Viking Reveals New Treasures of the Rhine River Cruise

Viking’s adding to its line-up of European river cruises with Treasures of the Rhine. The new cruise starts in December 2023, and will head down the Middle Rhine from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland. This will make Viking the first cruise line to sail Europe’s rivers all year long.

The 10 day excursion is book-ended with two-day stays in Amsterdam and Basel, followed by stops in Arnhem, Cologne, Heidelberg, Speyer, Strasbourg, and Breisach. Along the way you’ll be able to visit a number of museums, castles, and cathedrals, as well as tour the Black Forest. You’ll also be able to try a selection of regional wines and dine on local Alsatian cuisine, which, if you haven’t tried it, is pretty fantastic. The Middle Rhine is a UNESCO site that runs from the Netherlands through Germany, across the French and German border, and into Switzerland, and this cruise sounds like a quick and easy way to experience a variety of European countries and cultures in a single trip. And if you want to spend more time in Amsterdam or in the Swiss cities of Basel or Lucerne, you can add an extra two nights before or after your cruise.

Treasures of the Rhine runs from December into early March, and packages start at $1999 for each guest. If you’re a U.S. or Canada resident and book before May 31, 2023, you’re eligible for Viking’s 25th Anniversary Sale offer, where, with a $25 deposit, you could get airfare discounts that go as high as a free flight, while also saving on river voyages scheduled for 2023 through 2025. Viking actually recommends you call them at the toll free number 1-855-8-VIKING if you’re interested in booking or would like more information.

If you’ve ever wanted to visit the famous Christmas markets of Strasbourg, a December date would be a good pick. As somebody who actively tries to go to Europe in the off-peak winter months, scheduling a cruise for that time of winter right after Christmas would be a great way to see a lot of popular tourist sites without having to worry about huge crowds.

In addition to the Treasures of the Rhine line, Viking is also beefing up its Christmas Market river cruises this year. 20 extra voyages have been added to the Christmas on the Rhine and Danube Christmas Delights trips. Christmas on the Rhine hits a lot of the same cities as the Treasures of the Rhine cruise—Cologne, Strasbourg, Amsterdam, Basel—but also heads to other cities in Germany. Danube Christmas Delights, meanwhile, sails through Hungary, Slovakia and Austria into Germany. Each Christmas cruise stops at entirely different cities, with no crossover. If you’ve never visited an authentic European Christmas Market at the height of the season, it’s something you’ll never forget. 

For more information on Viking’s river cruises, as well as their ocean lines, feel free to check out their website.