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Site Summary
Seti I & Merneptah (temples), Ramesseum, Medinet Habu, Deir el Bahri, Colossi, Valley of the Kings, Western Valley, Luxor Museum, Karnak inc Open Air Museum, Deir el Medina, Valley of the Queens, Meretsegar Walk, Abydos & Dendera.
Special Openings
We are grateful to Dr Zahi Hawass and the Supreme Council of Antiquities for special permission to enter Amenhotep II's tomb.
Day 1- Mon 15th Mar 2010 - London/LuxorWe fly London to Luxor with EgyptAir and on arrival we check-in to the splendours of the first-class Old Winter Palace Garden Pavilion Wing for seven nights on room and breakfast basis.
Day 2 – Tue 16th Mar -West Bank TemplesA traditional way to begin a tour this morning we will board our private launches to cross the Nile before joining our coach on the West Bank for a look at some of the grandest temples of the necropolis. The quiet and rarely visited Temple of Seti I followed by the Temple of Merenptah with its fine museum makes a good start before heading for the larger and grander Ramesseum. We will take time to rest and enjoy a superb local lunch at the Africa Restaurant. Refreshed, we will then head to the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III at Medinet Habu, second only in size to Karnak. We move on to the temple of Queen Hatshepsut. Our last stop will be at the famous Colossi of Memnon standing guard over the Amenhotep III Temple, which is currently being excavated. (BL)
 Day 3 – Wed 17th Mar - Kings Valley I
Again we will take our private launches to the West Bank of the Nile before boarding the coach for our first venture to the Kings’ Valley. We begin with a walk along the remote and atmospheric Western Valley and enter the Tomb of Ay. Next we move onto the main valley where we have tickets for three tombs today. We will discuss the best choices depending on tombs open. Then with special permission we will enter one of the most beautiful tombs in the valley that of Amenhotep II, KV35. We also have tickets for the tomb of Tutankhamun, KV62. This afternoon we will have a guided tour of the lovely Luxor Museum. (B) (Picture: Copyright Theban mapping project. All rights reserved)
Day 4 – Thu 18th Mar - Karnak An early morning start to see the grand Karnak Temple, the Precinct of Amun, at sunrise. We are usually fortunate enough to have the temple almost entirely to ourselves for the first hour. Our guided tour will take us right through the temple and point out some of the lesser known areas often missed on hurried visits. We take time to look at the new excavations in front of the 1st pylons. We have included entry to the excellent open air museum with its fine reconstructions including Hatshepsut's Red Chapel and the superb White Chapel of Senusret I. We will also visit the Temple of Khonsu the moon god. (B)
Day 5 – Fri 19th Mar - Queens Valley Today we will head across the Nile to the West Bank to visit the Workers Village at Deir el Medina to view the homes and burial places of the tomb builders themselves. We will enter the small but beautifully crafted tombs of the artisans including that of Pashedu. We will also explore the Ptolemaic Temple and then take a look at the feature known as the Great Pit thought to be an attempt at establishing a local well for the village workers. Then we will walk to the Valley of the Queens stopping at the shrines of Ptah and Meretsegar to enjoy the views. On arrival in the Queens’ Valley we will enter the tombs of some of the royal children dating from the reign of Ramesses III. (B) |
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DEPARTURE DATE: Monday 15th March 2010
TOUR CODE: AWKV150310
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Basic Holiday Price: |
£1,833 |
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Single Supplement: |
£160 |
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Luxor 7 Night Extension: |
£632 |
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Single Supplement: |
£160 |
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Land Only Discount: |
£300 |  Book Tour
This tour can also be combined with Aidan Dodson's spectacular Middle Egypt tour that starts on Day 8 of this tour. Contact the office for details!
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Expert: Dylan Bickerstaffe is a popular author and lecturer whose special area of research includes the Royal Mummies, the Royal Cache and the end of the New Kingdom. He has recently featured in Channel 5's "Secrets of Egypt" documentary.
Day 6 – Sat 20th Mar - Kings Valley II
Journeying across the Nile back to the Valley we will explore a further three tombs. These are followed by the spectacular walk over the Theban hills via the 'Way Station' to one of the most wonderful panoramas in Egypt. We will take the path to admire the temple of Hatshepsut from above, before turning back to enjoy the breathtaking views of the Nile Valley with its tombs and temples. Our descent takes us to Deir el-Medina, the Workmens' Village. Those that prefer can of course take the coach and enjoy time at a local café before rejoining the group. In the evening we will walk along the Corniche to the Mummification Museum for an evening illustrated lecture. (B)
Day 7 – Sun 21st Mar - Abydos & Denderah Today we will travel north to visit Abydos, first to the temple of Seti I which contains some of the finest raised relief inscription in the whole of Egypt and is famous for its ancient ‘King List’. We will explore the mysterious Osireion and then take the short walk across the desert sands to the smaller temple of Ramesses II. There we will see some vibrant colours inside the temple and excellent reliefs of the battle of Kadesh on the outer walls. After a packed lunch we head back towards Luxor taking time to visit the Greco Roman Temple of Hathor at Denderah. Here is a chance to see the newly restored and cleaned ceilings and walls with astronomical scenes now on view, free of black soot for the first time in hundreds of years. (BL)
Day 8 – Mon 22nd Mar - Luxor/London
After breakfast we fly Luxor to London with EgyptAir arriving early afternoon. (B)
LUXOR EXTENSION
You can extend your holiday by a week in the Luxurious surroundings of the Old Winter Palace for surprisingly little. You will still have your private transfer to the airport at the end and we can arrange any excursions you'd like. See the price box above. |