Duration
79 Nights
Journey Type
Sailing from Australia
Ports
39 Ports
30 March
Setting sail from Sydney
One or our favourite cities in the world, we love pretty much everything about Sydney. Offering outdoor living at its best, the city is known for the excellent beaches but offers so much more, including a thriving and varied food scene inspired by Asian and European flavours. Walk through the Royal Botanic Gardens and admire the amazing views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House from Mrs Macquarie's Chair, enjoy the cafés and bars in The Rocks district, walk across the top of the Harbour Bridge (or enjoy the easier option of a view from the top of one of the stone towers) or just relax on the beach.
Our tip
Rather than go to Bondi, take a local ferry from Circular Quay (an attraction in itself) to the relaxed northern beaches for a (slightly) less crowded experience.
31 March
Australia: Newcastle (New South Wales)
The port of Newcastle, just to the north of Sydney, is the second oldest city in Australia. Historically associated with convicts and coal mining, Newcastle is reinventing itself as a hip post-industrial city, with plenty of cool bars, restaurants and cultural attractions. It’s also the gateway to the Hunter Valley, one of Australia’s most famous wine regions.
1 April
At sea
2 April
Australia: Brisbane
Brisbane has plenty of shopping malls and, with great weather, a fantastic café culture. Amongst the steel and glass skyscrapers are some interesting historic buildings, and with plenty surrounding the city there’s enough on offer to make for an interesting short stay.
3 April
At sea
4 April
Australia: Airlie Beach
5 April
Australia: Townsville
Sunny Townsville is a great introduction that everything that Queensland has to offer, sandwiched between palm-fringed beach and rugged outback. It’s a friendly and walkable city, with a fascinating museum and an aquarium that gives you a taste of the Great Barrier Reef.
6 April
Australia: Cairns
Cairns is a buzzing tourist hub, gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest. A snorkelling trip out to the reef is the most obvious excursion to take here, but other options include riding the Skyrail cableway over the rainforest canopy or swimming in the croc-free saltwater lagoon.
7 April
At sea
8 April
Australia: Thursday Island
Thursday Island is one of the Torres Strait Islands, situated to the north of Cape York. Proximity to Papua New Guinea makes for an interesting cultural mix, and the island has a fascinating military history. Be aware that swimming off the beautiful beaches is not recommended due to the presence of crocodiles and marine stingers.
9 April
At sea
10-11 April
Australia: Darwin
More of a large town than a city, Darwin is less about what’s contained within the city limits and more about the huge expanse of wild landscape that’s outside it. Closer to Jakarta than Sydney, the city really does feel remote in its tropical perch.
12 April
At sea
13 April
Indonesia: Rinca Island
Rinca is one of the largest islands in Komodo National Park, and it’s a great place to see the famous Komodo dragon in the wild, with fewer tourists than neighbouring Komodo Island. Other wildlife here includes wild pigs, buffalo and a variety of birds, and there are some excellent dive sites around Horseshoe Bay on the south coast.
14 April
Indonesia: Lombok
Quieter and less developed than neighbouring Bali, the island of Lombok is an appealing alternative. To the north, the landscape is dominated by the huge crater of Gunung Rinjani, while the south and west coasts are home to some stunning beaches.
15-16 April
Indonesia: Benoa (Bali)
The beaches, spectacular volcanic scenery and lush green rice terraces lend Bali a natural beauty that seems to dovetail perfectly with the island’s distinct Hindu culture, which adorns the landscape with stunning temples.
17 April
Indonesia: Surabaya (Java)
Surabaya, situated on the northeast coast of Java, is Indonesia’s second largest city and the place where the country’s struggle for independence began. The warren-like Arab Quarter is worth exploring, though many visitors use the city as a base for visiting nearby Mount Bromo.
18 April
Indonesia: Semarang
19-20 April
Indonesia: Jakarta
Indonesia’s capital is noisy, chaotic and choked with some of the worst traffic in Asia, a sprawling megacity that’s home to over 10 million people. If you can get past all of that then Jakarta has plenty to offer, with the country’s best museums and restaurants, an atmospheric old harbour and a rich mix of cultures from all over the Indonesian archipelago.
21 April
At sea
22 April
Singapore: Singapore
Singapore’s heritage as an important trading post means that there is a real cultural mix, with four official languages: English, Chinese, Malay and Tamil. Step away from the gleaming towers and you’ll find yourself transported into another world amongst the intoxicating streets of Chinatown and Little India.
23 April
Malaysia: Kuala Lumpur (Port Kelang)
Malaysia’s capital is a hot and humid cultural melting pot, defined by its distinctive Malay, Chinese and Indian communities. The dazzling Petronas Towers are KL’s most recognisable landmark, while at street level you’ll find temples and mosques, elegant colonial buildings and bustling markets.
24-25 April
At sea
26-28 April
Thailand: Bangkok (Laem Chabang)
Thailand’s sprawling capital is an assault on the senses, an invigorating blend of tradition and modernity. Soaring skyscrapers, air-conditioned shopping malls and an efficient public transport system combine with shimmering golden temples, ancient palaces, floating markets and at times gridlocked rush hour traffic.
29-30 April
Cambodia: Sihanoukville
The once sleepy backwater of Kompong Som, renamed after the former king Norodom Sihanouk, is the rising star of the Cambodian coast’s burgeoning tourist industry. Here you’ll find beautiful sandy beaches and a string of laid back islands that are still largely undeveloped.
1 May
At sea
2-4 May
Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh City
Saigon, as it was known then, was the capital of the South during the Vietnam War, and American-style capitalism has been embraced more enthusiastically here than in the North, with a clutch of shining skyscrapers standing as testament to Vietnam’s surging economic growth.
5 May
At sea
6 May
Vietnam: Chan May (Hue / Da Nang)
The port of Chan May is close to a number of central Vietnam's star attractions. Just to the north lies Hue and its crumbling Imperial Citadel, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, while to the south is the city of Da Nang, a major US airbase during the Vietnam War, and pretty Hoi An, a dreamy tropical haze of teetering merchant houses, bustling markets and Chinese temples.
7-8 May
Vietnam: Ha Long Bay
Almost 2,000 limestone islands and karst formations are scattered across the remarkable World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay, said to have been created when a dragon fell to earth. A cruise on a small junk boat is the best way to see the many islands and caves, and it's also a great place to explore by sea kayak.
9 May
At sea
10-12 May
Hong Kong SAR China: Hong Kong
Hong Kong is a striking mix of ancient and modern, Chinese and British, and there is a lot more to the city than just skyscrapers and high finance. It's also a fantastic destination for foodies, a melting pot of culinary influences from around Asia and beyond.
13 May
At sea
14 May
Taiwan: Keelung (Taipei)
Keelung is a fairly unremarkable port city close to Taipei, Taiwan’s capital. Taipei draws on an interesting mix of Chinese, Japanese and Western influences, and is home to attractive temples, a burgeoning street food scene and Taipei 101, which was the world's tallest building until it was eclipsed by Dubai's Burj Khalifa in 2010.
15 May
At sea
16 May
Japan: Nagasaki
Three days after Hiroshima was flattened by an atomic bomb, Nagasaki suffered the same horrifying fate. The reconstruction of both cities has been quite extraordinary; Nagasaki today is a vibrant, cosmopolitan place, with a fascinating history that goes back a lot further than 1945.
17 May
Japan: Kagoshima
The friendly southern Japanese city of Kagoshima enjoys a balmy climate, and sits just across the bay from the very active Sakurajima volcano, which erupts so regularly that an ‘ash forecast’ is included in local weather reports.
18 May
Japan: Beppu
Steam rises over the spa town of Beppu, home to numerous onsen (hot springs) and the surreal red waters of the macabre-sounding ‘blood pond hell’. Beppu is also close to Mount Aso, the largest active volcano in Japan, and the ancient temples of the Kunisaki Peninsula.
19-20 May
Japan: Hiroshima
On 6 August 1945 the world witnessed the terrifying power of nuclear weapons for the first time, unleashed on the unsuspecting Japanese city of Hiroshima. The modern city's sobering Peace Memorial Park commemorates that fateful day, which left more than 140,000 dead.
21 May
Japan: Osaka
Osaka, Japan’s third largest city, is a pulsating commercial hub, famous for its food, and the cityscape rivals Tokyo for neon-lit futurism. If you need respite from the urban sprawl seek out Osaka Castle and the surrounding Nishinomaru Garden, a particularly pretty spot during the cherry blossom season.
22-23 May
Japan: Shimizu
Shimizu is one of the most spectacular ports in Japan, a sweeping bay in the shadow of the iconic Mount Fuji. You can spend some time admiring the views and wandering through peaceful pine groves, or visit the unique Shimizu Sushi Museum at the S-Pulse Dream Plaza shopping mall.
24-26 May
Japan: Tokyo
In a state of constant renewal and forever looking to the future, densely populated Tokyo is a dazzling introduction to Japan and its utterly unique culture. With more neon than Las Vegas and more Michelin stars than Paris, it’s a real assault on the senses.
27 May
At sea
28-29 May
Japan: Sapporo
30 May - 4 June
At sea
5 June
United States: Dutch Harbor
Dutch Harbor is the port that serves the city of Unalaska, and is known for the hardy fishermen who brave the turbulent, icy seas off the Aleutian Islands. Points of interest include the remains of defensive fortifications built during the Second World War and the striking Russian Orthodox church.
6 June
At sea
7 June
United States: Kodiak
Kodiak is known as Alaska’s ‘Emerald Isle’ thanks to the lush green countryside, a landscape crisscrossed by gushing salmon-filled streams that provides a home to around 3,000 Kodiak bears, the world’s largest. Ships dock in Kodiak city, an important fishing port with a fascinating Russian heritage.
8 June
United States: Seward
The tiny city of Seward, home to just 3,000 people, enjoys a spectacular setting on the edge of Resurrection Bay, on Alaska’s southern coast. Surrounded by the mountains and forests of the Kenai Fjords National Park, it’s a great base for exploring the Harding Ice Field and the stunning scenery of the Kenai Peninsula.
9 June
United States: Valdez
10 June
At sea
11 June
United States: Icy Strait Point
The port at Icy Strait Point was created to ensure that indigenous communities benefit from cruise tourism in Alaska, and the facility is owned by the local Tlingit people. Here you can learn about Alaska’s native culture and enjoy guided nature walks, whale watching trips or shopping for local crafts.
12 June
United States: Sitka
Sitka was founded by Russian fur traders in 1799 as the city of New Archangel, and there is still a discernible Russian influence here, including the distinctive St Michael’s Orthodox Cathedral. The town also enjoys spectacular natural surroundings, facing the Pacific Ocean and dramatic Mount Edgecumbe.
13 June
United States: Ketchikan
Ketchikan is a great introduction to Alaska’s natural attractions, situated at the foot of towering Deer Mountain and within easy reach of the Misty Fjords. The colourful wooden buildings of Creek Street, the old red light district, are a reminder of Ketchikan’s former status as a rough and ready frontier town; these days, things are rather more civilised!
14 June
At sea
15 June
Arriving in Vancouver
Cosmopolitan Vancouver is a city that rewards exploration, an eminently liveable place and an easy gateway to the natural beauty of British Columbia. The culinary scene here is a particular draw, with seafood galore and some fantastic Asian restaurants, and the city has also been at the forefront of the craft beer movement. Verdant Stanley Park is a favourite of locals and visitors alike, while Kitsilano's beaches and wooden houses are wonderfully picturesque. Cultural attractions tend to be on a smaller scale than you'd expect from a city of this size, but the thrill of stumbling across one of Vancouver's quirky little galleries is all part of the city's appeal.
Don't miss
Grouse Mountain – just minutes from the centre, and reached via the Grouse Mountain Skyride, a one-mile aerial journey for amazing panoramic views of the city, sea and surrounding mountains.
Your home from home
What we love
The airy contemporary style of the ships, with fresh Nordic décor, is most appealing. Add to that the huge choices in dining and other facilities, and veranda staterooms throughout, not to mention included shore excursions and an excellent spa, and you have a winner. In 2024 and 2025, Viking will add two new ships to the fleet, Viking Vela and Viking Vesta respectively, which are slightly larger, carrying 998 guests each.
Capacity | 930 Guests |
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Crew | 602 International Staff |
Style |
On Viking it is all about the destination. Back on board, expect to socialise with like-minded travellers, in an easy, spacious and understated hotel style environment. |
Inclusions |
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Tailor-make your trip
Our favourite hotel in Sydney
So many to choose from, but we love the Park Hyatt – make sure you upgrade to a room with a view.
Around Sydney
The Blue Mountains is a beautiful area of hikes, waterfalls and unusual rock formations, and a place to learn about the Aboriginal dreamtime.
Our favourite hotel in Vancouver
If you’re not committed to the waterfront where the ships come in, we love the Rosewood Hotel Georgia.
Stay a little longer in Canada
If you’ve time, set aside a couple of days to travel to Knight Inlet Lodge for bear viewing.