Danube Valley and Melk Abbey Guided Day Trip from Vienna
Overview
Available languages
Mobile ticket
This day trip takes you from Vienna to the Wachau, a picturesque valley along the Danube. You will see many medieval castles, grand monasteries and a breathtaking landscape. We will stop in Dürnstein for an hour. From here you will have an impressive boat trip on the Danube to Melk. The Highlight will be the guided tour through the magnificent Benedictine Abbey (depending on the season)
Additional Info
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
Service animals allowed
Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Due to weather conditions the boat trip can only take place between April and October. The same applies if the boat trip has to be cancelled due to high water or other nature reasons.
What To Expect
Vienna
Operngasse 8: 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.
Durnstein
Visit the wonderful Dürnstein.
Options
English excl. Abbey Admission
Tour in English: Winter: with Melk Abbey admission, without boat Summer: with boat, without Melk Abbey admission
Spanish Tour Melk Abbey & Boat
Tour in Spanish: Danube Valley Day Trip from Vienna in Spanish (with boat and visit of Melk Abbey).
English Tour Melk Abbey & Boat
Tour in English: Danube Valley Day Trip from Vienna in English (with boat and visit of Melk Abbey).
Spanish excl. Abbey Admission
Tour in Spanish: Winter: with Melk Abbey admission, without boat Summer: with boat, without Melk Abbey admission
What‘s Included
Professional English and Spanish-speaking guide
Panoramic photo stops in Wachau Valley
Scenic Danube River boat cruise (April–October)
Guided tour of Melk Abbey (if option selected)
Free time to explore Dürnstein or Krems
Onboard historical and cultural commentary
Admission to Melk Abbey (if option selected)
Round-trip transport by air-conditioned coach
Food and drinks
Hotel pickup and drop-off
Gratuities
Admission to Melk Abbey (if basic option selected)
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
1,588 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Day trip
Suzanne K,Jun 7, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Lots of walking at abbey but at a slower pace so not too bad for seniors Great boat ride with really good apple strudel
Nice combo of activities
Marie W,Jun 2, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00It was a nice combination of comfortable, informative, travel out of Vienna to a lovely little town and then on to catch the boat on the Danube. The Melk Abbey and tour exceeded my expectations.
Great guide and driver, and incredible scenery.
Akram B,May 31, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Reasonable length ride to the various stops. The boat ride to Melk Abbey was especially nice. Our guide, Claudia, did an excellent job of giving us an extensive commentary on the history of the areas we visited.
Wonderful
Judy S,May 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00The tour guide was knowledgeable and engaging. The bus operator was safe. The Danube tour is amazing!
An experience worth taking
Lori C,May 20, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Visiting the Meik Abby and cruising down the Danube river was quite an experience. The river boat was comfortable and offered drinks and food. The Abby was a sight to see given all its history.
Average visit, despite impeccable organization and a good guide.
Leguillen,May 18, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
3.00Despite a very good multilingual guide, we were a bit disappointed by this excursion. The bus tour of Krems is uninteresting; the village of Durnstein is picturesque but nothing more, and while the Danube Valley is indeed beautiful, we have many equivalents in France. Finally, the village of Melk has little interest, and the visit to the abbey was conducted by a Francophone guide with limited knowledge and approximate French. The visit is also very poorly organized, featuring a series of dark rooms with a few paintings and objects lacking real coherence. The church is the most spectacular, as well as the staircase.
Wonderful day trip , tour...
Shelly L,May 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Wonderful day trip , tour guide was great. Really like the combination of boat ride, walking & comfortable bus. Thank you
Not the best, I almost could do it myself.
Mark S,May 9, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00I loved the tour guide Ava, sweet, knowledgeable, obviously experienced. Boat ride was nice, the hole thing was nice until we reached the abbe. Male tour guide was hard to hear but when I could hear him he was funny (in a good way). When he was told that we could not hear him he shrugged and said "I can't do anything about it." He was wearing a microphone. When questioned he said it was from his last group. Why didn't we get the same? I feel he didn't make an effort to raise his voice so we could hear him and as a consequence s few people lost interest. I was also unimpressed that I couldn't take photos in the Abbe. I was told this would hold up the tour, I feel it was to entice you to buy photos at the gift shop. Beautiful Abbe, bad execution. This excludes Ava's work which was A+ thank you Ava!
Danube Valley April tour
Dreamer721684,Apr 30, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This was a great tour. A little pricey in my opinion but worth it. My only complaint is that the meeting location instructions need to be more explicit. My instructions said to meet meet at the fountain next to the Opera house . We got there early and didn't see a tour guide at the fountain . It turns out there are TWO fountains at the opera house on different sides of the building. But the time we figured out that we were at the wrong fountain, we barely had time to catch our tour bus that was parked a block away as it was getting ready to leave. We also never received a text message confirmation ahead of time. Other than the meeting location disconnect, our guide gave a comprehensive overview of the sights and history of the city, towns, and countryside as we drove through it. He was very informative! The Danube boat cruise was relaxing and wonderful.
Fantastic tour & Pro Tip
Wendy M,Apr 26, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Great trip. Very enjoyable. Pro tip: Use ur time wisely in Melk. Eat on the boat and it’ll give you time to roam the fantastic gardens at the Abby.
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Operated by Vienna Sightseeing Tours