Quick-growing Viking has probably the most various arrays of itineraries of any cruise line.
Not solely does the California-based firm provide ocean cruises in virtually each nook of the world, it additionally provides river cruises on lots of the world’s main rivers. That is notably completely different from most cruise strains; usually, cruise strains function both ocean or river cruises, however not each.
Viking has a very massive footprint with regards to European river itineraries, with a variety of sailings on practically each European river of be aware, from the Danube and Rhine in Central Europe to the Douro in Portugal.
The corporate additionally operates river journeys on the Nile in Egypt, the Mekong in Southeast Asia and the Mississippi River in america, and it quickly will launch its first river journeys in India.
As of the spring of 2026, there have been 90 river ships in Viking’s fleet — an astounding quantity. None of its foremost rivals amongst river strains catering to North Individuals — which embody Avalon Waterways, Uniworld and AmaWaterways — have wherever close to that variety of vessels.
Amongst ocean cruise locations, Viking has a significant presence in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, which it considers its residence turf. (The corporate was based by a Norwegian household.) However you may discover Viking’s 12 conventional ocean ships all over the place from North America to Asia and Australia. In 2022, the road additionally started cruising to Antarctica with its first expedition ship — a sort of vessel constructed particularly for journey to distant, hard-to-reach locations. Viking now has two such vessels.
Among the many line’s voyages, there’s the whole lot from seven-night cruises within the Mediterranean to 169-night around-the-world voyages. Overwhelmed with selections? Listed here are the 5 greatest Viking cruise locations the place the road can really give you a memorable trip.
Scandinavia and Northern Europe
A few of Viking’s most attention-grabbing itineraries are round Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea, with many starting or ending in Norway — the homeland of the corporate’s founder and chairman, Torstein Hagen.
As Hagen as soon as instructed me, Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea are what the corporate considers “Viking nation” — a area the place it needs to dominate.
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Throughout summer season specifically, Viking devotes an unusually massive variety of its ships to itineraries round Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea and different Northern European locations comparable to Iceland. Many notably use the comparatively small however famously scenic Norwegian metropolis of Bergen, Norway (inhabitants 294,000) as a gateway, one thing no different line does. That permits for uncommon variations on the standard Baltic Sea or Norwegian fjords cruise.
The road’s hottest route within the area, “Viking Homelands,” is a two-week-long, one-way journey between Bergen and Stockholm that mixes a number of days of exploring the fjord area of Norway’s west coast with extra typical Baltic cruise locations comparable to Copenhagen and Tallinn, Estonia.
Associated: The last word information to Viking ships and itineraries
Word that, till Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, these itineraries additionally included a go to to St. Petersburg, Russia — lengthy the marquee attraction of a cruise within the Baltic area. However like different cruise manufacturers, Viking stopped all calls in Russia after the conflict started, and it is unlikely St. Petersburg will return to the itinerary till the battle is resolved.
Viking additionally provides a 14-night itinerary that features a number of stops within the northernmost a part of the nation above the Arctic Circle. Dubbed “Into the Midnight Solar,” the one-way route between Bergen and London is exclusive as a result of it combines calls in far-north Honningsvag and Tromso, Norway, with visits to Scotland’s distant Shetland and Orkney archipelagoes. Although a part of the UK, these island chains have longstanding ties to Norwegian and Viking historical past.
Itineraries that take you from Bergen to Iceland and even as far-off as France, Portugal and Spain are additionally obtainable.
Associated: Why I really like Viking ocean ships for exploring the world
Viking’s Scandinavia and Northern Europe journeys vary broadly in size from simply seven nights to a whopping 28 nights.
Among the many longest sailings Viking provides that embody calls in Northern Europe are one-way, 28-night voyages between Bergen and New York Metropolis. The journeys embody stops in Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Canada.
In Northern Europe, Viking ships principally sail out of Bergen, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen, London and Reykjavik.
The Mediterranean
Viking has grown into a significant participant in Mediterranean sailings, with greater than 30 distinct itineraries that embody stops within the area.
The journeys embody voyages targeted particularly on both the Western or Jap Mediterranean, in addition to just a few that embody stops throughout each areas.
Typical of the latter is the road’s 14-night “Mediterranean Antiquities” routing, a one-way journey between Athens, Greece, and Barcelona with stops in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Monaco, France and Spain.
Extra targeted Mediterranean itineraries embody the road’s nine-night “Empires of the Mediterranean” voyages between Venice, Italy, and Athens, which principally think about stops alongside the jap aspect of the Adriatic Sea in Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro.
Within the Mediterranean, the road’s foremost hubs are Barcelona; Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) and Chioggia (close to Venice) in Italy; Piraeus, Greece (the port for Athens); and Istanbul.
Associated: Viking cruise cabins and suites: Every part you need to know
Europe riverways
Viking is, fairly merely, the large of river cruising in Europe — at the least, amongst strains that cater to English audio system. As of the spring of 2026, the corporate operated greater than 70 river ships on a broad swath of the continent’s rivers — excess of every other river line catering to North Individuals.
In all, the road accounts for about half of all river cruises taken by North Individuals within the area. The following greatest participant in Europe river cruises for North Individuals, AmaWaterways, is lower than half the scale.
Among the many rivers in Europe the place Viking has a significant presence are the Rhine, Most important and Danube in Central Europe; the Seine, Rhone, Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde in France; the Douro in Portugal; and the Moselle and Elbe in Germany. Till Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Viking additionally provided cruises on the Dnieper River in Ukraine and on Russian waterways.
Associated: TPG’s information to Europe river cruising
On practically all of the rivers, the road provides a number of itineraries with lengths starting from seven nights to as many as 22 nights.
Amongst 10 completely different itineraries on the Rhine alone, choices vary from a seven-night “Rhine Getaway” from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, to a 22-night “European Sojourn” from Amsterdam to Bucharest, Romania. The latter provides journey on the Most important and Danube rivers to days on the Rhine.
The Nile
Viking provides a few of the most intimate and chic cruises on the Nile, with eight vessels on the river as of this spring and 6 extra scheduled to debut over the subsequent two years.
Excluding two older vessels (Viking Ra and MS Antares), all these Viking ships on the Nile are a part of a new and notably fashionable sequence that simply started debuting in 2022.
All seven of Viking’s Nile ships function the identical seven-night Nile cruise itinerary that Viking pairs with a four-night keep at a resort in Cairo (three nights earlier than the cruise and one evening after) to create an 11-night “Pharaohs and Pyramids” tour of Egypt.
The cruise portion of the tour consists of visits to the historic temples of Luxor, Karnak, Esna, Dendera and Abu Simbel, in addition to a go to to the long-lasting Valley of the Kings. The keep in Cairo brings a go to to the pyramids of Giza, the brand new Grand Egyptian Museum and different websites.
Associated: The last word information to Egypt cruising and cruisetours
The six vessels within the new sequence of Viking ships that started debuting in 2022 provide a clean-lined, Scandinavian-influenced design that mimics the look of Viking’s Europe-based vessels.
Notably, the ships characteristic a complete deck of sprawling suites that rival the rest discovered on the Nile for luxurious and luxury. Every of those suites comes with two full-size rooms — a big front room with a residential really feel and an adjoining bed room with a walk-in closet and toilet. Every suite additionally has an outside balcony with seating for 2 — one thing you do not at all times see on Nile ships.
Antarctica
Viking is a relative newcomer to cruises to Antarctica, however the vacation spot is an enormous development space for the road. Viking added two 378-passenger expedition cruise vessels in 2022 that have been particularly constructed to journey to the White Continent and has two extra of those ships on order for supply in 2030 and 2031, respectively.
Dubbed Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, the primary two ships on this sequence made waves available in the market for Antarctica cruises, partly as a result of they’ve a number of new and strange options.
Most notable is The Hangar, an enclosed marina that permits passengers to switch to small boats for exploration whereas nonetheless within the protected inside of the ship. A primary for an expedition ship, it is one thing that considerably improves the expertise for passengers heading out on Antarctica excursions.
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In one other first for polar expedition cruise vessels, each cabin on each Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris has floor-to-ceiling glass partitions that slide partially open from the highest to create a balconylike really feel.
Viking provides a number of Antarctic itineraries, with the standard journey beginning with an evening at a resort in Buenos Aires, Argentina, earlier than a flight to Ushuaia, Argentina, to board one of many two expedition ships for an 11-night cruise to Antarctica and again. An extended model of the journey options 13 nights on board one of many ships and additional days in Antarctica.
Viking additionally provides Antarctica sailings that mix a go to to the White Continent with stops within the Falkland Islands, Uruguay and Brazil.
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