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Compare A Cycling Journey: Munich to Vienna along The Danube River by Road Scholar vs Danube Bike & River Cruise: Budapest to Prague by VBT

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Duration 14 days 8 days
Price From $ 3,199 $ 5,095
Price Per Day $ 229 $ 637
Highlights
  • Pedal through the Wachau wine region with a stop at 900-year-old Benedictine Melk Abbey for a history lesson
  • Discover the fascinating history of shipping on the Danube River during a visit to the Schifffahrtsmuseum tucked away in Castle Greinburg
  • Enjoy an organ concert at St
  • Stephan’s Cathedral in Passau, home to the largest church organ in the world
  • Unpack once, then bike and boat along the Danube in four countries and three cultural capitals—all on one trip.
  • Follow the car-free and scenic Danube and EuroVelo 6 bike paths in this bicycle-friendly region.
  • Enjoy an exclusive Viennese concert with the music of Strauss and Mozart.
  • Choose to be as active or relaxed as you wish from our menu of cycling routes and walking tours.
  • Visit one of the oldest breweries in the world in Weltenburg.
Trip Style N/A Group tour
Lodging Level Standard Premium
Physical Level
  • N/A
  • 4- Strenuous
Travel Themes
  • 50 plus
  • Cultural
  • Nature & Wildlife
  • Cycling & Biking
Countries Visited
Cities and Attractions
  • Bavaria
  • Linz
  • Passau
  • Vienna
  • Wachau
  • Budapest
  • Prague
Flights & Transport No Ground transport included
Activities N/A
  • Culture
  • Cycling
  • Guided Group
  • History
  • Nature
  • Photography
  • River cruise
Meals Included
  • 24 Meals
  • 12 Breakfasts
  • 0 Lunches
  • 12 Dinners
  • The following choices may be available when requested in advance: Vegetarian, Gluten Free, Low Fat

21 meals: 7 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners

Description Follow quiet bike paths along the sparkling Danube as you explore the history, folklore and culture of Bavaria and Upper Austria, with visits to castle ruins and a 900-year-old abbey.

While most river cruises limit themselves to the lower Danube region, VBT takes you one step further—exploring the entire length of this fabled river, including the shores of Germany and the medieval city of Regensburg, a UNESCO World Heritage site. By day, join your local VBT trip leaders on curated routes through choice segments of the Danube Cycle Path—pedaling past small medieval villages, colorful vineyards, and fairytale castles. You’ll explore the majesty of the Habsburg Empire during VBT’s guided tours of Schloss Hof, Passau, and Vienna. By night, relax on your luxurious Emerald cruise ship—including a sundeck with spectacular views, a heated pool, and 5-star luxury meals and beverages. With a wealth of onboard activities and optional excursions, this is the perfect trip for travel partners with different interests and activity levels.

Itinerary: A Cycling Journey: Munich to Vienna along The Danube River

Day 1
In Transit to Program
In Flight

Day 2
Arrive Munich, Transfer to Deggendorf, Orientation
Deggendorf D Hotel Burgwirt
Activity note: There will be no biking today which provides an opportunity to relax and rejuvenate after your international flight; Motorcoach time is 1.5 hours (70 miles / 113 kilometers).

Morning: Proceed by motorcoach to Deggendorf and check into our hotel.

Lunch: This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like in Deggendorf. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Afternoon: Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer questions. A support vehicle will accompany the group while biking each day until lunchtime in the event of emergency situations. Thereafter, the driver and vehicle will depart for the hotel to place the luggage in the rooms. Upon arrival in Natternberg/Deggendorf, bicycles will be fitted to the participant and testing will take place to insure participants are able to safely start, stop, and control their bicycle. Periods in the daily schedule designated as "Free time" and "At leisure" offer opportunities to do what you like and make your experience even more meaningful and memorable according to your personal preferences. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. Program activities, schedules, personnel, and indicated distances or times may change due to local circumstances/conditions. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Dinner: In the hotel dining room, enjoy a three-course set menu (with choice of one of two entrées) plus water; other beverages are available for purchase. Dinner each night will fit this description except where indicated.

Evening: At leisure. Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

Day 3
Plattling, St. Jacob's Church, Deggendorf, Introductions
Deggendorf B,D Hotel Burgwirt
Activity note: Biking distance is 16 miles (26 kilometers) on paved bicycle paths on flat terrain. Walking approximately .5 mile (.75 kilometers).

Breakfast: In the hotel dining room, choose from a buffet with meats, cheeses, eggs, yogurt, cereals, breads, juices and hot beverages. Breakfast at each hotel will fit this description.

Morning: After a hearty breakfast, join your Group Leader in the hotel conference room for a presentation on safety, rules of the road, and the IBT Corner System, the way in which we navigate throughout the course of this program. We’re ready to bicycle and our destination is just a short ride to Plattling, a typical Bavarian town with pastel-colored houses.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in your choice of several Plattling restaurants.

Afternoon: A lecture at St. Jacob’s Church, one of the few remaining Roman churches in Bavaria, is planned. Following the lecture, return to the hotel along a quiet bike path where we will have our first glimpse of the Danube (or as the locals call it, die Donau).

Dinner: Hotel dining room.

Evening: Learn more about your fellow travelers at Group Introductions after dinner. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Day 4
Passau, Hofkirchen, Stroll Passau
Passau B,D Hotel Weisser Hase
Activity note: Biking distance is 40 miles (65 kilometers) on paved bicycle paths on flat to rolling terrain. Walking approximately 1 mile / 1.5 kilometers.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Today’s the real thing; our destination is Passau, a city at the German-Austrian border. We’ll see immediately why the Danube is so popular with bicyclists: for most of the program we bicycle on paths not accessible to cars.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like at the Gasthof Buchner in Hofkirchen.

Afternoon: Continue cycling along the Danube to our hotel in the center of Passau.

Dinner: Hotel dining room.

Evening: Accompany your group leader on a short walk through Passau after dinner.

Day 5
Passau Architecture Lecture, Organ Concert, Free Time
Passau B,D Hotel Weisser Hase
Activity note: There will be no biking today to allow for our visit of Passau. Walking approximately 1 mile (1.5 kilometers), standing for up to 2 hours on uneven terrain, stairs, and cobblestones.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Start the day by attending a lecture on the various architectural styles prominent in the towns and villages along our way. Embark on a guided walking field trip of Passau to learn all about the history of this wonderful city. Visit St. Stephen’s Dom (except on holidays), which has the largest church organ in the world to attend an organ concert.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Passau.

Afternoon: Free Time: Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Passau. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. Explore the banks of Danube by foot, enjoy a riverboat cruise, or spend the afternoon at the Oberhausmuseum which includes an art gallery and local history museum. If you want to relax, seek out one of the local cafés to sip a beer or cup of coffee while watching the locals.

Dinner: Hotel dining room.

Evening: At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Day 6
European Union Lecture, Obernzell & Schlögen Ferries
Schlogen B,D Hotel Donauschlinge
Activity note: Biking distance is 26 miles (42 kilometers) on paved bicycle paths on flat terrain. Walking approximately 1 mile / 1.5 kilometers.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Before departure, enjoy a lecture on the European Union at the hotel. Mount your bicycle and head for Obernzell, where the castle that was built by the Bishop of Passau in 1426 as his summer residence stands.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Obernzell.

Afternoon: We cross the border into Austria on a bicycle path along the Danube. The route to Schlögen is one of the most scenic rides you could wish for, along the river and through a forest. A ferry takes us across the river to our hotel. Be sure to hike the trail behind the hotel that leads to one of the most magnificent views of the Danube you will see during the program. Enjoy a dip in the indoor swimming pool or relax on a bench along the river before dinner.

Dinner: Hotel dining room.

Evening: At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Day 7
Aschach, Ottensheim Ferry, Wilhering Church, Badesee, Linz
Linz B,D Hotel Kolping
Activity note: Biking distance is 38 miles (61 kilometers) on paved bicycle paths and secondary roads on flat terrain. Walking approximately 1 mile / 1.5 kilometers.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Our destination this morning is Aschach on the Danube, a beautiful old village featuring homes painted during the Baroque era.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Aschach.

Afternoon: After lunch, we bike to Ottensheim where we take a ferry across the river. Enjoy an excursion to Wilhering to visit one of the most impressive Rococo churches in Austria. Linz is our home for the next two nights.

Dinner: Hotel dining room.

Evening: Discover Linz by night on a stroll to the Main Square with your Group Leader.

Day 8
Austrian Economy Lecture, Mauthausen, Free Time
Linz B,D Hotel Kolping
Activity note: There will be no biking today to allow for a visit to Mauthausen and Linz. Motorcoach time is 1 hour (30 miles / 48 kilometers). Walking approximately 1 mile (1.5 kilometers), standing for up to 2 hours on uneven terrain, stairs, and cobblestones.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: After breakfast, attend a lecture on the Austrian economy. Continue by motorcoach for an excursion to the remains of the concentration camp, Mauthausen. Formerly a notorious World War II internment camp built by the Nazis, you’ll see the granite quarries from which the stones were cut to pave many of the streets in Vienna. Many of the camp prisoners died working in these quarries. Today the camp is a memorial with monuments dedicated to the people of many nationalities who died here.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Linz.

Afternoon: Free Time: Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Linz. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. Explore Linz, the capital of the province of Upper Austria. Don’t miss the Hauptplatz, the former market square, with Baroque buildings and the Rathaus. It was from the balcony of this town hall, on March 12, 1938, that Adolf Hitler announced his thousand-year empire. For a wonderful view of the city, board the Pöstlingbergbahn, the steepest mountain railway in the world. The old-fashioned cars have been making the 16-minute climb of 835 feet to the top of the mountain since 1898. The town abounds with cathedrals, museums and most importantly, Konditoreien. Be sure to find one of these local bakeries and sample the famous Linzer Torte. You might even want to take one with you!

Dinner: Hotel dining room.

Evening: At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Day 9
Austrian Traditions Lecture, Au an der Donau, Grein
Grein B,D Hotel-Restaurant Goldenes Kreuz
Activity note: Biking distance is 39 miles (63 kilometers) on paved bicycle paths on flat terrain. Walking approximately 1 mile / 1.5 kilometers.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: After breakfast, attend a lecture on the traditions and customs of Austria. We leave Linz on the north shore of the Danube and enter the province of Lower Austria towards our destination, Grein.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like at the Gasthof Pühringer in Au an der Donau.

Afternoon: Keep your camera handy as we round the bend in the river; the approach to Grein is truly picturesque. You will love this charming village with its old town hall and wonderful ambiance.

Dinner: Hotel dining room.

Evening: Discover the idyllic village of Grein during a walk along the river promenade on your own or with your biking comrades this evening. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Day 10
Danube Lecture, Schifffahrtsmuseum, Persenbeug, Sankt Nikola
Melk B,D Hotel-Restaurant Wachauerhof
Activity note: Biking distance is 33 miles (53 kilometers) on paved bicycle paths and secondary roads on flat terrain. Walking approximately 1 mile / 1.5 kilometers.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Before leaving Grein, join your fellow travelers for a lecture on the history of the Danube. Following the lecture, embark by foot on a field trip to the Schifffahrtsmuseum (Shipping Museum) and castle which affords a spectacular view of the Danube. Another great day of biking lies ahead.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Persenbeug.

Afternoon: We pass by the village of Sankt Nikola, named after the guardian angel of the sailors, and the ruins of Castle Freyenstein, perched high above the Danube. Years ago, the castle was given the nickname "Wines." According to legend, the knights of the castle stopped many of the barges loaded with wine, as they headed for Upper Austria and Bavaria. After paying a considerable ransom in wine, the barges continued their journey. The picturesque town of Melk awaits our arrival.

Dinner: Hotel dining room.

Evening: At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Day 11
Melk Abbey, The Wachau, Willendorf, Spitz, Durnstein, Krems
Krems B,D Parkhotel Krems
Activity note: Biking distance is 26 miles (42 kilometers) on paved bicycle paths on flat terrain. Walking approximately 1 mile / 1.5 kilometers.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: First stop is the famous 900-year-old Benedictine Melk Abbey where we gain insight into the history of this magnificent building. From the balcony of the Abbey one has a splendid view of the Danube. Today’s ride will take us through a wine-growing region called the Wachau. Although we don’t encourage drinking wine during the day, you may want to try the local wine at night. We’ll visit the village of Willendorf where many years ago a chalk statue was found in the fields. The statue, Venus of Willendorf, is believed to be over 25,000 years old. Today, a replica stands at the site.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Spitz.

Afternoon: Continue to Durnstein, the oldest town in Lower Austria. High above the town sits the ruins of the castle where Richard the Lion-Hearted was held prisoner until he was rescued by Blondel, his faithful minnesinger. From Durnstein it is only a short ride to our hotel in Krems.

Dinner: At a local restaurant, enjoy a three-course set menu plus water; other beverages are available for purchase.

Evening: A walk led by the Group Leader after dinner will acquaint us with this charming city. Be sure to prepare for check-out and departure in the morning.

Day 12
Tulln, Transfer to Vienna, Free Time
Vienna B,D Hotel Erzherzog Rainer
Activity note: Biking distance is 30 miles (48 kilometers) on paved bicycle paths on flat terrain. Motorcoach time is 1 hour (28 miles / 45 kilometers). Walking approximately 1 mile / 1.5 kilometers.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: Our last day on the bicycle. We have a ride planned along the Blue Danube (which is, incidentally, not blue at all) to Tulln. The terrain is perfectly flat and the biking is most relaxing.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Tulln.

Afternoon: We will say farewell to the bicycles (complete with tears and picture taking) before boarding a bus for Vienna (or Wien, as the Austrians call it). Free Time: Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Vienna. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions.

Dinner: Hotel dining room.

Evening: At leisure.

Day 13
Vienna Walking Field Trip, Free Time
Vienna B,D Hotel Erzherzog Rainer
Activity note: There will be no biking today to allow for our visit of Vienna. Walking approximately 1 mile (1.5 kilometers), standing for up to 2 hours on uneven terrain, stairs, and cobblestones.

Breakfast: Hotel dining room.

Morning: After breakfast, join a local historian for a guided walk of Vienna to learn about its vivid history. To describe the capital of Austria would take a lot of pages. We suggest you obtain a travel guidebook and read about Vienna before getting there. It is a city perfectly suitable for walking around. Indeed, you may want to consider spending a few extra days to see everything.

Lunch: On your own to enjoy what you like in Vienna.

Afternoon: Free Time: Take this opportunity for personal independent exploration to see and do what interests you most in Vienna. Please refer to the list of Free Time Opportunities. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions and give directions. Do not leave Vienna without visiting Hotel Sacher, near the Opera, to indulge in the REAL Sacher Torte, worth dying for. Order the Einspanner (black coffee with whipped cream) and you will truly experience happiness.

Dinner: Recap your adventures and share your favorite memories with your fellow participants tonight at our farewell dinner in the hotel dining room.

Evening: At leisure. Be sure to prepare for check-out and transfer in the morning.

Day 14
Program Concludes, Departures
In Flight B
Activity note: Hotel check-out time is 12:00 Noon. See your program’s travel details regarding transfers. Transfer from the hotel to the airport is approximately 30 minutes (15 miles / 24 kilometers).

Breakfast: Hotel dining room. This concludes our program.

Morning: Morning transfer to Vienna International Airport for departures. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!

Itinerary: Danube Bike & River Cruise: Budapest to Prague

DAY 1: VBT Bicycling tour begins / Budapest guided walk / Embark ship / Warm-up ride

At 9:30 a.m., meet your private VBT walking tour guide in the hotel lobby. Please be checked out of your room and dressed ready to walk. Join up with your local guide for a walking tour through the city’s highlights. Enjoy your first lunch on board, after arriving at the dock in Budapest at approximately 1:00 p.m. to board your Emerald Cruises ship.

Your cabin may not be ready for you until 3:00 p.m. However, you are welcome to relax in the ship’s common areas or explore more of Budapest.

Later, meet your trip leaders and fellow travelers on board for an introduction to the week, followed by a safety and bike-fitting session. After the introduction meeting, get acquainted with your bike and with riding on bike paths and in bike lanes on a warm-up ride along the Danube River. A welcome dinner in the ship’s Reflections Restaurant and traditional Hungarian folklore performances are in store this evening.

Today’s Ride Choices

Afternoon: Budapest Warm-up — 6 km (4 miles)

What to Expect:

Your warm-up ride follows paved, dedicated bike lanes alongside vehicular traffic on both banks of the Danube, with spectacular views of the city. Your ride ends at the ship. As you ride, get acquainted with your bicycle, route notes, Ride with GPS, and the locals. Check your brakes and play with shifting your full range of gears.

Cumulative Distance Range: 6 km (4 miles)

Included Meals: Lunch, Dinner

DAY 2: Szentendre / Vác

Spin through the lush outskirts of Buda to Szentendre, a delightful artists’ community. Upon arrival in Szentendre, you’ll have some free time to browse the galleries and shops and to discover its narrow Baroque streets. Afterward, you will learn how to prepare goulash and strudel before lunch at a popular restaurant. Then continue to Vác, the capital of the Danube Bend.

Admire views of the Baroque town center and the river during the ferry crossing. In Vác, we invite you first to visit an exciting and famous local exhibition. Afterward, you have some time at leisure before your small group rejoins the ship in Vác.

On your return to the ship, enjoy the captain’s welcome cocktail and dinner. With its regional specialties, tonight’s meal completes the day’s Hungarian theme!

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Budapest to Szentendre — 20 km (12 miles)

Afternoon: Szentendre to Vác ferry — 15 km (9 miles)

What to Expect:

Today’s biking is on a flat, paved bike path along the Danube. The first part of the morning ride is in a relatively quiet, urban environment, while the second part is on a designated bike path away from the traffic. After lunch, an optional ride continues on country roads with some traffic to the Vác ferry. VBT offers a support vehicle from Szentendre.

Cumulative Distance Range: 20 – 35 km (12 – 21 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 3: Bratislava / Donau-Auen National Park / Hainburg

Awake this morning in Bratislava, the riverside capital of Slovakia and the only capital to border two other nations. After breakfast, disembark for an orientation walking tour with your trip leader. You’ll find an unusual mix of 20th-century Communist-era architecture, Baroque palaces, medieval spires, and the narrowest house in Europe—all overlooked from a hillside by the rectangular white castle and watchtowers of Bratislava Castle.

Mid-morning, you pedal out of town, crossing the Danube by way of the “UFO” bridge, and traverse the forests and meadows of Danube-Auen National Park, one of the largest remaining floodplains of the Danube. Arrive in Hainburg, a small town on the Austrian bank, where Joseph Haydn studied music as a young boy. After a delicious lunch in a local restaurant, arrive at Schloss Hof, the “hunting lodge” of Prince Eugene of Savoy. A guided visit introduces the lodge and the estate. You’re invited to roam the splendid gardens and castle.

Mid-afternoon, travel back to Slovakia and to your waiting ship. Alternatively, you can choose to cycle back along the other side of the river, though the small village of Devin, famous for its castle.

Back in Bratislava, enjoy some leisure time before dinner and a late departure for Vienna.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Bratislava to Schloss Hof — 34 km (21 miles)

Afternoon: Schloss Hof to Bratislava — 20 km (13 miles)

What to Expect:

Today’s ride features a combination of bike paths and town streets. While both Slovakia and Austria offer bike paths, we would like to make you aware that the paths in Slovakia are slightly less well-maintained. The afternoon option is partly along a busy country road.

Cumulative Distance Range: 34 – 54 km (21 – 34 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 4: Ride along the Donauinsel / Explore Vienna

Your ship is in Vienna from very early this morning until very late tonight, so you will have a convenient base from which to explore Austria’s glorious capital.

Vienna is renowned as one of Europe’s most cycle-friendly cities, so you can make use of its abundant bike paths and bike lanes. This morning, our small group will enjoy a private walking tour of Vienna with the help of an experienced local tour guide.

After lunch on board, your bike ride leads to the edge of the city and along the Donauinsel, or Danube Island, a 13-mile (21 km) strip where scenic vistas and quiet riding add to your Vienna discoveries.

Or explore Vienna on your own, pursuing your own whims and interests in the city of Strauss, Beethoven, and Mahler. The gracious boulevards of Vienna are awash in culture and elegance. Head to the Ringstrasse, the circular avenue that replaced the city’s demolished medieval wall, to marvel at the breathtaking architecture from the gleaming Imperial Palace and St. Stephen’s Cathedral to the famed Vienna State Opera. And be sure to take a break in one of the city’s famed coffee houses to experience Viennese café culture firsthand.

This evening, you are invited to join the Viennese Evening Concert excursion, featuring the music of Strauss and Mozart. This private event is available only to those on our ship.

Today’s Ride Choices

Afternoon: Vienna and Danube Island — 20 km (12 miles)

What to Expect:

The afternoon ride is a relaxing and easy loop ride through the edge of the city and on Danube Island, a car-free recreational paradise.

Cumulative Distance Range: 20 km (12 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 5: Dürnstein / Cycle through the Wachau Valley / Melk

Your ship is moored in Krems, Austria, when you awake. The town and its surroundings are a center of Wachau wine production. From here, you begin to cycle toward Dürnstein. Admire its stunning powder-blue bell tower soaring above red roofs. A cliffside castle, which once held Richard the Lionheart captive, watches over the scenic town.

Later this morning, cycle through what is perhaps the most beautiful stretch of the Danube, the Wachau Valley, Austria’s celebrated wine-growing region. The “Wachau Cultural Landscape” was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2000. As for its physical landscape, it is blessed with lush vineyards and hillside orchards set among castle ruins, churches, and abbeys. Few places match the Wachau for its striking beauty and rich viniculture. Ride through the scenic hamlets of Spitz and Wiessenkirchen, nestled between the Danube and its rising banks.

On arrival in Melk, celebrate the ride over a lunch of Austrian specialties. Afterward, you can continue cycling along the river on a loop ride, or go for a short walk, maybe exploring the city’s spectacular Benedictine Abbey, one of Europe’s largest Baroque monasteries. In the afternoon, you are invited to join a private wine tasting in the city center of Melk.

Upon returning to the ship, you’ll have time to relax before dinner on board. This afternoon, the ship charts a course for Engelhartszell and Passau.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Krems to Melk — 40 km (24 miles)

Afternoon: Optional loop outside Melk — 18 km (11 miles)

What to Expect:

Begin biking from Krems, again following the Danube Bike Path. You can extend your ride after lunch in Melk. Both options are mostly on paved bike paths with some short ascents. In some sections, the bike path is directly adjacent to the roadway.

Cumulative Distance Range: 40 – 58 km (24 – 35 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 6: Engelhartszell / Cycle to Passau

Your bicycle is waiting for you in Engelhartszell, where you disembark after an early breakfast to start your ride. This morning’s route to Passau follows the Danube Bike Path on a leisurely ride. After leaving Austria, continue cycling before taking a short detour along the river Inn to Passau, the scenic “City of Three Rivers” at the confluence of the Danube, Inn, and Ilz. Enjoy lunch on board your river cruise ship, and join an informative walking tour with a local guide, followed by free time to explore.

Afterward, you may join an optional hike to Veste Oberhaus, Passau’s famous castle on the other side of the river. Reboard the ship late afternoon and set sail for Regensburg. Enjoy a Captain’s Gala Dinner and evening activities on board.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Engelhartszell to Passau — 33 km (20 miles)

What to Expect:

Bike along the right bank, on a section of the Danube Bike Path that is mainly flat and entirely paved. You will cycle the last section in an urban environment, across the relatively quiet city center of Passau.

Cumulative Distance Range: 33 km (20 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 7: Regensburg / Cycle to Kelheim / Danube Gorge and Weltenburg

As you’ll see when you awake, Regensburg is an imposing town of red-roof houses at the convergence of the Danube and Regen rivers. Its 12th-century stone bridge features 16 arches spanning the Danube and reaching into the Old Town.

After breakfast, cycle along the Danube banks to Kelheim. Following the Danube Bike Path, your scenic ride continues to be easy and mostly car-free. Pause for a typical Bavarian lunch in a small, historical restaurant.

In the afternoon board a small ship in Kelheim for a picturesque 45-minute sail through the Danube Gorge (Donaudurchbruch). Upon arrival in Weltenburg, your presence is requested at a world-famous abbey for a private visit, followed by a beer tasting. Afterward, a shuttle will take you back to the ship for dinner with live music played by a traditional Bavarian band. The ship will moor in Regensburg, where you are welcome to enjoy an evening walk in town.

Today’s Ride Choices

Morning: Regensburg to Kapfelberg — 26 km (16 miles)

Afternoon: Kapfelberg to Kelheim — 13 km (8 miles)

What to Expect:

Today’s ride options are on the famous EuroVelo 6 bike path. The Danube is your constant companion on this scenic and easy ride upstream to Kelheim. The short option ends at Kapfelberg, with a shuttle on to Kelheim to board the small ship to Weltenburg. Today is the only day with significant sections of packed gravel (about 60%). Almost the entire ride is on vehicle-free bike paths.

Cumulative Distance Range: 26 – 39 km (16 – 24 miles)

Included Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

DAY 8: Disembark / VBT Bicycling Vacation ends

After breakfast, disembark your ship and conclude your Danube odyssey.

Your trip ends at the docks in Regensburg, Germany, on the morning of disembarkation. The ship is scheduled to arrive in port the day before. You may travel from here on your own by taxi to the train station, a distance of one mile (1.8 km), which should take about 5 minutes by taxi, to board a train, which takes you directly to the Munich International Airport in one hour and 20 minutes. The ship’s staff will be happy to arrange a taxi for you.

Included Meals: Breakfast

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"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."
Martin Buber
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