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Viking Seine river cruise review: Paris & the Heart of Normandy

Viking sells a week-long round trip from Paris to Rouen on its Seine Longships, with Giverny and a day at the D-Day beaches. We don't sell it: here is what the cruise includes, what it costs, where it falls short, and what we can book for your days in Paris.

Boards at

Eiffel Tower Port de la Bourdonnais · Metro: Champ de Mars – Tour Eiffel (RER C), Bir-Hakeim (6), Trocadéro (6, 9)

Length
8 days / 7 nights, round trip from Paris
Embarkation
Port de Grenelle (15th arrondissement), near the Eiffel Tower; pier confirmed in your documents
Ships
six 168-guest Longships built for the Seine
Price
from about $2,799 per person, cruise-only (US site)
Included
one excursion per port, all meals, wine, beer and soft drinks with meals, Wi-Fi
Furthest point
Rouen (turnaround); D-Day beaches by coach

Updated October 17, 2026Facts checked against official sourcesContains affiliate links

What Viking actually sells on the Seine

Viking River Cruises is built first for North American travelers: prices are in dollars and "valid for US residents". Its main Seine product is Paris & the Heart of Normandy: eight days, seven nights, out of Paris and back, with six guided tours. The ship sails down the Seine to Rouen, stays two days, then heads back upriver. It does not go to Honfleur or Le Havre, unlike several of the lines in our guide to Paris to Normandy river cruises.

We have no partnership with Viking. You can't book this cruise here, and we earn nothing if you book it. This page lays out the week, the price and the limits, then shows you what we do sell: sightseeing cruises in Paris and a few day trips in Normandy.

Viking Seine river cruise itinerary, day by day

The program as Viking publishes it:

  1. Parisembark at Port de Grenelle

  2. Pariscity tour, café stop, evening cocktails with locals

  3. La Roche-Guyon and VernonChâteau de La Roche-Guyon; coach to Giverny

  4. Scenic sailing, then Rouencathedral, Gros-Horloge

  5. RouenNormandy beaches and the American Cemetery

  6. Les AndelysChâteau Gaillard, Richard the Lionheart's fortress (1196)

  7. Paris (Le Pecq)Latin Quarter or Montmartre, evening illumination sail

  8. Parisdisembark

One detail is easy to miss. On the last evening Viking writes "Paris (Le Pecq)", but Le Pecq is a town in the western suburbs, about 12 miles (20 km) from central Paris, so the day 7 tours are done by coach.

The Seine Longships

Viking runs six ships that it describes as purpose-built for the Seine: Viking Fjolvar, Fjorgyn, Kari, Nerthus, Radgrid and Skaga.

The fact sheets for Fjorgyn, Kari, Radgrid and Skaga give the same layout: built in 2020, 168 guests, 46 crew, 84 outside staterooms. That breaks down into 22 Standard staterooms (about 150 sq ft), 18 French Balcony staterooms (about 135 sq ft, slightly smaller than the Standard), 35 Veranda staterooms (about 205 sq ft), 7 Veranda Suites (about 275 sq ft) and 2 Explorer Suites (about 445 sq ft).

One practical point for travelers with limited mobility: the elevator only serves the Middle and Upper decks.

What's included, and what isn't

"Viking Inclusive Value" covers one guided excursion in every port, all meals, beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner, specialty coffee, tea and water around the clock, Wi-Fi, port taxes and onboard lectures. Transfers are only included if you buy your flights through Viking.

You still pay for gratuities, drinks outside mealtimes (this is not an open bar), optional excursions and extensions (three hotel nights in Paris from about $1,199).

In our view the package is fair, as long as you read "wine with meals" for exactly what it is. If you plan on a drink in the lounge every evening, compare with the lines that include all drinks, such as Uniworld or Tauck, which start at a much higher price.

Viking Seine river cruise cost

When we last checked, in mid-October, Viking's US site showed from $2,799 per person on the ship pages and from $2,899 on the itinerary page for next season. These are per person, double occupancy, cruise-only, for US residents, and they move with the date and the stateroom: only the price shown when you book counts.

Per night, the entry fare works out at around $400, which puts Viking in the middle of the North American lines. Don't compare it directly with CroisiEurope, which sells in euros to European travelers: different market, different currency.

On some departures Viking asks for a $25 deposit, with the balance due no later than 120 days before sailing. Dates, staterooms and booking: directly with the line at vikingrivercruises.com.

The D-Day beaches day and Giverny

On day 5 the ship stays in Rouen and you head out by coach to the D-Day beaches and the American Cemetery. Allow about two hours each way, so close to four hours on the bus in a single day. The program is designed for American guests, with the American memorials at the heart of the visit.

Giverny comes on day 3, by coach from Vernon. Monet's house and gardens normally open from April 1 to November 1, according to tourism sources, so on a March or November departure the visit may be swapped for something else. The same goes for "Christmastime in Paris & Normandy", the December version (from about $2,999): three days in Paris, two in Rouen with the Christmas market on Square Verdrel and the ice rink, an evening at Le Pecq, but no Giverny.

Who it suits, and who it doesn't

This cruise suits a first trip to France for English-speaking travelers who want Paris and Normandy without repacking every night. The format is well run, the core excursions are included, the Paris pier is well placed and the entry price is one of the lowest among the big North American lines.

It suits you less if you want to see Honfleur from the ship: Scenic, Emerald and CroisiEurope moor there, while Viking turns around at Rouen. Less, too, if you are after true all-inclusive, prices in euros, or Monet's gardens in December. For Rouen and Honfleur as day trips, see Rouen and Honfleur.

Your days in Paris, before or after the cruise

Viking docks at Port de Grenelle, which the line calls its exclusive berth, a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. That puts the Eiffel Tower sightseeing piers right next door: Bateaux Parisiens at Port de la Bourdonnais, pontoon 3, upstream of Pont d'Iéna, and Vedettes de Paris at Port de Suffren, downstream. A one-hour Seine cruise costs around €20 (from €17–18 online), and the boat heads upstream first, toward Notre-Dame and Île Saint-Louis.

Our tip: the illumination sail is included on the seventh evening, so keep the daytime cruise for the day you arrive, or treat yourselves to a Seine dinner cruise the night before you board. Our comparison of the one-hour Seine cruises and our night cruise guide give the times.

Prices checked on October 17, 2026

Normandy as a day trip, without a week-long cruise

Don't have eight days? Giverny is an easy day out from Paris: train from Saint-Lazare to Vernon-Giverny in 45 minutes to an hour, then a shuttle (about €10 round trip), and adult entry around €13 according to tourism sources, from April to early November. In Vernon you can also paddle the Seine by canoe or kayak. Rouen is about 1 hour 30 minutes by train; once there, Rouen Tourisme's boat L'Escapade runs a 90-minute cruise from €20, with commentary in French. In Honfleur, the stop Viking doesn't make, a boat trip out to the Pont de Normandie takes 90 minutes.

Prices checked on October 17, 2026

Pros

  • Embarkation pier a few minutes from the Eiffel Tower
  • One guided excursion included in every port
  • Recent ships built for the Seine
  • Two days in Rouen, including the D-Day beaches day
  • Entry price published online, no quote needed

Cons

  • Turns at Rouen: no Honfleur, no Le Havre
  • Drinks with meals only, gratuities extra
  • Last evening at Le Pecq, far from the center
  • Elevator serves only two decks
  • Dollar prices reserved for US residents

Our scores

Itinerary
3.5/5the classic route, without Honfleur
Ships
4.5/5recent, all outside staterooms
What's included
3.5/5wine with meals, no gratuities
Price
4.5/5among the lowest of the North American lines
Paris embarkation
4.5/5Port de Grenelle, near the Eiffel Tower
Where does the Viking Seine river cruise board in Paris?

At Port de Grenelle, in the 15th arrondissement, a short walk from the Eiffel Tower. On the last evening the ship is moored at Le Pecq. The exact pier is confirmed in your travel documents.

How much does the Viking Seine river cruise cost?

When we last checked, from $2,799 to $2,899 per person, double occupancy, cruise-only, for US residents. The price changes with the date and the stateroom.

Does the Viking cruise go to Honfleur?

No, the ship turns around at Rouen. Scenic, Emerald, CroisiEurope and Riviera Travel moor in Honfleur.

Are drinks included?

Beer, wine and soft drinks with lunch and dinner; coffee, tea and water all day. It is not an open bar, and gratuities are extra.

Do you see Giverny on the Christmas cruise?

No. Monet's gardens are closed in winter; the December version covers Paris and Rouen, with the Christmas market.

Can I book Viking on seine.boats?

No, we have no partnership with Viking: book on the line's own website. We sell sightseeing cruises in Paris and day trips in Normandy.

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