Quick-growing Viking has probably the most numerous 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 most of the world’s main rivers. That is notably completely different from most cruise strains; sometimes, cruise strains function both ocean or river cruises, however not each.
Viking has a very massive footprint relating to European river itineraries, with a variety of sailings on practically each European river of notice, from the Danube and Rhine in Central Europe to the Douro in Portugal.
The corporate additionally operates river trips on the Nile in Egypt, the Mekong in Southeast Asia and the Mississippi River in the United States, 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 principal opponents amongst river strains catering to North Individuals — which embrace Avalon Waterways, Uniworld and AmaWaterways — have anyplace close to that variety of vessels.
Amongst ocean cruise locations, Viking has a serious presence in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, which it considers its dwelling turf. (The corporate was based by a Norwegian household.) However you will discover Viking’s 12 conventional ocean ships in all places 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 every part 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 fascinating 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 desires to dominate.
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Throughout summer season particularly, 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 everyday 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.
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Be aware 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 warfare 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.
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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 embrace calls in Northern Europe are one-way, 28-night voyages between Bergen and New York Metropolis. The journeys embrace stops in Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Canada.
In Northern Europe, Viking ships largely sail out of Bergen, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen, London and Reykjavik.
The Mediterranean
Viking has grown into a serious participant in Mediterranean sailings, with greater than 30 distinct itineraries that embrace stops within the area.
The journeys embrace voyages centered particularly on both the Western or Japanese Mediterranean, in addition to a number of that embrace 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 centered Mediterranean itineraries embrace the road’s nine-night “Empires of the Mediterranean” voyages between Venice, Italy, and Athens, which largely consider stops alongside the japanese facet of the Adriatic Sea in Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro.
Within the Mediterranean, the road’s principal hubs are Barcelona; Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) and Chioggia (close to Venice) in Italy; Piraeus, Greece (the port for Athens); and Istanbul.
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Europe riverways
Viking is, fairly merely, the enormous of river cruising in Europe — not less than, 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 — way over 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 dimensions.
Among the many rivers in Europe the place Viking has a serious presence are the Rhine, Major 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.
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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 Major and Danube rivers to days on the Rhine.
The Nile
Viking provides among 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 following two years.
Except for two older vessels (Viking Ra and MS Antares), all these Viking ships on the Nile are a part of a new and particularly stylish series 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 lodge in Cairo (three nights earlier than the cruise and one night time after) to create an 11-night “Pharaohs and Pyramids” tour of Egypt.
The cruise portion of the tour contains visits to the historic temples of Luxor, Karnak, Esna, Dendera and Abu Simbel, in addition to a go to to the enduring 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.
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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 function a complete deck of sprawling suites that rival anything 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 loo. Every suite additionally has an out of doors balcony with seating for 2 — one thing you do not all the time see on Nile ships.
Antarctica
Viking is a relative newcomer to cruises to Antarctica, however the vacation spot is a giant development space for the road. Viking added two 378-passenger expedition cruise vessels in 2022 that had 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 out there for Antarctica cruises, partly as a result of they’ve a number of new and weird options.
Most notable is The Hangar, an enclosed marina that enables 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 everyday journey beginning with an evening at a lodge 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 further 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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