Viking has taken delivery of the company’s newest ship for the Nile River, the Viking Hathor.
The delivery ceremony occurred when the new ship was presented at the Massara shipyard in Cairo, Egypt.
The 82-guest Viking Hathor joins the company’s growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships for the Nile River and will sail Viking’s 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary.
"We are proud to welcome the Viking Hathor to our award-winning river fleet,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “With its abundance of cultural treasures and ancient antiquities, Egypt has always been a destination of great interest to curious travelers, including our guests. We believe our ships are by far the most elegant vessels sailing the Nile River, and we look forward to introducing even more explorers to this fantastic destination in the years to come.”
The Viking Hathor & Viking’s Growing Egypt Fleet
The new Viking Hathor, which hosts 82 guests in 41 staterooms, is inspired by Viking’s river and ocean ships and has the Scandinavian design for which Viking is known. An identical sister ship to the Viking Osiris and the Viking Aton, the Viking Hathor includes aspects familiar to Viking guests, such as a square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace. Additional ships in the Egypt fleet include the Viking Ra and the MS Antares.
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 sites such as 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 roundtrip cruise on the Nile River, featuring visits to the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and the tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, and 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, 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.
Additional offerings include a three-night Pre-Extension in Istanbul, where guests can visit the city and important religious sites, including the “Blue Mosque” and the Hagia Sophia. After concluding the river voyage, guests can also extend the journey with a four-night Post-Extension to Jordan—Petra, Dead Sea & Amman to view Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak, and the lost city of Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.