2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 1 & 2 (April 4-5, 2025)

Arrival in Cairo, two museums, and dinner in the market

We arrived in Cairo, checked into our hotel for the night. In the morning, we met with our tour group, visited the Mosque of Muhammad Ali at the Citadel of Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi. We then visited the National Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, the National Museum of Egyptian Civilization (NMEC), and spent the evening having dinner at a restaurant in the Khan el-Khalili Market.

Posted April 30, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 3 (April 6, 2025)

Pyramids and the Sphinx

After breakfast, we drove to the Saqqara Necropolis, visited the Pyramid of Djoser (aka the Step Pyramid) and the Southern Tomb,  the Tomb of Kagemni, an Oriental Carpet School, and the grand finale for the day: the Pyramids of Giza with a camel ride, and the Great Sphinx.

Posted May 2, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 4 (April 7, 2025)

Karnak Temple, boarding the Viking Ra, Luxor Temple

We flew from Cairo to Luxor and visited the Karnak Temple. Then we boarded the Viking Ra riverboat, had lunch on the ship, and then took a late afternoon/evening tour to the Temple of Luxor, built in 1400BC by Amenhotep III and Ramses II.

Posted May 6, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 5 (April 8, 2025)

Departed Luxor, sailed on the Nile to the Dendera Temple complex in Qena

We departed Luxor heading north to Qena on the Viking Ra, and visited the Dendera Temple complex, including the Temple of Hathor where we saw the Dendera Zodiac and the Dendera Light in the temple's subterranean necropolis and crypts.

Posted May 8, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 6 (April 9, 2025)

Sailed from Qena to Luxor, visited the Valley of the Kings and King Tutankhamen

We sailed from Qena in the north back to to Luxor overnight. In the morning, we visited the Valley of the Kings and saw King Tutankhamen's tomb and mummy, the restored Carter House, the Mortuary Temple of Queen Hatshepsut, and the Collosi of Memnon. It was by far the hottest day during our entire trip, reaching 106F (41C). After an afternoon in the pool, we sailed for Esna, and watched a "Whirling Dervish" perform in the ship's lounge as we sailed through the locks before docking for the night.

Posted May 19, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 7 (April 10, 2025)

Visited the Temple of Khnum in Esna, sailed to Luxor, Egyptian Dinner & Nubian Show

We visited the Temple of Khnum in Esna, also known as the Esna Temple. A water god, Khnum was worshiped as the guardian of the source of the Nile and was said to have fashioned humankind from his potter’s wheel. The temple was thought to have been one of the latest temples built by the ancient Egyptians. After Jean collected some Nile water to take home (with some help so she wouldn't fall in), we then set sail for Aswan and spent a lovely afternoon on the sun deck visiting with fellow passengers watching the Nile riverbank go by, went to a hieroglyphics lecture where we each translated and drew our own cartoushe, a falafel cooking demonstration, visited the bridge and captain, and attended a lecture on Egyptian medicine. Finally, we put on Galabeyas (traditional Egyptian clothing) for a "Taste of Egypt" dinner and afterwards, a Nubian show performed by Nubian dancers.

Posted May 26, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 8 (April 11, 2025)

Aswan High Dam, Soviet-Egyptian Friendship Monument, Aswan Souk shopping district

In Aswan, we visited the Aswan High Dam, the Soviet-Egyptian Friendship Monument, and a local market called a Souk. Our sailing trip on a felucca through the Nile cataracts was unfortunately cancelled because of winds, so we spent another lovely afternoon on the sun deck.

Posted May 28, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 9 (April 12, 2025)

Nile River boat ride to a Nubian village and Temples of Philae on Agilkia Island, Temple of Kom Ombo & Crocodile Museum    

In Aswan, we visited a Nubian village, home, and school, then we took a boat ride to the Temples of Philae which were moved to Agilkia Island after the flooding of Lake Nasser. We then stopped at the Papyrus Institute. After lunch on the boat, we walked from our berth to the dual temple of Kom Ombo which is dedicated to the crocodile god Sobek and Horus. Finally, we visited an adjacent museum featuring mummified crocodiles.

Posted August 4, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 10 (April 13, 2025)

Edfu Temple of Horus, sailing through the Esna locks back to Luxor

In Edfu, we spent our last full day on the Nile visiting the magnificent Temple of Horus, built between 237 and 57 BC. Then we sailed through the Esna locks back to Luxor.

Posted August 4, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 11 (April 14, 2025)

Flight back to Cairo, Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM)

On our last day in Egypt, we flew from Luxor back to Cairo and in the afternoon, visited the newly built, magnificent Grand Egyptian Museum (GEM), located right next to the pyramids. While the GEM was not yet fully open, this was one of the highlights of the Egypt portion of our trip.

Posted August 4, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 12 (April 15, 2025)

The Dead Sea

To start our Jordan extension, we flew to Amman and met our tour director. We then drove through the scenic hills to our first destination, a resort on the Dead Sea with a stop at the Dead Sea Museum to learn about the area's geological and cultural history. At the Mövenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea, we covered ourselves with mud from the Dead Sea and easily floated on top of the water which is 10 times as salty as the ocean. Finally we watched a spectacular sunset over the Dead Sea and Jerusalem to the west.

Posted August 23, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 13 (April 16, 2025)

Mount Nebo and the journey to Petra

We left the Dead Sea and drove to Mt. Nebo, where tradition tells us Moses was buried—before continuing to the ancient town of Madaba, known as the “City of Mosaics" and visited the Byzantine Church of St. George. Then we were off to Petra in the south.

Posted August 23, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 14 (April 17, 2025)

Petra, the Treasury and Monastery

Today was the highlight of our Jordan tour: we visited the ancient city of Petra, walking through the nearly mile-long Siq fissure between the sandstone cliffs to see the famous Al Khazneh (the Treasury). Among many of the other monuments on the trail, we visited the Roman amphitheater, the Royal Tombs, and climbed the 800-850 steps to the Monastery -- another wonder of the ancient world. After dark, we returned for "Petra at Night", wandered through a candle-lit Siq and watched a musical performance in front of the Treasury.

Posted August 23, 2025

2025 Viking Egypt & Jordan Day 15 (April 18, 2025)

Jerash and Amman   

On our last day in Jordan, we left Petra and drove back through Amman to Jerash, one of the best-preserved Greco-Roman cities in the world. Along the way, we stopped at a Bedouin camp to pet camels, visited an imposing Roman amphitheater in Amman and headed to our Amman hotel for a few hours sleep before our 3-4am departure to the airport and the long flight home.

Posted August 23, 2025

Jordan Extension photos coming soon!