The Bent Pyramid
The best preserved of Dahshur's five pyramids, and the only Old Kingdom pyramid with two entrances, one on the north side and one high on the west.
Home / Attractions / Dahshur
Cairo & Giza · West bank of the Nile, south of Saqqara
The Pyramids of Dahshur
The royal pyramid field south of Saqqara where King Snefru built the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, the first true pyramid completed.
About Dahshur
Dahshur is an ancient pyramid site on the west bank of the Nile, just south of Saqqara, at the southern end of the cemetery of Memphis, Egypt's ancient capital. Five of its pyramids still stand: two built by King Snefru of the 4th dynasty, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, and three of the 12th dynasty, now poorly preserved.
Snefru's two pyramids show the step from stepped tombs to the smooth-sided true pyramid: the Bent Pyramid changes angle partway up, and the Red Pyramid, built next, is the first true pyramid successfully completed. With Giza, Abusir and Saqqara, Dahshur is part of the World Heritage site Memphis and its Necropolis, inscribed in 1979.
A short history
- SnefruFirst king of the 4th dynasty (c. 2575–2465 BCE). He chose the Dahshur plateau for a pyramid meant to rival Djoser's Step Pyramid at Saqqara.
- The Bent PyramidIts builders started too steep and lowered the angle partway up: from 52° to 43.5°, per Britannica, or from 55 to 43 degrees, per the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
- The Red PyramidBuilt next at a lower angle of 43°, it was the first true pyramid completed, and is the third-largest in Egypt after Khufu's and Khafre's at Giza.
- The 12th dynastyKings of the Middle Kingdom, among them Amenemhat II, Senwosret III and Amenemhat III, built three more pyramids here, with mud-brick cores. The jewelry of Queen Weret was found near them in 1994.
What you'll see
The Red Pyramid
Named for the reddish color of its stones, once cased in white Tura limestone. Visitors enter on the north side by a sloping passage a meter high and a meter wide, down to chambers with stepped, corbelled roofs.
Opening hours and tickets
Opening hours
| Summer | 8:00 am – last entry 4:00 pm |
|---|---|
| Winter | 8:00 am – last entry 4:00 pm |
| Ramadan | 9:00 am – last entry 3:00 pm |
The Ministry's monuments website gives 8:00 am to 5:00 pm daily.
Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities ticketing portal, checked August 2026
Tickets, foreign visitors
| Adult | Student | |
| Dahshur | EGP 200 | EGP 100 |
- Children under 6 enter free
- Students: valid ID, age 24 or under
Prices in Egyptian pounds, as of August 2026
Getting there and how the visit runs
Drive to the site
| Downtown / Zamalek hotels | 40.2 km · about 33 min |
|---|---|
| Giza, near the pyramids hotels | 37 km · about 35 min |
| New Cairo hotels | 52.8 km · about 49 min |
Without traffic, from our tours' map routing
Our Saqqara, Dahshur and Memphis day starts here, at the Red Pyramid and the Bent Pyramid, then drives on to Saqqara and Memphis.
Before you go
What to wear and bring
- Modest clothing
- Comfortable shoes for sand and for the low, sloping pyramid passages
- Sun protection and a hat
Photos
- Photos with a mobile phone are free of charge
- Drones need Ministry of Defence permission
Average daily high in Cairo (°C)
The coolest months are December to February.
World Meteorological Organization climate normals (monthly averages, not forecasts)
Questions about Dahshur
What is there to see at Dahshur?
Two pyramids of King Snefru, the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid, and the remains of three 12th-dynasty pyramids.
Why is the Bent Pyramid bent?
Its builders lowered the angle partway up because the first angle was too steep: from 52° to 43.5° per Britannica, from 55 to 43 degrees per the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities.
Can you go inside the Red Pyramid?
Yes. The entrance is on the north side, and a sloping passage a meter high and a meter wide leads down to its chambers.
What are Dahshur's opening hours?
From 8:00 am with last entry at 4:00 pm in summer and winter, and from 9:00 am with last entry at 3:00 pm in Ramadan, per the Ministry's ticketing portal.
How much is the ticket to Dahshur?
EGP 200 for foreign adults and EGP 100 for foreign students, as of August 2026. Children under 6 enter free.
Is Dahshur a UNESCO World Heritage site?
Yes. It is part of Memphis and its Necropolis, the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur, inscribed in 1979.
Sources: Encyclopaedia Britannica; Egypt's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities; UNESCO World Heritage Centre; World Meteorological Organization.
Day tours
Tours that stop at Dahshur
Guides
Read before you go
Giza pyramids or Saqqara: which day trip first?Giza first, then Saqqara: what each site has, hours, tickets and the drive between them.
Best Cairo day tours for first-time visitorsOur Cairo tours compared by what they cover and how long they run, and how to pair them without repeats.
First time in Egypt: which day tours to start withGiza and a museum in Cairo, both banks in Luxor, Philae in Aswan: where a first trip starts.