Table Of Content
Alternately, you may take an optional World War II tour that includes the illuminating Documentation Center Museum. After lunch, spend free time exploring Nuremberg’s Old Town. Or, join an optional tour to discover the secret network of underground bunkers where priceless art was hidden in wartime. Cruise past hilltop castles along the Rhine, stopping in Koblenz to visit Marksburg Castle, the only Rhine fortress never destroyed. After your tour, continue cruising this stunning stretch of the Rhine, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Are excursions included on a Viking River Cruise?
We were escorted to a driver who took us directly to our hotel, Tivoli Avenida Liberdade Lisboa. We enjoyed the brief interactions but our goal was to spend time together. At cocktail hour, the Cruise Director spends 30 minutes talking about the next day’s activity. We attended these presentations each evening, but that was really the only time we joined an on-board activity.
Christmas on the Rhine & Moselle
The 10 Best River Cruise Lines in Europe for Every Traveler - Cruise Critic
The 10 Best River Cruise Lines in Europe for Every Traveler.
Posted: Fri, 22 Sep 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
Take some free time to enjoy Bamberg and perhaps try some of the town’s distinctive smoke-flavored beer before returning on board. A river cruise lends itself to spontaneity with direct access to destinations. There are no tenders or cities an hour from where you dock. In Lyon, France, the riverside park full of picnickers, cyclists, and bocce ball players right outside the ship compelled me to step out, grabbing a city map on the way off the ship. The afternoon spent lingering in the medieval alleys and Renaissance streets I first spotted on the earlier tour with Viking during the Lyon & Provence itinerary had me hooked on river cruising.
Seine River Cruises
For most travellers, the aurora borealis is the world’s most sought-after spectacle in the sky. On a clear night, these ethereal lights may appear over Norway as faint wisps of green or dramatically dancing ribbons in multiple colours. In Search of The Northern Lights is Viking’s 13-day ocean voyage in the Arctic, sailing between London (Tilbury) and Bergen via the Norwegian fjords. Multiple departures will operate from January to March 2025, regarded as the best time to see the lights. One of the best Viking River Cruises in Europe takes place on the Rhine River and the scenery is spectacular.
Viking Rhine River Cruise: Get Your Fill of Riesling, Castles and Legends
It is called the “Versailles of Vienna” due to its massive size (1,441 rooms!), and it qualifies as a UNESCO site as well. Leave us a comment if you have any questions about our European river cruise with Viking. We prefer to tip this way because it’s easy and fair.
Explore Bergen
There are articles about every stop on our river cruise itinerary. Raise a glass of Kölsch to our Rhine, Elbe and Baltic cruises through Germany, where you can discover stunning cathedrals, magnificent riverside castles and the fabled Black Forest. Let Viking immerse you in German history, cultural treasures and famed UNESCO Sites.
Our tour ended at the Dom, Germany’s largest cathedral and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As we had seen the castle on our previous Rhine River cruise, we opted to join a couple dozen other passengers for the optional Moselle wine tour. Our route took us along along the Mosel River, which offers a landscape of terraced vineyards punctuated here and there by typically German towns. As for the lunchtime meal, some passengers return to eat on the ship.
Viking Launches Year-Round European River Cruises - Cruise Critic
Viking Launches Year-Round European River Cruises.
Posted: Thu, 25 May 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The line's high-end offerings and free shore excursions also help make Viking river itineraries some of the most popular in Europe. There is no better view on a river cruise than the panoramic Sun Deck, especially when sailing. My heart-swelling moment waving to the children on the river bank was one of many on the ship's top deck that pulled my attention away from any attempt to read. Happily, Viking provided plenty of chairs, so there was no need for the frantic rush to snag or save seats.
Pre-Extension: Oslo & Scenic Train
With that said, we must disclose that we teamed up with Viking River Cruises in order to make this trip possible. We agreed to share our honest, firsthand experience on this blog and social media channels. Social interactions are a big part of the cruising experience for this older demographic.
From a cliff 400 metres above the ocean, finish your day watching the Cyclades sun setting over the turquoise waters of the Aegean Sea. Other islands such as Rhodes and Crete offer opportunities to hike among the volcanic splendour, sample wine at hilltop wineries, and discover historic sites. The voyage also includes Kuşadasi, Turkey, for a chance to roam the ruins of Ephesus, dating back to the 10th century BC. At the Belvedere Palace, you can make your own framed mirror with gold stones at a private workshop, channelling Vienna’s renowned artist, Gustav Klimt, who used gold leaf in many of his works.
I stepped directly out into ancient Roman ruins in Vienne, a castle's sycamore-lined square in Tournon, and the sun-washed walls of Avignon. This is the picturesque town where the Moselle and Rhine converge. They were enjoying a few hours off and invited us to join them. Viking had planned an evening glassblowing demonstration afterwards, but nope. The cruise director had to postpone it at the last minute because the glassblower missed the ship. After a traditional German lunch in a Rothenburg restaurant, we returned to Würzburg.
After 26 years in Europe, Viking knows the most enjoyable aspects of its popular destinations, from major cities to the countryside. Every itinerary has been honed to explore the most beautiful landscapes, stunning landmarks, and unusual customs and cuisines unique to each port of call. Immerse yourself in the Old World as you sail Europe’s most iconic rivers. From the Main to the Moselle, the Douro to the Dordogne, the Viking experience is unsurpassed.
The reason for the limited sailing time is because the navigable part of the Douro River is not very long. It’s less than 250 kilometers from Porto to Barca d’Alva. We enjoyed many delicious fish dishes on the cruise. Every day there is a new menu with a la carte options. Lunch and dinner are 3 course meals, with an appetizer, entree and dessert. We really enjoyed the dining experience on the Viking Osfrid.
Viking crew distributed red umbrellas in anticipation, and there were always chuckles amongst the passengers as we ducked under. From the Sun Deck of Viking Hermod it was an intimate, unscripted traveler’s dream, sharing the waterway with kayakers, fishermen, swans and children splashing and waving to us from the water. Vineyards climbed the hills around the Rhône River, with chateaux and villages lined along the river’s edge. Gliding down this river somewhere south of Vienne, France, I realized how much I loved this pace of sightseeing, a real luxury in a hurried world.
Or, instead, join an optional full-day journey along Germany’s picturesque “Romantic Road” to Rothenburg, with its turreted city wall and impressive Gothic and baroque architecture. Upon returning to Würzburg, enjoy a tour of the Bishops’ Residenz before rejoining your ship for dinner. Span the continent from the pristine shores of Norway to the cultural riches of Budapest. From the seaside village of Skagen, Denmark, sail the North Sea to Amsterdam. Along the Rhine River, pause to sample Germany’s finest vintages and explore elegant palaces and impressive castles.
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