Voyages on Viking Cruises’ newest Nile River ship, the Viking Sobek, are now available for booking. Set to debut in 2025, the Viking Sobek will join the company’s growing fleet as its sixth ship sailing the popular 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.

With Viking’s 2024 Egypt season nearly sold out and 2025 selling well, strong demand has led to an early opening of the Viking Sobek’s inaugural season and 2026 departure dates across the entire Nile River fleet.

Hosting 82 guests in 41 staterooms, the new, state-of-the-art Viking Sobek is inspired by Viking’s river and ocean ships with the elegant Scandinavian design for which Viking is known. The Viking Sobek is the identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris, which debuted in 2022, the Viking Aton, which debuted in 2023, and the Viking Hathor, which will debut in 2024.

Other ships in Viking’s Egypt fleet include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares; with the addition of the Viking Sobek, Viking will have six ships sailing the Nile River by 2025.

Viking’s Pharaohs & Pyramids Itinerary

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 iconic sites such as the Great Pyramids of Giza, the necropolis of Saqqara (also known as “Sakkara”) and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali.

Guests then fly to Luxor, where they visit the Temples of Luxor and Karnak before boarding a Viking river ship for an eight-day roundtrip cruise on the Nile River, featuring privileged access to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, and excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the High Dam in Aswan, and a visit to a colourful Nubian village, where guests can experience a traditional elementary school.

Finally, the journey concludes with a flight back to Cairo for a final night in the ancient city.

For guests looking to extend their journey, Viking also offers pre and post extensions that provide privileged access to archives and exhibits.

Additional offerings include a new three-night Pre-Extension in Istanbul, where guests can visit the timeless city and important religious sites including the “Blue Mosque” and the legendary Hagia Sophia.

Before their voyage, guests can also choose to extend their journey in Jerusalem, exploring the ancient history and vibrant culture of Israel’s fascinating capital. After concluding the river voyage, guests can also extend the journey with a 4-night Post-Extension to Jordan – Petra, Dead Sea & Amman to view Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak and experience the lost city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.