Some shore excursions take you to the highlights of a city or destination so you can see as much of it as you can in the time allotted. For instance, in Barcelona, an excursion would include Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, La Boqueria market and Las Ramblas pedestrian boulevard, but you wouldn’ t be able to spend much time at any one spot. This is great for travelers who have never been to the city and want to see it all.
But other excursions are more leisurely, giving you all the time in the world to dive deeply into one museum or historic palace, often with a guide who takes you behind the scenes. When it comes to these types of excursions, Viking ® is somewhat of a specialist. With Viking, you can enjoy Privileged Access ® experiences— once-in-alifetime opportunities to visit seldomseen collections with before- and afterhours access to world-class museums. You could be a special guest at a home or palace not open to just anyone, or take a private tour to get an insider’ s view of cultural performances including folklore, ballet and opera. Here are some examples of what Viking can offer.
The Real Downton Abbey
On Viking river or ocean voyages, you can experience the real Downton Abbey on an exclusive visit to Highclere Castle on a pre- or postcruise extension. Embark on an exclusive three-day experience in the rolling hills of England’ s countryside with a Champagne welcome and a tour of the castle and estate. Guests experience privileged access to archives and museum exhibits not normally accessible to the public, and at Highclere Castle, have the opportunity view the earl’ s magnificent private collection of Egyptian artifacts.
Arles, France
King Tutankhamen’ s tomb
British Collections of Ancient Egypt
Retrace the steps of the world’ s most famous Egyptologist to view archives, exhibits and the earl’ s personal collection at Highclere Castle— all not normally accessible to the public. Take an exclusive visit into Howard Carter’ s archives, which detail the discovery of King Tutankhamen’ s tomb, and enjoy a private viewing of the British Museum’ s Egyptian collection.
The Vienna Boys’ Choir
In Vienna, go behind the scenes with the world-renowned Vienna Boys Choir that has featured young icons in their day: Mozart, Bruckner and Schubert. During your visit, enjoy a private tour of rehearsal rooms and common areas where the boys live and exercise their voices. Then, hear an uplifting 30-minute private concert, after which you’ ll have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and mingle with choir members. ■
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