Day 1
- Wednesday 6th December 2023
We take our direct flight from Heathrow to Cairo and on arrival we make the short journey to the 5-Star Le Meridien Hotel close to the airport terminal. We check in to our comfortable rooms for one night on room and breakfast basis.
Day 2
- Thursday 7th December - Old Cairo
A full day to explore Old Cairo. We head to the famous Citadel of Saladin where we view the Mohammed Ali Mosque. We visit the Mosque of Ibn Tulun, the oldest surviving mosque in Egypt, and the historic Gayer Anderson House. We have lunch at the Al Azhar Park where we can enjoy wonderful views across the gardens back to the Citadel. Later we check in to the Steigenberger Hotel at Giza for three nights on room and breakfast basis. (BL)
Day 3
- Friday 8th December - Giza and GEM
After a leisurely breakfast we set off for the Giza Plateau. Time to explore the famous pyramids, surely the Greatest Monuments of all time. A tour of the Valley Temple and the magnificent Sphinx before we have lunch at a restaurant affording spectacular views of the nearby pyramids. We then make the short journey to The Grand Egyptian Museum. (BL)
Day 4
- Saturday 9th December - Saqqara
A full day at Saqqara where Campbell worked with the only Scottish mission to operate in Egypt. Visits to the Step Pyramid and the Pyramid of Unas include entry to the pyramids if they are open on the day. We view the wonderful scenes in the Old Kingdom mastabas of Mereruka, Ptahhotep and Kagemni. We also enter the mastaba tomb of Mehu with its brightly coloured reliefs and the New Kingdom tombs of Maya and Horemheb the General. Time also for the Serapeum, burial place of the Apis Bulls. During the day we will have a break at the Sakkara Palm Club with time to relax over lunch. (BL)
Day 5
- Sunday 10th December - To the Southern City
Our day begins with a drive to the ancient city of Fustat and the wonderful new National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. We then explore Coptic Cairo with visits to the Hanging Church and the Coptic Museum. After a local lunch we drive to Cairo Airport to board our flight to Aswan. On arrival in Aswan we check in to the Movenpick Hotel on Elephantine Island for three nights on room and breakfast basis. (BL)
Day 6
- Monday 11th December - The Island of Isis
This morning we take a motor launch and visit the Nobles Tombs at Qubbet el Hawa dating from the Old Kingdom. Sailing back around the islands we return to our hotel for lunch before setting off to view the vast Unfinished Obelisk set in an open-air museum. We continue to the Island of Philae with its Temple of Isis dating from the Ptolemaic Period. Saved from the rising waters of the new High Dam in the 1970’s the temples are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Our guided tour will include the temples of Isis, Imhotep and Hathor, the Kiosk of Trajan and Hadrian’s Gate. At some point today we will have a meeting in the hotel with Campbell to learn more about Abu Simbel and our visit tomorrow. (B)
Day 7
- Tuesday 12th December - Abu Simbel
Today we take a road trip to the most famous site in Nubia, Abu Simbel, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. We will enter the Great Temple of Ramesses II and the Small Temple of Nefertari. This is a long day trip and we include lunch at a local restaurant. (BL)
Day 8
- Wednesday 13th December - Return to Luxor
Today we leave Aswan and head by road to Luxor. We travel with lunch boxes provided by our hotel. On our way we will visit one of the best preserved and most complete of ancient monuments in Egypt, The Temple of Horus at Edfu. Our next stop will be at el Kab the ancient city of Nekheb where we find some delightful tombs including that of the commander Ahmose with its unusually detailed historical inscriptions. On arrival in Luxor we check in to the Old Winter Palace, Garden Pavilion Wing, for five nights on room and breakfast basis. (BL)
Day 9
- Thursday 14th December - The Valley of the Kings
We cross the Nile by private launch and our first stop will be at visit to the Ramesseum, the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses II. Time to admire the toppled colossi that is said to have inspired Shelley’s Ozymandias and the stunning reliefs showing scenes from the battles of Qadesh and Dapur. We also visit the Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el Bahri. After a local lunch we head to the Valley of the Kings where we have tickets allowing access to three tombs of those open on the day. Finally, we look at the famous Colossi of Memnon standing afront the Mortuary Temple of Amenhotep III. Tonight, Campbell reflects on the fascinating topic of royal deification as witnessed at Western Thebes. (BL)
Day 10
- Friday 15th December - Felucca sailing
A traditional Friday beginning with a sail along the Nile in a felucca. We will have a special lunch on board prepared by the Old Winter Palace. Time for peace and calm taking in the beauty of the river. Later as the sun goes down and the lights go on, we have a guided tour of Luxor Temple. This evening Campbell gives a special preparatory lecture on what to look at for at Karnak, the subject of his PhD and of a forthcoming book. (BL)
Day 11
- Saturday 16th December - Karnak Temple
This morning we head off to the Temple of Amun at Karnak, the world’s largest temple complex. We have an in-depth tour of the site looking at the Pylons, the Great Hypostyle Hall, The Sanctuary and the Sacred Lake. We include all the main elements but also the more out of the way hidden gems, including the newly restored Khonsu Temple. Plenty of time to photograph and explore this amazing site. We return to the hotel at lunchtime and later we visit Luxor Museum with a superb collection of artifacts including recently unearthed finds from the local area. (B)
Day 12
- Sunday 17th December - The West Bank
Once more to the West Bank and this morning we visit the site of Deir el Medina where we view the village and enter the tombs of the artisans and workmen who built the tombs of the Pharaohs in the Valley of the Kings. We also look at the Great Pit and the nearby Ptolemaic Temple. Finally, we head to Medinet Habu the great Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III. We return to the hotel at lunchtime and the rest of the day is free. Time to relax by the pool, visit the bazaar or maybe take another walk to Luxor Temple. (B)
Day 13
- Monday 18th December 2023 - Home
This morning we take our private transfer to Luxor Airport for our direct flight to London. (B))
Dr. Campbell Price is Curator of Egypt and Sudan at Manchester Museum, one of the UK’s largest Egyptological collections. He studied Egyptology at the University of Liverpool, where he is now an Honorary Research Fellow, and has undertaken fieldwork in Egypt at Zawiyet Umm el-Rakham, Saqqara and the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. Campbell is currently the Chair of Trustees at the Egypt Exploration Society, a UK-based charity that supports Egyptian heritage. He has published widely on ancient Egyptian material culture, most recently Golden Mummies of Egypt (Manchester Museum & Nomad Exhibitions, 2020). He has lectured internationally and regularly contributes to TV and radio.
B = Breakfast BL = Breakfast and Lunch BD = Breakfast and Dinner BLD = Breakfast Lunch and Dinner
