Viking River Cruises

Viking was founded in 1997 with the purchase of four ships in Russia. In 2000, the company purchased Europe’s KD River Cruises in order to grow its fleet, to leverage 40 years of river cruising experience and to acquire rights to prime docking locations in key European cities.

The company expanded into the American market in 2000, establishing US headquarters in Los Angeles, California. Through rapid expansion, the company has grown to be The World’s Leading River Cruise Line, with double-digit growth in recent years. And with the launch of its ocean fleet in 2015, the company has also become the leader in small ship ocean cruising.

With operational headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, Viking provides destination-focused itineraries designed for experienced travelers who have an interest in geography, culture and history. Each journey includes a shore excursion in every port, and an exclusive Viking Culture Curriculum program that provides deep immersion in the destination through performances of music and art, cooking demonstrations, informative port talks and carefully selected guest lecturers.

The company currently operates a fleet of more than 60 vessels, state-of-the-art ships that have received numerous accolades since their launch from industry experts and travelers alike. Viking was recently voted the #1 River Cruise Line by Condé Nast Traveler in their 2017 Readers' Choice Awards, and for the second year in a row, has been rated the #1 Ocean Cruise Line* by Travel + Leisure readers in the World’s Best Awards 2017.