlights of our trip. We had the place all to ourselves!