European river cruises now have land excursions

Viking Cruises will operate 96 voyages with 13 diverse European routes for the 2025 European river cruise season.

The 13 river cruise routes will range between eight and 15 days, covering 42 destinations in 11 European countries.

Viking Cruises released its programs for 2025 in Shanghai on Thursday.

Among these, seven new “river cruise + land tour” routes will be launched for the first time, which will delve into destinations such as Prague, Zagreb, Brussels, and Zurich, allowing tourists to experience the splendors of famous cities and small towns.

The package also includes four optimized and upgraded river cruise routes, such as the “11-day Danube Discovery” and a 15-day European cruise tour spanning the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers.

The preferences of Chinese travelers for overseas travel destinations is on the rise, the 2023-2024 Cross-Border Tourism Consumer Trend Research Report released by World Tourism Alliance pointed out.

More niche destinations have become the “new blockbusters” among Chinese travelers, it revealed.

“China has always been one of the most important source markets for the European tourism industry, and Chinese travelers are gradually turning their attention to niche countries in Europe such as Serbia, and are more eager for immersive experiences of local culture,” said Wu Zhaohong, vice chairman of the European Travel Commission’s China division.

About 60 diversified onshore programs will be offered on different routes. Passengers will experience local culture in diverse ways such as enjoying a Viennese classical concert in Austria, watching an equestrian performance in Hungary, experiencing cheese making in Switzerland, and discovering French street food and German beer culture.

“Europe is not only known for popular cities like Paris, Milan, and London, but also for those treasure towns nestling along the rivers,” said Wee Hoon Tan, senior vice president of product development and marketing of Viking Cruises Asian Markets.

“To unlock the ‘authentic’ Europe, people can delve into local life and folklore, taste authentic cuisine, and go behind the scenes of local specialties or crafts.”