Dahshur pyramids tickets 2026: prices, hours, Red and Bent Pyramids

Dahshur, the pyramid field of King Sneferu in Giza, is open every day of the week from 8am to 5pm, according to the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. A ticket costs EGP 10 for an Egyptian adult and EGP 5 for an Egyptian student; foreign visitors pay EGP 200 for an adult and EGP 100 for a student. The site's two famous monuments are the Red Pyramid, the third-largest pyramid in Egypt, and the Bent Pyramid, whose sides change angle halfway up.

Ticket prices

The ministry lists one ticket for the Dahshur archaeological site:

Egyptians: adults EGP 10, students EGP 5.

Foreigners: adults EGP 200, students EGP 100.

The ministry's pages for Dahshur, the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid do not publish a children's price, whether entering a pyramid needs a separate ticket, or how you can pay. Ask at the ticket window before you buy, and carry the student card if you are paying the student price.

Opening hours

Every day, Sunday to Saturday, from 8am to 5pm. The ministry gives the same hours for the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid. It does not publish a last entry time, so arrive well before 5pm, above all if you want to go inside a pyramid.

The Red Pyramid

The Red Pyramid is the tallest at Dahshur and the third-largest Egyptian pyramid after those of Khufu and Khafre at Giza. It takes its name from the reddish colour of its stones. It was once covered in white limestone from the Tura quarries, south of modern Cairo, like every pyramid, but that casing was taken away in medieval times to be reused in buildings. The ministry says it may have been started in the 13th year of Sneferu's reign and taken 10 years to build.

You can go inside. The entrance is on the north side and leads into a passage about a metre high and a metre wide, so expect to bend low. It slopes down to a chamber with a corbelled roof that looks like an upside-down staircase, then on to a second chamber in the middle of the pyramid, and a third chamber to the south that is thought to have been the burial chamber.

The Bent Pyramid

The Bent Pyramid stands about a kilometre south of the Red Pyramid. Sneferu's builders started it at an angle of 55 degrees, then had to change to 43 degrees because the weight of the blocks made it unstable, which gives it its broken outline. The ministry describes it as the step between King Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara and the smooth-sided pyramids that followed. It has two entrances, one on the north side reached by modern wooden stairs and one high on the west side, each leading to a chamber with a corbelled roof.

The rest of the site

Dahshur was the southern part of the cemetery of Memphis, the capital of ancient Egypt, and kings of the Old and Middle Kingdoms built their pyramids on its hill. Sneferu, the first king of the 4th Dynasty, chose its rocky plateau to compete with Djoser's pyramid at Saqqara. Near his pyramids stand Middle Kingdom pyramids, starting with that of King Amenemhat II, in poor condition, and the pyramid of King Senwosret III, surrounded by the tombs of the princesses Sit-Hathor and Ment. The Black Pyramid of King Amenemhat III still stands despite its worn stones; its stone tip, the pyramidion, is on show at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir. Several more pyramids of the 13th Dynasty were built here.

Getting there

The ministry lists Dahshur under Giza governorate but does not publish an address, directions or public transport. It does not publish a phone number for the site either.

Common questions

Is Dahshur open on Friday? Yes. The ministry lists the same hours, 8am to 5pm, for every day of the week.

Can I go inside the pyramids? The ministry describes the way into the Red Pyramid from its north entrance, and the two entrances of the Bent Pyramid. It does not say whether the Bent Pyramid's chambers are open to visitors on a given day, so ask at the site.

How much time do I need? The ministry does not suggest a visit length. Keep in mind that the Red and the Bent Pyramid are about a kilometre apart.

Prices and opening times can change, so check the ministry's Dahshur page before you go.