Viking has taken delivery of the Viking Hathor, its newest ship for the Nile River. The delivery ceremony took place when the new ship was presented at Massara shipyard in Cairo, Egypt. The 82-guest Viking Hathor joins the company’s fleet of ships for the Nile River and will sail the 12-day “Pharaohs & Pyramids” itinerary.
Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new Viking Hathor is sister ship to the Viking Osiris and the Viking Aton. Additional ships in the Egypt fleet include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares.
During the 12-day “Pharaohs & Pyramids” itinerary, guests begin with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where they can visit the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Sakkara, the Mosque of Muhammad Ali or the Grand Egyptian Museum. Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day round-trip cruise on the Nile River, including visits to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, plus excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in Aswan. Also included is a visit to a Nubian village, where guests can experience a traditional elementary school. The journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the city.
For guests looking to extend their journey in Egypt, Viking offers pre- and post-cruise extensions that provide "Privileged Access" to archives and exhibits. Guests on the five-day “British Collections of Ancient Egypt” extension will begin the journey in London, where they will have "Privileged Access" to two museums: first a private, early-morning visit to the Egyptian Collection at the British Museum before it opens to the general public; then a visit to the home and personal museum of architect John Soane, where the tour will be illuminated by candlelight, a re-enactment of how Soane entertained guests and showcased his collection of Egyptian antiquities, including a 3,000-year-old Egyptian sarcophagus. Guests will also visit London’s Petrie Museum, which houses more than 80,000 artifacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan. In Oxford, guests will visit the Ashmolean Museum, home to a collection of Egyptian mummies and art. They will go behind the scenes at Oxford University’s Griffith Institute, where they will enjoy a "Privileged Access" visit to see Howard Carter’s archives, which detail the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Lastly, guests will have further "Privileged Access" with a visit to Highclere Castle to view the Earl of Carnarvon’s private collection of Egyptian artifacts, as well as archives and exhibits not normally accessible to the public.
Additional offerings include a three-night Pre-Extension in Istanbul; and a four-night Post-Extension in Jordan.
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