Viking Opens Bookings for 19-Day Grand Nile Journey in 2028
Aboard the 52-guest Viking Ra, passengers will visit Tell el-Amarna, Akhenaten’s royal capital, and Beni Hasan’s cliffside tombs depicting ancient daily life.
Viking has opened bookings for its new 19-day Grand Nile Journey, with departures starting in 2028. The itinerary combines four hotel nights in Cairo with a 14-night Nile sailing from the Egyptian capital to Aswan.
The program includes 17 guided tours and adds lesser-visited archaeological sites in Middle Egypt alongside the country’s major monuments. Viking describes it as the company’s most extensive exploration of Egypt to date.
“Egypt has captivated travelers for generations, and we believe there is always more to discover,” said Leah Talactac, president and chief executive officer of Viking.
The itinerary will operate aboard the 52-guest Viking Ra.
For U.S. residents, Viking’s Fall Sale includes special fares, reduced airfare and a $25 deposit on the new itinerary through October 31, 2026. The itinerary announcement did not specify a starting fare.
Middle Egypt joins the classic Nile sites
The Cairo stay includes visits to the Grand Egyptian Museum, the Great Sphinx and the pyramids at Giza before passengers board the ship for the southbound journey.
Stops in Middle Egypt include the Meidum Pyramid, associated with the development of pyramid construction, and the cliffside Noblemen’s Tombs at Beni Hasan, whose artwork depicts everyday life in ancient Egypt. At Tell el-Amarna, passengers will visit the remains of the royal capital founded by Pharaoh Akhenaten. The program also includes Deir el-Muharraq monastery, a Coptic Christian site associated with the Holy Family’s journey through Egypt.
Farther south, excursions cover the temple complexes at Karnak and Luxor, royal burial sites in the Valley of the Kings, and Abydos’s Temple of Seti I. The Aswan portion includes the island temple complex at Philae and an excursion to Abu Simbel’s monumental temples. Passengers also sail aboard a traditional felucca.
Land extensions and a broader Egypt program
Passengers can combine the itinerary with land stays before or after the cruise. Options include two additional nights in Cairo with assistance from a Viking host, a fully guided five-night Morocco program, and a fully guided four-night Jordan extension covering the Dead Sea, Petra and Amman.
The longer journey joins Viking’s existing 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary. The company also has a separate 12-day Total Eclipse Nile voyage scheduled for 2027, which is sold out.
Viking now operates 10 vessels in Egypt and has named its latest additions, Viking Ptah and Viking Sekhmet. Two more vessels are expected to join its Egypt fleet in 2028.
