50 years since Agatha Christie – and a renewed interest in the Nile and Original Travel's Steam Ship Sudan 

As the 50th anniversary of Agatha Christie's death approaches on 12 January 2026, Original Travel reports surging interest in the Nile and their Steam Ship Sudan, on which Christie sailed in 1933 - a journey that inspired one of Hercule Poirot's most famous cases. 

As the sole UK operator of the SS Sudan, the specialists in tailor-made travel reveals that fans are now booking years in advance to secure a place on the Nile steamer – especially the sought-after Agatha Christie Cabin, where the author stayed with her husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan.  

The trend forms part of a broader movement among literary travellers – or, as Original Travel calls them 'Fictioneers' - who seek out real-world settings linked to novels they love. Few places resonate more strongly than the Nile, and the Sudan remains a rare surviving link to the era Christie knew.  

Launched in the 1920s, the steamship is the last surviving vessel from Thomas Cook's original fleet of Nile steamers, which travelled during the so-called Golden Age of Travel – as it does now - between Luxor and Aswan. The steamer retains many of its period details, from teak decks and Belle Époque décor to the ship's library-like saloon and vintage bar and is on the bucketlist for any fans of the 'Queen of Crime'.   

The ship's cult status was bolstered by its appearance - under the name 'SS Karnak'- in the 2004 film adaptation of Death on the Nile, starring David Suchet and some guests even choose to travel in 1920s attire, adding their own homage to the golden age of river journeys.  

After falling into disrepair following the Second World War, the vessel was rediscovered and meticulously restored in the early 2000 by Voyageurs du Monde, parent company of Original Travel, and remains the most evocative way to experience the river that inspired Christie's most famous detective novel. 

For those wishing to mark Christie's anniversary closer to home, tributes will also take place at the British Library, which will host its largest Agatha Christie exhibition in over 20 years. Opening in October 2026, the exhibition is being curated in partnership with Agatha Christie Limited and the Christie Archive Trust, and will feature a rich and revealing collection of personal objects, letters and photographs from the author's life, including a photograph of Christie and her husband onboard the SS Sudan. 

The Steam Ship Sudan is available exclusively through Original Travel. Starting from £4,840pp, based on two sharing and including flights, private transfers, a five-day luxury cruise of the Nile aboard the Steam Ship Sudan, including guided visits to some of Egypt's most famous ancient landmarks, including the Valley of the Kings and the Karnak Complex, plus four nights' hotel accommodation. Original Travel, 020 3582 4990, www.originaltravel.co.uk.