Our ship departed Luxor this morning and arrived in Qena around noon. From there, we headed out on a shore excursion to the Dendera Temple complex. It is massive and incredibly impressive. It is hard to put into words the feeling you get while walking among these ancient structures. It truly feels like stepping back in time, and it was wonderfully surreal.
After our visit, we returned to the ship for dinner and enjoyed a welcome toast with the crew. It felt so nice to come back to our little home on the Nile.
Today was a long day filled with unforgettable sights. After an early breakfast, we boarded a plane and flew south to the city of Luxor. Our first stop was Karnak Temple, another incredible highlight of the trip. The massive pillars and towering obelisks are absolutely overwhelming in scale, and the carvings are breathtaking. It is hard to even imagine the effort, planning, and motivation it took to build something so enormous and detailed.
After wandering the grounds and enjoying a strong Turkish coffee, we boarded the tour bus and headed to our home for the next several days, the Viking Thoth. The Thoth is a brand new ship in the Viking fleet, and we were the very first group of guests to sail with her. It felt so special knowing we were the first to stay in the cabins, dine at the tables, and dip our feet in the pool. For lunch, I went with the burger, yes I know, but I was craving it and it was actually really good. We always share our dishes anyway!
We rested for a few hours, enjoyed another wonderful meal, and then headed out for an evening excursion to Luxor Temple. The grounds were beautifully lit and offered a completely different experience at night. Seeing such an incredible site in the cooler evening air was truly magical. It is something I will never forget.
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/3900 sec, ISO40 “Pyramid of Djoser” Giza, 2025
Our first stop of the day was the Step Pyramid at Saqqara. It was incredible to see the very first pyramid ever built, and then we descended into a nearby tomb complex. The whole experience was amazing.
After that, we made a short visit to a carpet factory and ended up purchasing a beautiful rug for our house in Japan. They shipped it to Mariko’s mom in Osaka, which worked out perfectly.
Once we finished a wonderful buffet lunch, we headed to one of the biggest highlights of the entire trip: the Great Pyramid of Giza. Thanks to some lucky timing, traffic in Cairo was heavily restricted because of the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum and visiting dignitaries. That meant hardly any tourists were at the site. It felt unreal.
The pyramids themselves were absolutely mind blowing. It is still hard to believe we stood at such an iconic place that we had only ever seen in books and documentaries. They did not disappoint. Their sheer size is something you really do have to experience in person at least once.
Next, we visited the Great Sphinx, which was just as cool and iconic as we hoped. We spent a long time there simply looking at it and feeling grateful for the chance to visit. Truly an amazing day.
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/50 sec, ISO640 “Mosque of Muhammad Ali” Cairo, 2025
We had a full day in Cairo today. After breakfast and a trip orientation meeting, we boarded the bus and headed out to the Cairo Citadel and the Mosque of Muhammad Ali. The interior of the mosque was absolutely beautiful, and the courtyard was especially impressive. While soaking in the view over the city, we even spotted the Great Pyramids of Giza in the distance. Very cool and totally iconic.
Next, we visited the Egyptian Museum to see a wide range of antiquities. It was fascinating, though the museum itself felt a little run down. We will be visiting the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum later in the trip, so that should be a very different experience.
Afterward, we returned to the hotel for a short rest before heading out again for a night market visit and a traditional Egyptian dinner. The market was lively and crowded, a bit chaotic but full of energy. With our guide and a security guard keeping an eye on things, we felt safe and had a great time.
Our travel day actually stretched across two full days because we were heading east. We left home in Austin around seven on Thursday morning and finally reached our destination at six thirty on Friday evening. What a journey!
After our eight and a half hour flight, we landed at Heathrow Airport outside London, switched terminals, and made our way to our third lounge of the trip, the British Airways Galleries Club. I cannot remember which one it was exactly, but it reminded me a lot of the American Airlines Flagship Lounge. I grabbed a light snack and a double espresso to fight off the jet lag, then we headed to our final flight on British Airways.
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that our seats were in front of the curtain, and we enjoyed a coffee or tea service followed by a Full English breakfast. I was not very hungry, but I had to try it. It was actually pretty good.
Our four hour flight took us southeast over France, Italy, and the Mediterranean Sea, and eventually delivered us to our final destination, Cairo, Egypt! We arrived at the perfect moment, when no other flights were landing, so we breezed through customs and hopped into our micro bus to the hotel. The ride through Cairo was the scariest drive I have ever been on. I did not think we were going to die, but I was sure we would hit another car or possibly a pedestrian. I avoided looking straight ahead and kept my eyes on the scenery outside the side window instead.
After checking into the hotel and getting a quick orientation from our tour coordinator, we grabbed some sashimi at the Japanese restaurant. It was not bad at all. Then we headed up to our room on the twentieth floor and admired the amazing view.
It was a long couple of days of travel, but everything went smoothly, and I am grateful for that!
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/2500 sec, ISO80 “Full English” 2025Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/12000 sec, ISO80 “Somewhere over Europe” 2025Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/20000 sec, ISO64 “Over the Mediterranean” 2025Photo info: Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/50 sec, ISO160 “Hello Egypt” Cairo, 2025Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/35 sec, ISO800 “Hotel View of the Nile” Cairo, 2025
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