Viking River Cruises

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Cairo

   Egypt

   

   Cairo, where five thousand years of civilization press upon the present with relentless intensity, is anchored by the Great Pyramid of Giza — the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, already ancient when Cleopatra walked in its shadow. The Egyptian Museum's overwhelming treasure trove of pharaonic antiquities, including the golden mask of Tutankhamun, and the medieval labyrinth of Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed district of a thousand mosques and medieval caravanserais, offer a lifetime of discovery in a city of twenty million souls. October through April brings the most tolerable temperatures. Luxor, with its Valley of the Kings, is a short domestic flight or overnight train journey south.

2. Day 2

   Cairo

   Egypt

   

   Cairo, where five thousand years of civilization press upon the present with relentless intensity, is anchored by the Great Pyramid of Giza — the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, already ancient when Cleopatra walked in its shadow. The Egyptian Museum's overwhelming treasure trove of pharaonic antiquities, including the golden mask of Tutankhamun, and the medieval labyrinth of Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed district of a thousand mosques and medieval caravanserais, offer a lifetime of discovery in a city of twenty million souls. October through April brings the most tolerable temperatures. Luxor, with its Valley of the Kings, is a short domestic flight or overnight train journey south.

3. Day 3

   Cairo

   Egypt

   

   Cairo, where five thousand years of civilization press upon the present with relentless intensity, is anchored by the Great Pyramid of Giza — the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, already ancient when Cleopatra walked in its shadow. The Egyptian Museum's overwhelming treasure trove of pharaonic antiquities, including the golden mask of Tutankhamun, and the medieval labyrinth of Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed district of a thousand mosques and medieval caravanserais, offer a lifetime of discovery in a city of twenty million souls. October through April brings the most tolerable temperatures. Luxor, with its Valley of the Kings, is a short domestic flight or overnight train journey south.

4. Day 4

   Luxor

   Egypt

   

   Luxor is the greatest open-air museum on earth — the modern city occupying the site of ancient Thebes, capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom's golden age when pharaohs such as Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses II built temples of a scale and beauty that still stagger the imagination. The East Bank holds the incomparable complexes of Karnak and Luxor Temple; across the Nile, the West Bank conceals the Valley of the Kings, where sixty-three royal tombs were cut into the limestone beneath the pyramid-shaped peak of Al-Qurn. A felucca sunset sail on the Nile, with the cliffs of Thebes glowing amber, is among travel's most transcendent moments. October through April offers the ideal climate.

5. Day 5

   Qena

   Egypt

   

   Qena, perched on a great bend of the Nile in Upper Egypt, serves as the essential gateway to Dendera Temple — one of the ancient world's best-preserved cult complexes, its painted ceilings still radiant with celestial blues and ochres after two millennia. The bustling souks offer saffron, spices, and handwoven textiles, while felucca journeys downriver reveal timeless riverside scenes unchanged since antiquity. The surrounding desert hides ancient quarries that supplied the alabaster for countless pharaonic monuments. October through April offers the most comfortable temperatures for exploring Egypt's sacred landscape.

6. Day 6

   Luxor

   Egypt

   

   Luxor is the greatest open-air museum on earth — the modern city occupying the site of ancient Thebes, capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom's golden age when pharaohs such as Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses II built temples of a scale and beauty that still stagger the imagination. The East Bank holds the incomparable complexes of Karnak and Luxor Temple; across the Nile, the West Bank conceals the Valley of the Kings, where sixty-three royal tombs were cut into the limestone beneath the pyramid-shaped peak of Al-Qurn. A felucca sunset sail on the Nile, with the cliffs of Thebes glowing amber, is among travel's most transcendent moments. October through April offers the ideal climate.

7. Day 7

   Esna

   Egypt

   

   The Temple of Khnum at Esna, its hypostyle hall sunk several metres below the level of the modern town, is one of ancient Egypt's most atmospheric survivors — its painted astronomical ceiling, decorated as late as the third century AD under Roman rule, blazes with colour after a meticulous recent restoration. Esna sits on the Nile's west bank some 55 kilometres south of Luxor, its position making it a natural port of call on the classic river cruise between Luxor and Aswan. The bustling bazaar streets above the temple offer an authentic encounter with Upper Egyptian daily life, best explored in the cooler months of October through March.

8. Day 8

   Aswan

   Egypt

   

   Aswan, Egypt's sunniest city and its ancient southern frontier, offers the Nile at its most scenic — wide, blue, and studded with felucca-dotted islands where temples emerge from the water's edge like visions from another age. The Temple of Philae, rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser and reassembled on a new island, is a jewel of Egyptian antiquity; Elephantine Island harbors ruins spanning predynastic times to the Roman era. For the full pharaonic experience, a sunset felucca ride to the Aga Khan Mausoleum rivals any luxury on the Nile. October through April offers the most comfortable temperatures; Abu Simbel is a short flight south.

9. Day 9

   Aswan

   Egypt

   

   Aswan, Egypt's sunniest city and its ancient southern frontier, offers the Nile at its most scenic — wide, blue, and studded with felucca-dotted islands where temples emerge from the water's edge like visions from another age. The Temple of Philae, rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser and reassembled on a new island, is a jewel of Egyptian antiquity; Elephantine Island harbors ruins spanning predynastic times to the Roman era. For the full pharaonic experience, a sunset felucca ride to the Aga Khan Mausoleum rivals any luxury on the Nile. October through April offers the most comfortable temperatures; Abu Simbel is a short flight south.

10. Day 9

    Kom Ombo

    Egypt

    

    Kom Ombo, a historical port town in Egypt, is renowned for its unique dual-temple dedicated to Sobek and Horus, reflecting its rich Greco-Roman heritage. Must-do experiences include exploring the Temple of Kom Ombo and sampling local dishes like koshari and basbousa in the vibrant souk. The best time to visit is during the cooler months from October to April, when the weather enhances the exploration of its ancient sites and the surrounding Nile landscapes.

11. Day 10

    Edfu

    Egypt

    

    The Temple of Horus at Edfu is the most completely preserved pharaonic temple in Egypt — a colossus of golden sandstone rising above the Nile's western bank, its towering pylons, hypostyle halls, and sacred inner sanctum surviving almost intact after two millennia beneath the desert. Built between 237 and 57 BC under Ptolemaic rulers, it offers the clearest window into ancient Egyptian temple ritual that archaeology has preserved. The colossal granite statues of Horus at the entrance remain among the most striking sculptures of the ancient world. October through April brings ideal conditions: warm days, cool evenings, and the gentle rhythms of a Nile cruise.

12. Day 10

    Luxor

    Egypt

    

    Luxor is the greatest open-air museum on earth — the modern city occupying the site of ancient Thebes, capital of Egypt during the New Kingdom's golden age when pharaohs such as Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, and Ramesses II built temples of a scale and beauty that still stagger the imagination. The East Bank holds the incomparable complexes of Karnak and Luxor Temple; across the Nile, the West Bank conceals the Valley of the Kings, where sixty-three royal tombs were cut into the limestone beneath the pyramid-shaped peak of Al-Qurn. A felucca sunset sail on the Nile, with the cliffs of Thebes glowing amber, is among travel's most transcendent moments. October through April offers the ideal climate.

13. Day 11

    Cairo

    Egypt

    

    Cairo, where five thousand years of civilization press upon the present with relentless intensity, is anchored by the Great Pyramid of Giza — the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, already ancient when Cleopatra walked in its shadow. The Egyptian Museum's overwhelming treasure trove of pharaonic antiquities, including the golden mask of Tutankhamun, and the medieval labyrinth of Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed district of a thousand mosques and medieval caravanserais, offer a lifetime of discovery in a city of twenty million souls. October through April brings the most tolerable temperatures. Luxor, with its Valley of the Kings, is a short domestic flight or overnight train journey south.

14. Day 12

    Cairo

    Egypt

    

    Cairo, where five thousand years of civilization press upon the present with relentless intensity, is anchored by the Great Pyramid of Giza — the sole survivor of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, already ancient when Cleopatra walked in its shadow. The Egyptian Museum's overwhelming treasure trove of pharaonic antiquities, including the golden mask of Tutankhamun, and the medieval labyrinth of Islamic Cairo, a UNESCO-listed district of a thousand mosques and medieval caravanserais, offer a lifetime of discovery in a city of twenty million souls. October through April brings the most tolerable temperatures. Luxor, with its Valley of the Kings, is a short domestic flight or overnight train journey south.

Cabin Categories

Veranda Stateroom

Balcony

239 sq ftMax 2A

Stateroom size: 239 sq ft (includes private veranda) River-view stateroom with floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to full-size veranda Queen-size Viking Explorer Bed (optional twin-bed configuration) with luxury linens & pillows Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary) Flat-screen TV with infotainment system featuring a selection of live TV channels, complimentary Movies On Demand and in-house programming 110/220 volt outlets & USB ports Private bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated floor, anti-fog mirror & hair dryer Premium Freyja toiletries Plush robes & slippers (upon request) Telephone, safe, refrigerator Individual climate control Bottled water replenished daily Stateroom steward & twice-daily housekeeping Under-bed suitcase storage space Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers

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Standard Stateroom

Outside

232 sq ftMax 2B

Stateroom size: 232 sq ft River-view stateroom with half-height picture window Queen-size Viking Explorer Bed (optional twin-bed configuration) with luxury linens & pillows Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary) Flat-screen TV with infotainment system featuring a selection of live TV channels, complimentary Movies On Demand and in-house programming 110/220 volt outlets & USB ports Private bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, heated floor, anti-fog mirror & hair dryer Premium Freyja toiletries Plush robes & slippers (upon request) Telephone, safe, refrigerator Individual climate control Bottled water replenished daily Stateroom steward & twice-daily housekeeping Under-bed suitcase storage space Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers

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Explorer Suite

Suite

525 sq ftMax 2ES

Stateroom size: 525 sq ft (includes private veranda) River-view suite with spacious, separate sitting room & floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door opening to a full-size veranda in the sleeping quarters Queen-size Viking Explorer Bed (optional twin-bed configuration) with luxury linens & pillows Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary) Flat-screen TV with infotainment system featuring a selection of live TV channels, complimentary Movies On Demand and in-house programming Additional flat-screen TV in sitting area 110/220 volt outlets & USB ports Large private bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, bathtub, double-sink vanity, heated floor, anti-fog mirror & hair dryer Premium Freyja toiletries Plush robes & slippers Telephone, safe, refrigerator Individual climate control Bottled water replenished daily Welcome bottle of sparkling wine; mini-bar with wine, beer & soft drinks (replenished daily); daily fruit plate Binoculars Luxury wool blanket Personal coffee machine with premium coffee & tea selections Stateroom steward & twice-daily housekeeping Complimentary in-room breakfast service Complimentary laundry & shoe shine services Silver Spirits beverage package included Private arrival/departure transfer in destination Under-bed suitcase storage space Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers Complimentary Viking Air Plus (US & CA only)

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Veranda Suite

Suite

409 sq ftMax 2AA

Stateroom size: 409 sq ft (includes private veranda) River-view suite with full-size veranda off a spacious, separate sitting room, and French Balcony (floor-to-ceiling sliding glass door) in sleeping quarters Queen-size Viking Explorer Bed (optional twin-bed configuration) with luxury linens & pillows Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary) Flat-screen TV with infotainment system featuring a selection of live TV channels, complimentary Movies On Demand and in-house programming Additional flat-screen TV in sitting area 110/220 volt outlets & USB ports Private bathroom with spacious glass-enclosed shower, double-sink vanity, heated floor, anti-fog mirror & hair dryer Premium Freyja toiletries Plush robes & slippers Telephone, safe, refrigerator Individual climate control Bottled water replenished daily Binoculars Stateroom steward & twice-daily housekeeping Under-bed suitcase storage space Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers

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