Embark on a journey to Ancient Egypt with Horizon of Khufu, a virtual reality experience by the company Excurio. I joined the VR expedition in New York City and had a blast. It’s immersive, educational, and downright fun.
Horizon of Khufu Virtual Reality Experience
VR Gear
Horizon of Khufu transports visitors through time and space. And while that sounds wonderful, it looks comical. Upon arrival at the venue in Hell’s Kitchen, my family and I giggle as we peek into the immersive area and see everyone awkwardly making their way around. At our appointed time, staff equip us with VR headsets, allowing us to physically move around and interact with the virtual reality space. For those of you who haven’t experienced VR, fear not. The headset provides clear instructions on navigating your way through the immersive area. It ensures you don’t smack into other people or walk into a wall. If you heed their warnings, you’ll avoid being like my hubby, who bumps headsets with me more than once.
As soon as our gear is on, it’s time to explore Ancient Egypt.
Exploring the Great Pyramid
The expedition starts at the base of Giza’s largest pyramid. Built in the Old Kingdom over 4,500 years ago, it served as Pharaoh Khufu’s final resting place. Ancient Egyptians called the pyramid “the Horizon of Khufu,” because of its association with the sun and kingship. Hence the name of the VR experience. Very clever.
A friendly VR Egyptologist named Mona greets us as our expedition guide. We explore the pyramid as tourists would in the real world, seeing the Grand Gallery and King’s Chamber. Mona knows her shit because she spits out facts about the gallery’s corbelled interior and other aspects of the pyramid’s construction. It was no surprise to me when I later learned a real Egyptologist – Peter Der Manuelian – helped design the experience. Horizon of Khufu is legit, and you’ll learn a thing or two about Egyptian history.
Mona is soon usurped by the feline form of the Egyptian goddess Bastet. While Mona is informative, she’s a mere mortal in comparison to the sassy cat goddess, who truly unlocks Egypt’s mysteries for us. She leads our expedition into the Queen’s Chamber and other subterranean rooms. She unveils schematic-like views of the pyramid’s interior plan, magically dismantling the mostly solid stone structure.
As we explore the Great Pyramid, I find myself ducking low and walking in a crouched position through a non-existent tunnel. Afterwards, I laugh and say, “Oh yeah, this is not real.” As we follow Bastet through the pyramid, the stone floors constantly shift, leaving gaping chasms. I reluctantly pause at them or bravely hop over to another stone. I grab my brother’s hand for balance, so I don’t misstep and fall to my death. Seconds later, I remember that I’m walking on a smooth surface in a Manhattan building. Horizon of Khufu is immersive, so just go with it.
Giza Necropolis
A high point of the tour is the top of the Great Pyramid. We’re treated to spectacular views of the Giza necropolis, with the pyramids of Khafre and Menkaure in the distance. As I inch closer to the stone edge to peer over, I instinctively pull my brother back as he saunters right past me to take in the view (we’re still holding hands because I am a scaredy-cat). I look behind me to see that my husband has wandered away and somehow climbed to the apex of the pyramid. In disbelief, I wonder how he got up there until I correct myself again and say, “This. Is. Not. Real!”
But it feels real. The views of Giza are breathtaking. I’m standing on one of the ancient wonders of the world. Behind me are the two other pyramids of Giza, in all their majesty. The desert stretches out to the horizon, an endless sea of sand. The magic of VR has captivated me and transported me to Egypt.
We reluctantly leave the pyramid and cross the Nile on Khufu’s solar barge. Khufu’s real boat was buried next to his Great Pyramid. It associated the pharaoh with the sun god, who travelled across the sky each day by boat. Every night, he descended into the Underworld to battle the forces of chaos, emerging victorious to bring a new morning.
Mummification
Once we disembark, Bastet teaches us about mummification, because this is Ancient Egypt, after all. We attend a funeral rite with Khufu’s family and royal court. A priest performs the opening of the mouth ceremony, reanimating Khufu so his spirit can regain its senses and receive offerings of food and drink. It’s a somber and deeply religious scene, but it feels a bit like we’re crashing a funeral.
When our Ancient Egyptian counterparts raise their hands to chant, I start to raise my hands because I’m overtaken by the scene. My mom wants to do the same, but we stop ourselves because we don’t want to be disrespectful.
At the end of the expedition, we say our goodbyes to our lovely guides. When we take our headsets off, we’re jarred back into reality. I’m not gonna lie, I was a bit sad and wanted to stay in Ancient Egypt.
Horizon of Khufu Logistics
- Horizon of Khufu is located in Eclipso, at 555 West 57th Street, New York, NY 10019.
- My ticket for a Saturday was $44 plus tax. You can check out their times and dates here.
- If you’re not in NYC, you can experience Horizon of Khufu in Atlanta, Georgia; Calgary, Canada; and Sydney, Australia.
- In addition to English, Horizon of Khufu is offered in Spanish, French, and Chinese. Two of my family members did the experience in Spanish and were very pleased with the results.
- From start to finish, the experience is 45 minutes. You’re walking the whole time, so be sure to wear comfy shoes.
Recommendation
Horizon of Khufu is awesome. Do it. Seriously, it’s worth it. It’s fun, educational, and immersive as hell.
If you love how virtual reality intersects with history and want to try another experience, see my blog post, Relive the First Impressionist Exhibition in 1874 Paris.
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