Voyages on Viking’s newest Nile River ship, the Viking Sobek, are now available for booking. Set to debut in 2025, the Viking Sobek will join the company’s fleet as its sixth ship sailing the 12-day “Pharaohs & Pyramids” itinerary. With the line’s 2024 Egypt season nearly sold out and 2025 selling well, strong demand has led to an early opening of the Viking Sobek’s inaugural season and 2026 departure dates across the entire Nile River fleet.
Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new Viking Sobek is the identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris, which debuted in 2022, the Viking Aton, which debuted in 2023, and the Viking Hathor, which will debut in 2024.
During the 12-day “Pharaohs & Pyramids” itinerary, guests begin with a three-night stay at a hotel in Cairo, where they can visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Saqqara and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. Guests then fly to Luxor to visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River. Travelers will enjoy “Privileged Access” to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, as well as excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the High Dam in Aswan and a visit to a colorful Nubian village, where guests can experience a traditional elementary school. The journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night.
For guests looking to extend their journey, Viking also offers pre- and post-cruise extensions that provide “Privileged Access” to archives and exhibits. Guests on the five-day “British Collections of Ancient Egypt” extension will begin the journey in London, where they will meet their Viking tour director, an expert Egyptologist, and experience two museums: A private, early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum before it opens to the general public; and a visit to architect Sir John Soane’s home and personal museum, where the tour will be illuminated by candlelight, a re-enactment of how Soane entertained guests and showcased his collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus.
Guests will also visit London’s Petrie Museum, which houses over 80,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan. In Oxford, guests will visit the Ashmolean Museum, one of the oldest in the world, and home to a varied collection of Egyptian mummies and art—and go behind the scenes at Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, where they will enjoy a “Privileged Access” visit to see Howard Carter’s archives, which detail the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Lastly, guests will have further “Privileged Access” with an exclusive visit to Highclere Castle to view the Earl’s private collection of Egyptian artifacts, as well as archives and exhibits not generally accessible to the public.
Additional offerings include a new three-night “Pre-Extension” in Istanbul, where guests can visit the city and its attractions, including the Blue Mosque and the Hagia Sophia. Before their voyage, guests can also choose to extend their journey in Jerusalem. After concluding the river voyage, guests can opt for a four-night “Post-Extension” to Jordan to view Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak and experience the lost city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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