The luxury Viking Aton was built in 2023 for cruising Egypt's Nile River. The vessel has five decks, but holds just 82 passengers.Viking
The Egyptian air was an oppressive 47 degrees, fuelled by an unrelenting sun. I had taken refuge in the shade, wearing the guidebook-recommended attire: a white cotton tunic, a wide-brimmed hat and barely-there sandals consisting of two meagre pieces of leather. A breeze off the Nile provided a modicum of relief. But still – still – I could feel the sweat dripping down my spine.
From the sun deck of the Viking Aton cruise ship, I was tracking a white heron when another, larger blur of movement caught my eye: A boy was running full tilt down the small embankment. In a flash, he dove into the river and its cool, watery relief. Oh, how I envied him.
The scene is one of my most vivid memories of a recent visit to Egypt, perhaps because it caught me by surprise. I expected my Nile River cruise trip to be centred around death: tombs, sarcophagi, mummies. And there was plenty of that. But even against a backdrop of the Pyramids of Giza and the Valley of the Kings, it was the moments of everyday life that left the greatest impression.
In Cairo, for example, a visit to the Egyptian Museum is sure to enthrall tourists with even the most passing of interests in the country’s ancient history and elaborate mythology. It is a privilege to behold Tutankhamun’s iconic funerary mask. But when I think of it now, I recall its gold and lapis lazuli ornamentation more from images seen in books over the years.
My memories of the capital are instead of the cheerful energy of a packed, alcohol-free ahwa (outdoor cafe) at midnight, or the midday serenity of the al-Hakim Mosque in Old Cairo. I can still hear the endless loop of Umm Kulthum songs in the market and the cacophony of hundreds of people eating koshari – a carb lover’s dream of rice, lentils, macaroni, chickpeas, fried onions and tomato sauce – at Abou Tarek, one of the city’s most iconic restaurants.
The Viking Osiris cruises the Nile River near Luxor, Egypt.White Rain Productions/Viking
About 45 minutes outside the city, the Pyramids of Giza are engineering marvels whose magnitude and complexity must be seen up-close to truly appreciate. But amid the dusty landscape it was belligerent camels and nimble stray dogs who brought the biggest smiles to me and my travel companions. At the nearby new Grand Egyptian Museum, a stray cat dashing through the entrance hall elicited almost as many “ooohs” as the 3,200-year-old, 36-foot-tall, 83-ton limestone statue of pharaoh Ramesses 11 that towers over visitors. (Speaking of cats, I was surprised to learn the Sphinx has a tail, wrapped around its side just like any old tabby.)
After our time in Cairo, we flew to Aswan to board the Aton, the latest of Viking’s luxury ships custom-built (in 2023) for cruising the Nile. The vessel is only 72 metres long with five decks – but it holds just 82 passengers (and 48 crew), which means it never feels crowded. Viking describes the aesthetic as “elegant Scandinavian,” and yet the airy, earth-tone, clean-line vibes is perfectly in keeping with the desert landscape.
With the ship still in port, we took off in sightseeing boats to a small island to explore the Philae temple complex. You would never know by looking at the structures – which date as far back as 380 BC – that in the late 1970s they were painstakingly moved from their nearby original location, flooded because of the Aswan dam, then carefully reassembled amid towering palm trees, piece by piece (40,000 in total).
The imposing grandeur of the ancient ruins cannot be overstated – particularly the twin-tower, 18-metre-high entrance to the Temple of Isis. And yet it was the present-day humanity taking place inside that I can still picture without looking at my photos.
At the Luxor Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site constructed in 1400 BC, nearly every surface is covered in hieroglyphics. In some spots, traces of the original colourful paint remains.Domini Clark/The Globe and Mail
Seeking relief in the shade were several mewling felines, including a mother cat and her young offspring. Two caretakers provided water and food, paying particular attention to the kittens, who happily ate pieces of kibble out of my hand. Perhaps such kindness to animals was to be expected in a land where felines have been honoured with mummification and worshipped as gods.
And perhaps I should have anticipated that the time spent sailing aboard the Aton would be as enjoyable as the hours spent ashore. Guests unwound on top deck loungers in the sun or shade, dipped into the pool a level below or took in the views from the privacy of their French balcony (every stateroom has one). I tended to stick to more air-conditioned comforts, be it the cozy library nook (which, like everywhere else onboard, features floor-to-ceilings windows) or the lounge. But no matter where I was, I could usually be found with another simple Egyptian pleasure: a mint lemonade. The secret is that the lemons are blended in whole – peel and all. I can still taste its refreshing tartness, like air conditioning in a glass.
After sailing up the Nile and witnessing all the ways Egyptians use the river – as a swimming pool, source of food and even, for a couple of enterprising men on boats who tried to sell souvenirs to my fellow cruise passengers, a marketplace – we arrived in Luxor.
Hot-air balloons float over houses and farms of Luxor, with the Valley of the Kings visible in the distance.Domini Clark/The Globe and Mail
Rising at a distressingly early hour the next morning, I vowed to overcome my fears and enjoy a sunrise hot-air balloon ride over the Valley of the Kings. Soaring past the ancient tombs buried deep in inconspicuous limestone hills, imagining the secrets that lie within, was unforgettable. It was also fascinating to see the routines of another gloriously sunny day unfold. At a pace so languid as to almost feel like slow motion, we passed over mooing cows waiting to be milked, donkeys trying to cool off in streams, farmers carrying unwieldy piles of sugarcane on their backs and children waving from rooftops. What would their ancestors, forever resting nearby, make of my voyage in the sky, I wondered.
At the Luxor Temple complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site constructed in 1400 BC, wonder took several different forms. Columns and archways 16 metres high, every centimetre covered in hieroglyphics detailed enough to show feathers on geese and eyes on owls. A 2.7-kilometre gauntlet of watchful sphinxes that leads directly to Karnak Temple. Colossal statues of pharaohs so anatomically accurate they boast toenails. To learn that originally most of these surfaces were painted in vibrant colour – traces still remain in some of the more protected areas – made my mouth drop.
But just when I thought I would get lost (figuratively and literally) in the spectacle of it all, a surprisingly banal wall of carvings caught my eye. Here was a simple grid of shockingly straight lines. Inside some of the boxes was a mix of small vertical lines and upside-down U shapes.
I rushed to my guide. What did it all mean?
A 3,200-year-old, 36-foot-tall, 83-ton limestone statue of pharaoh Ramesses 11 towers over visitors in the entrance hall of the new Grand Egyptian Museum.Domini Clark/The Globe and Mail
They were tables to track offerings made to the gods, she explained. How much of each item, at what time.
So, essentially ancient Excel spreadsheets?
Exactly, she said.
And what, I ask you, could possibly be more everyday than that?
If you go
Viking’s 12-day Pharoahs to Pyramids itinerary starts and ends in Cairo, and includes roundtrip cruising on the Nile between Luxor and Aswan, with multiple stops in between. All-inclusive pricing for 2024 starts at $8,399 a person and includes one complimentary shore excursion in each port; beer, wine and soft drinks with onboard lunch and dinner; internal flights; ground transfers and more. vikingrivercruisescanada.com
Flights to Cairo from Canada require a connection, typically through Munich, London or Zurich.
Currently, the Canadian government warns travellers to Egypt to exercise a high degree of caution. While “avoid all travel” advisories are in place for some regions, the typical Nile cruise itinerary avoids them anyway.
Opening mid-2024, the much-delayed Grand Egyptian Museum (construction started in 2005) promises to be another must-see in the country. Located two kilometres from the Pyramids of Giza, what will be the largest archeological museum complex in the world will showcase 100,000 artifacts, including the entire collection of King Tutankhamun’s treasures. For now, tourists can tour some non-gallery areas, including the Great Hall, the food court and the excellent gift shop.
The writer was a guest of Viking. It did not review or approve the story before publication.