Six Bucket List Worthy Viking River Cruises

Planning the perfect vacation can be a tiresome process. There are so many options to consider, so many potential paths to have your ideal, adventurous, fun-filled vacation. Across multiple platforms, though, one type of vacation consistently comes out on top for being a reliable provider of fun, adventure, and lots of stories to tell: Viking River Cruises. Each type of itinerary available brings with it a new set of potential stories, bold activities, and interesting new places. While we’ve never been on a Viking River Cruise, one is indeed on our bucket list, if we could bring ourselves to stop at just one. 

Viking River Cruises can be as short as a few days, or all the way up to a month, which allows for flexibility to fit to your schedule and your budget, essentially making this an all around ideal vacation option. But with so many options available, which Viking River Cruise is really the best one to make your vacation as memorable and as engaging as possible? Read on to find our six favorites, but really you can’t go wrong with any of their numerous options. 

1) Portugal’s River of Gold

This River Cruise brings so much diversity, culture, and flavor right to you (or rather, you to it) as you sail along Douro River and see the amazing sights of fascinating architecture, rich culture, and fantastic scenic sights of the landscape traveling across Portugal’s River of Gold. This cruise goes for ten days, and sails on the Viking Helmgrim or Viking Osfrid, going from Lisbon, Portugal, to Porto, Portugal. Each stop along the way is filled with exciting sights, including the medieval city of Salamanca, and Coimbra, the medieval capital city of the country. To add, the culinary prowess of this area is boasted near and far, ranging from delicacies in fine wine, to Iberian specialties that are unparalleled elsewhere. This River Cruise is a sure shot hit with anyone who enjoys rich culture, architectural beauty, and exciting new places!

Price: from $2,799 (10 days)

2) European Sojourn

Looking for a longer get away with even more enrichment? The Amsterdam to Bucharest Viking River Cruise truly gives the best of all worlds over its twenty three day long span. Journeying along the Rhine, Main, and Danube Rivers, this trip takes you along a fairytale ride. Mystical castles, wonderful sights and landscapes for scenery take you into a completely different, beautiful, amazing environment. Be a witness to the wonders of the Iron Gates in Romania, see Cologne in all its vibrance and absolute beauty, and be a part of the wondrous occasion that is a 17,000 pipe organ concert at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Passau. See all that the European Sojourn has to offer in its vibrance through the famous Hungarian Horsemen Show, Thermal Bath, and Belgradchik Fortress. Be ready for nearly a month of adventure and elegant charm as you journey with the Viking River Cruise on this spectacular trip.

Price: from $6,899 (23 days)

3) Paris and the Heart of Normandy

A classic as always, a European vacation is incomplete without visiting Paris and seeing all that it has to offer. Through this Viking River Cruise, visit Paris and take a round trip of France, the country of culture and rich abundance. Travel along the Seine River to see the country that boasts culture and art, rightfully so. From extravagant art to scrumptious meals, this cruise will give you everything you need to be able to enjoy a classic, gorgeous French holiday. Visit the Normandy’s American Military Cemetery for historical and sentimental value, and see fantastic architectural elements where you can trace the steps and visit the homes of Joan of Arc and Claude Monet. Over eight days, this cruise takes you through a cultural experience of France that you will not experience anywhere else, ranging from the Giverny Gardens to memorials that are tribute to the social contributions of others.

Price: from $1,999 (8 days)

4) Rhine Getaway

Travel along the famous Rhine to be able to experience all that it has to offer within an eight day cruise. From Amsterdam to Basel, experience the rich culture of the cities that dot the outskirts of the Rhine. This Viking River Cruise brings with it historical richness, cultural enrichment, and fantastic adventure with new people, new sights, and new beauty to be able to see and experience. View Holland’s spectacular landscape, appreciate the windmills and gorgeous architecture of the backdrop as you sail smoothly across the Rhine River. See where this entity gets its fame from, across the Black Forest, through the Strasbourg, and Heidelberg Castle. Over the span of the eight days of the cruise, you will see a part of Europe that is a hidden gem in travel wonder.

Price: from $1,999 (8 days)

5) Lyon & Provence

If you are feeling more in the mood for a quaint, charming trip that offers potential for pure cultural enrichment and picturesque beauty, this Viking River Cruise brings to you all of the elements that are necessary to create the all around best vacation experience for you. Sit back and relax as you are taken through the peaceful scenery of Avignon and Provence, with the gorgeous lavender and Palace of the Popes presiding above all else in the background of your relaxing trip. This vacation is truly all about you, and is one where you spend your eight days traveling in class and elegance across some of the most beautiful parts of European landscapes, from Châteauneuf-du-Pape vineyards, to Tournon, to UNESCO world heritage sites, such as Lyon.

Price: from $1,999 (8 days)

6) Tulips & Windmills

Last on our list, but first in our heart is the famous Tulips & Windmills cruise, where you’ll discover the best of Holland & Belgium. Departing and returning from Amsterdam, this 10 day cruise will take you through multiple Netherlands cities including: Hoorn, Arnhem, Kinderdijk and Zeeland. However you’ll also get a taste of Belgium with stops in Antwrep and Ghent. This cruise is only offered in the Spring, as it is the best time to see colorful ribbons of Dutch Tulips bloom in the farmlands of Holland. This cruise will also allow you to sample Belgian beers and chocolates, step into the Middle Ages in Bruges, and roam Keukenhof Gardens, the world’s largest floral park.

Price: from $3,399 (10 days)