Five Danube trips compared
A Vienna river cruise on this site starts at $46 for a two-hour panorama round trip from the Reichsbrücke ship station, past the DC Tower, the Millennium Tower and the Danube Tower. For $55 the time on the water comes with a freshly prepared Wiener Schnitzel, two to three and a half hours. Three longer trips leave the city: a full day by ship into the Wachau Valley with food options on board ($114), a bus-and-boat day through the Wachau with Melk Abbey as an upgrade ($133), and a day in Bratislava with the return by speed boat ($100). Five listings, 4,875 reviews between them.
Quick answer
The short answer. For the shortest Danube cruise Vienna has on this site, book the panorama round trip at $46. If you want to eat on board, the schnitzel cruise at $55. For a whole day on the river, the Dürnstein and Wachau ship at $114. Know before you book: both short cruises are rated 4.0, while the three day trips are rated 4.2 to 4.5, so the longer Vienna river cruise is the safer bet on reviews.
In the city
The two short trips that stay in the city.
The panorama round trip, $46. The listing describes a round trip on the Danube from the Reichsbrücke ship station, with the DC Tower, the Millennium Tower and the Danube Tower among the buildings you pass. Two hours, rated 4.0 on 628 reviews. It is the shortest Vienna river cruise here and the cheapest.
The cruise and schnitzel, $55. The city seen from the water, with a freshly prepared Wiener Schnitzel. Two to three and a half hours, rated 4.0 on 696 reviews. The listing names neither a pier nor the buildings on the route, so read it before booking if the start point matters to your day.
The difference between them is $9: it buys the meal and up to an hour and a half more on board. The ratings are identical.
Book direct
Two short cruises in the city and three day trips on the Danube. Live prices and ratings.
★ 4.0 · 628 reviews
★ 4.0 · 696 reviews
★ 4.5 · 376 reviews
★ 4.5 · 1,644 reviews
★ 4.2 · 1,531 reviews
Out of the city
Two ways into the Wachau Valley: by ship, or by bus and boat.
Dürnstein and Wachau by ship, $114. The listing takes you by ship from the city into the Wachau Valley to see the region from the water, with a relaxing evening and food options on board as you travel along the Danube. It runs a full day and is rated 4.5 on 376 reviews. It is the one river cruise from Vienna on this site that leaves the city by ship, and the mention of an evening on board makes it the nearest thing to a Vienna evening river cruise here; the listing gives no departure time.
Wachau and the Danube Valley by bus and boat, $133. A bus and boat tour of the Wachau and the Danube Valley, with scenic views on the way. A visit to the Benedictine Abbey of Melk is an upgrade, not part of the base price. Eight and a half hours, rated 4.5 on 1,644 reviews, the most of the five. As a Vienna river cruise day trip it suits anyone who wants the abbey as well as the water; the Melk options are set side by side on the Wachau and Melk page.
Two countries
The one trip on this page that crosses a border.
Bratislava with a speed boat ride, $100. A bus takes you to Bratislava, you stroll through the old town, and you come back past the river landscapes by boat. Eleven and a half hours, rated 4.2 on 1,531 reviews.
Read the direction carefully: this is not a river cruise from Vienna to Bratislava. The outward leg is by bus; the boat is the way back, a river cruise to Vienna at the end of the day. The other ways to reach Bratislava, via Devín Castle or together with Budapest, are compared on the Bratislava page.
Every trip, current fare
All five listings with cost per hour worked out. Where the listing gives a range of hours or a full day, the hourly figure is left blank.
| Tour | Length | Price | What you get | Cost per hour | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna: 2-Hour Danube Panorama TourFrom Reichsbrücke ship station | 2 h | $46 | Danube round trip by ship | $23.00 | 4.0 · 628 |
| Vienna: Cruise and Schnitzel TourFreshly prepared Wiener Schnitzel | 2 - 3.5 h | $55 | Vienna from the water | — | 4.0 · 696 |
| From Vienna: Dürnstein and Wachau CruiseFood options on board | 1 day | $114 | Danube ship to Wachau Valley | — | 4.5 · 376 |
| Vienna: Wachau Valley, Melk Abbey Tour with Danube Boat TripDanube Valley scenery | 8.5 h | $133 | Bus and boat tour of Wachau | $15.65 | 4.5 · 1,644 |
| From Vienna: Guided Tour to Bratislava with Speed Boat RideReturn by boat along the river | 11.5 h | $100 | Bus to Bratislava old town | $8.70 | 4.2 · 1,531 |
Which one
Six situations, each matched to one listing from the table above.
The panorama round trip at $46, from the Reichsbrücke ship station.
The cruise and schnitzel at $55, two to three and a half hours.
The Dürnstein and Wachau ship at $114: the one Danube river cruise Vienna sends all the way into the Wachau by ship, with food options on board.
The Wachau bus-and-boat day at $133, with the abbey visit as an upgrade; check the upgrade price on the listing.
The Bratislava day at $100, back to the city by speed boat.
The Wachau bus-and-boat day: 1,644 reviews at 4.5, the most on this page.
The honest answer
Ratings in the city, reviews on the day trips, and the price range.
Inside the city, judge it on the numbers. The panorama trip and the schnitzel cruise are both rated 4.0, on 628 and 696 reviews, and no other of the 65 tours on this site is rated lower. The guided walk through the city centre highlights costs $27 and is rated 4.7 on 5,658 reviews; the hop-on hop-off bus is $37, rated 4.4 on 4,126. If the landmarks are the aim, those do it with better scores. Pick a Vienna river cruise in the city for the water itself, the towers along the Danube or the schnitzel on board.
Out of the city, the case is stronger. The three day trips are rated 4.2 to 4.5 on 376 to 1,644 reviews, and two of them reach the Wachau by water. On this page the Danube river cruise Vienna price runs from $46 for two hours to $133 for the Wachau day with a bus, before the Melk upgrade.
If you would rather spend the day on land, Hallstatt, Salzburg and Budapest are compared on the day trips page, and all 65 tours are on the homepage.
Want a short ride on the water rather than a full day?
Compare the boat rides→Common questions
From $46 for the two-hour panorama trip to $133 for the Wachau bus-and-boat day. The schnitzel cruise is $55, the Bratislava day with the speed boat $100 and the Dürnstein ship $114.
At the Reichsbrücke ship station, according to the listing; it is a round trip on the Danube. The schnitzel cruise listing does not name its pier.
Two. The cruise and schnitzel at $55 includes a freshly prepared Wiener Schnitzel. The Dürnstein and Wachau ship at $114 lists food options on board; the listing does not say they are in the price.
By count, the Wachau bus-and-boat day: 1,644 reviews at 4.5. The Dürnstein ship is also rated 4.5, on 376. The two cruises inside the city are rated 4.0.
Two hours for the panorama trip, two to three and a half for the schnitzel cruise, eight and a half for the Wachau bus-and-boat day, eleven and a half for the Bratislava day and a full day for the Dürnstein ship.
Not in the base price. The bus-and-boat day at $133 lists the visit to the Benedictine Abbey of Melk as an upgrade. The Dürnstein ship does not mention Melk.
One: the guided tour to Bratislava at $100. A bus goes out, you walk the old town, and a speed boat brings you back. Eleven and a half hours, rated 4.2 on 1,531 reviews.
Go deeper
Day trips from Vienna compared: Hallstatt, Salzburg, the Wachau Valley, Bratislava and Budapest, by price and length.
Walking toursVienna walking tours compared: city centre highlights, small groups, private guides and the cathedral quarter.
OperaVienna opera tickets on this site: opera and ballet concerts and opera shows, what each one includes.
ConcertsVienna classical concerts compared: Vivaldi in Karlskirche, Mozart at the Musikverein and more.
Boat toursVienna boat tours compared: a two-hour Danube panorama boat, a cruise with schnitzel and a speedboat to Bratislava.
SchönbrunnSchönbrunn Palace tours from Vienna: guided entry to the palace and gardens, what each listing covers.
Vienna: Guided Walking Tour of City Center Highlights
★ 4.7 · 5,658 reviews · 2 hours