Pharaohs & Pyramids
13 Days | 11 Guided Tours | 1 Country
Uncover the ancient secrets of Egypt amid the welcoming culture of today. See the pyramids from astride a majestic camel. Explore the Temple of Karnak’s 136 soaring pillars. Visit Queen Nefertari’s tomb in the Valley of the Queens. Skim the waters of the Nile by traditional felucca. Enjoy the fragrances of Aswan’s spice market. Join our expert Egyptologists on a 12-day cruisetour through Egypt on board our modern Nile ships, owned and operated by Viking.
From AUD$11,295 per person based on a Standard State Room or a Veranda Stateroom from AUD$13,595 per person based on a June 2027 departure. Cruise subject to availability.
Cruisetour Itinerary
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Cairo, Egypt
Bid farewell to your fellow guests and journey home. Or spend more time exploring, perhaps joining one of our extensions.
Viking Osiris Nile River
Viking Inclusive Value
Pricing covers everything you need—and nothing you don’t.
8 day cruise with river view stateroom
4 nights accommodation in Cairo
One complimentary shore excursion in each port of call
All onboard meals
Beer, wine & soft drinks with onboard lunch & dinner
Enrichment lectures and destination performances
24-hour specialty coffees, teas & bottled water
Wi-Fi (connection speed may vary)
Port taxes & fees
Onboard tipping & gratuities
Add an extension to a new Viking River Cruise in 2026, 2027 or 2028 and save up to AU$4,800* per couple. On sale until 01 Sep 2025.
Add more discovery to your adventure with Viking’s Pre- and Post-Cruise Extension packages. Whether you explore your embarkation or disembarkation city in more depth—or venture somewhere entirely new—these thoughtfully curated stays let you make the most of your overseas flight and travel time.
Available in a selection of exciting destinations, extension options vary by itinerary and are subject to change.
Pre Cruise: Cairo
Discover the heart of Cairo, a historic city where past and present mingle to create an enchanting tapestry of vibrant culture, timeless traditions and bustling modernity. Explore streets lined with mosques, madrasas and bazaars while immersing yourself in more than a thousand of years of history.
Includes 2 nights Cairo including breakfast daily, 1 guided tour of Old Cairo & its Coptic Quarter, services of a Viking Host and all transfers. Jan-Dec from AU$299 per person.
Pre Cruise: Jerusalem
Visit Israel’s fascinating capital, where ancient history and a vibrant culture await you. Discover Jerusalem’s historic, archaeological and holy sites.
Includes 4 nights Jerusalem, 8 meals: 4 breakfasts, 3 lunches, 1 dinner. 3 guided tours: Bethlehem Walking Tour; Jerusalem City Tour; Israel Museum Tour & Marc Chagall-Stained Glass. Fully escorted by your Viking Host, flight from Tel Aviv to Cairo and all transfers
Jan-Mar & Nov from AU$4,999 per person | Apr-Oct & Nov from AU$4,499 per person.
*Prices are per person, in Australian dollars and for Australian and New Zealand residents only. They are based on double occupancy, subject to availability and correct at time of publication 17 July 2025. Extension RIVER OFFER Start Early, Stay Longer. Journey Further. Add an extension to a new Viking River voyage sailing in 2026, 2027 or 2028 and save up to AU$4,800 per couple or receive AU$4,000 per couple cruise fare discount on a new Viking River cruise only voyage sailing in 2026, 2027 or 2028 in lieu of the extensions offer. For 2025 River sailings, save up to 30% on selected Viking River voyages offer applies. The discount will automatically be applied. On sale until 01 Sep 2025. All offers are subject to availability and valid only for new bookings only on selected departures. Cruise extensions have seasonal pricing and the from price should be used as a guide only. Viking reserves the right to correct errors or omissions and to change any and all fares, fees and surcharges at any time. Travel agent service & credit card fees may apply.
Interested in this experience? Mention this Deal Code: 1106 when speaking with your travel agent. Don't have an agent? Click here to connect with one of our experts.