River cruising in Europe has long meant castles on the Rhine and baroque towns along the Danube. The new wave of shore excursions from Viking suggests the next chapter looks a lot more hands-on — and occasionally airborne.
For the 2026 season, the cruise line is rolling out excursions that push well past the standard walking tour. The standout: boarding a historic Zeppelin airship over Germany's Rhine for aerial views of Cologne and the Ruhr Valley. On the Danube, guests can visit Austria's Nikolaihof Winery for biodynamic wines paired with a seasonal dinner built around local produce. In Belgrade, the day starts at Kalenić Market shopping for ingredients, then moves to a kitchen for a Serbian cooking class.
There's more of the same low-key, insider-flavoured thinking elsewhere on the map. In Dürnstein, in Austria's Wachau Valley, guided walks now finish in the cellar of a centuries-old monastery. In Slovakia's Little Carpathians, castle visits are paired with tastings at family-run wineries that have been in the same hands for generations.
Viking is also enlarging its Small Group Experiences programme, which trades the big coach group for a tighter visit at headline sights — the Palace of Versailles, Vienna's Schönbrunn Palace, the fairy-tale lanes of Český Krumlov and the canals of Colmar among them.
And if the river alone isn't enough, new fully guided land extensions bolt on destinations before or after a sailing: a trip aboard the Bernina Express through the Alps, plus options covering Belgium's medieval cities, Slovenia's alpine scenery and the art and food of the Netherlands.
Scale is part of the story too. Viking operates 92 purpose-built Longships, with the fleet expected to reach 114 by 2028 — one of the widest ranges of European river itineraries and departure dates in the business. The company credits long-standing local relationships for being able to add experiences like these, and its Scandinavian-designed ships and included daily excursions remain the backbone of the product.
Who is this for? Repeat river cruisers, mostly. First-timers will still be wowed by the Rhine's castles and the Danube's abbeys, but if you've already sailed those waters, the pitch is a fresh angle on familiar ground — literally, in the Zeppelin's case. It also suits travellers who'd rather cook, taste and wander with a small group than queue with a hundred others at a palace gate. Bookings and details are via viking.com.au or a travel advisor.
