Course Director:
Lucia Gahlin
‘Dazzling’ Solar Tour: Overview
Join us in sunny Egypt on this ‘dazzling’ 11 day lecture tour where we explore how the Egyptians worshipped the sun. We will venture inside pyramids, inspect sun temples and journey to Amarna, to investigate Akhenaten’s city of the Aten. Our tour has 4 special openings to sites rarely visited and is complimented with museum trips. Our tour concludes with a trip to the astonishing GEM, a world class museum where you can explore every item found buried alongside Tutankhamun.
Special openings included:
- Permission to explore the subterranean tunnels beneath Djoser’s step pyramid
- A chance to explore the 5th dynasty sun temple of Niuserre
- We visit the 5th dynasty pyramid field at Abusir
- A chance to go inside the pyramid of Khafra on the Giza plateau.
What makes a Kemet Klub tour extra special?
- Online meetings before and after the tour.
- Carefully crafted itineraries with special access to some rarely visited sites
- Travel with fellow Egypt enthusiasts, expert lecturers and guides.
- Course booklet with suggested reading, site plans, maps and further information.
- Special tour classroom for handouts, images, and recordings of our two online events.
Price: £5410
Single Room supplement £570
Price excludes airfare, which is by your own arrangement. (Important: Do not book your flight until we confirm with you that we have the numbers to allow the tour to go ahead.)
Limited Numbers
You can reserve your place with an initial deposit of £700 (GBP) and completing the booking form. Once we have confirmed we have met our minimum number of travellers, you will be asked to arrange your flight. The final balance is due by 15th July 2026.
Itinerary of our ‘Dazzling’ Solar Tour
Thursday 17th September, Pre-Trip Online lecture 7-9 pm (UK times)
Lucia will set the scene for our exciting adventures with her first lecture. This evening also gives you a chance to meet your fellow travel companions and to ask any questions you have before we depart.
Lecture 1: A Dazzling Solar tour of Cairo’s Museums
Day 1: Thursday 24th September 2026
Arrive in Cairo.
Our Tour is operated by Galal Alsenusy and one of his representatives will meet you at Cairo Airport. (Just look out for our Kemet Klub logo!) They will assist us to our hotel. and help us to check into the Sofitel Cairo Nile el Gezirah Hotel
Day 2: Friday 25 September
Saqqara and Dahshur
Our dazzling solar tour starts at Saqqara, home of Djoser’s step pyramid, a stairway to the heavens. Here we get a rare chance with a special permission to explore some of the subterranean chambers beneath this iconic structure. We will also take time to explore the finely carved mastaba of Ti , who was Overseer of the 5th dynasty sun temples. We finish up our morning at Saqqara with a visit to the pyramid of Teti and some time to enjoy the Imhotep museum.
We pause for lunch at the idyllic Saqqara Palm Club before heading to Dahshur to see the evolution of pyramids as demonstrated by Sneferu’s bent pyramid and his red pyramid. We will explore these inside and out!
LECTURE 2: Pyramids and the Emerging Solar Religion
Day 3: Saturday 26 September 2026
Egyptian Museum Tahrir Square and Giza
We start our day with the fantastic collection in the old museum at Tahrir Square, where amongst the many treasures and iconic finds there are also some important pieces relating to our tour. The Amarna collection here is impressive as well as the collection of Old Kingdom statues including Khafra’s famous diorite statue found by Mariette in 1860.
A chance to enjoy lunch at Abu Shaqra on the Giza plateau before we start our afternoon adventures.
This afternoon will be spent on the Giza Plateau, where the sight of the pyramids never fails to impress! Our visit will pay particular attention to Khafra, his pyramid, pyramid temple remains, causeway and of course the sphinx. Khafra’s pyramid is not currently open to the public, however we have special permission to venture inside.
Day 4: Sunday 27 September 2026
Abusir and Abu Ghurob
A very special day today with not one but two special openings today! The first allows us to explore the pyramid field at Abusir to see the pyramids of 5th dynasty kings Sahure, Niuserre, Neferirkare and Neferefre. Sahure’s pyramid also has a ruined pyramid temple, with fragments of reliefs to enjoy. We allow a moment for the sand to settle whilst having lunch at Saqqara Palm Club before heading off for our second special opening of the day. Staying in the 5th dynasty, we will enjoy a rare opportunity to explore the sun temple of Niuserra at Abu Ghurob.
LECTURE 3: Sun Temples and Obelisks
Day 5: Monday 28 September 2026
Heliopolis, Meidum and Minya
We start out today in the suburb of Cairo exploring the ruins of Heliopolis, the cult centre of the sun god Re. Once on the coach we start our journey south, stopping enroute to explore another of Sneferu’s pyramids, the dramatic pyramid of Meidum. Once we have explored inside and out we continue our drive to Minya with packed lunch on the bus.
Check in to Nefertiti Hotel Minya.
LECTURE 4:The Cult Centre of the Sun God at Heliopolis
Day 6: Tuesday 29 September 2026
First Amarna Day
The first of two full days at Amarna. Today we will visit the Northern Tombs of Huya, Meryre II, Ahmose, Meryre I, Pentu, and Panhesy and the Royal Tomb (TA26) of Akhenaten himself. We will explore the ruins of the North Palace and see Boundary Stela U, which marks one edge of this extraordinary city dedicated to the Aten.
LECTURE 5: 18th Dynasty Solarising of Egyptian Religion and Kingship
Day 7: Wednesday 30 September 2026
Second Amarna Day
Today’s adventures at Akhetaten will start with the Southern Tombs, including Ay, Any, Apy, Mahu, Tutu, Maya and Parennefer. We can visit the Central City to explore the Small Aten Temple, the Records Office, restored Nobles’ House and we can take a walk to the House/Workshop of Thutmose, the site where the fabulous bust of Nefertiti was discovered.
LECTURE 6: Akhenaten and Nefertiti: children of the dazzling sun
Day 8: Thursday 1 October 2026
Tuna El-Gebel and El Ashmunein *
We start our day with a chance to visit the small but interesting Mallawi Museum before moving on to visit Tuna el-Gebel and Ashmunein*, home of Akhetaten’s boundary stela A and the tomb of Petosiris, high priest of Thoth. Whilst here we will have time to see the colossal baboon statues and the baboon and ibis necropolis, plenty to keep us busy! (*IMPORTANT UPDATE. Ashmunein has been closed to tourists. Day 8 will still include Tuna el-Gebel and the Mallawi Museum as planned, we will now visit Beni Hassan as a replacement for Ashmunein).
LECTURE 7: Akhetaten: the Horizon of the Sun Disc
Day 9: Friday 2 October 2026
National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation
A chance to watch Egypt unfold from your window as we drive back to Cairo in time to have lunch at the Studio Misr, close to the National Museum of Egyptian Civilisation, which will be our next stop. Our afternoon will be spent enjoying the collection of the NMEC, home of the royal mummies and chronological gallery with some beautiful artefacts.
LECTURE 8: Akhenaten and the Sun God
Day 10: Saturday 3 October 2026
Grand Egyptian Museum
We conclude our tour with the ‘living image of the Aten’ himself, the stunning collection of Tutankhamun’s treasures at the GEM. We will spend the day here so there will also be plenty of time to enjoy the 12 chronological galleries, Khufu’s boat, the shop, garden and cafes. We will all have a chance to recharge at lunchtime with a delicious lunch at Zooba, within the GEM itself.
Farewell dinner together at the hotel
Day 11: Sunday 4 October 2026
Galal’s team will transfer us to the airport for our homeward journey
Thursday, 15th October
Post-Trip Online catch up 7-9 pm (UK times)
Our tours are never over until we have all had a chance to catch our breath and sort through our photos! This is an informal catch-up via Zoom, a few weeks after our trip. A chance for us share stories and memories along with our favourite photos.
Lucia Gahlin is an Egyptologist based in the UK, she has been leading archaeological tours to Egypt for 30 years. Her most recent academic position was Honorary Research Fellow at University College London’s Institute of Archaeology, where she continues to work closely with one of the world’s most important collections of Egyptian antiquities, the Petrie Museum of Egyptian and Sudanese Archaeology.
She has worked extensively on the material dating to Akhenaten’s reign in the Petrie Museum and at the archaeological site of Tell el-Amarna, the remains of the pharaoh Akhenaten’s capital city in Middle Egypt, where she has been the Small Finds Registrar. She has been Chair of the Friends of the Petrie Museum, a Trustee of the Egypt Exploration Society, and Director of Bloomsbury Summer School. She has taught Egyptology for the Universities of London (Birkbeck College and UCL), Reading, Surrey, Sussex, Exeter, Warwick and Bristol. She has also taught many successful courses for Kemet Klub both in person and online. Her publications include Egypt: gods, myths and religion.
Price includes:
- Hotel accommodation as detailed in the itinerary
- Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included from 25th September – 3rd October. Breakfast on the 4th depending on your flight time.
- Tours and transfers in a modern AC Mercedes bus
- Entry fees to all visits mentioned in itinerary
- Tour guide fees
- Tips for our Tour Guide and Bus Driver.
- Special openings as detailed
- Ghafirs, reps, waiter tip
- Water on the bus and with meals
- Egypt entry visa
Price does not include:
- Airfare (This is by your own arrangement, once we have confirmed the tour is viable)
- Any meals or drinks other than those mentioned in the itinerary.
- Travel insurance.
- A small housekeeping tip each day for the cleaner of your hotel room .
- Any other costs for goods or services not included in the itinerary.
FAQ’s
Can I extend my stay in Egypt? -Yes. Galal will be happy to assist you if you would like to spend a few extra days in Egypt, either side of our trip.
Do I have to be in the UK to join this trip?
No. You are responsible for arranging your own flights, so you can join us from anywhere in the world. Let us know your flight information so that Galal and his team can collect you from the airport.
Do I have to arrange my own flights? Yes, but if you need assistance with this, contact us and we can put you in touch with a trusted travel agent to assist you. Do not buy your flights until you have heard from us that we have reached our minimum number of travellers and that the trip is viable.
Terms and Conditions – just in case you missed them at the top of the page!
The Terms and Conditions of the Solar Tour 2026