Viking 's new Nile River ship, the Viking Sobek, with a capacity for 82 passengers, has been launched.
The Viking Sobek, which will set sail in autumn 2024, will join the company's growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships for the Nile River and will sail Viking's popular 12-day Pharaohs and Pyramids itinerary.
“Egypt has always captivated curious travelers with its rich culture and history, and it remains a destination of interest for our guests,” said Torstein Hagen, President and CEO of Viking. “We believe the Viking Sobek and its sister ships are by far the most elegant vessels on the Nile, and we look forward to welcoming even more guests to explore this fantastic region.”
The traditional launching ceremony for the Viking Sobek took place at the Massara shipyard in Cairo and is significant because it marks the ship's entry into the final phase of construction. It will now be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for final construction and interior outfitting.
The Viking Sobek and the growing Egyptian Viking fleet
With capacity for 82 guests in 41 cabins, the new Viking Sobek is inspired by Viking's award-winning river and ocean-going ships, featuring the Scandinavian design for which Viking is known.
An identical sibling to the Viking Osiris, the Viking Aton and the new Viking Hathor, scheduled to debut this summer, the Viking Sobek features several aspects familiar to Viking customers, such as a distinctive square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Deck.
With the addition of the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, the company will have six ships sailing on the Nile by the end of 2024. Other vessels in the Egyptian fleet include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares.
Viking Itinerary “Pharaohs and Pyramids”
During the 12-day Pharaohs and Pyramids itinerary, guests begin with a three-night stay in a first-class hotel in Cairo, where they can visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Saqqara necropolis, the Muhammad Ali Mosque, or the Grand Egyptian Museum.
Next, guests will fly to Luxor, where they will visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking riverboat for an eight-day round-trip cruise on the Nile River, with visits to the tomb of Nefertari and the tomb of Tutankhamun and excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples of Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan, and a visit to a colorful Nubian village.
Finally, the trip concludes with a flight back to Cairo for one last night in the old city.
For guests wishing to extend their trip to Egypt, Viking also offers pre- and post-extensions that provide privileged access to archives and exhibits.
Guests on the five-day British Collections from Ancient Egypt extension will begin their journey in London, where they will meet their Viking Travel Director, an expert Egyptologist, and experience Privileged Access to two museums:
First, a private early morning visit to the British Museum's Egyptian Collection, before it opens to the general public, and then a visit to the home and personal museum of the famous architect Sir John Soane, where the tour will be lit by candlelight, a reenactment of how Soane entertained his guests and displayed his exquisite collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus.
Guests will also visit London’s Petrie Museum, home to more than 80,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan. In Oxford, guests will visit the Ashmolean Museum, one of the world’s oldest museums, which houses a diverse collection of Egyptian mummies and art, and go behind the scenes at Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, where they will enjoy a Privileged Access tour to view the Howard Carter Archives, which detail the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb.
Finally, guests will have privileged access to an exclusive visit to Highclere Castle to view the Earl of Carnarvon's private collection of Egyptian artifacts, as well as archives and exhibitions not normally accessible to the public.
Other offers include a pre-extension of three nights in Istanbul, where guests can visit the timeless city and important religious sites such as the “Blue Mosque” and the legendary Hagia Sophia.
Once the river trip is over, guests can also extend their trip with a 4-night Post-Extension to Jordan-Petra, Dead Sea and Amman to see Roman antiquities in Jerash, Crusader-era castles in Kerak or Shobak and visit the lost city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
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