EGYPT FROM THE GREAT PYRAMID TO ABU SIMBEL - Academy Travel
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EGYPT FROM THE GREAT PYRAMID TO ABU SIMBEL JANUARY 17 – FEBRUARY 3, 2019 TOUR LEADER: LUCIA GAHLIN
Overview
Ancient Egypt, land of the pharaohs, colossal statues, vast pyramids and
magnificent many-columned temples. Travel the full length of the Nile
Valley to visit both the highlights of ancient Egypt, and some of the rarely-
Tour dates: January 17 – February 3, 2019
visited sites. Visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramid at Giza, the
Tour leader: Lucia Gahlin Valley of the Kings, and Karnak Temple, but also archaeological sites off
the beaten track, such as Tell el-Amarna, the remains of an ancient city
Tour Price: $8,975 per person, twin share built by the ‘heretic’ pharaoh Akhenaten, whose fascinating changes to art
and religion still provoke debate.
Single Supplement: $1,325 for sole use of
double room We cover 3000 years of ancient Egyptian history, from the pyramids of
Egypt’s Old Kingdom, through to the Roman-era temple of Philae, ‘Jewel
Booking deposit: $500 per person
of the Nile’. This tour offers a varied and comprehensive exploration of the
Recommended airlines: Qatar Airways, pyramids, rock-cut tombs, temples and towns of ancient Egypt, examining
Emirates or Etihad Airlines, an ancient civilization not just of pharaohs but also of ordinary people.
Maximum places: 20 Our knowledge of ancient Egypt is often focused on mummies, mysterious
tombs, intriguing funerary rituals and beliefs in the afterlife, and there will
Itinerary: Cairo (4 nights), Minya (2 nights), be plenty of these on our tour, but we also be visiting non-royal tombs to
Abydos (1 night), Luxor (4 nights), Nile Cruise (4 experience daily life in ancient Egypt through scenes painted on the walls.
nights), Aswan (1 night), Cairo (1 night) The detail and colour preservation in tombs at Beni Hasan, Luxor and
Aswan are extraordinary, but not often seen. Nor do many visitors to
Date published: March 6, 2018
Egypt get to explore the archaeology of ancient settlements, but we will do
this at the sites of Deir el-Medina, and Tell el-Amarna.
Join us for a journey through Egypt’s colourful and vibrant history and
landscape.
Your tour leader
Lucia Gahlin is an Egyptologist based in the
UK and has a wide range of experience as an
educator, researcher, archaeologist and
museum curator. She is an Honorary Research
Associate at University College London’s
Institute of Archaeology, and teaches
Egyptology for the University of Exeter. She
lectures widely, and gives guided tours of
museums with Egyptian collections around the
world. In 2017 Lucia completed her third
lecture tour in Australia for ADFAS. She has
worked as a Curator at the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology in
London, and continues to teach in this museum, one of the world’s most
Enquiries and important collections of Egyptian antiquities. As Chair of the Friends of the
Petrie Museum she is deeply ensconced in museum life. Her areas of
bookings special interest are ancient Egypt's social history, settlement archaeology
and the rituals and beliefs of daily life. She is author of books
For further information and to including Egypt: Gods, Myths and Religion. Lucia has spent two seasons
secure a place on this tour working at the archaeological site of Tell el-Amarna in Egypt, and has lead
please contact Jamal regular tours to Egypt since 1994. As a freelance Egyptologist, Lucia’s
Fairbrother at Academy Travel greatest passion is sharing her knowledge of ancient Egypt with interested
on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 people, and the best place to do this is undoubtedly in Egypt.
(outside Sydney) or email
jamal@academytravel.com.au
Tour Highlights
The pharaohs of Egypt created great monuments to see
themselves through the afterlife. The Pyramids at Giza and the
Sphinx are immediately recognisable but we truly understand
this world with visits to lesser known sites, such as the step
Pyramid of Djoser, and seeing scenes of daily life painted and
preserved on the walls of Nobles and Generals tombs.
The highlight of any visit to Cairo is a visit to the Egyptian
Museum, a vast treasure trove of pharaonic antiquities,
housing 160,000 objects covering 5000 years of Egyptian
history. Over its 42 rooms, we see a wealth of treasure
including ancient papyrus, statue and sarcophagi from the New
Kingdom and glorious finds from Tutankhamen’s intact tomb.
Travel along the Nile Valley to Minya and Abydos to explore
Middle and New Kingdom sites and operational working digs
at Beni Hassan, Tel Amarna and Tuna el-Gebel. See
exquisitely painted tombs, the palaces and temples of the
short-lived city built by the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten, and
sacred mummies of baboons and falcons stored in the
necropolis at Tuna el-Gebel.
Spend four nights gently meandering down the Nile River
aboard our luxury five-star cruise. Relax in the well-appointed
air conditioned cabins, enjoy a la carte dinners in the
restaurant or read a book in the library. Explore the Karnak
and Luxor Temples, Edfu and Kom Ombo by day and gaze at
the stars from the deck by night.
Over four nights in Luxor we take daily excursions across the
Nile by boat, exploring burial sites and monuments on the
West Bank. Visit the eighteen-metre high Colossi of Memnon
and see the vibrantly decorated tombs of pharaohs and
nobles in the Valley of the Kings, including Queen Nefertari
and the Temple of Hatshepsut in the Valley of the Queens.
Detailed itinerary
Included meals are shown with the symbols B, L and D.
Tour start & finish time
The tour starts on Thursday 17 January at 6.00pm, at the
Mena House Hotel, Cairo.
The tour ends on Sunday 3 February at the Le Meridien
Heliopolis Hotel, Cairo, after breakfast.
Thursday 17 January
Arrive
The tour commences at the hotel in Cairo at 6pm. Meet your
tour leader and fellow travellers in the lobby of the hotel for an
introductory talk and drinks followed by dinner in the hotel.
Overnight Cairo (D)
Friday 18 January
Saqqara
Depart by coach this morning for Saqqara to see the Step
Pyramid of 3rd dynasty pharaoh, Djoser, which is also the oldest
monument we visit from the Old Kingdom. We are able to go
inside the pyramid of the great king Unas to see the earliest
known pyramid texts. After lunch, we visit the Museum of
Above: Step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, built for the pharaoh by his Imhotep, the mastaba tomb of Mereruka and the New Kingdom
vizier Imhotep during the 27th century BC
temple-tombs of Maya, Tutankhamun’s treasurer, and his
general, Horemheb. We also see the Apis bull burials in the
Below: the funerary mask of Tutankhamun in the Cairo Museum - the Serapeum that have re-opened after decades of being closed.
treasures found in the tomb of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun have Tonight, we enjoy a welcome dinner in the Khan al-Khalili
come to symbolise the glories of Ancient Egypt restaurant. Overnight Cairo (B, L, D)
Saturday 19 January
Pyramids of all shapes and sizes
Today we explore the plateau’s iconic monuments of the 4th
dynasty, the Sphinx, Great Pyramid of Khufu, son of Sneferu
and the Solar Boat Museum. After lunch in Giza, we trace the
evolution of royal burials from stepped to smooth sided
pyramids with a visit to the Red and Bent Pyramids at Dahshur.
Both built by the pharaoh Sneferu, the Bent Pyramid was the
first, unsuccessful attempt at a smooth-sided pyramid.
Determined to build an appropriate resting place, Sneferu
succeeded in building his pride and glory with the Red Pyramid
and it is possible to go inside Lucia will give a talk in the hotel
this evening. Overnight Cairo (B, L)
Sunday 20 January
the Islamic & Egyptian Museums
This morning we visit the Museum of Islamic Art which houses
the world’s largest collection of Islamic art and artefacts from
different periods of Islamic history. After lunch, we explore the
Egyptian Museum, Cairo’s vast treasure trove of antiquities from
all periods of Egyptian history including the wondrous finds from
Tutankhamun’s tomb. Overnight Cairo (B, L)
Monday 21 January
Beni Hasan
We depart Cairo by coach for the four-hour trip to Minya, an
area still off the radar for most travellers. After a picnic lunch, we
explore the exquisitely painted tombs of the Middle Kingdom
Provincial Governors or Nomarchs at Bani Hasan. The tombs
are reached by a long flight of stone steps up the hill affording a
bonus panoramic view of the Nile Valley. Lucia will give a talk
this evening followed by dinner in the hotel. Overnight Minya (B,
PL, D)
Tuesday 22 January
Tell el- Amarna
Today we visit the City of Akhetaten at Amarna, established by
the heretic pharaoh Akhenaten under his vision for a society
dedicated to the cult of one god. Although the city had only a
brief existence it has been carefully excavated and provides an
unusually accurate picture, because Akhenaten chose a
completely new site to construct his city. Our full day visit allows
us to completely explore the city and its suburbs, including the
Temple of Aten, the ‘Palace of Nefertiti’, and tombs decorated in
the ‘Amarna-style’ of art. Lucia will give a talk this evening
followed by dinner in the hotel. Overnight Minya (B, L, D) Above: a tomb painting at Deir el-Medina
Wednesday 23 January
Tuna el-Gebel
Below: the colourful detailed carvings in the Temple of Hathor at
We depart for Abydos, stopping at Tuna el-Gebel, a necropolis Dendera
with tombs dating mostly to the Greco-Roman Period. Here we
visit Akhenaten’s rock cut boundary stela, the catacombs which
stored sacred mummies of baboons, ibises and falcons, and the
unique temple-tomb of Petosiris, a high priest. After lunch at the
rest house we continue to Abydos. Overnight Abydos (B, L, D)
Thursday 24 January
Abydos
Our focus this morning is the spectacular Temple of Seti I, one
of the most complete and beautifully decorated temples in
Egypt. Dedicated to Osiris, a major feature is a long list of
cartouches known as the Abydos Kings List. Carved into the
temple wall, it contains the names of 76 kings of Egypt
acknowledged by Seti as legitimate pharaohs. Continuing to
Dendera we visit the Temple of Hathor, who is seen as the
patroness of love and fertility. The temple is visually stunning
with a grand entrance, detailed carvings and hieroglyphs.
Recent cleaning has revealed the vibrant and detailed
astronomical painted reliefs on the ceiling. Arriving in Luxor, we
check in and enjoy dinner in a local restaurant. Overnight Luxor
(B, PL, D)
Friday 25 January
Valley of the Kings
Crossing by boat to the West Bank our first stop is the Colossi of
Memnon. These two eighteen-metre-high stone statues
represent the Pharaoh Amonhotep III and once guarded his memorial temple. We continue into the Valley of the Kings and explore some of the 63 known tombs built for the pharaohs and nobles of the New Kingdom and visit the house where Howard Carter lived during his search for Tutankhamun’s tomb. It has been restored and decorated with pictures and tools from the excavation. Following lunch, we visit the tomb of Queen Nefertari, favourite wife of Rameses II, usually closed to visitors; we have special access to see the high quality vibrant decorations adorning every surface. We also visit three New Kingdom tombs of a queen and princes in the Valley of the Queens. Returning to the East Bank by coach and boat, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Luxor. (B, L) Saturday 26 January Temple of Hatshepsut Returning across the Nile we visit Deir el-Medina, the village for the workers who constructed the tombs in the Valley of the Kings. From lunch, we travel to Deir el-Bahri and the imposing Memorial Temple of Hatshepsut. Set in a natural amphitheatre and built on three levels, the temple seems to emerge from the surrounding rock. There was a garden of exotic incense trees in the first courtyard brought back from the Queen’s trading expeditions to Punt, perhaps modern day Somalia. Lucia will give a talk this evening following our return to the East Bank. Overnight Luxor. (B, L) Sunday 27 January The Ramesseum and Medinet Habu This morning we head to Medinet Habu and the well-preserved Memorial Temple of Rameses III. The temple, apart from its sheer size and architectural importance, is covered in reliefs depicting Rameses’s conquests of foreign invaders from Libya, Crete and elsewhere. We also visit the Ramesseum, built over 30 years, with its fallen colossus of Rameses II. After lunch, we finish the afternoon with a visit to the Tombs of the Nobles where we see three interesting tombs of high ranking 18th Dynasty officials. Lucia will give a talk in the hotel this evening. Overnight Luxor. (B, L) Monday 28 January Karnak Temple & the Luxor Museum This morning we visit the vast open-air museum of Karnak, the cult temple of Amun-Ra, chief of the deities of the New Kingdom and the largest religious site in the ancient world. The temple is unusual for its longevity, having been continuously used for a period of some 2000 years. Just before lunch we board our cruise boat, our base for the next four days. In the afternoon, we visit the delightful Luxor Museum, which houses a wonderful collection dating from the Old Kingdom to the Mamluk period including a famous statue of Thutmose III. Dinner this evening is on board our cruise boat. Overnight Nile cruise. (B, L, D) Images left: Queen Hatshepsut’s imposing memorial temple at Deir El Bahri; ram headed sphinxes show the way to the Karnak Temple at Luxor; and magnificent columns of the Great Hypostyle Hall at the Temple of Amun, Karnak
Tuesday 29 January
Luxor Temple
Our touring in Luxor concludes at the New Kingdom Temple of
Luxor; commenced by Amenhotep III, it is dedicated to Amun-
Ra and the cult of divine kingship. There is a shrine to Alexander
the Great at the rear and remnants of a Coptic Church and a
well-preserved mosque, demonstrating the temple has been in
almost continuous use up until the present day. Returning to our
ship for lunch, we cast off from the banks and cruise down the
Nile for the remainder of the day. Overnight Nile cruise. (B, L, D)
Wednesday 30 January
Edfu and Kom Ombo
This morning we go ashore to visit the Temple of Horus at Edfu.
The Temple is very dramatic and quite extensive, with many
reliefs and hidden ambulatory. It is dedicated to Horus and was
built in Greco-Roman times. After lunch, we cruise to Kom
Ombo to see the double temples of the crocodile headed god,
Sobek, associated with Upper Egypt, and Horus the Elder,
associated with Lower Egypt. We continue sailing to Aswan this
afternoon. Overnight Nile cruise. (B, L, D)
Thursday 31 January
Temple of Philae and Aswan Dam
Our shore excursion today takes us to the picturesque island of
Philae where the exquisite temple of Isis rises magically out of
the river. We also visit the Aswan High Dam and the Unfinished
Obelisk - more than twice the size of any known obelisk.
Quarrymen apparently abandoned the obelisk when fractures
appeared in its sides. However, the stone, still attached to
bedrock, gives important clues to how the Egyptians quarried
granite. After lunch onboard, we visit temple sites on
Elephantine Island including the Temple of Khnum and Satet.
Tonight, is spent aboard the boat docked in Aswan. Overnight
Nile Cruise (B, L, D)
Friday 1 February
Nobles tombs and Nubian Museum
We disembark our cruise and visit the fascinating Nubian
Museum to learn about the civilisation, history and culture of the
Nubian people from Prehistoric times to the present. Later This
morning we travel by boat to Qubbet el-Hawa a large dune on
the cliffs opposite Aswan close to Kitchener’s Island. Here, we
visit the Old and Middle Kingdom Tombs of the Nobles where
six decorated tombs of governors and other dignitaries are open
to the public. The afternoon is at leisure before Lucia gives a
final talk in the hotel this evening. Overnight Aswan (B)
Saturday 2 February
Abu Simbel
Today we fly to Abu Simbel, south of Aswan. Pharaoh Ramses
II had two temples carved out of solid rock here and built so
precisely that twice every year the first rays of the morning sun
Images right: statue of Rameses II at the entrance to the Luxor Temple; the
beautiful setting of the Temple of Isis, on the river at Philae; and a wall
painting in the Temple of a Noble, Aswan, Egypt
shine down the entire length of the temple-cave to illuminate the
back wall and three of the four gods seated there. The colossi of
the king, wearing the characteristic ‘nemes’ head cloth and
double crown (of Upper and Lower Egypt), are each 20 metres
high, while the facade is more than 35 metres wide and 30
metres high. After lunch, we return to the airport and fly on to
Cairo for our farewell dinner this evening. Overnight Cairo.
(B, L, D)
Sunday 3 February
Depart
The tour concludes after breakfast.
Hotels
Hotels on this tour are all five-star with the exception of our
accommodation in Minya and Abydos, where we have
confirmed the best available properties.
➢ Cairo, Mena House (4 nights)
A unique hotel with unmatched views of the pyramids
https://www.menahousehotel.com/
➢ Minya, MG Nefertiti Hotel (2 nights)
Three-star hotel, well placed to explore the sights of Minya
http://www.mgnefertiti.com/
➢ Abydos, House of Life (1 night)
Ideally located in walking distance from the Temple of Seti I
http://www.houseoflifeabydos.com/
➢ Luxor, Winter Palace Hotel (4 nights)
We have Garden View rooms on the quiet side of the hotel The colossal statues that greet you at the entrance to The Great Temple
http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1661-sofitel-winter- of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel (above) and the hall (below), lined with
palace-luxor/index.shtml eight colossal statues of Ramesses, four on each side of the aisle. It
leads to a small chapel in the back, which contains statues of the four
gods of the temple
➢ Nile Cruise, Farah (4 nights)
5-star luxury cruise ship. All 62 cabins are outside facing
http://www.farahnilecruise.com/
➢ Aswan, Movenpick Hotel (1 night)
Located on Elephantine Island in the Nile River
http://www.movenpick.com/en/africa/egypt/aswan/resort-
aswan/
➢ Cairo, Le Meridien Heliopolis Hotel (1 night)
Ideally situated for our last night, close to Cairo Airport
http://www.lemeridienheliopolis.com/
Tour Price Fitness Requirements
The tour price is $8,975 per person, twin share (land content of THIS tour
only). The supplement for a single room is $1,325 per person.
A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to
secure a place on the tour.
It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that
Tour Inclusions you are fit enough to be able to enjoy all the activities on this
tour. To give you an indication of the level of physical fitness
required to participate on our tours, we have given them a
➢ 14 nights’ accommodation in carefully selected hotels star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature
➢ Four night Nile River cruise on a 5-star ship extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater
➢ Breakfasts daily, plus lunches and dinners as noted in fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider
the itinerary your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.
➢ One-way economy class airfare Awan to Abu Simbel and
Abu Simbel to Cairo
➢ Land travel by air-conditioned coach This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active
➢ Extensive background notes lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of
➢ Background talks physical activity per day on most days, including longer
➢ Services of a tour leader and national guide throughout walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing
the tour stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and
➢ All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or
➢ Qualified local guides where appropriate several internal flights.
➢ Porterage of one piece of luggage at all hotels
➢ Tips for all services included in the itinerary You should be able to:
➢ keep up with the group at all times
➢ walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only
➢ International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) short breaks
➢ Travel insurance ➢ stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and
➢ Meals not mentioned in itinerary museums
➢ Expenses of a personal nature ➢ tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold,
humidity and heat
Air travel OPTIONS ➢ walk up and down slopes
➢ negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites,
The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour, which are often uneven and unstable
we recommend any of the Arab airlines, including Qatar ➢ get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or
Airways, Emirates or Etihad Airlines, as they have the best boat unassisted, possibly with luggage
connections into and out of Cairo. Please contact us for ➢ move your luggage a short distance if required
further information on competitive Economy, Business and
First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are
included for all passengers booking their flights through If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility,
Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers. it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging.
You will have to miss several activities and will not get the
Enquiries & bookings full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until
after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your
For further information and to secure a place on this tour
situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour.
please contact Jamal Fairbrother at Academy Travel on
While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the
9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email
physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to
jamal@academytravel.com.au
refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour
are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean
Weather on Tour we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition
January and February is the best time to visit Egypt when the
temperatures are on the cooler side, which is ideal for visiting
the sites. Average day time temperatures range between 18-
23 degrees in Cairo and Aswan with minimums around 9
degrees. Average rainfall is just 5mm and rain is unlikely.
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