The 15 Best Danube Cruises from Vienna

1.City Cruise with Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 1h 15m · from $38Our pick

Sail a 75-minute loop from Schwedenplatz aboard the MS Wien, MS Blue Danube, or MS Vindobona. You’ll see modern landmarks, canal-side districts, and historic buildings while screens provide English and German information. Add a two-course lunch or freshly made Wiener Schnitzel onboard.

“The best strudel I have ever had with the vanilla Cream yummy all the way! I will always remember it fondly as part of my visit to Vienna thank you! 🙏”

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2.City Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 1h 15m · from $38

Board the MS Wien, MS Blue Danube, or MS Vindobona at Schwedenplatz for a 75-minute Danube Canal loop. You will pass modern architecture, graffiti-covered canal walls, and city landmarks. Add apple strudel with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, or pair the cruise with the Heidi Horten Collection.

“A beautiful relaxing cruise thru the canal. Restaurant on board; location was easy to find. Thanks!”

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3.3-Course Evening Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · from $85

Spend three hours aboard the MS Blue Danube, MS Vindobona, or MS Wien for a dinner cruise through Vienna. You’ll receive a sparkling aperitif, choose one of three main courses, and watch the city lights from the deck. German and English-speaking crew members host the evening.

“Plesant trip comfortble sailing enjoyable food. Glad to have a ab,e to ourselves which might not be possible at busier times.”

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4.Wachau Valley, Melk Abbey Tour with Danube Boat Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 8h 30m · from $151

Spend about 8.5 hours beyond Vienna, traveling by comfortable coach through Krems, Dürnstein, and Melk. In summer, the Danube boat ride is the star. Choose the all-inclusive option for Melk Abbey, where guides such as Tommy, Ava, or Erich bring the Baroque masterpiece to life.

“This outing, out of Vienna was really lovely. It was well paced with ample free time and a variety of activities! The guide,Ava, provided lots of great information and spoke clearly in several languages! Her instructions were succinct. The driver was also friendly and safe in his manner. The locations we went to see were beautiful. The guide at Melk Abbey was also entertaining.”

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5.Evening Cruise Along The Danube

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · 3 hours · from $55

Spend three hours aboard the MS Vindobona, MS Blue Danube, or MS Wien as Vienna fades into evening. You will cruise canals before reaching the Danube, enjoy sunset views from the upper deck, and order freshly prepared Viennese dishes, including house-made schnitzel, from Roman Loos’s onboard restaurant.

“It was very nice. The food choices were good and the food was excellent. It took awhile to get out to the Danube so the actual time on the River was quite short.”

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6.3.5-Hour Grand Danube River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · from $51

Cruise Vienna aboard the MS Wien or Hundertwasser-designed MS Vindobona. In 3.5 hours, you’ll pass the Prater, Danube Island, Danube Tower, Millennium Tower, Nussdorf locks, and central Vienna. Food and drinks are available onboard, but not included.

“Great way to see Vienna. Easy to book and board the boat. Comfortable and interesting trip”

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7.Danube River Cruise w/ optional Viennese Specialties

★★★★★★★★★★3.0 · from $36Best value

Sail with DDSG Blue Danube through modern Vienna, passing the Danube Tower, Millennium Tower, Nussdorf locks, Spittelau, and Ringturm. Choose a shorter cruise or continue toward Prater and Danube Island. Optional Viennese food is available, but drinks cost extra.

“Excellent! The food was delicious, the boat, crew, journey and views were fantastic. I would recommend this excursion. ☀️😝😁”

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8.Bratislava Day Trip from Vienna With Catamaran Cruise on Danube

★★★★★★★★★★3.5 · from $115

Leave central Vienna by coach for a guided walk through Bratislava’s Old Town, with stops at St. Martin’s Cathedral, Michael’s Gate, and major palaces. You’ll have several hours to explore alone before returning on the Twin City Liner catamaran, weather and water conditions permitting.

“The local guide did a job in showing us the major sites in the old city. He also gave us great advice about the other sites in the and where they were.”

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9.Cruise and Schnitzel Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · from $66

Start near St. Stephen’s Cathedral at Schwedenplatz for a 3.5-hour DDSG cruise through Vienna’s canal and Danube. Choose the MS Wien or MS Vindobona, watch two locks in action, and enjoy freshly prepared pork Wiener Schnitzel with parsley potatoes. Drinks and pastries cost extra.

“The English portion of guide was difficult to understand.”

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10.Sightseeing Boat Tour with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.6 · from $69

Board the air-conditioned MS Blue Danube at Schwedenplatz for a 3.5-hour round trip with a seasonal two-course lunch. You will cruise mainly along Vienna’s Danube Canal, passing modern architecture and landmarks while GPS screens explain the sights. Drinks cost extra, and vegetarian or allergy-friendly meals require advance notice.

“The route they choose it's not exciting, it's not circular, so you do the same line back and forward and you barely see anything, but the lunch was great and if you're just going to have lunch on a cruise then it's awesome.”

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11.Dürnstein and Wachau Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 1 day · from $116

Spend a Sunday aboard the MS Kaiserin Elisabeth II, cruising from Vienna toward the Wachau Valley. Enjoy included breakfast, a lunchtime snack, and dinner, then explore medieval Dürnstein for two hours. German and English hosts are available, but drinks cost extra and the ship is not wheelchair accessible.

“It was a very good day trip. Staff were helpful and friendly. Although the listing states that beverages are not included it is not stated at meal times etc when staff offer drinks so just a wee reminder that you will have to pay for these by the end of the trip. The 2 hours in Durnstein was enough for a little wander but as it was a Sunday not all places were open.”

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12.Heurigen Cruise with Viennese Songs and Buffet

★★★★★★★★★★4.2 · from $74

Join Marion Zib of Radio Wienerlied aboard the MS Admiral Tegetthoff for a three-hour evening cruise around Vienna’s 2nd district. Enjoy live Viennese songs, a cold and warm Heuriger buffet, table service, and illuminated city views.

“everything was ready for us....no delays....no mistakes....no problems..just oerfect”

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13.Day Cruise to Bratislava

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 1 day · from $116

You’ll sail from Vienna to Bratislava on the air-conditioned MS Kaiserin Elisabeth, with breakfast, a light return snack, dinner, two bars, and a sun deck. Spend four hours exploring Bratislava independently, but note that the return cruise can last about six hours and may reach Vienna around 10 p.m.

“Avertir que le retour du bateau prend 6.30 pour revenir à Vienne.”

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14.Sunset Summer Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1

Spend 3.5 hours on the MS Kaiserin Elisabeth, cruising Vienna’s Danube at sunset with a changing buffet, one cocktail, and live music. You’ll see the Donauplatte, Danube Tower, and Millennium Tower. Staff speak German and English, but this is not a guided sightseeing cruise with regular English commentary.

“We had a lot of fun! The music was very good, a mix of modern and old; the food was excellent! Only dessert was a bit lacking; I had the apple strudel (which was excellent) and the tiramisu (which was frozen). Fireworks were super fun to watch and the whole way was enjoyable ☺️”

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15.Hop-on Hop-off, Ferris Wheel, and River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.1 · 1 day · from $88

Use a 24-hour Big Bus ticket to see Vienna’s Opera, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Hofburg, Schönbrunn, and Belvedere routes. Add a Danube cruise, skip the Ferris Wheel ticket line, and use the multilingual audio guide and self-guided walking tour to fill in the details.

“Os ônibus estavam cheios, não tinha lugar suficiente para sentar. Mas o pior foi ao descer na linha vermelha no ponto número 8, esperei por mais de 30 minutos e o ônibus não passou, eu precisei chamar um Uber para deixar o local. Em relação ao passeio de barco, não tinha lugar suficiente para todos no barco algumas pessoas tiveram que deixar as instalações. A roda gigante foi muito legal, a única parte do passeio que realmente valeu a pena.”

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