Missing out on a warm holiday retreat? Looking for an adventure but lack the time or funds for a trip abroad? This year, you don’t need to leave Calgary for that.
Horizon of Khufu is a new immersive expedition running at CF Chinook Centre from December 12, 2024 to January 30, 2025. Distributed by Montreal-based PHI Studio and produced by Paris-based Studio Excurio, this 45-minute virtual reality (VR) experience takes you on a journey to explore ancient Egypt.
Unlike some VR experiences where you’re standing still or in a small space, Horizon of Khufu has fully wireless headsets that allow attendees to move around a nearly 10,000-square-foot space. After checking in at the computers, you enter a black and white hallway where you’re given a headset. The top-notch graphics and audio start immediately, creating a fully immersive experience.
Besides exploring ancient Egypt, the experience takes you through the Giza Plateau and the Great Pyramid of Giza, which was conceived to house King Khufu. Guests will virtually boat through water, tunnel below the pyramid and fly above ancient Egypt on the guided tour hosted by two VR avatars, a friendly Egyptologist named Mona and a goddess in the form of a talking cat, Bastet. Expect to learn about one of the seven original wonders of the world, fascinating architectural discoveries, and cultural and ceremonial facts from 4,500 years ago during King Khufu’s life.
Tickets are available for purchase online. You must be eight years and older to attend. The experience is offered in English, French, Mandarin and Spanish.
CF Chinook Centre, 6455 Macleod Tr., horizonkheopsexperience.com
Avenue’s writers and editors are occasionally invited to experience dining or adventure experiences as a guest, including some of the experiences in this story. Neither complimentary experiences nor advertising are required for coverage in Avenue. Neither companies that advertise nor those that provide other incentives are promised editorial coverage, nor do they have the opportunity to review or approve stories before publication.