Spend a day discovering Austria’s UNESCO-listed Wachau Valley on this trip along the Danube River from Vienna. Led by a local guide, pass the vineyards, abbeys, and forests of the countryside as you learn about the area’s rich history. Top off your day trip with a boat ride (summer only) to Melk along the Danube where you visit a Benedictine abbey overlooking the river or an Austrian meal in a local restaurant (winter only). Your excursion concludes with transportation back to Vienna.

Take in the spectacular Austrian countryside dotted with vineyards, castles, abbeys and pretty villages
Discover the treasures of the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
Enjoy a romantic boat ride down the Danube River from Spitz to Melk (summer)
Visit Melk Abbey, an imposing Benedictine overlooking the Danube

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

A hidden highlight of this tour is seeing Melk Abbey’s impressive library of medieval manuscripts.

What's Included

Bus trip in a modern coach from Vienna to the Danube Valley
Lunch & walking tour through Krems or Dürnstein (winter)
Boat tour (summer)
Admission Melk Abbey

Food and drinks (summer)
Boat ride (winter)

Departure & Return

Departure Point

Operngasse 8, Operngasse 8, 1010 Wien, Austria
Meeting point is 15-10 minutes before departure in front of the Opera Fountain at the Vienna State Opera. Take the lines U1 (red), U2 (purple) or U4 (green) to station "Karlsplatz". Follow the exit "Oper" and walk left along the Vienna State Opera to get to Operngasse.

Departure Time

9:00 AM

Return Details

This activity will end right where it started.

What To Expect

Your day trip begins in central Vienna, where you meet up with your guide and hop aboard your coach.

Watch the scenery change from the capital’s bustling streets to the picturesque landscape of the Austrian countryside. Journey through the UNESCO-listed Wachau Valley, a 24-mile (39-km) stretch of the Danube River. Running between the towns of Krems and Melk, the area is celebrated for its blend of natural and historical beauty, dotted with vineyards, wine villages, forestland, fortresses, and castles. Hear about the history of the area from your guide as you travel.

Pass by the medieval castle ruins of Dürnstein Castle before heading to Spitz, where you hop aboard a boat. Enjoy a stunning ride along the Danube, passing the wine town of Krems. (Please note, during the winter months November through April the boat tour will be replaced by lunch).

Arrive in Melk for a visit to the Benedictine Melk Abbey, which overlooks the river. First established in the 11th century, the Baroque-style abbey is adorned in bright frescoes and has housed monks for over 900 years.

Then, hop back in your coach for a smooth return to Vienna.

Wein & Wachau

See many mediaval castles, grand monasteries and a breathtaking landscape.

9 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Durnstein Castle (Pass By)

See the wonderful castle Dürnstein.

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Infants must sit on laps
Due to weather conditions the boat trip can only take place between April and October. As an alternative free lunch is provided. The same applies if the boat trip has to be cancelled due to high water or other nature reasons.
Please note, that wearing an FFP2 mask in the Hop On Hop Off and tour buses is required by law, therefore bringing your own mask is requested.
Wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible

Service animals allowed
Infant seats available
Transportation is wheelchair accessible
Surfaces are wheelchair accessible
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 100 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.

Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.

about cancellations

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Q:What is the policy on sanitization during Melk Abbey and Danube Valley Day Trip from Vienna?

A:The policies on sanitization are:

Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized

Q:What is the social distancing policy during Melk Abbey and Danube Valley Day Trip from Vienna?

A:The policies on social distancing are:

Social distancing enforced throughout experience
Contactless payments for gratuities and add-ons

Q:What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Melk Abbey and Danube Valley Day Trip from Vienna?

A:The policy on staff health & safety is:

Guides required to regularly wash hands

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

It's not obviously marked from the park trail where the bus stops to the town center.

There's also a nice garden beside the abbey which you can enjoy if you don't feel like to go inside.

Reviews

4.0

1,308 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers

Showing 1-10 of 1,308 reviews

Durntein was excellent,...

MARIA_M, Jun 2022

Durntein was excellent, perhaps a little too short. The boat ride was ok, but the extreme heat forced us to go inside. The abbey was very impressive, but there was no time to explore the town. Overall they delivered what they offered, but taking a trip by car by ourselves would have allowed for more flexibility. Doing triple-laguages explanations was quite remarkable, but annoying

Tranquil Trip

Arcelia_M, Jun 2022

I really enjoyed the first village we stopped at. It was beautiful, quaint, and lovely. I loved seeing the Danube River up close.

Great time visiting the Wachau valley

Phillip_N, Jun 2022

We really enjoyed the whole experience of visiting the lovely town of Durnstein, to ride the boat from Spitz to Melk, and to see the Melk Abbey museum. My most memorable part is seeing how many cyclist ride along the Danube going from town to town. As a cyclist, I would love to join in. Unfortunately, my spouse is not a cyclist so we took this tour instead. This tour allowed us to visit the Wachau valley that would have not been possible by taking public transportation.

The experience was very...

Elena_N, Jun 2022

The experience was very memorable anazing sceneries the ferry ride was amazing. Although it was raining so hard it did not matter at all we enjoyed every minute of it.

2 travelers found this review helpful

The trip was a wonderful experience of travelling by boat on the Danube River to Melk. A great way to travel. a

Lawrence_B, Jun 2022

Beautiful mountains, serene Danube River and enchanting vineries. The experience of the Wachau Valley is stupendous.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Beautiful views

Tom_B, Jun 2022

Excellent trip and tour guide. All activity was on time and run well. I’d recommend this trip for a great time in the Wachau Valley!!

Wonderful tour of the Danube and Melk

Miriam_S, Jun 2022

It was a fantastic experience! We absolutely loved it and recommend it. The river cruise was beautiful.

Walking along the Danube...

Abida_B, May 2022

Walking along the Danube and the streets of Durnstein village. The guide was fluent in English and Spanish

Worth every penny...

declan_c, May 2022

Well planed out trip. Got to see what I was planing to see.Boat trip was fun. Worth every penny... Hope to do a few more trips with this company.

The boattrip to Melk : lovely landscapes and radiating history in one day

Maggy_V, May 2022

Being on the boat was really relaxing, enjoying the beautiful landscapes. The visit to the small medieval town was wonderfull but it is a bit too short. We also loved the visit to the abbey, the tour with the Dutch guide. Do visit the library and especially the church. And above all, go and enjoy the gardens and the views.

Benedictine history and beauty

Kevin_R, May 2022

Wonderful time. Enjoyed the tour, journey and exceptional scenery and venues. Very convenient for me, a bit disabled and dependant on a cane.

2 travelers found this review helpful

The Tour Itself Was Very Nice, but….

BARB_L, May 2022

Melk Abbey was very nice and the boat ride along the Danube was terrific, but the trip was marred by an inconsiderate couple with 5- and 6- year old daughters who loudly babbled during the entire bus ride, often drowning out the tour guide. It showed bad judgement by the parents to bring such young children on a tour such as this. It’s unfortunate that there isn’t an age limit (12 and up??), but since there isn’t, it would have been appreciated if the tour guide had intervened and asked the couple to control their children.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Nice trip

Abdulmohsen_2, May 2022

The Danube river cruise is the best part of the trip. It was amazing. I recommend it to those who do not have a private car.

Great value for the dollar

Gary_S, Apr 2022

The boat trip on the Danube. The wine , the service and the view were outstanding The Abby library and cathedral were awe dropping and the meal was excellent. Our tour guide Ursela went out of her way to help us seniors

Very interesting and beatiful

GunBritt_L, Apr 2022

Durnstein is a very pictoresque small village, The cruise on Donau was excellent and the abbey in Melk was extraordinary! What an experience! Recommend it!

A picturesque tour.

Anthony_Z, Apr 2022

Incredible landscape, no wander it is considered UNESCO world heritage. The boat trip was superb. The guide was very friendly and gave us a lot of information. As for Melk, it is such a wonderful village and the abbey is so peaceful, full of riches. I recommend this tour to everybody. Worth every penny spent.

A great day out

Peter_N, Apr 2022

Melk abbey is stunning and has a very interesting guided tour. The region is stunning and makes for a great day trip. The boat trip was very enjoyable too.

Great day out

Carlagh_C, Apr 2022

The Abbey is stunning, really enjoyed the boat trip and the village stop off. Good value for a great day out

unforgettable experience

monica_p, Mar 2022

The tour guide was extremely knowledgeable and he showed us and talked about everything that we saw on the way and at each stop. The Abbey is beautiful, the library in the Abbey spectacular! and the church magnificent.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Amazing trip!

Lucy_R, Feb 2022

This trip was incredible, my friends and I were so happy we did this on our short visit to Vienna. Our tour guide Thomas was so sweet and we had an absolute blast!

...

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Product code: 3585AT008VS

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Melk Abbey and Danube Valley Day Trip from Vienna

From $94.60

Select Date and Travelers

Overview

Why Travelers Choose This Tour

What's Included

Departure & Return

Departure Point

Departure Time

Return Details

What To Expect

Additional Info

Cancellation Policy

Frequently Asked Questions

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Questions?

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