Rhine Getaway

Arrive in Milan and transfer to beautiful Lake Maggiore, where you will check in to your hotel for a three-night stay. Located south of the Alps, its shores are divided between the Italian regions of Lombardy and Piedmont, and Switzerland’s canton of Ticino. Spend the remainder of your arrival date at your leisure. Your Viking Tour Director is available to help you plan your time at Lake Maggiore so you can make the most of your visit.

Take a private boat ride across the lake to the Borromean Islands, owned by the Borromeo family for centuries. On Isola Bella, visit the baroque-style summer palace. Walk its grand halls and view exquisite collections of paintings, armor and silk tapestries. Enjoy free time for lunch on Isola dei Pescatori. Afterward, you may return to your hotel or head to Isola Madre to visit the Palazzo Borromeo and stroll its botanical garden. This evening, enjoy dinner at your leisure. (B)

Transfer to Orta San Giulio, a picturesque village with streets that retain their medieval charm. Explore its center during a guided walk, and sail across Lake Orta to its quaint isle. Enjoy a guided tour of the Basilica of San Giulio, built on the remains of a 9th-century church, and admire its Romanesque facade. Step inside to view the ornate interior, including the medieval pulpit, and the frescoes painted between the 14th and 19th centuries. Return to Lake Maggiore for dinner. (B)

This morning, check out of your hotel and enjoy a scenic drive, crossing the Swiss border to Lucerne. Stop in the city to enjoy free time, perhaps strolling across the Chapel Bridge or having lunch along the river, before continuing your drive to Basel, where your ship awaits. (B)

Fly into Milan, then transfer to your hotel for check-in. Relax or choose to explore Italy’s second-largest city and the cultural hub of the north at your leisure. Your Viking Tour Director is available to help you plan your time in Milan so you can make the most of your visit. This evening, join your fellow travelers for a welcome drink before enjoying dinner at your leisure.

This morning, embark on a guided walking tour of Milan. The capital of the Lombardy region is renowned for its impressive architecture. Highlights include the monumental facade of its cathedral or Duomo—the largest Gothic-style church in the world, which took several centuries to complete construction—and the Teatro alla Scala, the impressive 18th-century neoclassical opera house. This evening, you may choose to dine in a local restaurant and enjoy the city’s vibrant nightlife. (B)

After breakfast, check out of your hotel and drive by motor coach along the shores of Lake Como, stopping along the way to explore independently. After, transfer to Tirano, where you will board the Bernina Express for your picturesque journey to St. Moritz. Marvel at this feat of engineering and the striking high-mountain landscapes all around you as your train crosses from Italy to the northern Swiss Alps. Upon arrival, check in to your hotel and enjoy an evening at leisure. (B, L)

Today, board a cable car and ascend to the top of a mountain, watching as trees give way to an alpine landscape. From your vantage point, see sweeping views of the Engadin region below, scenery which has inspired artists for centuries. After free time to explore on your own, return down the mountain via the cable car and transfer to your hotel. This evening, savor local dining options at your leisure. (B)

This morning, check out of your hotel in St. Moritz and transfer to the railway station, where you will board the train for a scenic rail journey to Chur, Switzerland’s oldest town situated in the heart of the country. Enjoy a guided walk through its charming, car-free town and time for lunch on your own before driving by motor coach to Basel. Upon arrival, board your awaiting ship to begin your cruise. (B)

Arrive in Milan and transfer to beautiful Lake Como, where you will check in to your hotel for a three-night stay. Located in the picturesque Lombardy region, Como paints a stunning canvas anchored by its shimmering namesake lake encircled by soaring alpine peaks and elegant villas. Your Viking Tour Director is available to help you plan your time at Lake Como so you can make the most of your visit.

This morning, enjoy a stunning panorama of mountain-ringed Como as you ascend to the hilltop town of Brunate via the historic funicular railway. Back in Como, enjoy a walking tour with your guide. Visit the Como Cathedral, influenced by countless artists and craftsmen and boasting a remarkable blend of architectural styles. Then, stroll from piazza to charming piazza, pausing along the way to admire the old city wall. If you would like, you may board the ferry for your return to the hotel. (B)

After breakfast, collect your included ferry pass from your Viking Tour Director and board a boat for a two-hour cruise on Lake Como. You can disembark in Bellagio, the “Pearl of Lake Como,” lined with graceful, century-old buildings and inviting shops and laced with stone lanes and cobbled stairways. Later, explore on your own, perhaps visiting the lush botanic gardens at Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo or the simple artists’ houses on Isola Comacina, the lake’s only island. (B)

Depart Lake Como for a scenic drive as you witness breathtaking vistas and pristine alpine villages during an unforgettable full-day transfer, stopping for lunch en route. Our route is also an engineering marvel, navigating steep slopes and traversing the 10-mile-long Gotthard Tunnel, carved out of the mountains between the hamlets of Göschenen and Airolo. Weather permitting, your journey will take you over the mountain pass. You will arrive at your ship in time for dinner on board. (B, L)

Transfer from the airport to your hotel, located on the shore of Lake Lucerne—minutes from the city center, Old Town and main railway station. The rest of the day is yours to enjoy the breathtaking alpine scenery. A Viking Host is available to help you plan your time in Lucerne so you can make the most of your visit.

Set out on a guided walk through Old Town and see the Chapel Bridge, iconic Water Tower and many burgher houses, then spend the rest of your day at leisure. Alternatively, you may choose to join a full-day optional excursion including a scenic cruise on Lake Lucerne and a cog railway trip to the top of one of the region’s spectacular mountains. At a local dairy farm, tour the facility and produce your own cheese. Complete your Swiss experience with a delicious fondue meal. (B)

Today, enjoy free time in Lucerne as you explore this picture-postcard town independently. Alternatively, you can take an optional excursion to the summit of Stanserhorn Mountain for stunning alpine views. Ascend the mountain in a vintage funicular car, built in 1893. At the halfway point, board an open air double-decker cable car with lunch at the top. Descend the mountain, then transfer to your ship late this afternoon to begin your river cruise. (B)

Arrive in Basel and transfer to your hotel. The remainder of your day is free to explore this lovely riverside city. Perhaps you will stroll the scenic, tree-lined pathways of the Rhine promenade in Kleinbasel. Or cross the river via a traditional Rhine ferry, a motorless craft that uses the river’s current and a pulley system to convey passengers between banks. A Viking Host is available to help you plan your time in Basel so you can make the most of your visit.

Take a guided walking tour through historic Basel, visiting the Marktplatz, or Market Square, watched over by the ornate spires of the Town Hall, or Rathaus. Your afternoon is free to explore on your own, perhaps at the Barfüsser Church and its Basel Historical Museum. Or visit the Kunstmuseum, home to one of the largest and oldest collections of art in Europe. (B)

Discover more of Basel at your leisure today. Browse the extensive collection of the Basel Museum of Fine Arts or take an entertaining walk through the Cartoon Museum Basel. This afternoon, transfer to your awaiting ship to begin your cruise. (B)

At the airport, meet your Viking Representative and transfer to your hotel. After check-in, the remainder of your day is free to explore this stunning setting on the shores of Lake Geneva. Your Viking Tour Director is available to help you plan your time so you can make the most of your visit. This evening, enjoy a welcome drink with your fellow guests.

Today, head to Lake Geneva and board a boat for a leisurely cruise. Admire the stunning scenery of your surroundings, with its mountain backdrop and steep terraced vineyards. Visit Chillon Castle, one of Europe’s most striking medieval castles, located on a rocky islet. View the 15th-century wall paintings, explore the underground vaults and hear about its longstanding winemaking tradition that began during the 13th century. Afterward, return to your hotel. (B) Please note: between late October and late April, Lake Geneva boat cruise will be substituted by a walking tour of Montreux.

Check out of your hotel and head to the railway station to board your train. Your journey along the GoldenPass route begins with a scenic ride by railcar to Gstaad. Board a cable car to the snowcapped Glacier 3000 winter park, where you may take in the views from one of its restaurants, and take a daring walk across the suspension bridge. Afterward, return to Gstaad, where you will board your train for Interlaken, and transfer to your hotel for an evening at your leisure. (B, L)

Today, you will board a cogwheel train to Kleine Scheidegg, the heart of the Jungfrau Region. Upon arrival, disembark the train and spend time admiring the views over the three mountain peaks of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau, then savor lunch at the restaurant. Continue your scenic journey to Grindelwald, renowned for its picturesque setting. Afterward, return to your hotel for an evening at your leisure. (B, L)

Check out of your hotel and travel to Lucerne by train, while enjoying scenic vistas. After free time for lunch, enjoy a guided walk before continuing to Basel to join your awaiting ship. (B)

Arrive in Zürich and transfer to your hotel on the shores of Lake Lucerne. Enjoy a welcome drink amid picturesque scenery as you admire the stunning alpine views and spectacular lakeside vistas. Your Viking Host is available to help you plan your time in Lucerne so you can make the most of your visit.

After a hearty breakfast, set out on a guided walk to explore Lucerne. Cross the quaint 14th-century Chapel Bridge and wander the picturesque streets and squares of the Old Town. This afternoon, a delight for the senses awaits you at a Swiss chocolatier. Embark on a journey of chocolate indulgence and watch chocolatiers at work in one of Lucerne’s renowned ateliers, followed by a tasting and the opportunity to make your chocolate. (B)

Today, enjoy a scenic drive to the Einsiedeln Benedictine Abbey and step inside the Chapel of Our Lady to see its Black Madonna pilgrimage shrine. Meet a dairy farmer and hear about the production of the farm’s finest mountain milk. Afterward, visit the Milchmanufaktur, a processing plant that supports more than 60 alpine farmers. Try your hand at producing your own bergmutschli, or cheese, then savor a delicious fondue lunch. Return to Lucerne and spend the rest of your day at leisure. (B, L)

Glide over the pristine waters of Lake Lucerne as you embark on a scenic cruise and admire the breathtaking mountain panorama that surrounds you. After your cruise, ascend one of the region’s spectacular peaks on a cogwheel train, passing alpine meadows as you climb. At the top, enjoy free time to explore; perhaps take a stroll along one of the walking trails, or soak up the beautiful views over lunch. After your tour, transfer to your awaiting ship to begin your cruise. (B)