Engage with funerary traditions at the awe-inspiring Pyramids of Giza and the Step Pyramid at Saqqara
Discover Coptic Cairo with visits to the Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue and Citadel
Marvel at the wondrous artefacts in the Grand Egyptian Museum, including the complete Tutankhamun collection
"Ellen was an excellent guide and the tour was very well put together and organised. Ellen is clearly very knowledgeable and is good at explaining complex concepts. Her enthusiasm is infectious! The tour was the best I have yet been on...thank you Ellen"
– ACE customer on a previous 2026 tour with Ellen Jones
Cultural Breaks
This tour is part of our new series of Cultural Breaks, specially designed for the more independent traveller. These tours benefit from the same high level of cultural content as our standard tours with time also given to independent exploration, and we typically make more use of public transport as an easier and quicker way of accessing sites. There will be more free evenings, with the Tour Director and Tour Manager on hand throughout to introduce travellers to some of the lesser-known sites and recommend local places to wine and dine. Read more information about our cultural breaks here.
This brand new short tour to Egypt has been specially designed to introduce travellers to the stunning capital of Cairo. Due to its strategic location for trade between Africa, Europe and Asia, Cairo has remained a focal point of ancient Egyptian history for thousands of years. Encompassing the ancient sites of Memphis and Heliopolis, the city boasts a plethora of archaeological and architectural treasures.
Saqqara served as the necropolis for the ancient capital of Memphis and houses the oldest pyramid ever built, the renowned Step Pyramid (Pyramid of Djoser). A significant centre during the Old Kingdom, it continued to be used for non-royal burials throughout the Ptolemaic and Roman eras. Proceeding to Memphis, we will witness the power and splendour of Ramses II ‘Ramses the Great’, whose colossal statue, dating from the 13th century BCE, reclines in the Mit Rahina Museum.
“Cairo is a city unlike any other, with a history that spans millennia. This tour will give you an insight into this city's rich culture and grand past, from the pyramids at Giza, one of the ancient Wonders of the World, to medieval Coptic and Islamic architecture. With a selection of evening lectures, you will gain a deeper understanding of the ancient Egyptians and their incredible achievements, plus the ability to read a cartouche or two!”
– Tour Director Ellen Jones
Dating to the Fourth Dynasty, the monumental Giza Necropolis showcases the incredible burial tombs of Pharaohs Khufu, Khafre and Menkaure. Here, we will not only be captivated by the imposing scale of these structures but also by their intricate interiors, where walls and ceilings are richly adorned with exquisite gold and blue decorations and ancient hieroglyphics. Beyond the pyramids stand the Great Sphinx and associated temples, witnesses to centuries of history; while a wider perspective of the site’s grandeur and importance is offered by the comfortable Pyramid Lounge with its unparalleled views across the monuments and surrounding landscape.
Expert Egyptologist and Tour Director Ellen Jones will provide three dedicated lectures during the tour. These lectures will offer travellers a more profound understanding of the city's rich history and help us to prepare for our site visits, including learning how to ‘read’ the monuments by deciphering hieroglyphics and identifying religious and political figures.
Ellen Jones
A trained archaeologist, specialising in digital epigraphy and photography, Ellen is also a member of two archaeological missions to Egypt, working on graffiti at Karnak Temple and funerary iconography at the necropolis at El-Kab.
This tour will be led by Ellen Jones, PhD. Ellen studied Egyptology at the University of Oxford as an undergraduate through to the award of her DPhil, which explored the relationship between gender, self-presentation and religious decorum in ancient Egyptian elite tombs from the New Kingdom. For the past four years, Ellen worked as a Classics teacher, focusing on classical languages, Roman daily life and ancient Greek religion. A trained archaeologist specialising in digital epigraphy and photography, she is also a member of two archaeological missions to Egypt, working on graffiti at Karnak Temple and funerary iconography at the necropolis at El-Kab.
Ancient Treasures of Luxor
5 - 9 February, 2026
with Ellen Jones
Complementing our November departure, we are pleased to be offering another cultural break to Luxor, which will take place from February 5-9. The captivating ‘open-air museum’ of Luxor encompasses the ancient city of Thebes, one of the world's longest continuously inhabited cities. Here, we will uncover funerary traditions at the Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens before viewing the magnificent temples of Karnak and Luxor. We will also discover the extraordinary Dendera Temple Complex, one of the best-preserved of its kind.
6
£2795
ATCA-26
Included: return airfare, accommodation based on sharing a twin or double bedded room, five breakfasts, two lunches with water & coffee, two dinners with wine, water & coffee, excursions & admissions, gratuities & all taxes.
Not Included: visa, travel insurance, double room for single use supplement £595. Nile-view supplement £195 on request.
