EGYPT FROM THE GREAT PYRAMIDS TO ABU SIMBEL

JANUARY 18-FEBRUARY 4, 2018 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-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 the beaten track, such as Tell el-Amarna, the remains of an ancient city built by the ‘heretic’ pharaoh Akhenaten, whose fascinating changes to art and religion still provoke debate. 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 of the Nile’. This tour offers a varied and comprehensive exploration of the pyramids, rock-cut tombs, temples and towns of ancient Egypt, examining an ancient civilization not just of pharaohs but also of ordinary people. Our knowledge of ancient Egypt is often focused on mummies, mysterious tombs, intriguing funerary rituals and beliefs in the afterlife, and there will be plenty of these on our tour, but we also be visiting non-royal tombs to experience daily life in ancient Egypt through scenes painted on the walls. The detail and colour preservation in tombs at Beni Hasan, Luxor and Aswan are extraordinary, but not often seen. Nor do many visitors to 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 collections of Egyptian antiquities. As Chair of the Friends of the Petrie Museum she is deeply ensconced in museum life. Her areas of special interest are ancient Egypt's social history, settlement archaeology and the rituals and beliefs of daily life. She is author of books including Egypt: Gods, Myths and Religion. Lucia has spent two seasons working at the archaeological site of Tell el-Amarna in Egypt, and has lead regular tours to Egypt since 1994. As a freelance Egyptologist, Lucia’s greatest passion is sharing her knowledge of ancient Egypt with interested people, and the best place to do this is undoubtedly in Egypt.

EGYPT FROM THE GREAT PYRAMIDS TO ABU SIMBEL

Tour dates: January 18 – February 4, 2018

Tour leader: Lucia Gahlin

Tour Price: $8,975 per person, twin share

Single Supplement: $1,325 for sole use of double room

Booking deposit: $500 per person

Recommended airlines: Qatar Airways, Emirates or Etihad Airlines,

Maximum places: 20

Itinerary: Cairo (4 nights), Minya (2 nights), Abydos (1 night), Luxor (4 nights), Nile Cruise (4 nights), Aswan (1 night), Cairo (1 night)

Date published: May 10, 2017

Enquiries and bookings

For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jemma York at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email jemma@academytravel.com.au

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.

Thursday 18 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 19 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 20 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 21 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 Andalusian 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)

Images left: Step pyramid of Djoser at Saqqara, built for the pharaoh by his vizier Imhotep during the 27th century BC; the funerary mask of Tutankhamun in the Cairo Museum - the treasures found in the tomb of the boy pharaoh Tutankhamun have come to symbolise the glories of Ancient Egypt; and Ibn Tulun Mosque, arguably the oldest mosque in the city surviving in its original form

Above: a tomb painting at Deir el-Medina Below: the colourful detailed carvings in the Temple of Hathor at Dendera

Monday 22 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 23 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)

Wednesday 24 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 25 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 26 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 27 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 28 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 29 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 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 30 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 31 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 1 February 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 2 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)

Saturday 3 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 4 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 http://www.accorhotels.com/gb/hotel-1661-sofitel-winter-palace-luxor/index.shtml

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/

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 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 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 secure a place on the tour.

Tour Inclusions Included in the tour price 14 nights’ accommodation in carefully selected hotels Four night Nile River cruise on a 5-star ship Breakfasts daily, plus lunches and dinners as noted in

the itinerary One-way economy class airfare Awan to Abu Simbel and

Abu Simbel to Cairo Land travel by air-conditioned coach Extensive background notes Background talks Services of a tour leader and national guide throughout

the tour All entrance fees to sites mentioned on itinerary Qualified local guides where appropriate Porterage of one piece of luggage at all hotels Tips for all services included in the itinerary

Not included International air fares, taxes and surcharges (see below) Travel insurance Meals not mentioned in itinerary Expenses of a personal nature

Air travel OPTIONS The tour price quoted is for land content only. For this tour, we recommend any of the Arab airlines, including Qatar Airways, Emirates or Etihad Airlines, as they have the best connections into and out of Cairo. Please contact us for further information on competitive Economy, Business and First Class airfares. Transfers between airport and hotel are included for all passengers booking their flights through Academy Travel. These may be group or individual transfers.

Enquiries & bookings For further information and to secure a place on this tour please contact Jemma York at Academy Travel on 9235 0023 or 1800 639 699 (outside Sydney) or email jemma@academytravel.com.au

Weather on Tour 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.

Fitness Requirements of THIS tour

GRADE TWO

It is important both for you and for your fellow travellers that 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 star grading. Academy Travel’s tours tend to feature extended walking tours and site visits, which require greater fitness than coach touring. We ask you to carefully consider your ability to meet the physical demands of the tour.

Participation criteria for this tour

This Grade Two tour is designed for people who lead active lives and can comfortably participate in up to five hours of physical activity per day on most days, including longer walking tours, challenging archaeological sites, climbing stairs, embarking and disembarking trains and/or boats, and a more demanding tour schedule with one night stops or several internal flights. You should be able to: keep up with the group at all times walk for 4-5 kilometres at a moderate pace with only

short breaks stand for a reasonable length of time in galleries and

museums tolerate uncomfortable climatic conditions such as cold,

humidity and heat walk up and down slopes negotiate steps and slopes on archaeological sites,

which are often uneven and unstable get on and off a large coach with steep stairs, train or

boat unassisted, possibly with luggage move your luggage a short distance if required

A note for older travellers

If you are more than 80 years old, or have restricted mobility, it is highly likely that you will find this itinerary challenging. You will have to miss several activities and will not get the full value of the tour. Your booking will not be accepted until after you have contacted Academy Travel to discuss your situation and the exact physical requirements of this tour. While we will do our best to reasonably accommodate the physical needs of all group members, we reserve the right to refuse bookings if we feel that the requirements of the tour are too demanding for you and/or if local conditions mean we cannot reasonably accommodate your condition