Viking has opened bookings for its longest Egyptian itinerary to date: a 19-day Grand Nile Journey kicking off in 2028. It pairs four nights in Cairo with a 14-night river sailing all the way from the capital to Aswan.
The small ship doing the honours is the Viking Ra, purpose-built for the Nile and capped at just 52 guests across 26 suites — a fraction of the size of the big river vessels plying European waterways. With 17 guided tours baked into the itinerary, Viking is billing this as its most in-depth Egypt trip yet, mixing the icons with sites most visitors never reach.
The Cairo stretch covers the obvious heavyweights: the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the newly opened Grand Egyptian Museum. Then the itinerary heads into Middle Egypt, where things get genuinely unusual. Guests see the Meidum Pyramid — a key stepping stone in how pyramid design evolved — and the cliff-cut Noblemen's Tombs at Beni Hasan. There's also Tell el-Amarna, the short-lived royal capital founded by Akhenaten and largely abandoned, plus a stop at Deir el-Muharraq monastery for a look at Egypt's Coptic Christian heritage.
Further south, the classics take over: Luxor and Karnak, the Valley of the Kings, the Temple of Seti I at Abydos. The trip finishes in Aswan with the island temple of Philae, a felucca sail, and a visit to the colossal rock temples of Abu Simbel.
Prefer to stretch things out? Viking is selling extensions in Cairo (two nights, with a host), Morocco (five nights, fully guided) and a four-night Jordan run covering Petra, the Dead Sea and Amman.
This launch fits a clear pattern: Viking is going big on Egypt. It now runs 10 vessels in the country with two more due in 2028, and just named its newest pair, the Viking Ptah and Viking Sekhmet. The Grand Nile Journey slots in alongside the existing 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids trip — and follows a Total Eclipse Nile sailing for 2027 that has already sold out, which tells you demand is there.
For travellers, the hook is access. Sites like Amarna and Beni Hasan sit far off the standard Cairo-Luxor-Aswan circuit, and a 52-guest ship means you're arriving with a small group rather than a coachload. If you've already done a classic Nile cruise, this is the upgrade: same river, a lot more history.
There's a deal running, too. As part of Viking's Fall Sale, U.S. residents can get reduced airfare, special fares and a $25 deposit on the Grand Nile Journey through October 31, 2026. Given the 2028 start date and the small ship capacity, early booking looks like the sensible move.
