Egypt Guide
The Pyramids
South Saqqara
Like their predecessors at Abu Sir, the paharaohs of the VI Dynasty (c.2345-2181 BC) established another necropolis - nowadays called South Saqqara - which started 700km beyond Sekhemkhet's unfinished pyramid and extended for over 3km. Unfortunately for sightseers, the most interesting monuments are those furthest away across the site; renting a donkey, horse or camel (£E30-50 for the round trip) will minimize slogging over soft sand. It is also possible to walk from Saqqara village: just keep heading west until you emerge from the palm trees. If you stop to ask directions, bear in mind thatwhatever you say (even if you say it in Arabic) the villagers will almost certainly assume you are looking for the Step Pyramid and direct you accordingly.
Once you reach the site, two tracks run either side of several pyramids before meeting at the Mastabat al-Faraun. The western one is more direct than the route that goes via Saqqara village, set amid lush palm groves 2km from North Saqqara's ticket office. There is no official entrance fee to the site, and you probably won't see another tourist. Apart from the tranquillity, however, what you get here, with the pyramids of North Saqqara clearly visible to the north, and those of Dahshur to the south, is the feeling of being in the midst of a massive pyramid field, somewhere very ancient and vast.