Austria · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS
Good cruises & boat tours fill up weeks ahead and the best ones go first. Below: the 15 to book early, what each includes, and how they actually differ.
Vienna to Hallstatt day trip through UNESCO Salzkammergut, Schloss Ort bridge photos, and optional lake boat ride when Skywalk is closed.
“We had a very nice day! Our guide, Sophia was very helpful and polite. The driver was also very good! Hallstatt was so beautiful!”
A 75-minute Vienna Danube Canal cruise from Schwedenplatz with big-screen city info, plus optional Wiener Schnitzel lunch aboard.
“Great activity! We didn’t book the lunch but still had the option to order on board if we changed our mind. Boat was decorated inside for Christmas, staff were very pleasant and food and drink prices were really reasonable. When we booked online, we were told our mobile ticket had to be exchanged at the ticket office for a physical ticket. So we arrived early to do this but were then told we didn’t need a physical ticket and the mobile one was fine. Quite confusing. However, the tour was great, as was the guided commentary. We went in the evening. Boat left on time and did last the full…”
75-minute Vienna Danube Canal cruise from Schwedenplatz with apple strudel and a warm drink. Optional Heidi Horten ticket for art lovers.
“The cruise was lovely and relaxing after a busy few days in the city. The sights aren’t particularly beautiful, more edgy views of the city but a worthwhile trip.”
Vienna day trip to Wachau Valley and Melk Abbey, with a summer Blue Danube cruise plus UNESCO sights, guided stops in Krems and Dürnstein.
“Excellent! Just make this after April as nature wasn't ready for our visit!”
Vienna to Hallstatt in one day with guided Salzkammergut stops, Seeschloss Ort photo time, Skywalk tickets, and a lake boat option.
“I really enjoyed the day trip to Halstatt, it was a comfortable ride despite being a long day, Halstatt was amazing even though the weather was a little gloomy, Sophie our host & guide did a great job of keeping us well informed, educated and entertained :)”
A 3-hour evening Danube cruise in Vienna with sunset views from the upper deck, illuminated sights, and Viennese onboard dining by Roman Loos.
“Excellent day trip! Omer did an amazing job of keeping us comfortable throughout. Showed us important historical and beautiful places. Always on point with photography. Left us time to explore as well! Would 100% recommend”
Salzburg river cruise, fortress dinner, and a Best of Mozart concert in Hohensalzburg. 5-hour evening with views, music, and great value.
“Absolutely fantastic. I would recommend this to everyone. The cruise was fun, the dinner was delicious and the concert was spectacular.”
Sunday cruise from Vienna to Wachau on MS Kaiserin Elisabeth II, with meals aboard and a short Dürnstein stroll, from $116.
“Durnstein is beautiful, but I had a feeling that there was too little time to just walk around the city and enjoy the place. Additionally, the food was ok at the ship, but could be better. Although the service was very friendly.”
River cruise, Fortress Hohensalzburg funicular dinner, and a Best of Mozart concert in the Golden Hall, with a VIP dinner upgrade option.
“This was a really great experience. The river cruise was nice and relaxing, but the dinner with a view in the castle was really really good. Much better than we expected from a package tour. The concert was also wonderful and it was fun climbing all over the castle. We had a fabulous evening and would highly recommend this tour. One thing to note is there is a fair amount of walking and stair climbing. This would be difficult for anyone who is mobility challenged.”
A 45-minute Linz harbor cruise on the MS Linzerin with close-up river views, Danube info by loudspeaker, and Linzer cake.
Cruise Vienna to Bratislava on MS Kaiserin Elisabeth, enjoy onboard meals and sun deck views, then explore Bratislava for 4 hours.
“Avertir que le retour du bateau prend 6.30 pour revenir à Vienne.”
One day in Vienna with a hop-on hop-off open-top bus, skip-the-line Riesenrad Ferris wheel, and a Danube river cruise.
“Plan is amazing. Whole city tour with hop on and off as much as you want “untill 17:00” which wasn’t mentioned until we went to the meeting point and get the brochures of the event. The thing is they divided the city tour into 2 lanes. Blue lane and red lane. One day is not enough at all to visit all destinations by hopping off the bus every single time so you have to pick locations by elimination method which was a clueless experience via google. We had the full package with my kids which included boat tour and ferris wheel ride and we didn’t have time to go there…”
Vienna in 24 hours by hop-on hop-off bus, plus a Danube river cruise and skip-the-line ride on the Wiener Riesenrad.
“Interesting historical facts to learn on 2 wide-ranging routes across the city. Many hop-on, hop-off stops. Great view on climate-controlled buses.”
A 40-minute Salzburg Panorama Cruise on the Salzach river with live English commentary, big mountain views, and a playful boat finale.
“We booked this as the only way we could see to get onto the river. The truth is that you really don't see anything that you cans't see from the shore, so there are no real surprises. To be fair, the river level was dropping at the time of our cruise, so our time on the river had to be shortened. Obviously not the tour company's fault.”
Salzburg river cruise to Hellbrunn Palace with fast-track trick fountains, double-decker transfers, and an audio guide, all in 2.5 hours.
“Boat Trip nice, a Bit Short. Too less time at the Castle. London Bus would be nice with a small trip through the inner town.”
Every kind of day out, and the best of each.
