Viking marked the start of its third season in the Great Lakes, with both of its identical expedition ships, Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris, now deployed in the region.
Viking offers a variety of itineraries that operate between Toronto and Duluth and explore all five Great Lakes. The 378-guest expeditions 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 two new itineraries in the Great Lakes for 2026: the ten-day Great Lakes Treasures voyage will sail roundtrip from Milwaukee and will allow guests to explore new ports of call for Viking, 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 has more than 10,000 miles of coastline, with both cities and remote wilderness areas.
Viking has partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL), which conducts 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.
