Nile cruise line

Viking Nile cruises

Viking has 11 Nile cruise ships in this directory, sailing the Luxor to Aswan route past the temples of Esna, Edfu and Kom Ombo. The fleet runs from 24 to 41 cabins. Compare the boats below on cabins, decks and dining, then enquire on WhatsApp for live dates and rates.

Viking is an NYSE-listed river and ocean cruise company founded in 1997, and one of the few Nile players that is a cruise operator rather than a hotel group. It builds and owns its Egypt ships at the Massara shipyard in Cairo to a single repeated specification, 82 guests in 41 staterooms, so the fleet is unusually consistent from boat to boat.

Viking operates its own fleet of Nile ships, most of them purpose-built 82-guest vessels launched from 2022 onwards, sold as a 12-day Pharaohs & Pyramids tour that starts and ends in Cairo and sails between Luxor and Aswan. Viking lists fares from about USD 6,999 per person including the Nile sailing, hotels in Cairo and guided tours. The cruise is sold by Viking as part of that package, not as a cruise-only sailing.

Viking lists its ships from US$6,999 per person for the 12-day Cairo-to-Cairo package including hotels and tours (advertised fare, checked 2026-09-05); the fleet is not sold per night, so there is no per-night figure to compare.

Viking entered the Nile with the Viking Osiris in 2022 and has added ships almost every year since. The newer vessels share one design: 41 outside staterooms and suites for 82 guests, a pool and sun deck with 360-degree views, an Aquavit Terrace for indoor and outdoor dining, and free Wi-Fi. The older, all-suite MS Viking Ra carries 52 guests.

The itinerary is the same on every ship: Cairo, then a flight to Luxor and a Nile sailing that calls at Qena (Dendera), Esna, Aswan, Kom Ombo and Edfu before returning to Cairo, with 11 guided tours included. If you want the Nile without the 12-day package, or on a different length or date, the independent five-star ships below sail the same Luxor to Aswan stretch on three, four and seven-night cruises.