viking cruises danube 2022

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Viking River Cruises’ Romantic Danube: How To Make The Most Of Every Stop

• Cruises and Sailing
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• Viking Cruises

River cruising is a popular way to get the ease and convenience of a cruise while enjoying a more intimate experience.

Viking River Cruises is one of the most recognized names in the industry, and we had the chance to take their eight-day Romantic Danube cruise in the wintertime. The cruise stops vary from year to year and season to season, but each version has stops in Germany, Austria, and Hungary.

During our trip, we wanted to indulge in one of our favorite travel hobbies: visiting different European Christmas markets . Not only did we immerse ourselves in many memorable Christmas markets, but we also explored some charming, beautiful, and historically important towns.

Viking River Cruises’ Romantic Danube offers so many different ways to optimize your time. Our experience was absolutely magical, and we wanted to share some suggestions for how to make the most of every stop on this unforgettable itinerary.

We were guests of Viking River Cruises on their Romantic Danube itinerary. All opinions expressed are our own and are based on our experiences.

Nuremberg, Germany

The Romantic Danube itinerary varies, sometimes beginning in Hungary and other times in Germany. The stops may vary slightly as well. But wherever your specific journey takes you along this beautiful river route, you’ll find a lot to explore.

Our itinerary began in the German city of Nuremberg . Steeped in World War II history, it witnessed the rise and fall of the Third Reich. History buffs can visit the Nazi Party Rally Grounds , the Nazi Documentation Center , and other historical sites.

But as the second-largest city in Bavaria (after Munich ), Nuremberg also has lots more to offer. The Old Town features beautiful half-timbered houses along with the medieval Imperial Castle . Art lovers can visit the home of German Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer , explore the Germanisches Nationalmuseum , and enjoy numerous art galleries around town.

The food is incredible in Nuremberg, so we recommend having at least one meal or hearty snack ashore. Don’t miss the city’s skinny German sausages served three to a roll or on a plate with sauerkraut or potato salad. Paired with a frosty local beer, it’s a perfect meal.

Stop by the open-air Hauptmarket in the city center for a colorful look at local produce, flowers, handmade gifts, and delicious food specialties. If you happen to be there during the holiday season , you’ll see the transformation of the Old Town into a winter wonderland where over 180 vendors make up the Christkindlesmarkt . Stalls display art, local products, handcrafted goods, and treats of the season. Glittering lights and fresh greenery enhance the festive atmosphere.

Regensburg, Germany

A well-preserved medieval city on the northern portion of the Danube River, Regensburg boasts some of the most interesting historic buildings in Bavaria.

The Altes Rathaus is a bright yellow building dating to the 1200s. The Thurn und Taxis Palace is the impressive residence of an aristocratic family that had amassed a fortune from postal operations in the early 1800s. During the holiday season, a Christmas market springs up on the castle grounds. The Porta Praetoria comprises the ruins of a gateway made of rough stone blocks dating to the 13th century. Neupfarrplatz, a Roman fortress built during the reign of Marcus Aurelius, was later home to one of the first Jewish communities in Germany. The ornate German Gothic Saint Peter’s Cathedral is worth seeing, too. Walk across the Old Stone Bridge, a pedestrian walkway over the Danube, and then turn to see the colorful clock tower.

A UNESCO World Heritage site , Regensburg also has great food. The Historische Wurstkuchl , or Historic Sausage Kitchen, is 1,000 years old and the oldest sausage kitchen in Europe, maybe even in the world. If you have time, sit a while at the Weltenburger am Dom , a restaurant and brewery right next to the cathedral. Try the amazing schnitzel with a beer from Weltenburg Abbey, the oldest monastery brewery in the world.

Passau, Germany

Right on the Germany-Austria border, Passau is a picturesque city. It’s known as the City of Three Rivers, since it’s where the Danube, Ilz, and Inn Rivers come together. Something you won’t find in many other places is a wasserstand , a chart depicting high water marks from floods in the city center. It’s drawn on a wall of the old town hall as a reminder that while being at the confluence of three rivers may be beautiful, it is not without risks.

Art is important to Passau, with the city’s modern art museum and a unique glass museum containing more than 30,000 European pieces of art glass. Check out the fun Artists’ Alley, where cobblestones painted in bright colors line the streets and darling boutiques hold plenty of unique souvenirs.

Passau is home to one of the largest pipe organs in the world, with almost 18,000 pipes. It resides in the gorgeous baroque Saint Stephen’s Cathedral. If the timing is right, you could catch a concert for an unforgettable experience.

Modern pleasures in Passau include the Klostergarten, a contemporary park that is home to farmers markets and gardens. It lights up at night with dramatic lighting, water features, and choreographed fountain displays, perfect for enjoying on an evening stroll.

Melk, Austria

As the Romantic Danube cruise moves into Austria, you’ll spot the Melk Abbey standing grandly atop a hill overlooking the Danube. More than just an abbey, it’s a complex comprising seven courtyards, a beautiful church, and a library with over 90,000 volumes and rare manuscripts.

Melk is located in the Wachau Valley , where small towns and monasteries flourished during the Renaissance. The scenery is stunning. Several castles — including Schloss Schallaburg , Schloss Artstetten , and Schloss Schonbuhel — beg to be explored, and the ruins of other castles dot the landscape.

If you’re interested in local food and beverages like we are, the Wachau Valley is renowned for its apricots and wine. In addition to excellent wines made from grapes such as riesling and gruner veltliner, apricot wine, apricot dumplings, apricot cake, and some unique items made with saffron are also local specialties.

Krems is the town at the other end of the valley and is sometimes part of the Romantic Danube itinerary.

Vienna, Austria

Vienna is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. There are so many things to see, do, and eat that you will not want to waste a moment of your time there.

We have to put the Viennese culinary culture at the top of our list. Famous desserts like sacher torte and apple strudel, gorgeous coffeehouses, incredible farmers markets, delicious street food, and a wide range of restaurants provide many opportunities to sample local delights. Most people don’t know that Vienna is also home to its own wine regions, making the local wine a great option to try.

Music is another highlight of Viennese culture. The City of Music has many venues from which to choose. The Musikverein , Vienna State Opera , Wiener Konzerthaus , and Schonbrunn Palace offer concerts featuring everything from the classical music of Mozart and Strauss to jazz, pop, and rock. There are also cafés, bars, and nightclubs offering food, drinks, and music in a more intimate setting.

World-renowned palaces like Schonbrunn and the Hofburg as well as sacred spaces like Saint Stephen’s Cathedral and Karlskirche impress with their magnificence.

Of course, Vienna also offers gorgeous Christmas markets in stunning venues like the City Hall, Belvedere Palace, Maria Theresien Square, and Schonbrunn Palace, among others.

Animal lovers can check out the elegant Lipizzaner stallions performing at the Spanish Riding School or visit Vienna’s Tiergarten , the oldest zoo in the world.

Budapest, Hungary

Budapest is actually three different cities: Buda and Obuda on the west side of the Danube  River and Pest on the east side. That only adds to the intrigue of this unique destination.

The quieter Buda side has hills and a funicular, which you can ride to the top for a panoramic view of the Pest side. The City Park is a lovely place to stroll, with botanical gardens, a municipal zoo, the Budapest circus, and a museum of agriculture. There’s also a huge timer containing sand that takes a year to go from the top to the bottom. It’s started all over again every New Year.

The Great Market Hall features three floors of local produce, prepared delicacies, crafts, and souvenirs. If you like to shop, be sure to stroll along Vaci and Kiraly Streets, pedestrian roads full of touristy joints as well as fun local shops and cafés.

Budapest has several spas and thermal baths in which you can relax while also getting your history fix; many of these structures have been around since Ottoman times.

Budapest also boasts several phenomenal holiday markets, including the Advent Feast at the Basilica , considered among the best Christmas markets in Europe.

The folks at Viking River Cruises know that the spectacular Hungarian Parliament Building is a vision at night. They generally provide an opportunity to see it while you’re on the water and make a picture-perfect memory to last a lifetime.

What To Know Before You Go

Viking River Cruises offers several excursions as well as a variety of add-ons. Be sure to take time before your departure to explore what interests you and book anything extra well in advance because space is often limited. While the ship is comfy, the service delightful, and the onboard activities lots of fun, be sure to get out and explore at every stop. There is so much awaiting you on your Romantic Danube journey.

Diana Laskaris and Sue Reddel are the Co-Founders of Food Travelist . They travel the world and find the best food every destination has to offer. They've tried it all. From Michelin starred fine restaurants to tasty street food on a stick. They hope to bring the world just a bit closer together by sharing a meal and learning about different cultures and ourselves through food and drink. They are both Certified Culinary Travel Professionals and frequent authors of articles about food & travel.

Danube Waltz Itinerary – Viking River Cruise

Viking offer a variety of itineraries for sailing down the Danube. The one we enjoyed was called the Danube Waltz and saw us visiting six different ports.

Viking include a walking tour for all guests in every port you visit – we both really like that this was included. Most tours last two hours and after that give you the option to go back to the ship or stay and explore further on your own. There were also many other optional excursions which you could book at an additional cost. Viking provide an audio box and ear phones in your cabin which are used for all the tours and we thought this was a great idea. No crowding around the tour guide to try and hear them, just simply take your audio box which comes with a lanyard and ear phones and you are all set. We found the sound to be of good quality and you can adjust the volume.

We boarded Viking Rinda in Budapest where we spent that night and the next day in port so we had a nice amount of time to get out and about and explore the city. Your are docked in the city so can walk to practically everywhere you want to get to.

Mr B and I both loved the sights of Budapest. There is a lot to see and do in the city and for me personally some of the highlights were the beautiful Saint Stephen’s Basilica and Matthias Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion which as well as having breathtaking architecture gives you wonderful views over Budapest, and lastly the absolutely stunning Hungarian Parliament.

Another highlight was when we set sail after our time in Budapest. At 7pm many guests, like us, chose to go to the sundeck to enjoy the amazing views of Budapest as we started our sailing down the Danube. With our programme director pointing out all the sights we were sailing past, the sun shining down on us and being treated to shots of local Hungarian spirit, it was very special.

It was truly stunning and was such a memorable way to start our sailing.

Docked just a short walk into the city Mr B and I knew little about this capital, but we both very much fell in love with this charming city with its cobbled streets and lovely architecture.

We joined the walking tour and our guide showed us the sights such as the medieval Town Hall complex, the Jesuit Church and St. Martin’s Cathedral.

Bratislava is a city we could picture ourselves spending a long weekend in, getting lost in the winding streets with plenty of stops at all the wonderful cafes and restaurants. It just had such a quaint charm to it.

Mr B and I were both really looking forward to exploring Vienna – for me it was my first taste of Austria. Viking offered a large selection of tours in Vienna and like many other guests we opted to do more than one tour this day to try and experience as much as we could in our short time in this big city.

We were docked a short coach ride from the city centre. In the morning we joined the walking tour and with a bit of morning traffic the journey took around 30 minutes.

We were wowed by the baroque architecture and our guide introduced us to some impressive structures from Hofburg Palace to the stunning opera house to St. Stephen’s Cathedral.

In the afternoon, after we had time to go back to the ship for a light lunch and a quick freshen up, we booked ourselves onto the optional excursion of an historic farmers market visit. Amazingly we were the only people booked on this tour from our ship so we had a private tour which was wonderful!

Our guide was lovely and we got to the market by hopping on the underground. Six stops later and we arrived at the market, but before we explored the market we went to a local restaurant which had a private tasting room.

We were welcomed with a lovely Austrian white wine ‘Gruner Veltliner’ which we later purchased a bottle of to enjoy back at home. We got to try a range of Austrian produce from cheeses to bacon to mushroom pesto and much more!

After filling our bellies we had a guided tour around the market which was packed with fresh, seasonal produce and was a food-lover’s paradise.

Our second stop in Austria saw us visiting the town of Krems. The included tour took guests to explore the beautiful Göttweig Abbey, but we opted to explore on our own that day and took the included shuttle bus into Krems which was only a short 10-minute journey. After being handed a map by hotel manager Thomas off we went to explore.

The bus dropped us off just steps away from Steiner Tor.

Walk through this picturesque 15th century gate to enter the old town where we enjoyed a leisurely morning wandering the cobbled streets and picked up some souvenirs, including a bottle of Austrian apricot liqueur.

Wachau Valley

We had just a morning in Krems as after that we were setting sail on what we were told was a scenic sailing through the Wachau Valley.

There are really not enough words to describe how breathtaking the scenery truly is.

You are surrounded by rolling hills, vineyards and apricot trees with the odd picture-perfect building. We spent the entire afternoon on deck drinking excellently made Aperol Spritz’s in the sunshine and taking in the incredible views.

For Mr B and I this was the highlight of our trip. Honestly photos do not do it justice or show the true beauty.

Our final stop in Austria was to the city of Linz. We did the included walking tour that day and our guide met us and fellow passengers outside our ship, where we started our exploration of this lovely city. Our ship was docked outside the Brucknerhaus concert hall which with the green grass in front made a lovely view from our floating home.

Our guide took us on a leisurely walk into Linz old town which had picture postcard buildings.

We also saw Market Hall which is where Mozart wrote the Linz Symphony.

Our tour finished in the old square where we decided to stay and explore the local food market before taking a stroll back, taking a few photo opportunities along the way!

Our last stop on our Danube Waltz had us docked in Passau, the junction of the three rivers – Danube, Inn, and Ils.

We opened our curtains in the morning to a wonderful view over the river of lovely multi-coloured houses.

We chose to spend our last day wandering around the narrow city streets on our own.

It was home to a lovely range of independent shops (where we of course picked up some souvenirs) with cafes and restaurants lining the cobbled streets.

Viking’s itinerary saw us visit a wonderful array of towns and cities we had never visited before. We loved the included tours where we were treated to local knowledge, but we also enjoyed our independent days exploring. Viking give you the freedom to plan as much or as little into your days as you like.

We loved the relaxed way of life Viking gave us and no matter where we were exploring or what we were up to we were always happy to see Rinda waiting for us, knowing as soon as we stepped back on board how well we would be looked after.

Want to have a look inside the ship we spent a week on whilst we enjoyed our Danube Waltz river cruise? Have a read of my blog post below . . .

A Danube River Cruise Sailing On Viking Rinda

Have a look at all the wonderful food we enjoyed on our sailing on my below post . . .

Food On Board a Viking River Cruise

Want to know what is included on the Viking Silver Spirits drinks package? Have a read of my below post . . .

Viking Silver Spirits Drinks Package

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Stunning pics – looks like such a good holiday! I really like your black dress too.

We did this trip in March/April rainy and cold But it was still a fun time We also went from Budapest to Passua

Next trip within Viking Rhine Geatway 10/29 thru 11/5

Some beautiful places & great tours. Looks like you managed to get lots done xx

Hi I visited your site. So beautiful post. Stunning all pics. Beautiful place.

I added on the Salzburg-Munich post extension and it was wonderful. There were only 15 people so it was like a private tour. This was early July.

You guys look so cute ! Thanks for sharing. My hubs and will be going on this cruise next week. I was getting a bit worried that at 65 I’d be the youngest one onboard :). Looking forward to this first boat cruise in a long long time

Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment. There was a range of ages on our sailing but all our passengers were really lovely. I hope you have a wonderful cruise!

I’ve read multiple articles you posted on the Danube cruise, Viking ship and drink package. Really enjoy your style and presentation of info. Great use of pictures to support the writing. Great job!!!

That is really kind of you to say and lovely for me to read! Thank you

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• River Cruising

My thoughts and photos of our Viking river cruise on the Danube

By thetravelsofmrsb , July 15, 2022 in River Cruising

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thetravelsofmrsb

Its been over a month now since my husband and I returned home from our Viking river cruise sailing along the Danube (which we absolutely loved!), it was our first river cruise after 5 ocean cruises.

We did quite a bit of research into Viking and cruising the Danube and were so happy we chose Viking and the Danube Waltz.

I have written a few blog posts on our cruise for anyone that would like to have a read.

This one is about the ship itself, Viking Rinda . . .

https://thetravelsofmrsb.com/2022/07/05/a-danube-river-cruise-sailing-on-viking-rinda/

And this post is about our itinerary sailing the Danube . . .

https://thetravelsofmrsb.com/2022/07/13/danube-waltz-itinerary-viking-river-cruise/

Just want add a note to say I’m not a professional writer I just write for fun. I do always double check and try my best but please excuse any grammatical errors 😊

I'm planning to write a few more about the food and drink we had on our sailing so I will be sure to share those once I have them complete.

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Share on other sites.

Excellent posts, lovely photos. They answer many questions visitors here ask, including whether all the passengers are ancient.  🙂

One typo you may want to correct is in the second sentence of the first paragraph of the itinerary post 

- saw us vising six different ports

@pontac  Just amended that typo, thank you for spotting it and letting me know and  thank you for your kind words about my posts, it means a lot  😊

@thetravelsofmrsb  I'm looking forward to your view - and photos - of food and drink on the cruise. Please post here with a link when ready.

When we started cruising with Viking 10 years ago the house white was Gruner Veltliner and the red Blaeur Zweigelt both from Wachau's Morwald winery. Now Viking have 80+ river cruisers they serve different wine. I thought the Austrian wines particularly good.

Anyway, last time we went through the Wachau Valley (On Danube Waltz in 2018) we took an excursion to Morwald winery where the very jolly owner Erhardt Morwald, pictured below, treated us right royally. He supplied 35,000 bottles annually to Viking and implored us to drink more!

Lovely blog, we were on the Rinda in November of 2021.  I believe the Restaurant Manager Alex is the same, and Super Mario is serving in the restaurant.  Bogdan is wonderful, we had also Dani in the bar and he was fantastic.  Good Ship, we so enjoyed our time on the Rinda, although we did miss all of Austria due to Covid retrictions.

On 7/15/2022 at 11:37 AM, thetravelsofmrsb said: Hi all,   Its been over a month now since my husband and I returned home from our Viking river cruise sailing along the Danube (which we absolutely loved!), it was our first river cruise after 5 ocean cruises.   We did quite a bit of research into Viking and cruising the Danube and were so happy we chose Viking and the Danube Waltz.   I have written a few blog posts on our cruise for anyone that would like to have a read.   This one is about the ship itself, Viking Rinda . . . https://thetravelsofmrsb.com/2022/07/05/a-danube-river-cruise-sailing-on-viking-rinda/   And this post is about our itinerary sailing the Danube . . . https://thetravelsofmrsb.com/2022/07/13/danube-waltz-itinerary-viking-river-cruise/   Just want add a note to say I’m not a professional writer I just write for fun. I do always double check and try my best but please excuse any grammatical errors 😊   I'm planning to write a few more about the food and drink we had on our sailing so I will be sure to share those once I have them complete.

Thanks for your great posts!  I'm looking forward to your post on the food available on your cruise!

notamermaid

On 7/15/2022 at 5:37 PM, thetravelsofmrsb said: I have written a few blog posts on our cruise for anyone that would like to have a read.

Thank you. A joy to read.

I see you have been on the MS Raymonde. That will be my next read.

What a great blog, thanks for sharing, looks like a fabulous trip!  We're doing an Avalon Danube cruise next week from Bucharest to Budapest (our first) but this section of the Danube also looks lovely!

Thanks so much for posting. I enjoyed all 3 blog posts. We are doing the 3 week European Sojourn in June 2023 and are even more excited after reading about your travels!

English Tim

Thank you very much for your comprehensive posts and your beautiful pictures. We are going on the Danube with scenic in the middle of August

Canal archive

Hi thetravelsofmrsb your blogs are the nearest I’ve got to actually thinking of considering a Viking cruise, really good blog’s although the food didn’t look so good (just my opinion of course). Thank you, just wish I could do it for Scenic!

• 1 year later...

taylortime05

On 7/27/2022 at 6:05 PM, Greysandy said: Thanks so much for posting. I enjoyed all 3 blog posts. We are doing the 3 week European Sojourn in June 2023 and are even more excited after reading about your travels!

I’m starting to research the 3 week European Sojourn cruise.  Did you take this cruise?  Would you recommend it?  Thank you.  

14 hours ago, taylortime05 said: I’m starting to research the 3 week European Sojourn cruise.  Did you take this cruise?  Would you recommend it?  Thank you.  

I would definitely recommend the 3 weeks rather than 10/11 days.

Here’s my long and opinionated review that I wrote once we returned:

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What It’s Like to Take a Viking Danube Cruise – Passau to Budapest

When my husband and I celebrated our 21st wedding anniversary, we wanted something extra special and decided to celebrate in style on a Viking River Cruise. This was by far our biggest anniversary celebration and one we were super excited about.

Half the fun (okay, an 1/8th of the fun) was researching the different options and choosing our river cruise .  After spending many hours on the Viking Cruises website, we chose the  Danube Waltz Viking River Cruise .

Ads are how we pay our bills and keep our blog free for you to enjoy. We also use affiliate links; if you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission at no cost to you.

Viking Danube Cruise – Viking Journey from Passau to Budapest

Danube Waltz River Cruise – Our Viking Journey from Passau to Budapest

The Danube Waltz Cruise was my second river cruise. I previously sailed on the Rhine Getaway Christmas Cruise with Viking Cruises .

This 8-day Danube itinerary on Viking reveals the highlights of Passau, Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest while cruising leisurely through spectacular scenery. A Viking Danube River Cruise offers views and visits to enchanting castles,  gorgeous landscapes, and fairy-tale villages. We knew this would be a trip of a lifetime.

Our eight-day river cruise with Viking began in Passau, Germany and ended in Budapest, Hungary (the itinerary also runs in the opposite direction and can be booked from Budapest to Passau).

Danube River Map

The Danube River is Europe’s second-longest river, after the Volga. The Danube River flows between 10 countries and runs southeast for about 1,700 miles. It begins in Germany (Central Europe) and ends in Ukraine (Eastern Europe) before emptying into the Black Sea via the Danube Delta in Romania and Ukraine . Below, you can see the Danube map and how it travels through Europe.

Viking Danube River Cruise Map

The Viking Cruise Danube itinerary can be booked from Passau, Germany to Budapest, Hungary or Budapest to Passau.

The Danube River cruise I took began in Passau, Germany, and included stops in; Linz, Melk, Durnstein, Krems, Vienna (all in Austria), Bratislava (Slovak Republic) and ended in Budapest (Hungary).

8 Day Viking Danube Waltz Cruise Itinerary

Day 1: Embark in Passau, Germany Day 2: Passau, Germany Day 3: Linz, Austria Day 4: Melk, Austria (we visited Melk, Austria on our cruise) Day 5: Vienna Austria Day 6: Bratislava, Slovak Republic Day 7 Budapest, Hungary Day 8: Disembark in Budapest

Viking Danube River Cruise: Airport Pick Up & Arrival

If you book airfare with Viking Cruises and go directly from the flight to the ship, you will be picked up at the airport by Viking. You will be transported by first-class bus to the docking station in Passau. Once you arrive at the ship, the check-in process is super quick. My husband and I were in our room within minutes upon arrival to the Viking Bragi longship.

Viking Danube River Cruise: The Ship

The Viking Longship Bragi has 95 staterooms, one main dining room, and a smaller dining terrace, bar/lounge open-air upper deck, and many spaces for lounging and hanging out. There are three main levels for cruisers; the main level (middle deck) where you’ll find the concierge, the main dining room, and most staterooms.

The next level up you’ll find the bar/lounge, the Aquavit terrace with an outdoor deck and more staterooms. The upper deck (sun deck) is the third level where guests can relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery. We cruised in April and the weather was gorgeous. We found ourselves spending time on the sun deck daily.

Viking Danube Cruise Ship Details:

• Sun deck with 360-degree views with putting green, chess, walking track and herb garden
• Aquavit Terrace with a revolutionary indoor/outdoor viewing area at the bow of the ship and grills for al fresco dining
• Observation Lounge and bar with floor-to-ceiling glass doors
• Restaurant with floor-to-ceiling windows for panoramic views
• Library corner and onboard boutique
• Elevator from Middle to Upper Deck

Viking Danube River Cruise : Stateroom

On our river cruise, we had a veranda stateroom. We loved the balcony, especially during daytime sailings. While in port there are times you will find that two Viking ships are docked next to each other. You may or may not have a view during the port calls depending on how the boats are docked.

Room Details:

• 95 comfortable outside staterooms (2 Explorer Suites, 7 Veranda Suites, 39 Veranda Staterooms, 22 French Balcony Staterooms, 25 Standard Staterooms)
• All suites feature two rooms with a veranda off the living room and a French balcony in the bedroom
• Hotel-style bed topped with European linens and duvets
• Bathrooms with heated floors
• Premium Freyja™ bath products
• Cord in the shower for drying/hanging clothes, etc.
• European and North American plugs throughout the cabin.
• In-Room 40″ flat-panel Sony TV with infotainment system featuring movies on demand plus CNBC, CNN, National Geographic  

Viking Danube River Cruise: Life onboard a Viking Longship

Everything about a Viking cruise is casual and relaxed. The dress is informal for a Viking cruise. Think smart casual. Depending on the day, you may find yourself coming to dinner straight from an excursion. There are no fancy evenings and no need for formal attire whatsoever.

Each day onboard the Viking Bragi, you will receive the Viking Daily. This is an onboard newspaper sharing the next day’s itinerary, ship information, history of the town you’ll be visiting, histories of upcoming locations, country profiles, and suggestions of things to do in port.

Most days will follow a schedule similar to this:

• Morning excursion
• Optional afternoon excursion
• Cocktail hour with a briefing (port talk) for the following day
• Evening entertainment (onboard musicians, as well as entertainers, brought in from the port city or an interesting presentation)

This is a general overview as there are multiple excursions to choose from daily. There are also additional onboard activities on the itinerary for those not on an afternoon excursion. On a Viking River Cruise, you can be as busy as you choose.

Viking Danube River Cruise : The Crew & Service

With 50 crew members and a maximum of 190 passengers, this offers a high level of service during a Viking River Cruise. As you can imagine, it’s quite easy to get to know the cruisers and staff on such a small ship. This was my second Viking River Cruise, and I have been impressed with the quality of service. Being able to compare two cruises, what I find noteworthy is the consistency in the high level of service. Every crew member we came in contact with had a smile and truly seems to enjoy their position. The excellent service is one of the many aspects that truly places Viking River Cruises in a class of its own.

Viking Danube River Cruise: The Food

You won’t go hungry on a Viking cruise. In addition to the three meals per day, you’ll find coffee and pastries available from 6am-11am as well as cookies, tea, and coffee in the afternoon.

I absolutely loved breakfast. You can order from the menu or enjoy the daily buffet with fresh pastries, an omelet station, cheeses, meats, yogurt, lox with fixings, juices, and much more.

Lunch is a combination of buffet and menu. Salad and additional courses are available on the buffet or you can order soup and a main course from your waiter. You can enjoy lunch in the dining room or in the open-air aquavit terrace. We loved having lunch on the terrace.

Most evenings dinner is served from the menu and there are four to five options for the main course. Each dinner includes appetizers, soup or salad, a main course, and dessert. One of our favorite meals was “Taste of Austria” on day four. We are now Wienerschnitzel devotees!

They do a wonderful job working with food sensitivities and allergies. If you are allergic to gluten, as I am, or have any other allergy make sure to inform the booking agent you work with in advance of sailing. On this sailing, there was a handful of us who were celiac or allergic to gluten, and the chef prepared special courses and desserts for us. At breakfast each day, I would be shown the lunch and dinner menu for the day and I would pre-order my meals. The chef was able to make just about everything on the menu gluten-free.

Cocktail Hour

Every evening there is a cocktail hour before dinner, with each evening being a bit different. The first night is a welcome briefing and introduction to the crew management. The second night is a toast with the captain. Most nights include live music and there might also be a port talk or other announcements. It’s a fun time to gather and socialize.

Viking Danube River Cruise: The Onboard Entertainment

Entertainment consists of fun and sometimes funny shows with the crew, local bands and singing groups will also join the ship during dinner or after dinner for special performances. Before dinner, there will often be a lecture or other learning event (ranging from the culture of locations, language lessons and learning about river cruising). You’ll find live music in the lounge daily at cocktail hour and after dinner. The crew frequently participates in the after-dinner fun in the lounge.

Viking Danube River Cruise: The Locks

One very interesting aspect of the Danube River Cruise is sailing through the locks. There are a total of 19 locks on the Danube and during this sailing, the ship navigates through many of them. There are a few days when you’ll sail through locks during the day, rather than at night. It’s is quite fascinating to watch the process of the boat entering the lock and adjusting to the correct water level for the next part of the river.

Viking Danube River Cruise: Scenic Cruise Days

There are two days on this itinerary where you can enjoy the most beautiful stretches of the Danube River; the Wachau Valley and Danube Bend.

Traveling from Passau to Budapest, the first scenic cruise day is sailing through an 18-mile stretch of the Wachau Valley that is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You’ll pass vineyards, forests, and wine-growing villages between Melk and Krems, Austria.

The second day of scenic cruising is a 40-mile stretch through the Danube Bend. Here you follow the curve of the river into Hungary and will see farmland, ancient castles, steep hills, quaint villages, and many domed churches.

Viking Danube River Cruise: The Excursions

One of the aspects of the Viking Danube Cruise we loved the most is that a daily excursion is included with your cruise. The excursions are also optional, so if you’d prefer to explore on your own, this is an available alternative. Most days, the ship will dock in one location, but there will be a few days the ship will dock in one port in the morning and another in the afternoon. When this occurs, a bus from the morning excursion will then deliver you to the new port.

Depending on the distance of the excursion you will either travel by bus or foot. Passengers are divided into groups and you’ll have a local guide who will take you by bus or foot to explore the daily excursion.

For every excursion, there is a group that moves a bit slower and it’s great for anyone with walking issues, who need breaks or for those who want to take a lot of photos. During the walking portion of the excursions, they provide an earpiece so you are never straining to hear what the tour guide is saying.

In addition to the daily “included excursions” there are usually between one and three excursions that can be booked for an additional charge. These excursions might be visiting a nearby town or focused on a local tour or a culinary experience. Most excursions are between three and seven hours, but the average excursion is four hours.

Included Excursions on Viking Danube Waltz Cruise:

Day 1 & 2: Passau Walking Tour & Organ Concert Day 3: Cesky Krumlov Walking Tour in the Czech Republic Day 4: Gottweig Abbey Day 5: Panoramic Vienna Day 6: Panoramic Bratislava or Bratislava Walking Tour Day 7 & 8: Panoramic Budapest

There are a multitude of included and optional tours such as; learning to waltz at a Viennese dance school. visiting an abbey on an exclusive visit to Göttweig, savoring Austro-Hungarian cuisine in Vienna and Budapest, and soaking up soothing steam at a Budapest thermal bath. One of our favorite optional tours was the Dohany Street Synagogue & Jewish Budapest tour.

I can’t do each port and excursion justice in this article. So, check back shortly for my article about all the excursions on the Viking Danube Waltz.

Budapest Cruise at Night

One of the most spectacular events on the Viking Waltz cruise was the night sailing in Budapest. This Budapest river cruise event took place on the last night and was simply gorgeous.

The Budapest Danube cruise portion was a slow journey under numerous bridges and included seeing the most spectacular portions of the city at night. To see the city lit up and sail through town was the perfect way to end this experience.

What’s Included on a Viking River Cruise

Below you can find a full list of what is included with the Viking Danube Waltz cruise. The two big items that stood out to me are 1) wine and beer are always complimentary during lunch and dinner (as well as during special shipboard events and tastings) and 2) daily included excursions.

• 8-days; 5 countries; 10 ports
• Visit 5 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
• All onboard meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) featuring regional specialties & American classics are always available
• Welcome Cocktail Reception & Farewell Dinner
• Open-air walking track
• 24/7 Guest Services for special requests
• 6 included shore excursions with a local guide & headset
• Complimentary Wi-Fi
• Complimentary beer, wine & soft drinks with onboard lunch & dinner
• Multiple dining venues with open seating 24/7 specialty coffees, teas & bottled water
• Aquavit Terrace (the most al fresco dining on Europe’s Rivers)
• All port taxes and fees
• Airport meet & greet transfers are included when air is purchased from Viking River Cruises  

What’s Not Included

A Viking Cruise could be 100% all-inclusive if you stick with the provided alcohol and soft drinks as well as included daily excursion. There are no hidden fees or costs once aboard. Below are the few items that aren’t included in the cruise:

• If you want to upgrade, you can opt for unlimited beverages during your cruise, with the  Viking’s Silver Spirits package. You could also buy your favorite bottles and mixers in port and keep them in your stateroom.
• As stated previously, additional excursions are not included in the cost.
• Tipping at the end of the cruise.

Who goes on Viking River Cruises?

The largest percentage of passengers were between 60-75 years old. There were several families who were traveling together with adult children in the 30-40’s. Like my husband and I, there were a handful of couples in their early 50’s. It does seem that the Viking cruise demographic is skewing a bit younger now that river cruising is becoming more and more popular.

The Weather

We expected a lot of rain during a spring cruise, but we were pleasantly surprised by a mini-heatwave on our cruise. We had a bit of rain the first few days, but it progressively got warmer as the days continued. This is not the norm and you should be prepared for rain with warm to cool days and cold evenings.

If you happen to take this cruise in winter, I’ve created a list of what to pack for a winter river cruise that will help you take the guesswork out of what you should and should not bring.

Bottom Line

We loved the Viking Danube River cruise experience. It was a huge treat to visit four countries and 10 ports without having to pack and unpack. Visiting Europe without having to check into a new hotel every day or two, as well as travel by bus, train, car or plane is such a treat. The concept of unpacking once is a huge plus.

What We loved!

• The ships are small (less than 200 passengers).
• It’s quite easy to get to know most of the guests.
• There were no hidden costs.
• The daily excursions.
• The gorgeous sunsets!

Overall, we highly recommend a Viking River Cruise. Sailing through the heart of Europe on the “Danube Waltz” was a first-time experience I’ll cherish forever. From exploring the enchanting old towns to savoring the views from my full-size veranda, every moment was a treasure.

Viking River Cruises really know how to make your European sojourn unforgettable.

And here’s a little tip – they do have specials that include free airfare and good cruise discounts, so make sure to keep an eye out for these deals on select departures of the Grand European Tour and other cruises. It’s the perfect way to embark on a romantic Danube journey and discover the beauty of different countries along the way. Happy cruising!

Helpful Links

• Viking Danube Waltz
• Viking River Cruises on Facebook
• Viking River Cruises on Twitter
• How to Choose the Right Viking River Cruise
• Viking Rhine River Christmas Cruise
• How to Pack for 2 Weeks in Europe (in one suitcase)
• Cheap Flights to Europe with Condor Airlines

6 Indispensable Items to Pack for a Viking Danube River Cruise

• Get a good guidebook for Austria  and Hungary

• Lightweight tote for your port excursions.

Thinking about a Viking River Cruise? Ask your questions in the comments below!

Although I was provided a complimentary Danube River Cruise thanks to Viking River Cruises , the experiences shared and opinions are my own.

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Alexa Meisler is the editorial director of 52 Perfect Days. Born in Paris, France she has since lived in Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Portland, Oregon. She currently resides in San Diego with her husband and son where they enjoy exploring California and Mexico.

Travel has always been a part of her life; traveling to such places as Morocco, Tangiers and Spain as a young child as well as taking many road trips to Mexico with her grandparents as a young girl. Since then, she has traveled abroad to locations such as Russia, Taiwan and throughout Europe.

Prior to working at 52 Perfect Days she was a freelance travel writer; focusing on family and women’s adventure experiences.

18 Comments

It’s so good that they include excursions. On the 3 sea cruises we’ve done they were extra and they were hugely expensive. It was also really hard to arrange your own independent travel as the ports were miles out of town. So this is excellent. Food looks good, love the herb garden. But the big question…how was the wi-fi?

I hear the best things about Viking Cruise ships! I must go on one myself, this looks amazing 🙂

Hi Claire! I’ve been on two now and I look forward to more Viking sailings. Everything you heard is true! They are top-notch!

I love that you highlighted the sunsets and Budapest. Two of my favorite parts of my travels. I’d love to try a river cruise one day. Seeing the old world cities and experiencing a bit of them on excursions would be a unique experience. The locks would definitely be a trip too.

I’m not usually a cruise person but I do love the look of river cruises in Europe, the itinerary of this one looks really appealing. And the smaller ship size, and no extra costs for excursions etc, are a big plus.

My husband and I are taking this cruise next summer. I am very interested to learn more out the excursions on the Viking Danube Waltz. I look forward to reading that post when you have it ready.

I have to be on this cruise! I love everything that you posted! I can’t believe there are only a few young adults on board!

Wow these river cruises look like a spectacular way to explore Europe! I love all the great activities on board. And those views are unreal!

It’s absolutely amazing! I’ve been looking forward to reading about your river cruise adventures, Alexa! Would love to do this cruise one day!

You just can’t beat the views from a river cruise. This itinerary looks amazing.

Omg that’s so cool that the boat has the giant chess set on the deck. This sounds so perfect to go to all these places on a cruise. Sounds like something I would enjoy.

Ugh, I am dying to go on a Viking Cruise media trip, but I think that they are only looking for a very specific demographic. Looks like so much fun!

The itinerary and overall concept sounds wonderful, but I have to say that I’m shocked at how big the state rooms are. I had no idea they were that large. Much bigger than a normal cruise ship. I’d totally be into doing a Viking Danube River cruise.

Your river cruise experience was better and most luxurious than the ones I have tried. Lucky you! Good thing you were blessed with a very good weather and a gorgeous sunset.

Very helpful article, will you be reviewing the excursions on the Danube Waltz?

It looks stunning. I’ve never been on a Viking river cruise, though I have travelled in Eygpt with Oberoi – I love that most of the staterooms come with balconies – and the food looks excellent.

What an incredible journey! Loved reading your personal experiences and the ultimate guide with helpful tips, vivid descriptions and stunning photos.

I’ve seen these cruise ships in Budapest but from the banks. I’m sure that gliding through the Danube with all those Budapest lights is a magical experience. Also, wondering what are those other alternative activities they offer on board for people who don’t go on excursions?

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The 5 best destinations you can visit on a Viking cruise ship

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Fast-growing Viking has one of the most diverse arrays of itineraries of any cruise line.

Not only does the California-based company offer ocean cruises in almost every corner of the world, it also offers river cruises on many of the world’s major rivers.

That’s notably different from most cruise lines. Typically, cruise lines operate either ocean cruises or river cruises but not both. That gives them a smaller range of itineraries.

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Viking has a particularly large footprint when it comes to European river itineraries, with a wide range of sailings on nearly every European river of any note, from the Douro in Portugal to (until recently) the Volga in Russia.

The company also operates river trips on the Nile in Egypt and the Mekong in Southeast Asia, and it just began river trips on the Mississippi River .

There are 80 river ships in Viking’s fleet — an astounding number. None of its main competitors among river lines catering to North Americans, which include Avalon Waterways, Uniworld and AmaWaterways , have anywhere near that number of vessels.

Related: First look at Viking’s stylish new Nile River ship

Among ocean cruise destinations, Viking has a major presence in Scandinavia and Northern Europe, which it considers its home turf. (The company was founded by a Norwegian family.) However, you’ll find Viking’s nine traditional ocean ships everywhere from North America to Asia and Australia.

Last year, the line began cruising to Antarctica with its first expedition ship — a type of vessel built specifically for travel to remote, hard-to-reach places. Viking now has two such vessels.

Among the line’s voyages, there’s everything from eight-day cruises in the Mediterranean to 138-day around-the-world voyages.

Overwhelmed with choices? Here are the five best Viking cruise destinations where the line can truly offer you a memorable vacation.

Scandinavia and Northern Europe

Some of Viking’s most interesting itineraries are around Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea, with many beginning or ending in Norway — the homeland of the company’s founder and chairman, Torstein Hagen.

As Hagen once told me, Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea are what the company considers “Viking country” — a region where it wants to dominate.

During summers, in particular, Viking devotes an unusually large number of its ships to itineraries around Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea and other Northern Europe destinations such as Iceland. Many, notably, use the relatively small but famously scenic Norwegian city of Bergen (population 286,000) as a gateway, something no other line is doing. That allows for unusual variations on the typical Baltic Sea or Norwegian fjords cruise.

The line’s most popular route in the region, “Viking Homelands,” is a two-week-long, one-way trip between Bergen and Stockholm that combines several days of exploring the fjord region of Norway’s west coast with more-typical Baltic cruise destinations such as St. Petersburg, Russia, and Helsinki.

Related: The ultimate guide to Viking ships and itineraries

Note that, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Viking has pulled the St. Petersburg stop, as well as stops in Finland and Estonia from the Viking Homelands itinerary; the trips instead feature extra stops in Norway and Denmark. It’s unlikely St. Petersburg will return to the itinerary until the war in Ukraine is resolved.

Viking also offers a 14-night itinerary that includes several stops in the northernmost part of the country above the Arctic Circle. Dubbed “Into the Midnight Sun,” the one-way route between Bergen and London is unique because it combines calls in far-north Honningsvag and Tromso, Norway, with visits to Scotland’s remote Shetland Islands and the Orkney Islands. Though part of the United Kingdom, these archipelagos have ties to Norwegian and Viking history.

Itineraries that will take you from Bergen to Iceland or even as far away as France, Portugal and Spain also are available.

Viking’s Scandinavia and Northern Europe trips range widely in length from just seven nights to a whopping 28 nights.

Among the longest sailings that Viking offers that include calls in Northern Europe are one-way, 28-night voyages between Bergen and New York City. The trips include stops in Norway, Iceland, Greenland and Canada.

In Northern Europe, Viking ships mostly sail out of Bergen, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Copenhagen and London as well as Reykjavik.

The Mediterranean

Viking has grown into a major player in Mediterranean sailings, with more than 30 distinct itineraries that include stops in the region.

The trips include voyages focused specifically on the Western Mediterranean or Eastern Mediterranean and some that include stops across both areas.

Typical of the latter is the line’s 14-night “Mediterranean Antiquities” routing, a one-way trip between Athens and Barcelona that stops in Greece, Turkey, Italy, Monaco, France and Spain.

More-focused Mediterranean itineraries include the line’s nine-night “Empires of the Mediterranean” voyages between Venice and Athens, which mostly concentrate on stops along the eastern side of the Adriatic Sea in Slovenia, Croatia and Montenegro.

In the Mediterranean, the line’s main hubs are Barcelona; Civitavecchia (the port for Rome) and Venice, Italy; Piraeus (the port for Athens), Greece; and Istanbul.

Related: The complete guide to Viking cabins and suites  

Europe riverways

Viking is, quite simply, the giant of river cruising in Europe — at least among lines that cater to English speakers. The company operates around 70 river ships on a broad swath of the continent’s rivers — far more than any other river line catering to North Americans.

In all, the line accounts for about half of all river cruises taken by North Americans in the region. The next biggest player in Europe river cruises for North Americans, AmaWaterways, is less than half the size.

Among the rivers in Europe where Viking has a major presence are the Rhine, Main and Danube in Central Europe; the Seine, Rhone, Dordogne, Garonne and Gironde in France; the Douro in Portugal; and the Moselle and Elbe in Germany. Until recently, Viking also offered cruises on the Dnieper River in Ukraine. The voyages have been suspended since Russia invaded the country in early 2022.

On nearly all of the rivers, the line offers multiple itineraries with lengths ranging from seven nights to as many as 22 nights.

Among 10 different itineraries on the Rhine River alone, offerings range from a seven-night “Rhine Getaway” from Amsterdam to Basel, Switzerland, to a 22-night “European Sojourn” from Amsterdam to Bucharest, Romania. The latter adds travel on the Main and Danube rivers to days on the Rhine.

Viking offers some of the most intimate and elegant cruises on the Nile, with three ships including the recently unveiled, 82-passenger Viking Osiris — one of our favorite vessels on the river.

All three of Viking’s Nile ships operate the same seven-night Nile cruise itinerary that Viking pairs with a four-night stay at a hotel in Cairo (three nights before the cruise and one night after) to create an 11-night “Pharaohs and Pyramids” tour of Egypt.

Related: The ultimate guide to Viking’s loyalty program

The cruise portion of the tour includes visits to the historic temples of Luxor, Karnak, Esna, Dendera and Abu Simbel as well as a visit to the iconic Valley of the Kings. The stay in Cairo brings a visit to the pyramids of Giza, the Egyptian Museum and other sites.

Viking Osiris is the first of four sister ships that Viking plans to launch on the Nile by 2025 as it doubles its footprint in Egypt. The vessels offer a clean-lined, Scandinavian-influenced design that mimics the look of Viking’s Europe-based vessels.

Notably, the ship features an entire deck of sprawling suites that rival anything else found on the Nile for luxury and comfort. Each comes with two full-size rooms — a large living room with a residential feel and an adjacent bedroom with a walk-in closet and bathroom. Each suite also has an outdoor balcony with seating for two — something you don’t always see on Nile ships.

Viking is a newcomer to cruises to Antarctica, but the destination is a big growth area for the line. Viking recently added two new, 378-passenger expedition cruise vessels specifically built to travel to the White Continent.

Dubbed Viking Octantis, the first of these vessels began sailings to Antarctica in February 2022. The second ship in the series, Viking Polaris, has just joined its sister in Antarctica this year. Together, the two ships are already making waves in the market for Antarctica cruises, in part because they have several new and unusual features.

Most notable is The Hangar, an enclosed marina that allows passengers to transfer to two of each ship’s exploratory vessels while still in the protected interior of the ship. A first for an expedition ship, it’s something that is significantly improving the experience for passengers heading out on Antarctica exploration.

Related: The 3 types of Viking ships, explained

In another first for polar expedition cruise vessels, every cabin on both Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris has floor-to-ceiling glass walls that slide partially open from the top to create a balcony-like feel.

Viking offers several Antarctic itineraries, with the typical trip starting with a night at a hotel in Buenos Aires, Argentina, before a flight to Ushuaia, Argentina, to board one of the two expedition ships for an 11-night cruise to Antarctica and back. A longer version of the trip features 13 nights on board one of the ships and extra days in Antarctica.

Viking also offers Antarctica sailings that combine a visit to the White Continent with stops in the Falkland Islands, Uruguay and Brazil.

Viking Octantis, notably, also operated Viking’s first sailings around the Great Lakes this year. In 2023, both Viking Octantis and Viking Polaris will spend their summers in the Great Lakes.

Planning a cruise? Start with these stories:

• The 5 most desirable cabin locations on any cruise ship
• The 8 worst cabin locations on any cruise ship
• A quick guide to the most popular cruise lines
• 21 tips and tricks that will make your cruise go smoothly
• 15 ways cruisers waste money
• 15 best cruise ships for people who never want to grow up
• What to pack for your first cruise

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