- Standard Stateroom (B) from £5,895pp
- Veranda Stateroom (A) from £7,095pp
- Veranda Suite (AA) from £9,095pp
- Return flights from London and selected regional airports
- 3-night pre cruise stay in Cairo
- One complimentary shore excursion in every port of call
- Free Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)
- All onboard meals, featuring regional specialties & always available classics
- Beer, wine & soft drinks with onboard lunch & dinner
- 24-hour specialty coffees, teas & bottled water
- Port taxes & fees
- Ground transfers with Viking Air purchase
- Visits to UNESCO Sites
- Onboard gratuities
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Pharaohs & Pyramids
Viking Sobek
2nd Oct 27
11 Nights
1
Cairo, Egypt
Arrive and check in to your hotel. It has been said of Egypt’s exhilarating capital, “He who has not seen Cairo has not seen the world.” Certainly, the heart of the nation beats with an unbridled passion in this city made prosperous over millennia as a stopover for Sahara caravans on trade routes to Byzantium. Amid the stimulating strum, the insistent beauty of everyday life reigns here, with the serene Nile sliding through like an entrancing serpent. Cairo’s very age mesmerizes; its monuments have stood here for more than 5,000 years.
2
Cairo, Egypt
For centuries, Cairo has played a central role in religious and cultural developments in Egypt. Today, the city is home to the only Wonder of the Ancient World still intact—the Great Pyramid of Giza. And the city’s historic district, Old Cairo, boasts the world’s highest concentration of Islamic architecture. In addition to these monuments, Cairo has been making efforts as a member of the UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art to preserve its traditional craftwork heritage including glassblowing, coppersmithing, pottery, ceramics and jewelry.
3
Cairo, Egypt
A captivating world that has withstood the tests of time unfolds beyond the medieval walls enclosing Old Cairo. Muizz Street, named for the Fatimid caliph who established Cairo as Egypt’s capital in 969, was the city’s main thoroughfare, running between the 11th-century city gates Bab al-Futuh and Bab Zuweila. Its splendid Islamic architecture—from elegant mosques and mausoleums to ornate palaces and former residences of Egyptian dignitaries and prominent merchants—provides a glimpse into the glory of the Fatimid dynasty and the periods that followed.
4
Luxor, Egypt
After breakfast, check out of your hotel and fly to your embarkation city. Luxor is set on the east bank of the Nile River and once served as the capital of Egypt’s New Kingdom. Today, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site lined with beautiful colonial hotels and some of the world’s most ancient and significant ruins. Many consider this city, watched over by graceful single-sailed feluccas plying the Nile, one of the world’s great open air museums. The sprawling Temples of Luxor and Karnak on the east bank are linked by the ancient Avenue of the Sphinxes. On the west bank, in the Valley of the Kings, lie the tombs of Egypt’s great pharaohs.
5
Qena, Egypt
Known in ancient Egypt as Caene, Qena’s situation on the banks of the Nile River has bolstered its prosperity over millennia. Merchants and travelers have long journeyed here from the Red Sea, through the valley, bringing goods from Persia and beyond. The Sheikh el-Qenawi Mosque on the main square serves as a monument to the city’s rich and all-embracing Islamic and Sufi past. Qena is mostly known as the gateway to the magnificent ruins of the Dendera Temple. Its stone gate and towering columns adorned with hieroglyphics are some of Egypt’s best-preserved structures.
6
Luxor, Egypt
Luxor lies amid what is arguably one of the world’s largest archaeological sites: Thebes, once a thriving imperial capital. In antiquity, the Nile River ran through Thebes, dividing it into a “City of the Living” and a “City of the Dead.” The former referred to the east bank (modern-day Luxor) as this was where the majority of the city’s population—and at times, Egypt’s rulers—made their home. The west bank (known today as Kurna) was designated the latter as it served as a necropolis, dotted with the lavish resting places of royalty and other nobility.
7
Esna, Egypt
Ancient Egyptians knew Esna as Latopolis, named for the largest of the perch species that swam in the Nile’s sacred waters. Its ancient past lives on in the colorful street market overflowing with fabrics, carpets, brassware, mother-of-pearl keepsakes and more. Esna’s glorious Temple of Khnum is celebrated for its 1st-century Roman Hypostyle Hall, 24 columns topped with intricately carved floral capitals. Its walls are adorned with images of Roman emperors making offerings to Egyptian gods.
8
Aswan, Egypt
Aswan stands at what was once the northern border of ancient Nubia, a remarkable region that encompassed the land eastward from the Libyan Desert to the Red Sea and northward from central Sudan to southern Egypt. As a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, present-day Aswan strives to preserve its rich heritage. Its efforts include the Aswan Folk Dance Troupe that performs internationally, the Nubian Museum showcasing Nubian daily life and craftwork, and the Aswan International Symposium of Sculpture encouraging the practice of ancient Egyptian granite stone carving.
9
Aswan, Egypt
Located at the first cataract of the Nile, a set of rapids coursing through a rocky riverbed, Aswan has long been a terminus town on the Nile. Today, the trading tradition continues in the city’s lively market near the Nile’s banks. The city also thrived due to the massive quantities of granite quarried here to build the country’s countless ancient temples, obelisks and pyramids. In the 1960s, completion of the Aswan High Dam created Lake Nasser. As the lake rose, the city became a magnet for archaeologists intent on saving ancient temples from submersion.
10
Edfu, Egypt
Edfu is steeped in Egyptian legend. In this sacred place, ancient myth says that the falcon god Horus battled his uncle Seth after Seth brutally killed Horus’s father Osiris. To honor Horus, the people of Edfu built a grand temple from 237 to 57 BC, a young structure by Egyptian standards. Egyptologists have paid particular interest to its design, as it closely resembles that of much older temples. Nearby, an ancient settlement provides hints of life along the Nile, with its interesting artifacts dating as far back as 3100 BC.
11
Cairo, Egypt
After breakfast, disembark your ship and fly to your destination. Arrive and check in to your hotel. Souks (marketplaces) are central to Egypt’s social, cultural and economic traditions. A microcosm of the city, they provide a glimpse into local life, history, art, crafts and food. And in Cairo, they are in abundance, with one of its most notable lying in the historic heart of the city. Originally established as a caravansary in 1382, Khan el-Khalili is not only the largest souk in Cairo, but also the oldest in the Middle East. Its vast labyrinth of passageways is lined with bustling stalls and shops offering a wide range of goods.
12
Cairo, Egypt
Bid farewell to your fellow guests and journey home. Or spend more time exploring, perhaps joining one of our extensions.
Why Book
Viking Sobek
Overview
Owned and operated by Viking, Viking Sobek is a brand new sister ship to Viking Osiris, Viking Aton and Viking Hathor, the most upscale ships in Egypt. Specifically built to navigate the Nile, she is a state-of-the-art vessel—designed in the clean, elegant Scandinavian aesthetic for which Viking is known. Accommodating just 82 guests, she offers the ultimate in comfort.
Kids & Teens
Please note that there are no children's facilities on board Viking Sobek.
Terms & Conditions
Advertised offers are based on 2 adults sharing the lowest category stateroom/cabin/suite unless otherwise stated. Single supplements may apply. Offers are subject to availability and can change without any prior notice and may go up or down in price. Cruise Line campaign(s) and saving messages are strictly controlled by the Cruise Line(s) and are subject to change or be withdrawn without notice. Flight inclusive packages, where promoted, are based on the cheapest UK departure airport so please ask for further details. Advertised hotels, if any, are suggested however are changeable at a possible additional cost. All prices and port itineraries are correct at the time of print but are subject to change by the Cruise Line(s) without prior notice. Hays Travel reserves the right to correct any errors or omissions in this brochure. Some ports of call may be tendered whereas vessels drop anchor a short distance away and use small boats to reach the shore. Full board to all-inclusive inclusions vary by the Cruise Line(s) and restrictions may apply. Some onboard facilities and items may incur a charge. Select destinations may require travel authorisation for visa-exempt travellers to be completed prior to travelling. Hays Travel LTD excepts no responsibility or compensation for any incomplete forms or declined entries from the respective country or countries that the individual(s) are visiting.
Pharaohs & Pyramids
FROM £5,895PP
Viking Sobek
2nd Oct 27
11 Nights
From
£5,895PP
