The Great Pyramid Adventure

Reserve your place on The Great Pyramid Adventure

Our tour title can be interpreted two ways – and both are true. Not only will we be exploring the entirety of the Great Pyramid of Khufu, including the areas off limits to the public, but we’ll also be exploring the vast network of beautifully finished subterranean corridors of the Black Pyramid and, most excitingly of all, the original ‘North Entrance’ of the Step Pyramid of Zoser.

This fabulous tour is a thorough exploration of pyramids, especially on the Giza Plateau and at Saqqara.

We have special permits from the Ministry of Antiquities allowing access to some spectacular sites.

DEPARTING 14th March 2026

Private entry to the Step Pyramid via the original 3^rd Dynasty entrance tunnel

Private entry to the Black Pyramid at Dahshur

Private entry to all three chambers of the Great Pyramid

Further afield we visit more remote pyramids at Lahun, Hawara and Meidum where Colin will share his theories on the building of these massive buildings and the reasons for the locations used.

Colin Reader is a chartered geologist whose studies have focused on issues as diverse as the age of the Great Sphinx, the geological evolution of the Egyptian landmass, pyramid building and ancient quarrying techniques. However, Colin stresses that Giza is the site where his interest in Ancient Egypt began. His book A gift of Geology: Ancient Egyptian Landscapes and Monuments, published by AUC Press, is now on sale.

Not forgetting a full day at the Grand Egyptian Museum where we can study the latest displays in this vast complex at Giza overlooking the Plateau.

Day 1 - Saturday 14th March 2026

We take our direct flight from Heathrow to Cairo, where we check in to the Crowne Plaza Hotel at West Giza. We are based at this hotel for seven nights on room and breakfast basis.

Day 2 - Sunday 15th March – The Grand Egyptian Museum

A fitting start to this exciting tour is a full day at the Grand Egyptian Museum. Time to explore this vast new Museum with plenty of time for lunch or refreshments on site. (B)

Day 3 - Monday 16th March – The Black Pyramid

Today we explore Dahshur where we have an exciting special permit from the Ministry of Antiquities to enter the Black Pyramid of Amenemhat III dating from the twelfth Dynasty. We also have time to enter the Bent Pyramid and the Red Pyramid two of the earliest ‘true’ pyramids dating from the Fourth Dynasty. This is a rare and exciting visit to Dahshur, exclusive to AWT passengers, and Colin will explain his theories on the building of these remarkable structures. We will have a late lunch at the Saqqara Palm Club and then we will return our comfortable hotel. (BL)

Day 4 - Tuesday 17th March – Lahun and Hawara

This morning a bit further afield we head to Hawara and the Middle Kingdom mudbrick pyramid of Amenemhat III. Time to walk this amazing site that is also home of the legendry Labyrinth. On to Lahun and another mudbrick pyramid this time of Senusret II. Both pyramids are heavily eroded due to the loss of limestone casing. We travel with lunch boxes from our hotel today. (BL)

Day 5 - Wednesday 18th March – The Giza Plateau

Today we make the short journey to the pyramids and explore the site including the causeways, mastaba tombs, the Sphinx and the Valley Temple. Time to purchase any other tickets available on the day for those who wish. We will walk the site with Colin before taking a break and enjoying lunch in a restaurant with the most spectacular view of the Giza Pyramids. After a rest we walk down the causeway to enter the Valley Temple of Khafre and Colin will give us his theories on the age of the Sphinx. We take plenty of time to investigate some of the little explored areas of this ancient site. We return to our hotel late afternoon. (BL)

Day 6 - Thursday 19th March – Meidum and the Great Pyramid Special Entry

This morning we drive south to the massive pyramid of Meidum with a chance to enter and descend to the impressive burial chamber. Colin will explain his theories on the building of this remarkable pyramid, and we will walk the site looking for clues and evidence to support his ideas. There will be time for the adventurous to enter the mastaba known as ‘Mastaba 17’ as numbered by Flinders Petrie in 1910. The sarcophagus with robber’s wooden mallet is still in situ and well worth the effort to view. We return to the hotel for a lunch break before our late afternoon return to the Giza Plateau. As the pyramid site closes for the day and the sun goes down we have an AWT private permit to thoroughly explore the Great Pyramid with entry to all three chambers. A rare and exciting chance to descend to the subterranean ‘unfinished’ chamber cut in to the bedrock and then take the ascending corridors to the Queen’s Chamber and the King’s Chamber. We return to our hotel after our expedition. (B)

Day 7 - - Friday 20th March – The Step Pyramid – Private Entry

We have planned a whole day at Saqqara where we have a very special private permit to enter the Step Pyramid of Djoser via the original 3^rd Dynasty entrance tunnel. A chance to walk through the many tunnels leading to the final resting place of Djoser in his granite vault. We will also have time to enter the Pyramid of Unas, the pyramid of Teti and the Late Period entrance of the Step Pyramid. We visit some beautiful Old Kingdom mastaba tombs and Colin will also point out lesser-known features of this vast site such as the dry moat, early dynastic tombs that have never been fully explored and the northern court of the Step Pyramid an area that has never been completely cleared. Colin will guide us through some of the more confusing aspects of this well-known site that still has many questions that still need answering. During the day we will have lunch at the Sakkara Palm Club. (BL)