Cycling the Danube Cycle Path in Austria
The Danube Cycle Path is one of Austria’s best-known long-distance cycling routes, and the section from Passau to Vienna offers an easy way to experience it by bike. The route passes through riverside towns, historic landmarks and the Wachau Valley, with highlights including the Schlögener Loop, Linz, Melk Abbey, Dürnstein and Vienna.
Self-Guided Danube Cycling for Beginners and Families
This self-guided cycling holiday is a good choice for leisure cyclists and families looking for an easy bike tour in Austria. The route is mostly flat and paved, with daily stages of around 35 to 60 km. You can cycle at your own pace, while luggage transfers and digital route information make the journey simple to follow.
ROUTE
The Passau to Vienna section of the Danube Cycle Path follows the river through Upper and Lower Austria, connecting some of the region’s most distinctive landscapes and historic places. From Passau, the route reaches the Schlögener Loop before continuing to Linz and through the Strudengau and Nibelungengau regions. Further east, the landscape changes as you enter the Wachau, with its vineyards, historic villages and landmarks such as Melk Abbey and Dürnstein, before the route continues through Krems towards Vienna.
The tour is available in three accommodation categories: Standard, Comfort and Premium. Stage lengths and overnight locations vary by category, so daily distances may differ. The final section includes a train transfer from the Krems area to Tulln before continuing towards Vienna.
Itinerary
Day 1: Passau
Individual arrival in Passau. Take time to explore the historic old town and discover the “City of Three Rivers”. Rental bikes can be collected in the afternoon; for later arrivals, collection is available the following morning.
Day 2: Passau – Schlögener Loop
Comfort / Premium: 41 km / 25 mi
Standard: 33 km / 21 mi
Your first cycling stage follows the Upper Danube Valley towards Schlögen. In Engelhartszell, you can visit the only Trappist monastery in Austria before continuing to the spectacular Schlögener Loop, where the Danube makes a complete 180-degree turn.
Day 3: Schlögener Loop – Linz
Comfort / Premium: 55 km / 34 mi
Standard: 69 km / 43 mi
Small passenger ferries connect the banks of the Danube along this section. The route continues through the fertile Eferding Basin before reaching Linz, the capital of Upper Austria and European Capital of Culture in 2009. Take time to explore the city and its attractive main square.
Day 4: Linz – Strudengau
Standard / Comfort / Premium: 60 km / 37 mi
The route leads through meadows and the tranquil hinterland of the Danube. An excursion to Enns, Austria’s oldest town, is recommended before continuing past the Celtic village of Mitterkirchen and the church in Baumgartenberg towards Clam Castle.
Day 5: Strudengau – Nibelungengau
Standard / Comfort / Premium: 50 km / 31 mi
Today’s cycling stage follows the Danube through a landscape of tall, densely wooded rock formations. High above the river stands the pilgrimage church of Maria Taferl, while the Benedictine Abbey of Melk can already be seen from a distance.
Day 6: Nibelungengau – Krems / surroundings
Standard / Comfort / Premium: 50 km / 31 mi
The route enters the Wachau Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage landscape known for vineyards, apricot groves, castles, palaces and monasteries. If you wish, you can take a break from cycling with an excursion boat. The route then continues through the wine-growing villages of Spitz, Weißenkirchen and Dürnstein before reaching Krems and its surroundings.
Day 7: Krems / surroundings – Vienna
Standard / Comfort / Premium: 40 km / 25 mi + train ride
You leave the Wachau by the included train transfer from the Krems area or Traismauer to Tulln, with your bicycle included. From Tulln, continue cycling towards Vienna as the Danube enters the Vienna Woods through the Vienna Gate. The route leads via Klosterneuburg before reaching Vienna, the “City of Music”.
Day 8: Vienna
Explore Vienna and its major sights, including the Naschmarkt, the Ringstrasse, the Vienna State Opera and Schönbrunn Palace.
Extend Your Stay
Additional nights can be organized on request.
Getting to Passau (Departure Point)
Passau is easily accessible by train and car. The nearest airports are Munich, Salzburg, Vienna and Linz, with onward connections to Passau by train or road.
Return Journey
The tour ends in Vienna. The return journey to Passau is included.
How to book this tour
We require a deposit of 25% of the tour price per person upon reservation, final payment 6 weeks before tour departure.
Included
- 7 nights’ accommodation in your chosen category
- Daily breakfast
- Daily luggage transport, 1 piece per person, max. 23 kg
- 1 bottle of wine from the Wachau Valley per room
- Train transfer from Krems/surroundings or Traismauer to Tulln, including bicycle
- Return transfer from Vienna to Passau
- Handlebar bag with route book, maps and information material
- Tour app and GPS data
- Service hotline, including weekends
NOT Included
- Individual travel/flights
- Bicycle or E-bike rental
- City taxes and local tourist visitor fees
- Lunches, dinners, drinks and personal expenses
- Private transfer from Munich to Passau
- Transport of your own bicycle on the return train to Passau. Your bicycle is included only on the return bus.
- Travel insurance
- Anything not listed as included is not included
Choose the option that best fits your schedule and start planning your cycling journey.
Check available options
Departures & Prices
Prices are per person in a double room for 2027.
Daily arrivals are available from 20 March – 16 October.
Accommodation Standard
Season 1
03 Apr – 09 Apr
09 Oct – 16 Oct
From
779€
Options & Supplements
✓
+300€ Single Room
Season 2
20 Mar – 02 Apr
10 Apr – 23 Apr
25 Sep – 08 Oct
From
879€
Options & Supplements
✓
+300€ Single Room
Season 3
24 Apr – 24 Sep
From
1049€
Options & Supplements
✓
+300€ Single Room
Accommodation Comfort
Season 1
03 Apr – 09 Apr
09 Oct – 16 Oct
From
809€
Options & Supplements
✓
+400€ Single Room
Season 2
20 Mar – 02 Apr
10 Apr – 23 Apr
25 Sep – 08 Oct
From
949€
Options & Supplements
✓
+400€ Single Room
Season 3
24 Apr – 24 Sep
From
1109€
Options & Supplements
✓
+400€ Single Room
Accommodation Premium
Season 1
03 Apr – 09 Apr
09 Oct – 16 Oct
From
979€
Options & Supplements
✓
+370€ Single Room
Season 2
20 Mar – 02 Apr
10 Apr – 23 Apr
25 Sep – 08 Oct
From
1129€
Options & Supplements
✓
+370€ Single Room
Season 3
24 Apr – 24 Sep
From
1309€
Options & Supplements
✓
+370€ Single Room
Accommodation
Carefully selected to ensure comfort, quality, and a relaxing and unforgettable journey.
In Passau, Schlögener Loop, Linz, Strudengau, Nibelungengau, Krems and Vienna.
Choose Your Accommodation
Standard
Comfortable 3-star inns and pensions with a regional character and personal atmosphere.
Comfort
Predominantly 4-star hotels, with comfortable 3-star inns and hotels in rural areas, offering a private and family atmosphere.
Premium
Modern 4-star hotels, often with wellness facilities, offering a higher accommodation standard.
Additional nights Passau with breakfast
Prices per person, including breakfast
Standard
Double Room 68€
Single room 99€
Comfort
Double Room 96€
Single room 139€
Premium
Double Room 96€
Single room 139€
Additional nights Vienna with breakfast
Prices per person, including breakfast
Standard
Double Room 77€
Single room 122€
Comfort
Double Room 96€
Single room 139€
Premium (City Centre)
Double Room 133€
Single room 192€
BIKES
Below you’ll find the essential information for rent options.
Bike
99€
eBike
239€
Child seat
39€
Children’s bike / child trailer
99€
Insurance bike
25€
Insurance ebike
55€
The image shown is for illustration purposes only and represents the type of bicycle offered for the tour.
The exact bicycle provided is subject to availability.