Viking’s Grand Nile Journey: A Day-by-Day Guide to the 19-Day Egypt Itinerary

Viking River Cruises’ Grand Nile Journey is a 19-day Egypt itinerary that pairs four hotel nights in Cairo with a 14-night sailing between Cairo and Aswan aboard the all-suite Viking Ra, with departures beginning in 2028. Along the way, 17 guided tours take guests from the Great Pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum to the temples of Luxor and Karnak, with stops at lesser-visited Middle Egypt sites like Meidum, Beni Hasan and Tell el-Amarna.

Here’s a day-by-day look at what the journey includes.

Note: This itinerary is also offered as Grand Nile Journey II, which visits the same stops in the opposite order: guests fly from Cairo to Luxor to embark, sail south to Aswan, then travel north to disembark in Cairo. Both versions sail aboard Viking Ra.

How the Grand Nile Journey Works

The Grand Nile Journey is a cruisetour, so the 19 days are split between hotel stays and time aboard. Guests spend the first three nights in Cairo, board Viking Ra on Day 4 and sail for 14 nights between Cairo and Aswan. After disembarking, they fly back to Cairo for a final hotel night before heading home.

Flights that are part of the itinerary, such as the flight between Cairo and Luxor, are included. International flights are not included, but they come with airport transfers when you purchase through Viking Air. Our Cruise Experts can compare prices with Viking’s flight options at 1-800-377-9383.

Built specifically to navigate the Nile, Viking Ra is an all-suite ship that hosts 52 guests in 26 suites. She brings Viking’s Scandinavian design to the river.

Your fare includes meals aboard, beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi and a guided shore excursion at every port of call, plus port taxes and fees. Check out our guide to learn more about Viking River Cruises inclusions: What's Included on Viking River Cruises?

Note: Shore excursions vary by itinerary and are subject to change.

When Does the Grand Nile Journey Sail?

Viking announced the Grand Nile Journey on October 26, 2026, with departures beginning in 2028. Sailings are currently listed from February to October 2028. Departure dates and availability are subject to change, so confirm current sailings before building a trip around a specific date.

Dates reflect Viking’s listings as of November 2026.

Days 1 to 4: Cairo & Embarkation

The Mosque of Muhammad Ali lights up Cairo’s skyline after dark.

Day 1: Settle Into Cairo

Day 1 is yours to explore. Walk Cairo’s streets or visit one of the city’s museums to get your bearings, with the pyramids still ahead. Cairo is a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art, where the city works to preserve craft traditions including glassblowing, coppersmithing, pottery, ceramics and jewelry.

Day 2: Sakkara (Saqqara), Giza & the Great Sphinx

Day 2 is a first lesson in how the pyramids came to be. The included tour, Sakkara Step Pyramid, Giza & the Great Sphinx, pairs the stepped silhouette at Sakkara (Saqqara) with Giza and the Sphinx, three landmarks that trace ancient Egypt’s ambitions in stone. The day also takes in the Cairo Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali, a reminder that the city’s story runs well past the pharaohs.

An optional excursion, Khan el-Khalili Market & Dinner, pairs time among Cairo’s market stalls with a traditional dinner.

Day 3: The Great Pyramid & the Grand Egyptian Museum

Day 3 pairs the Great Pyramid with the Grand Egyptian Museum. The included tour, Giza Pyramid & Grand Egyptian Museum, combines a visit to the pyramid with the museum’s galleries, where Tutankhamun’s treasures are on display.

Beyond the pyramids, Cairo’s layers run deep. Muizz Street takes its name from the caliph who made Cairo Egypt’s capital in 969, and the mosques, mausoleums and palaces along it reflect the Fatimid dynasty and the eras that followed.

Day 4: Embarkation & Scenic Sailing

Day 4 begins with breakfast and hotel check-out. Cairo’s markets offer a window into local life, and Khan el-Khalili, a maze of alleyways packed with stalls and shops, began as a caravansary in 1382. An optional excursion, Sultan Hassan Mosque & Museum of Islamic Art (about 5 hours), pairs the 14th-century Sultan Hassan Mosque, known for its towering minarets, with a museum tracing how Islamic traditions shaped Cairo, all within UNESCO-listed Historic Cairo.

Then it’s time to board Viking Ra, settle into your suite and set off on the Nile River. A ribbon of green hugs its banks with desert stretching beyond, while herons, egrets and kingfishers wheel overhead and sugar cane and date fields line the shore.

Days 5 to 9: Sailing Through Middle Egypt

Sandstone columns and temple gateways mirrored in calm Nile water.

Day 5: Beni Suef & the Meidum Pyramid

Day 5 brings the first port of the sailing: Beni Suef, set amid the farmland of Middle Egypt. The included tour, The Meidum Pyramid, visits a pyramid built around 2600 BCE that began as a stepped structure, was reshaped into a smooth-sided one and later collapsed, leaving Egyptologists valuable clues about how pyramid construction developed. It adds another chapter to the story you began at Sakkara (Saqqara) and Giza.

Afterward, return to Viking Ra as she casts off down the river, and spend the rest of the day on board with activities, perhaps informative lectures from authors, historians and other specialists meant to enrich your journey.

Day 6: Al-Minya & the Noble Tombs of Beni Hasan

Day 6 centers on Al-Minya, a regional capital with markets, mosques and churches that speak to centuries of history. The included tour, The Noble Tombs of Beni Hasan, visits tombs cut into the limestone cliffs on the east bank, where colorful wall paintings depict farming, crafts and hunting in ancient times. The rest of the day is for sailing, perhaps with coffee on the Aquavit Terrace.

Day 7: Tell el-Amarna & Akhenaten’s Royal City

Day 7 visits Tell el-Amarna, the remains of a capital built in the 14th century BCE by Akhenaten, a pharaoh who set aside Egypt’s traditional pantheon to worship a single sun god, Aten. The included tour, El Amarna Temple & Akhenaten’s Tomb, takes you through the site and into the tomb prepared for his family. The arid climate and the city’s abandonment kept its foundations intact, so you can trace where palaces, temples and homes once stood. Back on the river, the Lounge is a pleasant place to unwind with a drink as the banks drift by.

Day 8: Asyut & the Deir el-Muharraq Monastery

Day 8 calls at Asyut, among Egypt’s oldest cities. Its Greek name, Lycopolis, meant “City of the Wolf,” a nod to the local worship of Wepwawet, a jackal-headed god. The included tour, Monastery of Deir el-Muharraq, visits a Coptic monastery revered as a pilgrimage site and tied by tradition to the Holy Family’s time in Egypt. The rest of the day is for sailing, with plenty of time on the sun deck.

Day 9: Sohag & Its National Museum

Day 9 reaches Sohag, a city that blends pharaonic remains, Coptic heritage and everyday modern life. The included tour, The Sohag National Museum, tells the region’s story through finds from excavations across the area. Monasteries nearby carry on Coptic artistry and faith, while the markets, neighborhoods and corniche reveal how people live along the river.

Days 10 to 14: From Abydos to Luxor & Esna

Luxor Temple at golden hour, where towering columns still frame the sky.

Day 10: Abydos & the Temple of Seti I

Day 10 stops at El Balyana, the access point for Abydos, a holy city of ancient Egypt that also served as an early royal burial ground. The included tour, The Temple of Seti I, goes inside the temple to explore the Osiris worship that drew pilgrims to Abydos for centuries. Its carved reliefs showcase the artistry of the era, and the King’s List, a chronicle of Egypt’s rulers, is a key reference for historians.

Nag Hammadi, on the Nile’s west bank, is part of the day’s route and is best known for the Nag Hammadi Library, a collection of early Christian and Gnostic writings on Coptic papyrus unearthed nearby in 1945 that shed light on early religious thought.

Day 11: Dendera Temple & Arrival in Luxor

Day 11 begins in Qena, the gateway to Dendera Temple, whose stone entrance and tall hieroglyph-covered columns have survived remarkably well. The included tour, Dendera Temple Exploration, walks you through one of the country’s best-preserved temple complexes.

The day continues to Luxor, the former capital of New Kingdom Egypt and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the Nile’s east bank. Sailboats called feluccas drift along the river, and the ancient Avenue of the Sphinxes connects Luxor Temple with Karnak.

Day 12: Karnak & Luxor Temple

Day 12 is spent in Luxor, built on the remains of ancient Thebes, a former imperial capital that is arguably one of the largest archaeological sites on Earth. The Nile once split Thebes in two: the east bank, today’s Luxor, was the “City of the Living,” while the west bank served as the “City of the Dead,” a necropolis filled with the tombs of royalty and nobles.

Two included tours cover the east bank: Karnak Temple & Luxor Library, which centers on one of the largest ancient temple complexes anywhere, and Luxor Temple, set in a city that was Egypt’s spiritual capital for 15 centuries. An optional hot air balloon ride lifts off over the Nile’s west bank at sunrise.

Day 13: The Valley of the Kings

Day 13 crosses to the west bank. The included tour, Valley of the Kings, Hatshepsut & Seti I Tomb, explores some of the west bank’s best-known tombs, prized for their elaborate construction and detailed carvings. In town, the Luxor Museum, which has welcomed visitors since 1975, adds context with artifacts from the Old Kingdom through the Mamluk era, among them the mummies of Ahmose I and Ramses I and pieces from Tutankhamun’s tomb.

Later, Viking Ra pulls away from Luxor and heads down the river, leaving time for onboard activities or relaxing by the pool.

Day 14: Esna & the Temple of Khnum

Day 14 calls at Esna, which the ancient Egyptians knew as Latopolis. Its Temple of Khnum is best known for its Roman-era hall, built in the 1st century, whose 24 columns are crowned with carved floral capitals, and scenes on its walls show Roman emperors presenting offerings to Egyptian gods.

Guests choose one of two included tours in Esna, offered at different activity levels. The Ancient Temple of Esna is the more demanding option and focuses on the temple, while Village of Esna by Foot is the moderate walking tour. The street market is stocked with textiles, rugs, brassware and mother-of-pearl souvenirs. The day also includes scenic sailing, where wind-powered feluccas share the river with local ferries and fishing boats.

Days 15 to 17: Aswan & the Return North

Day 15: Aswan, the High Dam & Abu Simbel

Day 15 arrives in Aswan, once the northern edge of ancient Nubia and today a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art. The included tour, Aswan High Dam, Local Market Visit & Felucca Sail (about 3 hours 30 minutes), begins at the Aswan High Dam, completed in the 1960s, whose reservoir, the 300-mile-long Lake Nasser, now supplies water, irrigation and power across Egypt. Next comes a local souk, where spices, textiles and pottery fill the stalls, followed by a felucca sail along the Nile past the Aga Khan Mausoleum and the Tombs of the Nobles on the west bank.

An optional excursion, The Temples at Abu Simbel (about 8 hours), travels to temples built in the 13th century BCE during the reign of Ramses II, with statues of the pharaoh across the Great Temple’s facade and a smaller temple dedicated to Queen Nefertari. Round-trip flights between Aswan and Abu Simbel are included with the excursion, which must be booked at least 30 days before departure.

Day 16: Philae, the Nubian Museum & Kom Ombo

Day 16 stays in Aswan, which sits beside the Nile’s first cataract and was long a source of the granite used in Egypt’s temples, obelisks and pyramids. The included tour, Temples of Philae & the Nubian Museum, visits monuments saved from the waters that rose behind the High Dam, part of the effort that drew archaeologists to Aswan to rescue ancient temples from flooding.

The day continues to Kom Ombo, a small Nile town in farming country, ringed by sugarcane and corn and home to many Nubian families. The included tour, Kom Ombo Temple, explores a double temple shared by the gods Sobek and Horus. A pharaoh began building it in the 2nd century BC, and a Roman emperor finished it around 30 BC; it overlooks the river from a low rise.

Day 17: Edfu Temple & the Legend of Horus

Day 17 calls at Edfu, where myth places the clash between the falcon god Horus and his uncle Seth, who had killed Horus’s father, Osiris. The included tour, Edfu Temple, visits the temple built to honor Horus between 237 and 57 BC, which desert sands shielded for roughly 2,000 years. Though young by Egyptian standards, its layout echoes far older temples, a reason Egyptologists study it closely. Back on board, keep an eye out for birds and for animals along the water’s edge.

Days 18 & 19: Cairo Farewell

Day 18: Fly to Cairo

After breakfast, leave Viking Ra and fly back to Cairo. Check in at your hotel and ease into a city that rarely slows down, with horns, vendors and crowds filling the streets from morning to night.

Two optional excursions are available: Old Cairo & Its Coptic Quarter, which wanders the narrow lanes of Coptic Cairo and the UNESCO-listed old city, and The National Museum of Egyptian Civilization. Dinner this evening is at your hotel.

Day 19: Farewell in Cairo

Day 19 is departure day: say goodbye to fellow guests and head home, or stay longer with one of Viking’s optional extensions.

Curious what extra time could add? A Cruise Expert can walk you through the options.

Browse Nile River Cruises With Viking

Plan Your Grand Nile Journey

With four nights in Cairo, a 14-night Nile sailing and 17 guided tours, the Grand Nile Journey has plenty of moving parts. You won’t lift a finger when booking through The Cruise Web. Our Cruise Experts can handle the logistics, from selecting a departure to coordinating flights, transfers and optional extensions.

Benefits of booking through The Cruise Web:

• One-on-one planning support from a dedicated Cruise Expert
• Help choosing between Grand Nile Journey I & II
• Flight & transfer coordination when you book air with Viking
• Guidance on passport & travel document requirements for your itinerary
• 24/7 assistance, from booking through your trip & beyond
• All the above at no extra cost

Call 1-800-377-9383 or visit CruiseWeb.com, and one of our Cruise Experts will help.

Note: The contents of this article are accurate as of the publication date. Viking River Cruises itineraries, inclusions and prices are subject to change at any time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

How long is Viking’s Grand Nile Journey?

The Grand Nile Journey is a 19-day Egypt itinerary that combines four hotel nights in Cairo with a 14-night Nile sailing aboard Viking Ra. In both versions of the itinerary, guests spend three nights in Cairo before the sailing and one night in Cairo after it.

Which ship sails the Grand Nile Journey?

The Grand Nile Journey sails aboard Viking Ra, an all-suite ship built specifically to navigate the Nile. She hosts 52 guests in 26 suites.

When does Viking’s Grand Nile Journey sail?

Viking announced the Grand Nile Journey on October 26, 2026, with departures beginning in 2028. Departure dates and availability are subject to change.

What is the difference between Grand Nile Journey I and Grand Nile Journey II?

Both versions are 19-day itineraries aboard Viking Ra with the same stops in a different order. Grand Nile Journey I embarks in Cairo and sails through Middle Egypt before reaching Luxor and Aswan.

Grand Nile Journey II visits the same stops in the opposite order: guests fly from Cairo to Luxor to embark, sail south to Aswan, then travel north through Middle Egypt to disembark in Cairo.

How many guided tours are included?

Viking lists 17 guided tours as included on the Grand Nile Journey. Tours range from the pyramids of Giza and the Grand Egyptian Museum in Cairo to Karnak and the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, with Philae and the Aswan High Dam in Aswan and lesser-visited sites in Middle Egypt such as Meidum, Beni Hasan and Tell el-Amarna.

Optional excursions, such as a hot air balloon ride in Luxor, are available separately. Shore excursions vary by itinerary and are subject to change.

Is Abu Simbel included in the Grand Nile Journey?

No. The Temples at Abu Simbel is an optional excursion of about 8 hours from Aswan. Round-trip flights between Aswan and Abu Simbel are included with the excursion, which must be booked at least 30 days before departure. Shore excursions vary by itinerary and are subject to change.

Are flights included on the Grand Nile Journey?

Flights that are part of the itinerary, such as the flight between Cairo and Luxor, are included. International flights are not, but they can be booked through Viking, and airport transfers are included when air is purchased with the cruisetour.

Can the Grand Nile Journey be extended?

Yes. Viking offers optional pre- and post-land extensions that can be combined with the Grand Nile Journey. Options and availability vary by departure.

Why should I book the Grand Nile Journey with The Cruise Web?

The Cruise Web’s Cruise Experts are certified Viking River Cruise specialists and can help you choose between the two versions of the itinerary, compare departures and coordinate flights, transfers and extensions. Bookings may also include exclusive onboard credit or amenities on select departures. Support is available 24/7, from booking through your trip, at no extra cost to you.