Viking River Cruises recently announced an expansion of its Egypt program for the 2020 season. Stop right there and we have a story: with few exceptions, most travel companies have abandoned Egypt over security and safety concerns. So why is Viking building a brand new ship for Nile river sailings? I have three answers to that question.

1. Viking Travelers are a hearty, well-traveled bunch who don’t mind a little security issue here and there.
2. “We remain committed to Egypt, and we look forward to introducing the historic treasures of the region to even more Viking guests.” – Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen
3. They looked into their crystal ball and it said “build more.”

Let’s start with #2, continuing that same thought.

“For more than two decades, we have led the river cruise industry with our fleet development and experiences that bring travelers closer to the cultures of the world.”

Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking.

The Viking Way® of exploration continues to prove popular with travelers. It includes clear communication with travelers from the time they begin researching a trip online until they get back home afterwards. On the scene, Viking provides guests with itineraries that feature Local Life, Working World and Privileged Access experiences.

That’s really important when planning a trip to Egypt from home in North America. It’s a long way and an entirely different world. Doing so with the river cruise company many of us have experience with is helpful. You know their system. Still, all other river cruise ships on the Nile that are not in mothballs are not new.

Inspired by the design of the award-winning Viking Longships and built specifically for the Nile River, Viking Osiris is currently under construction and will double the company’s owned capacity in Egypt when it debuts in September 2020. 

Also launching in the next year are two new Pre-Cruise Extensions designed to enhance guests’ base knowledge of Egyptology prior to arriving in Cairo.

These five-day extensions to Viking’s Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary will provide guests with Privileged Access to archives and exhibits in London and Oxford that are not normally accessible to the public. This announcement comes as Viking guests continue to express strong interest in Egypt – and just one year after the company launched Viking Ra, a completely renovated vessel and Viking’s first owned and operated ship on the Nile.

            

hViking Osiris

Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, Viking Osiris will be a state-of-the art ship with the clean, elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known – and will join the company’s other ship on the Nile, Viking Ra,which launched in 2018. Viking is the first and only Western company to build, own and operate ships on the Nile.

New Pre-Cruise Extensions

Guests on the five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension will meet their Viking Tour Director, an expert Egyptologist, in London and experience Privileged Access to two museums:

• A private, early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum before it opens to the general public
• A visit to the home and personal museum of world-renowned architect, Sir John Soane, where the tour will be illuminated by candlelight, a re-enactment of how Soane entertained guests and showcased his exquisite collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus.
• Guests will also visit London’s Petrie Museum, which houses more than 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 –
• Go behind the scenes at Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, where they will enjoy a Privileged Access visit to see Carter’s archives, which detail the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
• Lastly, guests will have an opportunity to visit Highclere Castle – the country seat of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon – and enjoy an exciting opportunity to view the earl’s magnificent private collection of Egyptian artifacts.
• Guests traveling through April 2020 may opt for the new five-day King Tut & the UK’s Egyptian Collections extension, which also includes an opportunity to visit Tutankhamun: Treasures of the Golden Pharaoh, a special exhibition at London’s Saatchi Gallery that is presented by Viking.

Pharaohs & Pyramids

During the 12-day, Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, guests experience Egypt’s cultural treasures in seven destinations.

• The cruisetour begins with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where guests can visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali.
• Guests will then fly to Luxor, where they will visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak
• In Luxor, they will board a Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River, featuring Privileged Access to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens, and excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan, and a visit to a colorful Nubian village, where guests can experience a traditional elementary school.
• Finally, the journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the ancient city.

Booking Details

              From now through May 31, 2019, U.S. residents can take advantage of Viking’s special Explorers’ Sale®, featuring up-to-free airfare, a new 2-for-1 deposit, and additional bonus savings on all 2020 river cruises.

When we visited Egypt & Jordan with Abercrombie & Kent, I collected the tickets we needed for each site visited.