River Cruises · Viking
Viking River Cruises, Booked by Travel Consultants Who Know the Rivers
What a Viking river cruise feels like
A river cruise is a different kind of journey from an ocean cruise. The ship is small, the shore is close enough to watch village life slip by from your veranda, and most days you wake up docked within walking distance of the old town. There are no sea days to fill; the river and the towns along it are the entertainment.
Viking’s signature Viking Longships share a calm Scandinavian design, with light wood, floor-to-ceiling glass and the open-air Aquavit Terrace at the bow, where you can dine al fresco while the castles go by. Viking carries more than half of all North American river cruisers, and its river fleet is growing toward more than 110 ships by 2028.
What our clients tell us
Members of our team have taken river cruises, and we share the good and the not-so-good, based on the feedback we receive, so you can make the right decision for you.
What they love: the calm. There are no casinos, no pool DJs and no children on board, just relaxing quiet. If you want chill, this is the place for you. The foundation fare covers beer and wine with lunch and dinner, plus Wi-Fi. Ships dock right along the banks of historic river towns, often at Viking’s own docking locations, so getting in and out of town is easy and quick. Cruisers generally rate the service as high quality and attentive. And when it comes to choice, Viking leads: more sailing dates, more rivers and a lower entry point, from the Rhine, Danube, Seine and Rhône to the Nile, the Mekong and, from late 2027, India.
What they flag: Viking’s fares are not as all-inclusive as some other options, so pay close attention when comparing prices. Our Voyage Journal articles Not Another Cruise Cost Comparison, Stop Comparing Cruise Prices and Everything That’s Included. And Everything That Isn’t. show what that looks like. Foodies tell us this is not a food-centric cruise and that dinners on board are rather pedestrian; the deeper dive into food and wine happens on shore. Guests skew toward a more mature crowd, and the ship design is minimalist. And cancellations on a river cruise are a real thing, Viking included: low water on a river can force a reroute or a cancellation, and every line handles it differently, as a judgment call for the situation at hand.
Choosing your river
With Viking, the first decision is not the ship but the river. Each one has its own rhythm, scenery and season, and that choice shapes the whole journey.
| River | Classic voyage | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Rhine | Rhine Getaway, Amsterdam to Basel | Windmills at Kinderdijk, Cologne’s cathedral and the castle-lined Middle Rhine. The most popular first river cruise. |
| Danube | Romantic Danube and Danube Waltz, to Budapest | Vienna, the Wachau Valley’s vineyards and Budapest lit up at night. Christmas market sailings in late November and December. |
| Rhine, Main and Danube | Grand European Tour, Amsterdam to Budapest | The full crossing of Europe by water in about two weeks, through Bavaria and four countries or more. |
| Seine | Paris and the Heart of Normandy, round trip | Monet’s garden at Giverny, Rouen and the D-Day beaches, starting and ending in Paris. |
| Rhône and Bordeaux | Lyon and Provence; Chateaux, Rivers and Wine | Food and wine France: Lyon, Avignon, Arles, Saint-Émilion and the great Bordeaux estates. |
| Douro | Portugal’s River of Gold, Lisbon to Porto | Terraced port-wine vineyards in a dramatic river valley, with a day trip to Salamanca, Spain. |
| Nile | Pharaohs and Pyramids | Cairo and the pyramids, then Luxor, the Valley of the Kings and Aswan aboard a Viking Nile ship. |
| Mekong | Magnificent Mekong | Vietnam and Cambodia, including Angkor Wat, on the 80-guest Viking Saigon and Viking Tonle. |
| Mississippi | America’s Great River | New Orleans, Memphis and the river towns of the American heartland, aboard the Viking Mississippi. |
Itinerary names, routes and ships are set by Viking and can change. We confirm the current routing for your sailing before you book.
Danube spotlight: Vienna and Budapest
We have explored Vienna and Budapest ourselves, and they are two of the great reasons to sail the Danube. In Vienna, the Hofburg and Schönbrunn palaces tell the story of the Habsburg empire, and the coffeehouses and wine taverns are part of the experience.
Budapest is two cities in one: hilltop Buda, with its castle and the view from Gellért Hill, and Pest across the river, home to the Parliament and the grand thermal baths. Pro tip: if you want to sound more like a local and less like a tourist, say it the way locals do, “Buda-pesht,” with the s pronounced as sh. Locals tell us they get tired of hearing the name mispronounced, and you will impress them when you say it right. Many Danube voyages stay overnight in Budapest, and sailing past the Parliament lit up at night is one of the classic river cruise moments.
Why your stateroom choice matters
On a river ship, where your stateroom sits matters more than you might expect. Lower-deck staterooms have a high, half-height window at the waterline. Higher decks offer French balconies or a full veranda, and the Explorer Suites at the stern wrap around the back of the ship with views on both banks. In busy ports, river ships often dock side by side, so the view from any stateroom can be the ship next door for a few hours. We look at the deck, the side and the itinerary together, so you pay for the view you will actually use.
What’s included in a Viking river fare, and what isn’t
Included
- All meals on board, including regional specialties
- Beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner
- A guided excursion in nearly every port
- Wi-Fi, specialty coffees, teas and bottled water
- Enrichment lectures and destination performances
- Port taxes and fees
- Airport transfers when you book air through Viking
Extra
- Optional premium excursions
- Drinks outside mealtimes, unless you add the Silver Spirits package
- Gratuities for the crew and local guides
- Airfare, unless you add Viking Air
- Pre- and post-cruise hotel extensions
Viking’s foundation fare covers the essentials, but it is not as all-inclusive as some river cruise options, so the lowest price on the screen is not always the lowest price for the trip you want. Drinks between meals, gratuities, premium excursions, air and hotel nights all add up. Our Voyage Journal walks through how to compare cruise costs side by side: Not Another Cruise Cost Comparison, Stop Comparing Cruise Prices and Everything That’s Included. And Everything That Isn’t. Or let us do it for you while we plan your journey: we do this every day.
Inclusions, packages and gratuity guidelines are set by Viking and can change. We confirm the current terms for your sailing before you book.
Who Viking suits
- Curious travelers who want history, art and culture at the center of the trip.
- First-time river cruisers who want a well-run, mostly inclusive introduction to Europe’s rivers.
- Adults who prefer a quiet ship, with no casino and every guest 18 or older.
- Travelers who want to see a lot without repacking, waking up in a new town most mornings.
Not sure which cruise line fits this trip?
Viking river questions we hear
What is the best Viking river cruise for a first-timer?
The Rhine Getaway, from Amsterdam to Basel, and the Danube cruises to Budapest are the classic first river cruises. Both are about a week and pack in famous cities, castles and vineyards. We match you by season, pace and the places that matter most to you.
Can children sail on Viking river cruises?
No. Every guest on a Viking river cruise must be 18 or older at the time of sailing. Viking ships have no casinos or kids’ clubs, and the atmosphere is calm and focused on the destination.
What is included on a Viking river cruise?
All meals on board, beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, a guided excursion in nearly every port, Wi-Fi, specialty coffees, enrichment lectures and port taxes. Airport transfers are included when you book air through Viking. Gratuities and optional premium excursions are extra.
Is a Viking river cruise all-inclusive?
Not entirely. The fare includes meals, beer and wine with lunch and dinner, Wi-Fi and a guided excursion in nearly every port, but drinks between meals, gratuities, premium excursions and air are extra. It is not as all-inclusive as some river cruise options, so we compare the full cost of your trip before you book.
Can low water cancel a river cruise?
Yes. Low water, and sometimes high water, can force a river cruise to reroute, swap ships or cancel, and Viking is not immune. Every line handles it differently, case by case. We watch water levels for your sailing and talk you through the options if conditions change.
When is the best time to take a European river cruise?
Spring and fall bring milder weather and fewer crowds, summer is the warmest and busiest, and late November through December brings the Christmas market sailings. Very high or low water can occasionally change a route, which is one more reason to have a travel consultant watching your sailing.
Where does Viking sail besides Europe?
Viking also sails the Nile in Egypt, the Mekong in Vietnam and Cambodia, and the Mississippi in the United States. Its first river voyages in India begin in late 2027 on the new Viking Brahmaputra.
Does it cost more to book Viking through a travel consultant?
No. You pay the same fare as booking direct with Viking. Through us you also get a river, ship and stateroom chosen for how you travel, air and hotel nights arranged around your sailing, planning before you sail, and Shore Secrets port guides for every stop.
Plan your Viking river cruise with travel consultants who know the rivers
Tell us how you like to travel, and your Aurévia travel consultant will reply within one business day with river, ship, stateroom and fare options. Let us hold your cabin.