Viking returns to the Great Lakes for third season

LOS ANGELES — Viking has kicked off its third season in the Great Lakes, with both of its identical expedition ships now deployed in the region.

Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris offer a variety of itineraries that operate between Toronto and Duluth and explore all five Great Lakes. The 378-guest expedition vessels, which were designed specifically to transit the historic Welland Canal, will remain in the lakes until early October before returning to Antarctica for the austral summer.

Viking has also announced that two new Great Lakes itineraries for 2026 are now open for booking. The 10-day Great Lakes Treasures voyage will sail roundtrip from Milwaukee and explore new ports of all for the company, including Chicago, as well as Canada’s Fathom Five National Marine Park and Benjamin Islands. The longer 17-day Niagara & Great Lakes Treasures voyage sails between Toronto and Milwaukee and also includes Niagara Falls, Canada’s Point Pelee National Park and a transit of the Welland Canal.

“The Great Lakes region is a phenomenal place that is close to home for many of our guests, but one that few have yet to fully discover. With more than 10,000 miles of coastline, world-class cities and remote wilderness areas, it is truly a destination that is best explored by ship,” said Torstein Hagen, Chairman and CEO of Viking. “We would like to thank our local partners for the warm welcome once again, and we look forward to introducing more curious travelers to the Great Lakes this season and in future years.”

Highlights of the 2024-2026 Great Lakes Voyages include:

Great Lakes Treasures (NEW, 10 days; roundtrip Milwaukee) – Guests will visit the “Windy City” of Chicago and its wealth of world-class museums, including the Art Institute, explore the the Georgian Bay Biosphere Reserve, venture out to Flowerpot Island in the Fathom Five National Marine Park and marvel at the stunning pink granite isles of the Benjamin Islands. They’ll also participate in lab studies while exploring coastal wetlands.
Niagara & Great Lakes Treasures (NEW, 17 days; between Toronto – Milwaukee) – Highlights include the waterfalls of Niagara and the freshwater marshes of Point Pelee’s peninsula. Guests will explore Detroit’s urban landscape and learn about the city’s postmodern and art deco skyscrapers, plus visit the stunning isles of Georgian Bay during this extended voyage.
Great Lakes Collection (15 days; between Toronto – Duluth) – This unique voyage across the historic waterways of all five of the majestic Great Lakes includes Niagara Falls, the granite islands and sheltered inlets of Georgian Bay and the famous Soo Locks. Guests will study the aquatic ecosystems of the lakes as they venture into the dense boreal forests that line the shores of Lake Superior and Lake Michigan.
Niagara & the Great Lakes (8 days; between Toronto – Milwaukee) – From urban skylines to uninhabited islands, guests will discover North America’s wilderness alongside renowned cultural attractions while cruising the waterways of the Great Lakes. Guests will visit Niagara Falls an keep watch for scores of migratory birds at Point Pelee.
Undiscovered Great Lakes (8 days; Thunder Bay – Milwaukee) – Guests will cross the width of Lake Superior between Duluth and the Soo Locks, and explore the lake’s North Shore Inside Passage. They’ll also hike along clifftop trails for sweeping views of the lake, admire Kakabeka Falls, the ‘Niagara of the North,’ follow in the footsteps of fur traders in Duluth and step back in time as they stroll the car-free streets of Mackinac Island.
Canada & East Coast Explorer (15 days; between Toronto – Fort Lauderdale) – While on this voyage, guests will sail the US’s Atlantic coastline and visit storied cities. Highlights include visits to Charleston, Norfolk and Quebec’s national parks. Guests will also traverse one of North America’s scenic waterways, the St. Lawrence River, and marvel at the locks and canals that comprise the St. Lawrence Seaway.

The return of Viking’s expedition ships to the Great Lakes coincides with its latest scientific advancement: for the first time ever, phytoplankton is being genetically sequenced at sea. With scientific support from UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography and J. Craig Venter Institute (JCVI), real-time environmental DNA (eDNA) sequencing of phytoplankton is being conducted in the CPR lab on board the Viking Octantis. Visiting scientists contributing to the Genomics at Sea Program (GASP) are able to monitor the environmental impact on phytoplankton without the need to transport samples to a distant shoreside facility. Viking will regularly host Scripps scientists on board the ship this season in the Great Lakes.

Viking has also partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), which conducts innovative research on the dynamic environments and ecosystems of the Great Lakes and coastal regions to provide information for resource use and management decisions that lead to safe and sustainable ecosystems, ecosystem services, and human communities. Additionally, Viking’s expedition ships have been designated official NOAA / U.S. National Weather Service weather balloon stations, from which regular launches are undertaken.

Viking is also offering a variety of Longitudinal World Cruises between the Great Lakes and Antarctica, offering guests the opportunity of a lifetime to sail from the world’s largest freshwater system to “the end of the world” or the reverse. Additionally, all of Viking’s Great Lakes voyages feature Mackinac Island, which was recently rated the #1 summer travel destination in the U.S. by USA Today 10Best.