The 82-guest Viking Aton, Viking’s newest Nile River ship, has been “floated out,” marking a significant construction milestone and the first time the vessel has touched water. The Viking Aton will join the company’s growing fleet of state-of-the-art ships purpose-built for the Nile River and sail Viking’s popular 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary when it debuts in August 2023.
Viking has had exceptionally high demand in Egypt, with the 2023 season completely sold out and several 2024 sailing dates already booked. Due to higher demand, Viking has opened 2025 sailing dates earlier than intended.
“We are pleased with the continued interest in our Nile River cruises.” Our customers are curious explorers, and Egypt remains a popular destination due to its many cultural treasures,” stated Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “We are proud to be the only Western company to build, own, and operate ships on the Nile, and with the float out of the Viking Aton, we look forwards to welcoming even more guests to experience this fantastic region.”
The float-out ceremony was held on 4 April 2023 at the Massara shipyard in Cairo, and it is important since it marks a ship entering its last stage of development.
The float out of Viking Aton began about 1:00 p.m. local time, when Viking Chairman Torstein Hagen and Sayed Farouk, Chairman of The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.), hit the button that signalling the yard’s ship-lift to be lowered. She will be moved to a nearby outfitting dock for the last construction and interior design stages.
The new, cutting-edge Viking Aton, which can accommodate 82 passengers in 41 cabins, is inspired by Viking’s award-winning river and ocean ships and features the beautiful Scandinavian style for which Viking is recognised.
The Viking Aton is the identical sister ship of the Viking Osiris, which was named in 2022 by Viking’s first ceremonial godfather, the 8th Earl of Carnarvon. It has many features popular with Viking guests, including a unique square bow and an indoor/outdoor Aquavit Terrace.
Along with the Viking Osiris, the Viking Aton will join the Viking Ra, which debuted in 2018. Viking will have six ships sailing the Nile by 2025, thanks to the addition of two more sister ships, the Viking Hathor and the Viking Sobek, which are now under construction and will be delivered in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
Viking’s Pharaohs & Pyramids Itinerary
Guests begin the 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids itinerary with a three-night stay at a first-class hotel in Cairo, where they can visit famous sites like the Great Pyramids of Giza, the Sakkara Necropolis, the Muhammad Ali Mosque, and 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 Nile River cruise that includes Privileged Access to the tombs of Nefertari in the Valley of the Queens and Tutankhamen in the Valley of the Kings, as well as excursions to the Temple of Khnum in Esna, the Dendera Temple complex in Qena, the temples at Abu Simbel and the High Dam in The journey concludes with a flight return to Cairo for one more night in the ancient city.
If you want to extend your trip, Viking provides Pre and Post Extensions, which include Privileged Access to archives and exhibits.
Guests on the five-day British Collections of Ancient Egypt extension will begin their journey in London, where they will meet their Viking Tour Director, an expert Egyptologist, and enjoy 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 – and then, a visit to Sir John Soane’s home and personal museum, where the tour will be illuminated.
Guests will also visit the Petrie Museum in London, which includes over 80,000 artefacts from ancient Egypt and Sudan. In Oxford, guests 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.
Finally, guests will receive Privileged Access to the Earl’s impressive private Collection of Egyptian artefacts, as well as documents and displays not generally accessible to the public, during an exclusive tour of Highclere Castle.
Additional offerings include a Pre-Extension in Jerusalem, where guests will learn about the ancient history and vibrant culture of Israel’s fascinating capital, and a Post Extension to Jordan – Petra, Dead Sea, & Amman, where they will see Roman antiquities at Jerash, Crusader-era castles at Kerak or Shobak, and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Petra.
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