from the great pyramid to abu simbel

12 Pages·2017·3.12 MB·English

EGYPT

FROM THE GREAT PYRAMID
TO ABU SIMBEL
JANUARY 17 – FEBRUARY 3, 2019
TOUR LEADER: LUCIA GAHLIN
EGYPT
Overview
FROM THE GREAT PYRAMID
Ancient Egypt, land of the pharaohs, colossal statues, vast pyramids and
TO ABU SIMBEL
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
Valley of the Kings, and Karnak Temple, but also archaeological sites off
Tour leader: Lucia Gahlin
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
pyramids, rock-cut tombs, temples and towns of ancient Egypt, examining
Recommended airlines: Qatar Airways,
an ancient civilization not just of pharaohs but also of ordinary people.
Emirates or Etihad Airlines,

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: February 1, 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 will do 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 important
Enquiries and collections of Egyptian antiquities. As Chair of the Friends of the Petrie
Museum she is deeply ensconced in museum life. Her areas of special
bookings
interest are ancient Egypt's social history, settlement archaeology and the
rituals and beliefs of daily life. She is author of books including Egypt:
For further information and to Gods, Myths and Religion. Lucia has spent two seasons working at the
secure a place on this tour archaeological site of Tell el-Amarna in Egypt, and has lead regular tours
please contact Jemma York at to Egypt since 1994. As a freelance Egyptologist, Lucia’s greatest passion
Academy Travel on is sharing her knowledge of ancient Egypt with interested people, and the
9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 best place to do this is undoubtedly in Egypt.
(outside Sydney) or email
[email protected]
Tour Highlights

CAIRO’S GREAT MONUMENTS
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.

TREASURES FOR THE AFTERLIFE
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.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES
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.

CRUISING THE NILE
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.

VALLEY OF THE KINGS AND QUEENS
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
Above: Step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, built for the pharaoh by his
tour leader and fellow travellers in the lobby of the hotel for an
vizier Imhotep during the 27th century BC
introductory talk and drinks followed by dinner in the hotel.
Below: the funerary mask of Tutankhamun in the Cairo Museum - the
treasures found in the tomb of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun have Overnight Cairo (D)
come to symbolise the glories of Ancient Egypt; and Ibn Tulun Mosque,
arguably the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form 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 visit the Museum
of Imhotep and go inside the pyramids of the great kings Unas
and Teti to see the pyramid texts. After lunch, we visit the
mastaba tomb of Mereruka or the powerful vizier Kagemni, and
the New Kingdom tombs of Maya, Tutankhamun’s treasurer,
and his general, Horemheb. We also see the recently opened
tomb of Maia, Tutankhamun’s wet nurse, and the Apis bull
burials in the Serapeum that have re-opened after decades of
being closed. Tonight, we enjoy a welcome dinner in the Khan
al-Khalili restaurant. Overnight Cairo (B, L, D)
Saturday 19 January
Pyramids of all shapes and sizes
Today 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. After lunch in Giza 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. Lucia will give a talk in the hotel this evening.
Overnight Cairo (B, L)
Sunday 20 January
Coptic Cairo and the Egyptian
Museum
This morning we visit the Egyptian Museum, Cairo’s vast
treasure trove of antiquities from all periods of Egyptian history
including the wondrous finds from Tutankhamun’s tomb. In the
afternoon, we visit the Coptic Museum which houses the world’s
largest and most important collection of Coptic art and artefacts.
We also visit the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, Egypt’s oldest with its
unique A n dalusian influenced minaret, and the adjacent Gayer-

Andersen Museum noted for its various rooms decorated in a
variety of oriental and Arab styles. Overnight Cairo (B)
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 Above: a tomb painting at Deir el-Medina
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
Below: the colourful detailed carvings in the Temple of Hathor at
the ‘Amarna-style’ of art. Lucia will give a talk this evening Dendera
followed by dinner in the hotel. Overnight Minya (B, L, D)
Wednesday 23 January
Tuna el-Gebel
We depart for Abydos, stopping at Tuna el-Gebel, a necropolis
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. The largest tomb in the Valley of
the Queens is that 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. Following lunch, we 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. 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 and 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
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
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)
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. We return to the boat for lunch, before checking into our
Aswan hotel on Elephantine Island. Overnight Nile Cruise (B, L,
D)
Friday 1 February
Nobles tombs and Nubian Museum
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. Back on Elephantine Island we visit
temple sites including the Temple of Khnum. After lunch we visit
the fascinating Nubian Museum to learn about the civilisation,
history and culture of the Nubian people from Prehistoric times
to the present. Lucia will give a final talk in the hotel this
evening. Overnight Aswan (B, L)
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
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
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 will all be five-star with the exception of our
accommodation in Minya and Abydos. Hotels will be confirmed
for this tour by the end of March.

 Cairo (4 nights)

 Minya (2 nights)

 Abydos (1 night)

 Luxor (4 nights)

 Nile Cruise (4 nights)

 Aswan (1 night) The colossal statues that greet you at the entrance to The Great Temple
of Ramesses II at Abu Simbel (above) and the hall (below), lined with
 Cairo 1 night) 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
Tour Price Fitness Requirements
of THIS tour
The tour price is $8,975 per person, twin share (land content
only). The supplement for a single room is $1,325 per person.
A non-refundable deposit of $500 per person is required to GRADE TWO
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
Included in the tour price 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
your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.
the itinerary
 One-way economy class airfare Awan to Abu Simbel and
Participation criteria for this tour
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
You should be able to:
 Tips for all services included in the itinerary
 keep up with the group at all times
Not included  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 A note for older travellers
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 Jemma York 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
[email protected]
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.