Eight kilometres north of Giza, on a high ridge at Abu Rawash, stands what remains of the pyramid of Djedefre — Khufu's son and immediate successor, who chose this dramatic hilltop site rather than the family plateau. The pyramid is largely destroyed: much of it was quarried for building materials in Roman times and later, leaving a deep pit at the centre rather than a mound. It is sometimes called the "lost pyramid" because so little of it survives above ground.
What makes Abu Rawash worth the journey is its setting — the pyramid sits on the highest point for miles around, giving extraordinary views back toward the Giza Plateau and the Cairo sprawl — and the fragments of sculpture found here, including what may have been the finest royal portrait of the entire Old Kingdom. A quartzite head of Djedefre found in the pit, now in the Louvre, shows a face of extraordinary quality. The site itself is off the main tourist circuit and gets almost no visitors; you can walk around it in near-solitude. Getting here requires a taxi or tour — the site is not easily accessible by public transport.