Viking announces opening of 2026 European river season

Due to strong demand, bookings are now open for the Company’s popular river voyages

Viking® announced that the 2026 season of its European river voyages is now open for reservations. With many 2024 dates already sold out and the 2025 season selling well, strong demand among North American travelers has led to an early opening of all 2026 departures for Viking’s iconic itineraries on the rivers of Europe.

“Our guests are curious travelers who are interested in history, art and culture, which is why Europe remains our most popular destination,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking. “The idea of a modern river voyage is still new to many, even to some of the most well-traveled individuals. But make no mistake; there is no better way of exploring the heart of Europe than sailing its historic waterways on an elegant Viking Longship. We look forward to welcoming more guests, both returning and new, on board our state-of-the-art vessels in the coming years,” Viking said in its news release.

With a current fleet of 80 river ships and more than 50 percent of the market share for North American travelers, Viking is by far the industry’s leading river line.

Viking recently announced it will welcome an additional 10 Viking Longships® to its river fleet by the end of 2026. Currently under construction, eight of the new vessels will sail Viking’s itineraries on the Rhine, Main and Danube rivers, while two additional Viking Longships will join the fleet on the Seine River. To meet the strong demand, five of the new vessels will be delivered in 2025, with the remaining five to be delivered in 2026.

The announcement follows a year of accolades for Viking. Most recently, Viking was honored with seven awards.

Viking was founded in 1997 and provides destination-focused journeys on rivers, oceans and lakes around the world. It was designed for curious travelers with interests in science, history, culture and cuisine. Viking has more than 450 awards to its name, including being rated #1 for Rivers, #1 for Oceans and #1 for Expeditions by Condé Nast Traveler in the 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. Viking is also rated at the top of its categories for rivers, oceans and expeditions by Travel + Leisure.