Viking Einar

Sailing the Rhine on Viking Einar

The Rhine is one of Europe’s great rivers — running from the Swiss city of Basel through the wine-country gorges of the Rhineland, past the cathedral city of Cologne and out to the Dutch waterways around Amsterdam and Kinderdijk. Viking Einar covers it end-to-end in seven nights, and the shape of the journey rewards the direction you choose.

Northbound, she departs Basel and calls at Breisach, Strasbourg, Speyer, Mannheim, Rüdesheim, Koblenz and Cologne before threading the Dutch delta through Kinderdijk to Amsterdam. These sailings run in November and December 2026, from A$3,195pp*. Southbound, she sets out from Amsterdam and traces the same river in reverse — Kinderdijk, Dordrecht, Cologne, Koblenz, Rüdesheim, Speyer, Strasbourg and Breisach — arriving in Basel. The southbound programme runs in December 2026 and March 2027. Both routes are one-way, seven-night crossings; sailings from Amsterdam and from Basel together account for the majority of her current programme.

Because Amsterdam and Basel both require a flight from Australia, the cruise is the centrepiece of a longer trip — Cruise1st books the flights, the hotel either side and the transfers as one holiday, so nothing is left for you to piece together separately.

The Benelux region also features in her programme, with one additional sailing taking in the low-country canals and waterways alongside the Rhine itineraries listed above.

Life on board

Viking Einar was built in 2019 for 190 guests, crewed by 53, and her 95 cabins span eight grades across outside stateroom, balcony and suite categories. She is a compact, purpose-designed river vessel — wide enough for the Rhine’s locks and long enough to feel genuinely spacious on deck.

The Aquavit Terrace® is the social heart of the ship: an al fresco dining space that opens onto the passing riverbank, used for breakfast and lunch so that the landscape is never something happening outside the window but always something you are sitting inside. The Lounge runs floor-to-ceiling windows along the full width of the ship, with a bar and deep chairs — the right place to watch an evening approach Cologne or a Dutch sunrise over flat fields. Both are included in every cruise.

The Sun Deck at the top of the ship is where the Rhine really opens up — 360-degree views, a Walking Track for a morning circuit, and the smell of fresh herbs drifting up from the Herb Garden below, where the culinary team grows the plants that go into the day’s regional dishes. Access to the Sun Deck is restricted during canal passages and under low bridges for safety, as you would expect on a working river crossing. A quiet Library with a curated book collection offers a retreat when the sun goes in.

Cabins on Viking Einar

The 95 cabins sit across eight grades in three families. The two outside stateroom grades share heated bathroom floors, anti-fog mirrors and picture windows that bring in natural light and river scenery without a full opening. The two balcony grades step up to French balconies — a narrow opening onto the river rather than a step-out terrace, but enough for fresh air and a direct connection to the landscape passing by. The four suite grades include both French-balcony and full veranda options, the latter giving a proper outdoor sitting area with the river on all sides. Every grade, its dimensions and the full deck plans are on Viking Einar’s cabins page.

What the Viking River Fare includes

Viking River Cruises operates a single, bundled fare structure on the Rhine. The Viking River Fare includes a complimentary shore excursion at every port of call, full onboard dining with regional specialities, and beer, wine and soft drinks served at lunch and dinner — plus coffees, teas and bottled water around the clock. Wi-Fi is included throughout, as are visits to UNESCO World Heritage sites where the itinerary passes them. It is a generous baseline: for most guests, the main variable once booked is what they choose to do independently ashore.

Viking River Cruises’ Rhine fleet

Viking Einar is one of fourteen Viking River Cruises ships currently sailing the Rhine. The others on this waterway are Viking Gefjon, Viking Rota, Viking Gersemi, Viking Hervor, Viking Annar, Viking Honir, Viking Dagur, Viking Haki, Viking Sigrun, Viking Sigyn, Viking Herja, Viking Egdir, Viking Hild and Viking Hlin.

Viking also operates on the Danube — where ships include Viking Vali and Viking Eldir among others — and further afield: Viking Mississippi sails the United States, and ships on the Moselle, the Maas and ocean routes complete a fleet of 30. The full Viking Cruises overview covers the whole operation.

Booking Viking Einar with Cruise1st

Cruise1st offers a Best Price Guarantee on Viking River Cruises sailings, backed by Australian cruise experts available seven days a week to talk through cabin grades, fare inclusions and the right departure date. Because every Viking Einar sailing departs from Europe, most Australian guests treat the cruise as the centrepiece of a wider trip — and our Cruise1st Packages put the return flights, the hotel nights in Amsterdam or Basel either side, and all the transfers onto one booking alongside the cruise itself.

Questions about sailing the Rhine on Viking Einar

Which direction is better — Basel to Amsterdam, or Amsterdam to Basel?

Neither is objectively better, but they suit different trips. Basel to Amsterdam (northbound) runs in November and December, making it a natural fit for a Christmas-markets itinerary as the ship passes through Strasbourg and Cologne in the festive season. Amsterdam to Basel (southbound) has departures in December and March, with the March sailing catching the early Rhine gorge before peak season. The cities and ports are the same either way — the rhythm of the journey simply reverses.

Is Wi-Fi included, and does it reach the cabins?

Yes — Wi-Fi is part of the Viking River Fare and is included in every cabin category on board. No upgrade or additional package is needed to stay connected throughout the cruise.

What happens to the Sun Deck when the ship passes under low bridges?

Access to the Sun Deck is restricted during canal passages and whenever the ship passes under low bridges — a standard safety measure on the Rhine, where clearances can be tight. These closures are typically brief and the deck reopens as soon as it is safe to do so. The Lounge and Aquavit Terrace remain open throughout.

Can I book just the cruise, or does Cruise1st handle the full trip from Australia?

Cruise1st can put the entire journey on a single booking — return flights from your Australian city, hotel nights in Amsterdam or Basel before or after the sailing, all transfers between airport, hotel and ship, and the cruise itself. You speak to the same team throughout, and everything is confirmed in one place. Call our Australian cruise specialists any day of the week to put it together.