Viking River Cruises

Daily Itinerary

1. Day 1

   Zurich

   Switzerland

   

   Zurich's port is a dynamic entry point to Switzerland’s rich history and stunning landscapes, making it a special destination for luxury travelers. Don't miss indulging in the local specialty, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, and exploring the charming Old Town. The best time to visit is during the summer months when the city comes alive with festivals and events along the lakefront.

2. Day 2

   Zurich

   Switzerland

   

   Zurich's port is a dynamic entry point to Switzerland’s rich history and stunning landscapes, making it a special destination for luxury travelers. Don't miss indulging in the local specialty, Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, and exploring the charming Old Town. The best time to visit is during the summer months when the city comes alive with festivals and events along the lakefront.

3. Day 3

   Basel

   Switzerland

   

   Basel, where Switzerland, France, and Germany converge at the Rhine's northward bend, hosts a concentration of world-class art institutions that rivals any city its size on earth — the Kunstmuseum alone, the world's oldest public art collection, could occupy days, and Art Basel each June draws every name that matters in the contemporary art world to this compact, elegant city. The Rhine itself is the city's great social artery: in summer, locals jump in with waterproof bags and float downstream, a tradition as charming as any museum. Spring through autumn is ideal for outdoor exploration; Paris is just three hours by TGV and Strasbourg a mere twenty minutes by train.

4. Day 4

   Strasbourg

   France

   

   Strasbourg is one of Europe's great border cities, its Franco-German soul etched into every half-timbered façade of the UNESCO-listed Grande Île and every turret of the soaring rose-sandstone cathedral that reigned as the world's tallest building for over two centuries. As the seat of the European Parliament and home to the European Court of Human Rights, this sophisticated Alsatian capital savors outstanding Riesling and choucroute garnie with equal Continental pride. The city dazzles year-round, though December's legendary Christmas market — among the oldest in Europe — transforms its medieval squares into an enchanted winter spectacle.

5. Day 5

   Speyer

   Germany

   

   Speyer, one of the oldest cities in Germany, rises from the Rhine plain with a skyline dominated by its magnificent Romanesque Imperial Cathedral — a UNESCO World Heritage site and the burial place of eight Holy Roman Emperors. The adjacent Jewish Quarter, also UNESCO-listed, preserves a medieval synagogue and mikveh of extraordinary rarity. The Technik Museum houses one of Europe's most celebrated collections of historic aircraft, including a full-sized Space Shuttle replica. The surrounding Palatinate wine country produces fine Riesling and Pinot Noir. Spring and early autumn offer the most agreeable conditions for exploring this quietly remarkable city.

6. Day 5

   Mannheim

   Germany

   

   The port of Mannheim is a vibrant hub located at the confluence of the Rhine and Neckar rivers, celebrated for its rich history and stunning architecture. Must-do experiences include savoring local dishes like Mannheimer Maultaschen and exploring nearby attractions such as Heidelberg and Bernkastel. The best season to visit is during the summer months, when the city comes alive with festivals and outdoor activities.

7. Day 6

   Mainz

   Germany

   

   Mainz is where the modern world was printed into existence: Johannes Gutenberg's invention of movable-type printing around 1440 transformed this ancient Rhine city into the birthplace of the information age, a legacy honoured at the extraordinary Gutenberg Museum, home to one of the surviving original Bibles. The Romanesque cathedral of St. Martin, built over a millennium from the year 975, anchors a charming old town of wine taverns and market squares where Rhenish Rieslings flow freely. Visit between spring and autumn for the famous Mainz Wine Market held beside the Rhine. A day-cruise port with surprising cultural depth.

8. Day 7

   Koblenz

   Germany

   

   Koblenz stands at the Deutsches Eck — the German Corner — where the Moselle river pours into the Rhine in a confluence so geographically commanding that the Romans built a fortress here in 9 BC. The result is a city of exceptional Rhine Gorge scenery, with the formidable Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, one of Europe's largest, crowning the opposite bank and reachable by gondola for panoramas that stretch across three river valleys. A Rhine wine tasting at one of the city's historic Weinstuben, followed by a stroll through the Altstadt's baroque squares, is the definitive Koblenz afternoon. The finest weather arrives April through October, with the Rhine in Flames fireworks festival in August being particularly spectacular.

9. Day 7

   Winningen

   Germany

   

   Winningen is a tiny Moselle wine village near Koblenz, home to the world's oldest documented Riesling vineyard (1304) and some of Europe's steepest hand-harvested vineyards on Devon slate slopes. Must-do experiences include cellar tastings of crystalline Riesling wines, walking through the half-timbered village center, and — in late August — attending the wine festival held since 1806. Late September through early October during harvest season offers the most atmospheric visiting conditions.

10. Day 8

    Cochem

    Germany

    

    The Reichsburg Cochem — a turreted fairy-tale castle presiding over a loop of the Moselle River — is among Germany's most photogenic medieval fortresses, its silhouette rising above terraced vineyards of ancient Riesling vines. The town below offers a charming ensemble of half-timbered houses, wine-cellar tastings, and cycle paths threading through valley landscapes that have barely changed in centuries. Arrive in September for the harvest festival, when the whole town smells of fermenting Riesling, or choose May for blossom-framed panoramas and long golden evenings on the riverside terraces.

11. Day 9

    Bernkastel

    Germany

    

    Bernkastel-Kues, the twin town straddling the Moselle, has been synonymous with Riesling for six centuries — home to the legendary Bernkasteler Doctor vineyard, whose precipitous south-facing slope has produced wines of such renown that a single hectare once sold for a record price. The Marktplatz, virtually unchanged since the seventeenth century, is Germany's most photogenic half-timbered market square: a stage-set of crooked facades and flower-hung balconies best appreciated over a glass of Spätlese in the late afternoon light. September brings the annual Moselle Wine Festival to the riverbanks. Trier, Germany's oldest city with its spectacular Roman amphitheatre, lies forty minutes upstream.

12. Day 9

    Trier

    Germany

    

    Trier is Germany's oldest city and once the northern capital of the Western Roman Empire, its incomparable UNESCO-listed ensemble of monuments — the blackened Porta Nigra gate, the vast Imperial Baths, the Amphitheater, and a Roman bridge still carrying traffic across the Moselle — more than justifying the title 'Rome of the North.' The birthplace of Karl Marx and a gateway to the Moselle wine region's elegant Riesling estates, Trier rewards a long visit with layers of history spanning two millennia within an effortlessly walkable historic center. The summer months from May to September are ideal, when Moselle Valley vineyard terraces gleam in full-leafed splendor.

13. Day 10

    Reims, France

    

    Reims is a city in northeastern France's Grand Est region. It's the unofficial capital of the Champagne wine-growing region, and many of the champagne houses headquartered there offer tastings and cellar tours. For more than 1,000 years, French kings were crowned at its Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Reims. This grand cathedral is known for its stained-glass windows and Gothic carved portals, including the Smiling Angel.

14. Day 10

    Paris

    France

    

    Paris rewards every arrival as though it were the first — the sweep of the Seine, the Gothic tracery of Notre-Dame rising again from its 2019 ashes, the Eiffel Tower somehow managing to astonish at each encounter, the Louvre's glass pyramid reflecting clouds in the courtyard of a palace that served French kings for four centuries. Beyond the monuments, Paris is a city of neighbourhoods: the Belle Époque brasseries of Montparnasse, the covered passages of the 2nd arrondissement, the rooftop terraces of Le Marais. The Luxembourg Gardens in April, or a late-September evening on the Canal Saint-Martin, are among the most civilised experiences in the world.

15. Day 11

    Paris

    France

    

    Paris rewards every arrival as though it were the first — the sweep of the Seine, the Gothic tracery of Notre-Dame rising again from its 2019 ashes, the Eiffel Tower somehow managing to astonish at each encounter, the Louvre's glass pyramid reflecting clouds in the courtyard of a palace that served French kings for four centuries. Beyond the monuments, Paris is a city of neighbourhoods: the Belle Époque brasseries of Montparnasse, the covered passages of the 2nd arrondissement, the rooftop terraces of Le Marais. The Luxembourg Gardens in April, or a late-September evening on the Canal Saint-Martin, are among the most civilised experiences in the world.

16. Day 12

    Paris

    France

    

    Paris rewards every arrival as though it were the first — the sweep of the Seine, the Gothic tracery of Notre-Dame rising again from its 2019 ashes, the Eiffel Tower somehow managing to astonish at each encounter, the Louvre's glass pyramid reflecting clouds in the courtyard of a palace that served French kings for four centuries. Beyond the monuments, Paris is a city of neighbourhoods: the Belle Époque brasseries of Montparnasse, the covered passages of the 2nd arrondissement, the rooftop terraces of Le Marais. The Luxembourg Gardens in April, or a late-September evening on the Canal Saint-Martin, are among the most civilised experiences in the world.

Cabin Categories

French Balcony

Balcony

135 sq ftMax 2D

Hotel-style beds 79 inches x 63 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration). Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open to create a French balcony. Private bathroom with shower and premium bath products. Telephone, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer & bottled water replenished daily. Bathrobe and slippers available upon request. Individual climate control. Space under bed for storing suitcases. Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers. Voltage: 220V and 110V in stateroom. Sony 40-inch flat-panel TV with premium entertainment package including: CNBC, CNN, FOX, ESPN, National Geographic, MGM Movies, Sky Cinema, videos on demand and “View From the Bridge”.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerRoom Service AvailableTVSafeHair Dryer+2

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French Balcony

Balcony

135 sq ftMax 2C

Hotel-style beds 79 inches x 63 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration). Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open to create a French balcony. Private bathroom with shower and premium bath products. Telephone, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer & bottled water replenished daily. Bathrobe and slippers available upon request. Individual climate control. Space under bed for storing suitcases. Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers. Voltage: 220V and 110V in stateroom. Sony 40-inch flat-panel TV with premium entertainment package including: CNBC, CNN, FOX, ESPN, National Geographic, MGM Movies, Sky Cinema, videos on demand and “View From the Bridge”.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerRoom Service AvailableTVSafeHair Dryer+2

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Veranda Stateroom

Balcony

205 sq ftMax 2A

Hotel-style beds 79 inches x 63 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration). Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open to a full-size veranda. Private bathroom with shower and premium bath products. Telephone, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer & bottled water replenished daily. Bathrobe and slippers available upon request. Individual climate control. Space under bed for storing suitcases. Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers. Voltage: 220V and 110V in stateroom. Sony 40-inch flat-panel TV with premium entertainment package including: CNBC, CNN, FOX, ESPN, National Geographic, MGM Movies, Sky Cinema, videos on demand and “View From the Bridge”.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerRoom Service AvailableTVSafeHair Dryer+2

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Veranda Stateroom

Balcony

205 sq ftMax 2B

Hotel-style beds 79 inches x 63 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration). Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors open to a full-size veranda. Private bathroom with shower and premium bath products. Telephone, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer & bottled water replenished daily. Bathrobe and slippers available upon request. Individual climate control. Space under bed for storing suitcases. Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers. Voltage: 220V and 110V in stateroom. Sony 40-inch flat-panel TV with premium entertainment package including: CNBC, CNN, FOX, ESPN, National Geographic, MGM Movies, Sky Cinema, videos on demand and “View From the Bridge”.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerRoom Service AvailableTVSafeHair Dryer+2

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Standard Staterooms

Outside

150 sq ftMax 2F

Stateroom size: 150 sq. ft. Hotel-style beds 79 inches x 63 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration). Half-height picture window. Private bathroom with shower and premium bath products. Telephone, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer & bottled water replenished daily. Bathrobe and slippers available upon request. Individual climate control. Space under bed for storing suitcases. Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers. Voltage: 220V and 110V in stateroom. Sony 40-inch flat-panel TV with premium entertainment package including: CNBC, CNN, FOX, ESPN, National Geographic, MGM Movies, Sky Cinema, videos on demand and “View From the Bridge”.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerRoom Service AvailableTVSafeHair Dryer+2

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Standard Staterooms

Outside

150 sq ftMax 2E

Hotel-style beds 79 inches x 63 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration). Half-height picture window. Private bathroom with shower and premium bath products. Telephone, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer & bottled water replenished daily. Bathrobe and slippers available upon request. Individual climate control. Space under bed for storing suitcases. Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers. Voltage: 220V and 110V in stateroom. Sony 40-inch flat-panel TV with premium entertainment package including: CNBC, CNN, FOX, ESPN, National Geographic, MGM Movies, Sky Cinema, videos on demand and “View From the Bridge”.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerRoom Service AvailableTVSafeHair Dryer+2

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Explorer Suite

Suite

445 sq ftMax 2ES

Hotel-style beds 79 inches x 63 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration). Private wraparound veranda off the spacious living room offers 270-degree views. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, known as a French balcony, in the bedroom. Large bathroom with double sinks, shower, heated mirror & floor, premium bath products. Telephone, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer & bottled water replenished daily. Bathrobe and slippers available upon request. Individual climate control. Space under bed for storing suitcases. Roomy wardrobe with wooden hangers. Voltage: 220V and 110V in stateroom. Sony 40-inch flat-panel TV with premium entertainment package including: CNBC, CNN, FOX, ESPN, National Geographic, MGM Movies, Sky Cinema, videos on demand and “View From the Bridge”.

Room Service AvailableTVSafeHair DryerTelephoneDesk+2

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Veranda Suite

Suite

275 sq ftMax 2AA

Hotel-style beds 79 inches x 63 inches (with optional twin-bed configuration). Full-size veranda off the spacious living room. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors, known as a French balcony, in the bedroom. Large private bathroom with shower and premium bath products. Telephone, refrigerator, safe, hair dryer & bottled water replenished daily. Bathrobe and slippers available upon request. Individual climate control. Space under bed for storing suitcases. Voltage: 220V and 110V in stateroom. Sony 40-inch flat-panel TV with premium entertainment package including: CNBC, CNN, FOX, ESPN, National Geographic, MGM Movies, Sky Cinema, videos on demand and “View From the Bridge”.

Queen or Twin ConfigurationShowerRoom Service AvailableTVSafeHair Dryer+2

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