Day 1 - Friday 13th February 2026

We fly London Heathrow to Cairo and on arrival take our private transfer to the Crowne Plaza Hotel at West Giza and check in for two nights on room and breakfast basis.

Day 2 - Saturday 14th February – Grand Egyptian Museum

A full day at GEM with plenty of time to search out your favourite objects in these amazing new galleries. Chris and your guide with be on hand to advise. This amazing museum now promises to be fully open. Lunch will be own arrangements at one of the many food outlets on the lower level. We return to our hotel late afternoon. (B)

Day 3 - Sunday 15th February – To Luxor

After a leisurely breakfast we take our transfer to the airport for our internal flight to Luxor. On arrival we check in to our rooms for eight nights on room and breakfast basis. Later we will have a lecture from Chris to discuss the week ahead. (B)

Day 4 - Monday 16th February – The Valley of The Kings

Today, we cross the Nile by private launch and then head to the Valley of The Kings. We have tickets for entrance to three tombs of your own choosing of those open on the day. Time to buy extra tickets for Seti I and Tutankhamun for those who wish. After a refreshing local lunch we visit the  Ramesseum, 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.  This evening Chris will present a talk. (BL)

Day 5 - Tuesday 17th February – Tombs and Temples

We take our private launch and cross the Nile to join our vehicle for the short ride to the Tombs of the Nobles. Time to explore the colourful scenes in the tomb of Sennofer known as the ‘Tomb of Vines’ and admire the rich decorations in the tomb of Rekhmire. We also enter the tomb of vizier and governor of Thebes, Ramose. Here we see beautiful classical and Amarna-style reliefs and pay special attention to the funerary scenes. We also make a visit to Howard Carter House close by. We have lunch at a local restaurant before our guided tour of Medinet Habu, the vast Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III. Also a short stop to admire the magnificent Colossi of Memnon. (BL)

Day 6 - Wednesday 18th February – To Abydos

Today we travel with our overnight bags to Abydos. On arrival we will have lunch at the House of Life Hotel our lodgings for the night. After our break we visit the Temple of Seti I with plenty of time to view some of the most stunning reliefs to be found in all of Egypt. We also view the Osireion before walking across the desert sands to enter the Temple of Ramesses II where new excavations are underway.  We return to our hotel and enjoy an evening meal. Tonight, we will have a lecture from Chris telling us what to expect tomorrow. (BLD)

Day 7 - Thursday 19th February – Anubis Mountain

Today we have a special permit to enter the Tomb of Senusret III cut in to the natural ‘pyramid’ shape hill known as Anubis Mountain. The eight-hundred-foot-long structure cut into the hill is still being studied by a team from Penn Museum. Next, we head off to Kom el Sultan with its massive mudbrick walls and we have time to walk to the huge mudbrick enclosure of Shunet El Zebib dating to the 2^nd Dynasty and built by Khasakhemwy. We return to the hotel for lunch before the ride back to our Luxor hotel. (BL)

Day 8 - Friday 20th February – Temples and Feluccas

After breakfast we will 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.  Plenty of time to photograph and explore this amazing site. What better way to celebrate Friday than take a calm and relaxing sail on a traditional Felucca on the Nile. We will have a first-class lunch prepared by the Old Winter Palace while we sail on this ever-popular excursion. Later this afternoon we visit Luxor Temple. (BL)

Day 9 - Saturday 21st February – Temples and Tombs

Today, Deir el Medina where we see the village homes of the workmen who built the grand tombs in the Valley of the Kings. We can enter the well preserved, small but colourful, private tombs of the craftsmen and artisans. Time to walk to the nearby Ptolemaic temple and the ‘Great Pit’. We visit the colourful tomb-chapels of Roy and Shu Roy at Dra Abu el Naga along with the newly opened tombs of Hery and Djehuty. We include a lunch at our local restaurant today. After a rest we visit two rarely visited sites. The small but finely decorated Khokha tombs  and the memorial temple of Seti I, in which one can note the difference between the art of Seti I and that of his son Rameses II, who finished-off his father’s work. A lecture this evening on the exciting visit planned for our final day on the West Bank. (BL)

Day 10 - Sunday 22nd February – Hatshepsut and Montuhotep II

We cross the Nile once again and go straight to Deir el Bahri for an exciting Special Permit visit to the Temple of Montuhotep II of the Eleventh Dynasty, who reunified Egypt bringing about the start of the Middle Kingdom. Hatshepsut’s nearby temple steals all the attention but Montuhotep’s provided the inspiration for it and would have been at least as spectacular in its day. It is now badly ruined but its unique ground plan – cut into the cliffs – remains visible along with thousands of decorated blocks. The king may also have been buried here although that is still the subject of debate!

Next, to the Temple of Hatshepsut standing right beside us. Plenty of time to search out the Punt reliefs, the Chapel of Hathor and the view from the upper terraces. Finally, we enter the tombs of the High Official Pabasa and Royal Steward Kheruef. We return to our hotel at lunchtime and the rest of the day is free. (B)

Day 11 - Monday 23rd February 2026

This morning we take our transfer to the airport for our direct EgyptAir flight to London Heathrow arriving early afternoon. (B)