Viking takes delivery of newest Egypt ship
Viking has taken delivery of the company’s newest ship for the Nile River, the Viking Hathor.
The delivery ceremony took place when the new ship was presented at Massara shipyard in Cairo, Egypt. The 82-guest Viking Hathor joins the company’s growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships for the Nile River and will sail Viking’s popular 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
“We are proud to welcome the Viking Hathor to our award-winning river fleet,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “With its abundance of cultural treasures and ancient antiquities, Egypt has always been a destination of great interest to curious travelers, including our guests. We believe our ships are by far the most elegant vessels sailing the Nile River, and we look forward to introducing even more explorers to this fantastic destination in the years to come.”
Viking’s growing Egypt fleet
Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new Viking Hathor is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known.
An identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris and the Viking Aton, the Viking Hathor features several aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. Additional ships in the Egypt fleet include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares.
Viking’s Pharaohs & Pyramids Itinerary
During the 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary, guests begin with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where they can visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, or the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River. The cruise features visits to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings.
Excursions include visits to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan. Finally, the journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the ancient city.
How to extend your Egypt journey
For guests looking to extend their journey in Egypt, Viking also offers Pre and Post 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. There, they will meet their Viking Tour Director, an expert Egyptologist, and experience Privileged Access to two museums. The first is a private, early morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum before it opens to the general public. The second is a visit to the home and personal museum of world-renowned architect, Sir John Soane.
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—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 of Carnarvon’s magnificent private collection of Egyptian artifacts, as well as archives and exhibits not normally accessible to the public.
Additional offerings include a three-night Pre-Extension in Istanbul, where guests can visit the timeless city and important religious sites including the “Blue Mosque” and the legendary Hagia Sophia. After concluding the river voyage, guests can also extend the journey with a 4-night Post-Extension to Jordan—Petra, Dead Sea & Amman 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.
