Saqqara

What makes it special

Djoser's Step Pyramid is six mastabas, low flat-topped tombs, stacked into one, and the steps you see are their edges. Before his reign, kings and nobles were each buried under a single mastaba. His architect was probably Imhotep.

Away from Djoser's complex, the desert is crowded with smaller tombs, and they span the whole of ancient Egyptian history. In some of the nobles' tombs, the carved wall reliefs still hold their paint, mostly red and blue.

The strangest sight is underground. The Serapeum is a set of galleries where the sacred Apis bulls were buried from the Eighteenth Dynasty on, more than 60 of them. Twenty-four giant granite boxes still sit inside, each weighing tens of tonnes.

Visiting

Stop at the ticket office at the entrance before anything else. The inclusive ticket covers the site, the Imhotep Museum, the nobles' tombs, the New Kingdom tombs and the tombs of Mereruka and Mehu. Going inside the Step Pyramid, when it is open, takes an extra ticket.

Once you have tickets, make the Imhotep Museum a short first stop: it is small, and it shows objects from every era of the site. From there your driver moves you between the clusters, which are a few minutes apart by car. Then walk the Step Pyramid's enclosure, and go inside if the interior is open.

Next come the nobles' tombs, Mereruka's and Mehu's among them. Enter whichever are unlocked that day, and end underground at the Serapeum if it is open.

Guided or on your own

Take a guide if the painted reliefs are why you came. In the dark tombs a guide carries a light and points out carvings you would otherwise walk past.

If you came for the pyramids and the Serapeum, a car and driver is enough. Read about each tomb before you arrive, and you can set your own pace.

Tips

At many tombs a guard unlocks the door, walks you through and asks for a tip afterwards. More than one person may ask for baksheesh even though your ticket is paid, so carry small notes and tip each guard without needing change.

Bring a phone torch, because some tombs are dark inside. There are no cafes or restaurants on site, so pack water and snacks for the whole day, along with sunscreen and a hat against the strong sun.