Viking Herja

Sailing the Rhine on Viking Herja

The Rhine is Viking Herja’s river, and it is one of Europe’s most rewarding waterways to travel slowly. Built in 2017 and carrying 190 guests with a crew of 53, she is sized to pass through the river’s historic locks and moor in town centres where larger ships cannot reach — which means stepping off the gangway into Strasbourg’s old quarter or Koblenz’s riverside square, rather than a port on the outskirts.

Her godmother is the British composer Debbie Wiseman, and the ship carries that sense of cultural attentiveness through its programming. The Viking River Fare — the line’s standard tariff — includes a complimentary shore excursion at every port, so the daily rhythm of the Rhine is built into the booking rather than added on. Full onboard dining with regional specialities, beer, wine and soft drinks at lunch and dinner, round-the-clock coffees, teas and bottled water, and free Wi-Fi are all part of the same fare. UNESCO site visits are covered too. For a full account of what the fare bundles, the Viking River Cruises page sets it out in detail.

On board Viking Herja

The ship is designed around what the river gives you: big windows, an open upper deck, and a relaxed shared rhythm that suits the pace of a waterway journey.

The Aquavit Terrace® is the signature touch — an al fresco dining area along the ship’s side where breakfast and lunch are served with the passing landscape as the backdrop. The Lounge runs floor-to-ceiling windows for panoramic river views and a bar where drinks can be ordered (beverages not included in the fare are charged individually). The Library offers a curated book collection in a quiet corner for anyone who wants to retreat between ports. Up on the Sun Deck, a Walking Track circles the ship for 360-degree views — access is restricted during low bridges and canal passages for safety, but when the deck is open it is the finest vantage point on board. A small Herb Garden grows fresh herbs that the culinary team uses daily in the regional dishes served across the ship.

Cabins on Viking Herja

Viking Herja has 95 cabins across eight grades, spanning outside staterooms, balcony cabins and suites. The outside grades offer entry-level river staterooms with half-height picture windows — natural light and river scenery from your cabin at the best value on board. Balcony grades step up to a private veranda, and the suite grades range from river-view cabins with outdoor-door access through to French Balcony staterooms with opening doors for direct fresh-air access and river views. Full grade details, dimensions and deck-by-deck plans are on the Viking Herja cabins and deck plans page.

Where Viking Herja sails

Viking Herja runs entirely on the Rhine, with her current programme organised around two complementary seven-night one-way routes that together trace the full sweep of the river from the Swiss border to the Moselle valley.

Basel to Amsterdam (via Trier or Amsterdam): Three sailings depart Basel, Switzerland, heading north and calling at Strasbourg, Speyer, Mainz, Koblenz and Winningen before turning into the Moselle to call at Cochem, Bernkastel-Kues and Trier. These run in May, November and December — a seasonal programme that includes festive-season departures in late November and early December, from A$3,395pp*. Most sailings on this route call at the ports listed, though individual itineraries vary.

Trier to Basel: Two sailings work the same stretch in the opposite direction, departing Trier in November and calling at Bernkastel-Kues, Cochem, Winningen, Koblenz, Mainz, Speyer, Strasbourg and Mannheim before finishing in Basel. This is a purely November programme, also from A$3,395pp*.

A third route — a single departure — accounts for the remaining sailing and covers ground not described in the two routes above. Because every departure boards in Switzerland, Germany or the Netherlands, Cruise1st treats the cruise as the centrepiece of a longer trip and books the flights, the hotel either side and the transfers as one joined-up holiday. Sailings from Amsterdam can be explored on the Amsterdam cruises page.

Booking Viking Herja with Cruise1st

Cruise1st backs every Viking Herja booking with its Best Price Guarantee — the brand’s own site-wide promise. Because Basel, Trier and Amsterdam all require a flight from Australia, we assemble the whole holiday: the cruise, the flights, the hotel nights either side and all the transfers, on one booking. That is what Cruise1st Packages are built for, and our Australian cruise experts are available seven days a week to put it together before you book. Whatever cabin grade and fare inclusions suit your plans, we help you work through the options.

Viking River Cruises’ Rhine fleet

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

Viking’s wider European river fleet also covers the Danube, with ships including Viking Vali and Viking Eldir, and the Moselle, where Viking Idi and Viking Alsvin sail. Further afield, Viking Mississippi sails the United States, and the ocean fleet includes ships such as Viking Orion and Viking Neptune. The full picture is on the Viking Cruises page.

Questions about Viking Herja sailings

Do the Rhine itineraries run year-round?

No — Viking Herja’s current programme is seasonal. The Basel-departing route runs in May, November and December; the Trier-departing route runs in November only. The December departures make Viking Herja a natural choice for a European Christmas-markets cruise, when the Rhine towns are at their most atmospheric.

What does the Viking River Fare actually include?

The Viking River Fare is the line’s standard tariff and covers a great deal: a complimentary guided shore excursion at every port of call, all onboard dining, beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, coffees, teas and bottled water throughout the day and night, free Wi-Fi, and included visits to UNESCO World Heritage Sites on the itinerary. Drinks outside meal service, and anything beyond the included excursion at each port, carry an additional charge.

Can Cruise1st book my flights and hotels alongside the cruise?

Yes — that is the standard approach for a Viking Herja holiday. Every sailing departs from Basel, Trier or Amsterdam, so Cruise1st packages the flights from Australia, any hotel nights you want before or after the cruise, and all the transfers into a single booking alongside the cruise itself. Our experts are available seven days a week to put it together.

Are the two Rhine routes bookable as a continuous journey?

The Basel-to-Trier and Trier-to-Basel routes cover the same stretch of river in opposite directions, and both are seven nights. Whether back-to-back bookings are possible depends on the specific departure dates — speak to our Australian cruise specialists, who can check availability and join the legs into a single itinerary on one booking.