Viking today named its newest riverboats, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, in a special celebration in Luxor, Egypt.
The Right Honorable Edward Herbert served as the ceremonial godfather of the Viking Hathor; his great-great-grandfather, the 5th Earl of Carnarvon, was the benefactor and co-explorer of Howard Carter, whose work uncovered the tomb of King Tutankhamun near Luxor almost exactly 102 years ago, on November 4, 1922. Mohamed El Banna, founder of Cosmos Egypt and a member of the Egyptian Senate, served as the ceremonial godfather of the Viking Sobek. The Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek are ships specifically designed to sail the Nile on Viking’s popular 12-day “Pharaohs and Pyramids” itinerary and were built at the Massara Shipyard in Cairo.
“Today we are proud to welcome Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek to our growing fleet in Egypt. Together with their sister ships, we believe they are the most elegant vessels on the Nile,” said Torstein Hagen, president and CEO of Viking.
The naming ceremony for the Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek was held at Viking's exclusive berth location in Luxor, followed by a celebratory dinner at the nearby Temple of Karnak. Viking's guests also enjoyed a performance by Sissel Kyrkjebø, one of the world's leading crossover sopranos and godmother of the Viking Jupiter, who sang the national anthems of Egypt, Norway, and the United Kingdom in their native languages.
Highclere Castle, Egypt and Viking
For years, Viking has offered various ways for guests to experience life at Highclere Castle, the home of the Earl and Countess of Carnarvon. Among the 5th Earl's many talents was his skill as an amateur photographer, with an artistic eye for composition. His photographs, documenting the discovery and excavation of Tutankhamun's tomb and scenes of daily life in Egypt at the time, are housed at Highclere Castle, and with the family's permission, Viking shares this private collection with guests aboard the Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek, as well as their sister ships, the Viking Osiris and Viking Aton.
For guests interested in deepening their exploration of Egypt, Viking offers Pre- and Post-Tour Extensions that include Privileged Access® to archives and exhibitions. On the five-day “British Collections of Ancient Egypt” extension, guests begin their tour in London, where they meet their tour director, a Viking Egyptologist, and enjoy privileged access to two museums: a private early visit to the British Museum’s Egyptian collection before it opens to the public, and a visit to the personal museum of architect Sir John Soane, where the visit is candlelit to recreate how Soane displayed his collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus. They will also visit the Petrie Museum in London, home to more than 80,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan, and the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford. Finally, they will have exclusive access to Highclere Castle to view the Earl of Carnarvon’s private collection of Egyptian artifacts.
The Viking Hathor, the Viking Sobek, and the growing Viking fleet in Egypt
Accommodating 82 guests in 41 cabins, the new Viking Hathor and Viking Sobek are inspired by Viking's river and ocean-going vessels, featuring the company's signature elegant Scandinavian design. The sister ships include the distinctive square bow and the covered and open-air Aquavit deck. Viking plans to welcome four additional ships in the next two years: the Viking Amun and Viking Thoth in 2025, and the Viking Sekhmet and Viking Ptah in 2026, bringing Viking's Nile fleet to ten ships.
Viking's "Pharaohs and Pyramids" Itinerary
During the 12-day "Pharaohs and Pyramids" itinerary, guests begin with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo to visit iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Saqqara necropolis, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, and the Grand Egyptian Museum. They then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before embarking on an eight-day round-trip Nile River cruise, with visits to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings. The itinerary also includes excursions to Abu Simbel, the Aswan High Dam, and a visit to a colorful Nubian village to experience a traditional primary school
