A Viking cruise puts the magic of your destination at center stage, while ensuring your comfort and enrichment at every turn. It’s no surprise that Condé Nast Traveler readers voted Viking to the top of the River, Ocean, and Expedition cruise categories in the 2023 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards—the first time a travel company has been voted number one across these three categories simultaneously. Viking prides itself on providing experiences for the thinking person, where you might share conversations with curious, well-traveled individuals on these modern, elegant ships. The line’s guests consistently tout Viking’s extremely knowledgeable and kind crew, who you’ll likely be on a first-name basis with by the trip’s end. This pioneering brand has cultivated its enduring appeal while expanding into different categories, now offering standout experiences on all seven continents; satisfied Viking river cruisers now eagerly book the company’s ocean itineraries and polar expeditions. What’s unchanged is Viking’s standard for luxurious, destination-focused travel, which globetrotters continue to choose, making Viking an industry leader. Here’s a sampling of the many tempting voyages Viking offers.
River’s Edge
Take a river journey on one of Viking’s lauded longships for a deep immersion in Europe. On the Rhine Getaway itinerary, discover the fairytale castles, cathedrals, and famed white wines of the Middle Rhine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Scandinavian in style, a Viking ship is akin to a floating boutique hotel: beautifully functional, with airy spaces, clean lines, wood accents, and carefully considered details, down to your stateroom or suite’s bathroom—think large showers, heated floors, an anti-fog mirror, and premium Freyja toiletries. Enjoy coffee or a glass of wine on your private, full-size veranda. You’ll have an opportunity to savor the culinary specialties of Alsace in an optional excursion in Strasbourg and will be making port calls (Viking includes a complimentary excursion in every port on every cruise) in Amsterdam, Cologne, and Basel.
On the Grand European Tour—Viking’s most iconic itinerary—you’ll traverse the Rhine, Main, and Danube Rivers, touring windmills at Kinderdijk in Holland, exploring medieval German towns, and following in the footsteps of Austria’s legendary composers. Bask in the evening illumination of riverside Budapest over an after-dinner drink in the Viking Lounge. Don your comfortable shoes for an included walking tour of Regensburg where you’ll meet an insightful local guide who’ll steer you through the oldest city on the Danube. As you stroll, you’ll pass Roman city walls and the 12th-century old Stone Bridge, a 16-arch engineering marvel still carrying traffic today. Peer into the idyllic courtyards of Alte Wurstküche, Germany’s oldest restaurant, and gaze up at the Gothic St. Peter’s Cathedral before leisurely returning to the ship.
Alternatively, you can trace French history along the River Seine during the Paris & the Heart of Normandy itinerary. Your nimble ship awaits at Viking’s exclusive dock near the Eiffel Tower right in the heart of the City of Light. This trip reveals charming homes and villages dotting the Seine’s edge; head to the bow of the ship for an al fresco lunch on the Aquavit Terrace and watch the riverscapes roll by.
Witness the beaches of Normandy, gaze at Rouen’s Gothic architecture, and from April through October, drive with your guide into the Giverny countryside on an included excursion to Claude Monet’s Garden. You’ll meander through the artist’s house, with its pink, crushed-brick façade, green shutters, and collection of Japanese engravings. You’ll take in the Japanese bridge, water lilies, wisteria, and azaleas that grace Monet’s paintings.
Oceans Away
Embark on an award-winning Viking ocean cruise to gain access to ports in Scandinavia and the Mediterranean that larger ships can’t reach—and to the unmatched enrichment this travel company brings to the experience. Sail the trade routes of the original Vikings during the Viking Homelands itinerary. During your agile vessel’s in-depth discovery of Scandinavia, you’ll be able to visit charming Ålborg and Gdańsk as well as Berlin and Copenhagen, with overnight stays in Stockholm, Oslo, and Bergen. After a day of urban exploration or gazing at majestic Norwegian fjords, rejuvenate yourself Scandi-style at the Nordic Spa, where access is an included feature. Book one of the popular massages or scrubs, unwind in the sauna, or alternate between hot and cold therapies in the snow grotto and saltwater pool.
Or consider a cruise from Norway to the United Kingdom in the summertime with Into the Midnight Sun, sailing from the Arctic Circle towards the sturdy ponies and ancient sites of the Shetland and Orkney Islands with a stop in hilltop Edinburgh. On board, engaging expert talks are Viking trademarks, giving you more insight into each destination’s art, architecture, music, geopolitics, natural habitat, and more. A passenger favorite, Mamsen’s venue in the Explorers’ Lounge is perched high on the ship; order a craft beer and nibble Norwegian specialties in front of its floor-to-ceiling windows. Besides The Restaurant—the ship’s main eatery—dining options abound, and whether you opt for pasta at Manfredi’s, the World Café’s buffet, poolside burgers, or high tea, specialty restaurants are an included feature on Viking voyages.
On Empires of the Mediterranean, a voyage bookended by Venice and Athens, you’ll take in all the riches of the Adriatic and Aegean Seas, from the whitewashed houses of Santorini to the ruins of the Acropolis. A Viking signature is pairing iconic highlights like these with lesser-known gems that deserve to be discovered, so they ensure you’ll also be treated to Dubrovnik, a historic medieval jewel. On optional excursions, take a scenic drive from Dubrovnik to a centuries-old country farmhouse for a home-cooked Croatian meal and wine from the family’s own vineyards, or for an intimate chef’s table experience, handpick fresh market fare in the morning alongside your ship’s executive chef and glean cooking and plating skills as local ingredients are transformed into your dinner at The Kitchen Table that evening.
Take the Mediterranean Odyssey to explore Tuscany, Rome, and the glittering French Riviera, with an overnight stay in Barcelona, where Viking offers a Privileged Access tour of architect Antoni Gaudí’s idiosyncratic, whimsical works. On this five-hour excursion, you’ll be driven to Casa Vicens—Gaudí’s first project at age thirty—for an insider glimpse of this turreted private house; you’ll also investigate the fantastical sanctuary and towering façade of La Sagrada Família, the cathedral that is his unfinished masterpiece, and admire more of Gaudí’s characteristic curved façades and scooped-out windows at the Casa Batlló, or “House of Bones.” Back on your ship, settle into a leather armchair with a cocktail and an engaging book from Viking’s well-stocked library, curated by the London bookshop Heywood Hill, as you journey on.
Expedition Bound
Viking’s innovative, top-ranking expedition ships let you follow in the footsteps of history’s great adventurers, exploring remote destinations on itineraries like the Antarctic Explorer. You’ll be up close to the Antarctic Peninsula’s towering glaciers, blue-tinged icebergs, penguins, and whales. Your Nordic Balcony stateroom’s panoramic window is retractable, letting you bring the outdoors in. The special joy of being in this incredible region is seeing and learning about its natural wonders, so be sure to join the experts from the expedition team for wildlife watching, birding hour, or photography sessions.
These purpose-made vessels can also take you on the Great Lakes Collection itinerary, an expedition-style journey across the historic waterways of all five Great Lakes. Your ship was specifically designed to reach hard-to-access areas, taking you through the Welland Canal to lakeside cities like Toronto and Detroit and Michigan’s quaint, Victorian-era Mackinac Island. See thundering Niagara Falls, explore the granite islands and secluded inlets of Ontario’s Georgian Bay, traverse the famed Soo Locks linking Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes and the Atlantic, and help with a bit of research along the way, learning ab out the lakes’ aquatic ecosystems. On board, continue to learn in the interactive Science Lab; it’s an expedition-line exclusive find, along with The Aula, an amphitheater with panoramic views.
For a life-changing experience, venture across the equator on a Viking Longitudinal World Cruise I, sailing from the end of the world up through the Americas. From the dreamlike Antarctic Peninsula, you'll glide through the scenic Chilean fjords, transit the Panama Canal, explore Central America, and navigate the locks of the Great Lakes during a culture-rich world tour that spans both the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Head out into these diverse waters in your expedition ship’s kayaks, Zodiacs, and Special Operations Boats to get even closer to awe-inspiring nature, and lounge afterwards on a comfortable couch in the Living Room with a glass of wine and live classical music.
With all of Viking’s outstanding offerings, it’s hard to pick just one itinerary, but that's the starting point for finding out firsthand why readers rate Viking their favorite cruise line. Whether you’re wandering ancient streets in Germany, savoring a farm-to-table meal in Croatia, or gliding past glaciers in Antarctica, Viking’s top-rated, destination-focused voyages create moments you’ll never forget. Learn more at Viking.com.