Abydos (4 Days)
From $2425 (Both Private Group Tours & Small Groups Tours)
Overview
What Happened at Abydos Shaped Egyptian History
Abydos weaves together faith, history, and ongoing archaeological discovery into a powerful story of Egypt’s religious and cultural evolution.
The Predynastic and First Dynasty periods helped shape a civilisation that believed pharaohs were earthly embodiments of the gods, able to protect their people in life and in the afterlife.
For travellers seeking the origins of what they see and experience in Egypt, there is no better place to begin than Abydos. Abydos is home to many ancient temples and the royal necropolis of Umm el-Qa’ab. Some Egyptologists call it the first Valley of the Kings. Tombs of predynastic rulers have been found here, including that of Narmer. Predynastic Egypt spans the era from the earliest settlements to the beginning of the First Dynasty around 3100 BCE.
You Feel the Aura of Abydos
As you wander through the sacred landscape of Abydos, you sense the stillness and spiritual resonance that have drawn visitors here for millennia. That atmosphere comes alive in its temples, shrines, reliefs, and hieroglyphic inscriptions—made even more meaningful by the stories and context shared by your guide.
Research and Excavations
More than a century of research and excavation continues to reveal new insights into ancient Egypt, underscoring Abydos’s enduring importance to our understanding of its beliefs, rulers, and sacred traditions.
The Essential Aspects of this 5-Star Itinerary
Designed for discerning travellers, this journey pairs Egypt’s timeless wonders with the comfort, privacy, and seamless service expected of a truly high-end experience. Every detail has been considered to ensure your time is not only memorable, but effortless from beginning to end.
The Signature Touches of This 5-Star Journey
- Handpicked 5-star hotels in Cairo, chosen for their elegance, comfort, and exceptional service
- A luxury-class Nile cruise experience with refined accommodation and attentive onboard hospitality
VIP Concierge Service in Cairo
- Your personal concierge will welcome you on arrival, meeting you at the aircraft gate or in the customs hall for a seamless start to your journey.
- Enjoy priority passage through customs and immigration, allowing you to bypass the usual queues with ease.
- All transfers are accompanied by our staff and provided in air-conditioned comfort for a smooth, effortless experience throughout.
A Personal Travel App for Effortless Connection
- We can provide a personal travel app for your phone, laptop, or tablet, keeping you connected with loved ones while delivering real-time flight updates and itinerary changes—your discreet, always-on travel companion.
From the moment you arrive to your final farewell, every aspect of your stay is curated with care, discretion, and attention to detail—allowing you to immerse yourself in Egypt with complete peace of mind and in exceptional style.
Gallery
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Abydos Was Once The Most Sacred Site In Egypt
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Its Religious Importance Spanned 3000 Years
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The Osition Temple
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Brilliantly Adored Temples
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You Can Feel The Aura Of Abydos
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Abydos An Integral Place In Egyptian History
Ancient Egyptian Research Association
One Horizon Africa is a member of AERA. AERA brings together archaeologists and specialists from around the world to address questions regarding the origin, nature, and development of the Egyptian state. By becoming a member of AERA you support the training of young Egyptian archaeologists and the survey, mapping, excavation, and the analysis of archaeological sites. We encourage everyone to become a member and support the work of AERA. For additional information please click the button below.
Itinerary
Meet and greet at Cairo Airport
Our representative will be on hand to facilitate your transit through Customs and Immigration.
Transfers and Free Time
Our representative will travel with you from the airport to your hotel to ensure a smooth transition and booking process. Time to rest up in preparation for the start of your trip.
Depending on your arrival time in Cairo, you could opt for an excursion to the Pyramids of Giza. Please enquire with us for further details.
Dinner Cruise on the Nile
After relaxing at the hotel, you will be picked up for your evening dinner cruise on the Nile. It will be a night to be savoured and remembered forever. You can enjoy a wide menu of foods – an authentic Egyptian dinner. And the entertainment highlight of the night is traditional dancing and other entertainment, even audience members get involved. At the end of the evening, you are transferred back to your hotel.
Overnight – 1 night at the Cairo Marriott (Nile River) 5 Star Hotel.
Dinner included
The Marriott Where You Become Royalty
Enjoying All The Marriott Has To Offer
First Class Amenities At The Marriott
Today, You Fly to Luxor
Breakfast at the hotel – transfer to Cairo Airport for your flight to Luxor. You will visit:
The Great Temples of Karnak and Luxor. Karnak is an ancient Egyptian temple precinct located on the east bank of the Nile River in Thebes (modern-day Luxor). It covers more than 100 hectares, and is an extraordinary complex of sanctuaries, kiosks, pylons, and obelisks dedicated to the pharaohs.
The Valley of the Kings: The Valley is where rock-cut tombs were excavated for pharaohs in the New Kingdom.
The Valley of the Workers: This is an ancient workmen’s village which was home to the artisans who worked on the tombs.
The Temple of Hatshepsut Queen Hatshepsut’s temple was built to tell Hatshepsut’s life story and to assert her power.
Overnight – The first of 2 nights at the Hilton Luxor Resort (5 Star)
Dinner at own expense
The Temple Of Karnak
Tomb Of Rameses V And VI In Luxor
Hatshepsut Mortuary Temple In Luxor
Today We Go to Abydos
After breakfast, we will travel by road to Abydos.
The Burial Place of Osiris
Abydos was considered the most important religious site in ancient Egyptian. This belief was fostered by:
- Abydos was the reputed burial place of Osiris, the god of the dead and the afterlife, which made it a major center for the worship of this deity.
- Pilgrims would travel from far to partake in the annual festival dedicated to Osiris, seeking spiritual salvation and connection with the afterlife.
Osiris Cult and Annual Festival
- The annual festival dedicated to Osiris began during the Middle Kingdom, and Osiris’s temple became a site of pilgrimage.
- The festival was held between July and September, coinciding with the annual inundation of the Nile.
- Priests associated with Osiris’ cult would carry an image of the god out from his temple, along the processional valley, and bury the image at Umm el-Qa’ab.
- After burying the image, it would be ritualistically regenerated and returned to the temple along the same processional route.
- The processional route between Umm el-Qa’ab and the Osiris temple played an integral role during the festival as his myth was ceremonially re-enacted along the route.
Brilliantly Adored Temples
Incredible Murals
Abydos An Integral Place In Egyptian History
The First Valley of the Kings
The First Valley of the Kings
- Abydos also served as a necropolis for the earliest royal tombs of ancient Egypt, ie, before the first Pharaohs, nobles, and common people desired to be buried near this sacred city, believing it to be a gateway to the afterlife.
The Umm El Qa’ab Necropolis of Royal Tombs
The royal necropolises of the pre-dynastic and the first dynasties (including Narmer’s) are about a mile into the great desert plain. The tombs belong to the pharaohs of the First and Second Dynasties, including Narmer. There are also tombs of the pharaoh’s servants surrounding the royal chambers.
The Umm El Qa’ab Necropolis Of Royal Tombs
Considered The First Valley Of The Kings
Amazing and Well-Preserved Temples
Abydos is home to several buildings, each a unique story, with the most prominent among them being:
- The Temple of Seti I (also known as the Abydos Temple), a temple dedicated to the Pharaoh Seti I and most notably, Osiris.
- The Osirian, another monument, also associated with Seti I, was intended to serve as a symbolic tomb of Osiris.
- The Temple of Ramses II, built by him at Abydos and dedicated to Osiris. Although largely in ruin, this temple appears to have been more carefully constructed than other buildings built by this pharaoh. Fine-grained limestone was used, with black and red granite for the doorways, sandstone for the columns, and alabaster for an inner shrine.
Colourful Wall Reliefs & Hieroglyphics
The Abydos Temple has well-preserved reliefs, detailing religious rituals, the Pharaoh’s divine lineage, and the afterlife’s mysteries.
The Kings List
The highlight of Seti’s Temple is:
- The Abydos King List, a chronological list showing 76 kings of ancient Egypt, which offers valuable insight into Egypt’s early dynastic history.
- This temple stands out for its well-preserved reliefs, detailing religious rituals, the Pharaoh’s divine lineage, and the afterlife’s mysteries.
Overnight – The second of 2 nights at the Hilton Luxor Resort (5 Star)
Dinner at own expense
The Abydos Temple
The Osition Temple
The Kings List 76 Pharoahs Identifies Discovered At Abydos
Transferring Options
Breakfast in the hotel and, depending on your travel plans and your onward journey, you will be either:
Transferring to the airport for your return trip to Cairo or, transferring to your cruise vessel.
Abydos Was Once The Most Sacred Site In Egypt
Inclusions
The trip to Abydos can be included on a Nile Cruise excursion or as part of our Excavations Experience or as separate 2 day excursion. Our Excavations Experience, has 4 additional sites involved ie The Lost City of the Pyramid Workers, The Hidden Pyramid and Serapeum. The Excavations Experience is conducted as a 4 day/3 night experience
- Meet and greet at the airport by our representative upon arrival
- Overnight accommodation at the Marriot (Nile River) in Zamalek Cairo
- Private Tour with English speaking guide
- Breakfast and lunch each day
- Internal return flight to Luxor
- 2 nights accommodation at the Hilton Luxor Resort (5 Star)
- Pick up and return to your hotel in air conditioned vehicles daily
- Water
- All entrance fees
Exclusions
- Dinners at own expense on Days 1-3
- Personal expenditure of any kind
- Tips
- Alcoholic Drinks and extra meals (other than those stated in the itinerary)
Videos
ARCHAEOLOGY 2.0
Dr Mark Lehner ranks amongst the most outstanding Egyptologists of the modern era. Within a select group of Egyptologists such as Petrie, Carter, Hawass and others, Mark has earned his international reputation based on over 40 years of conducting research and excavations in Egypt. His discoveries, such as the workers village close to the Giza Pyramids, and his academic treatise and publications have contributed greatly to the world’s understanding of ancient Egypt. Mark is also the founder of the Ancient Egyptians Research Associates (AERA) whose work includes training the next generation of Egyptian Egyptologists.
Within One Horizon, training our tour guides so that they provide our clients with the most factual, up to date and insightful information draws heavily from Mark’s 40 years of research, analysis and dedication. And so, our guides remain at the forefront of current learnings and knowledge that enhances our guests Egyptian experience with us.
One Horizon Egypt
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