Viking Rhine River Cruise Amsterdam To Basel

Table Of Content

• Night Romantic Rhine With Swiss Alps, 1 Night In Lucerne...Details
• Tortuga Tur & Saveiro Don Juan Tour Reviews (Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil)
• Night Tulips & The RhineDetails
• What We Loved About Our Viking Rhine River Cruise
• For current fares, please call a Viking Expert: 1-800-304-9616 or Request a Quote today.

Since we spent the first half of Day 5 cruising, the city of Koblenz was another half-day stop. However, our time here didn’t feel as rushed as the whirlwind tours on Day 4. Koblenz is a tourist hub that’s noticeably bigger than Speyer and Rüdesheim. I walked all over the Altstadt (Old Town), which is right next to the Viking River Cruises Dock.

Night Romantic Rhine With Swiss Alps, 1 Night In Lucerne...Details

This 8-day voyage is a joyful celebration of festive cheer. In the Netherlands, the Rhine (or Waal) has a rural vibe to it. We passed cows cooling off in the shallow riverbanks, a few small Dutch villages, and not much else until we approached Amsterdam. The Lower Rhine is not as industrial as the Upper Rhine, and it’s not as picturesque as the Middle Rhine.

Tortuga Tur & Saveiro Don Juan Tour Reviews (Arraial do Cabo, RJ, Brazil)

Beautiful villages and vineyards can be seen in all directions. Rüdesheim is a touristy town known for its wineries and historic center, called the Drosselgasse. Viking doesn’t offer an included tour here, so I explored on my own.

Night Tulips & The RhineDetails

Despite this, the Viking Hermod had a beautifully designed interior. The atrium and dining room were both warm and inviting spaces. The lounge and front terraces were comfortable places to sit, relax, or sip a drink.

What We Loved About Our Viking Rhine River Cruise

This day of voyaging through the Rhine Valley is the centerpiece of the entire trip. I loved seeing the patchwork of vineyards on the steep mountainsides, but the coolest part of the day is seeing all the castles. The other area I really liked in Strasbourg was Petite-France. This tiny neighborhood is split up by canals that are lined with gorgeous half-timbered homes (the iconic style of German architecture with wood beams on the exterior). We walked through here on our guided tour, and I came back afterwards to enjoy the views for a bit longer.

Take a journey along Amsterdam’s network of canals or browse one of the city’s museums. Immerse yourself in the spirit of Christmas as you journey through storybook villages. Sample tasty yuletide treats and regional delicacies as you browse colorful stalls for handcrafted ornaments and unique gifts. Admire the twinkling lights of Cologne and revel in the merry atmosphere of the Rhine Valley, as storefront displays, wine cellars and markets embrace the holiday season.

The free Viking tours are good – mostly slow-paced walking/bus tours with lots of information and minimal pressure. Discover the enchanting landscapes and rich cultures of the Middle Rhine, a UNESCO Site boasting turreted fortresses, grand cathedrals, medieval towns and stunning scenery. Admire terraced vineyards dating back to the Romans and taste the region’s renowned red and white wines. Savor the culinary traditions of Alsace and explore Amsterdam, Basel and Cologne. The winter season is an ideal time to visit, with fewer travelers and easier access to landmarks.

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]

We toasted and drank hearty, dark Kostrizer beers as we sailed along the Middle Rhine River streaming by the famous Lorelei rock and oh-so-many castles. We were so inspired by the fabulous views and tasty beers that we plan to return and spend one week in the Rhine Valley so that we can explore the area more fully. We mainly chose the Rhineland Discovery cruise for the opportunity to cruise the Rhine and see Rhine River castles sprinkled along its verdant shore. Despite some cloudy and rainy weather, the view did not disappoint.

Day by Day

More days means more to discover, with extension packages you can add before or after your Viking cruise or cruisetour. You’ll have to make this decision for yourself, but beer and wine are included with each meal even if you don’t purchase the unlimited drink package. I did the math, and you’d basically have to drink two additional cocktails each day (outside of lunch and dinner) to make the package worthwhile. I enjoy drinking to be sure, but I would typically have wine with my meals and limit myself to one cocktail per day. My total bar tab came out to be about 90 euro for the entire trip. At this point in the cruise, the Rhine starts to become much more scenic.

I am trying to sort out port transportation provided by Viking when docking isn't within walking distant to town/city. A city of charming canals, elegant gabled houses, splendid museums and abundant bicycles, the Dutch capital of Amsterdam is a delight to explore. Its patchwork of waterways forms about 90 islands connected by 1,500 bridges. Discovering Amsterdam is a pleasure best pursued on foot; visitors line the tranquil canals and linger over Dutch pancakes, or take a stroopwafel to go.

Take a journey along Amsterdam’s network of canals or perhaps browse one of the city’s museums.

After visiting the cathedral, I walked across the Hohenzollernbrücke, which is one of the most notable “love lock” bridges in Europe. Yes, I know this is a trend that’s swept almost the entire world, but the number of locks on the Hohenzollern Bridge is still a sight to behold. The other main activity in Koblenz is taking the cable car to the other side of the river. Here you’ll find Festung Ehrenbreitstein, a sprawling nineteenth century fortress that overlooks the town.

Viking Amsterdam Cruise Reviews 2024 UPDATED: Ratings of Viking Cruises from Amsterdam

Table Of Content

• Night Festive Time On The Romantic RhineDetails
• Day Trip Itinerary
• Day by Day
• Please call for availability.
• For current fares, please call a Viking Expert: +44 208 780 7998 or Request a Quote today.

The Hermod pulled into its first port of call very early in the morning, which meant we had a full day to explore Breisach, a small village in Germany. I actually decided to skip the included tour (a bus trip to the Black Forest) in the morning and walk across the French border to the village of Neuf-Brisach. I did this completely on my own; it wasn’t a part of the Viking itinerary at all. Like you, we sometimes like to be able to stay put a little longer, relax, sightsee and take in the vibe of a town or city. However, I think it would be a nice treat to do one day , relaxing on board watching the beautiful views go by, Another one for my "to do" list.

Viking Announces July Return for European River Cruises - Travel + Leisure

Viking Announces July Return for European River Cruises.

Posted: Fri, 21 May 2021 07:00:00 GMT [source]

Night Festive Time On The Romantic RhineDetails

Stay current with special offers, news and destination-focused content. Cruise Critic is not a booking agent and does not charge any service fees to users of our site. Rates are in USD and valid for US and Canadian residents only. When you book with one of our partners, please be sure to check their site for a full disclosure of all applicable fees as required by the U.S. Also, as well as the unlimited complimentary beer/wine at lunch & dinner there are other occasions drinks are served, including cocktails at the  Viking Explorers function. This used to be restricted to people who'd cruised before but now there's so many it's open to everyone.

Day Trip Itinerary

The range of breakfast foods ran the gamut from healthy fruit and yogurt to more decadent options. Passing on the menu items, we stuck to the breakfast buffet where we enjoyed cheeses, meats and other regional delicacies. We consider ourselves to be low maintenance travelers who don’t need a lot of assistance, but that doesn’t mean that we don’t appreciate excellent service. And that’s exactly what we got from the international crew while cruising the Rhine with Viking. What a treat it was to not have to worry about luggage for twelve straight days!

Day by Day

Since launching the site in 2012, they’ve traveled to over 40 countries in their quest to bring readers a unique taste of the world. For us, it was the picnic-style lunch at Oenosphère where we sampled excellent local wines from nearby vineyards along with an assortment of amazing French cheeses and charcuterie. We were pleased to get our first taste of Strasbourg during this full-day excursion which served as an introduction for our future stay in the fairytale Alsatian city in France. As part of Viking’s generous offer, we were able to select a European riverboat cruise that appealed to us. After pouring over the many options for cruises in Europe outlined on the Viking website and studying the photos and videos, we ended up selecting the Rhineland Discovery cruise.

NEW! Treasures of the Rhine

Zürich Airport is the nearest major international airport to Basel, and the drive is about an hour. There are also frequent trains that run between Switzerland’s largest city and its gateway to the Rhine. The first half of this post is a review of the Rhine Getaway ports of call. I liked all of the cities we stopped in, but some were more impressive than others. To skip down to the second half of this post (a review of the ship and its amenities), click here.

We even learned how to toast like a local during this fun pub crawl. As we learned over dinner at a brauhaus that dates back to 1858, Cologne locals never eat while drinking. As an extra bonus, we loved unpacking our bags and feeling ‘at home’ during the length of the Viking Rhine River cruise. Since we use packing cubes when we travel, it only took us a few minutes to settle into the room and start enjoying the cruise. Stroll the pedestrian-only Drosselgasse; sample local wines at a quaint restaurant.

Great Food

Sure, Viking is reputed to have some of the world’s best river cruises and the Viking Rhine river cruise sounds wonderful. We share our thoughts in the following Viking River Cruise review. You can also buy a bottle of wine or liquor off the ship and bring it on board a Viking ship. You can ask the restaurant to chill your wine and serve it to you at dinner. We have often purchased wine during a winery tour and brought that back with us.

Please call for availability.

They also have a permanent menu that includes classics like Caesar salad, steak, and burgers, but I ordered most of my meals from their rotating menu. The meals on our Viking Cruise were consistently amazing! I really looked forward to coming back on board after each excursion or tour to enjoy whatever was being served that day. If you have extra time and want to walk around the town, feel free to. But if you don’t have time or want to rest on the ship instead, you probably won’t miss out on too much.

For current fares, please call a Viking Expert: +44 208 780 7998 or Request a Quote today.

Does this mean that we’ve crossed over to being cruise people? Well, we wouldn’t go that far, but we’re very open to taking another cruise to help us with that transition. Seriously, the castles just kept coming as we lounged on the wide-open sundeck of our longship.

The ship’s common spaces never felt cramped, even when all the passengers were gathered together (e.g. during dinnertime). What’s more, Viking offered specialties from each region we were passing through. I loved the fact that I got to try Swiss, German, French, and Dutch food all onboard!

First the day long cruise down the Rhine, with narration from the onboard cruise director. Second, the bus trip to Strasburg, which was an included excursion. Highlight of that was the astronomical clock at the Cathedral. Hard to fathom  how ancient people could mathematically be so exact. From Speyer to Cologne (Day 4 to Day 6), the Rhine River is incredibly scenic. Viking did a great job of scheduling so that passengers could enjoy the view from the boat during the day on this portion of the trip.

This was my least favorite day of the cruise, mainly because we only had a few hours in both Speyer and Rüdesheim. I feel like we did get to see slightly more of the former than the latter, but both stops were rushed. Get our free guide to eating like a local when you travel. Buy us a coffee if you want to support our ongoing efforts. Some updates are major while others are minor link changes and spelling corrections. Clearly, we loved a lot more about the Rhine cruise than we didn’t love.

You should check out Viking Cruises when you're ready to try a river cruise. They really do a nice job with all the details and the overall experience. As internet junkies, it was a bit stressful to have spotty internet during our Viking Rhine getaway. Though out of the ship’s control and likely common on river cruises on the Rhine, the internet (or lack thereof) was a bit of a bummer. We saw so much that we felt like we were on a Black Forest road trip, if only for the day. Viking offers many excursions on its Rhineland Discovery cruise, many of which are at no additional cost for participants.

Viking allowed us to board the Hermod in the early afternoon, which gave us plenty of time to get acquainted with the layout of the ship. Our first dinner was served, and finally we were off in the early evening. We passed through our first of many river locks on this night, which is one of the most noteworthy aspects of a Rhine River cruise. This cruise began in Basel, a quaint little town in Switzerland right on the border of both Germany and France. If you can spend a day or two in Basel before your cruise, I highly recommend it. We booked a walking tour with a local guide (independent of Viking), and I’m really glad we did.