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Bicycling the Danube: Germany to Budapest

Cycling along the river on this guided bike tour of the Danube
  • Length 14 days
  • From USD$5500
  • Style/Level Classic 2.5
  • Countries Austria
    Germany
    Hungary
    Slovakia
  • Begin/End Regensburg, Germany / Budapest, Hungary
See related tours

New itinerary coming in 2019! We’ll begin the ride in Passau and continue through Austria and the Czech Republic ending in Prague.

Selected in 2015 by Outside Magazine as one of The 6 Best Cycling Tours in Europe and National Geographic Traveler magazine as one of “50 Tours of a Lifetime”.

Join us on a bicycle tour that follows the Danube River, from Germany to Vienna, and then on to Budapest. Enjoy long, leisurely rides along the longest river in Europe and through farm villages, picture-perfect you’ll have time to enjoy natural and man-made sights. Marvel at the “Schlögener Schlinge”, visit historic Abbeys and cathedrals in towns such as Regensburg, Passau, Linz, Melk and Esztergom, walk through the steep, terraced vineyards of the Wachau, and experience “Hungarian Tuscany”. Relish the modern culinary kitchen of four countries.

***If this sounds great but you don’t have time for the full 14 days, check out either the 8-day Bicycling the Danube from Germany to Vienna, or the 8-day Bicycling the Danube from Vienna to Budapest tours.***

Highlights

  • Bicycling along Europe’s largest river, Vienna, Dinner cruise on the Danube in Budapest, Budapest, Bike paths in Germany and Austria, Cycling in four different countries, Crossing the Iron Curtain by bike, The “Hungarian Tuscany”, Bavarian hospitality (with beer!)

Includes

  • Use of a quality 27-30 speed bicycle

  • 14 days, 13 nights

  • 8 dinners (including a dinner cruise on the Danube) with wine or beer, all breakfasts

  • wine tasting

  • guided tour Passau.

  • All Classic tour inclusions

Keep in mind

We work hard to maintain consistency across all of our tours, but some trips have unique differences. Here are some things to keep in mind about this tour.

Well-maintained bike paths in Germany, Austria and Slovakia, but Hungarian bike paths are rare and secondary roads are often bumpy. We use charming and modern hotels but A/C or fans may not always be available. Long stretches on bike paths limits van support on a few days.

Date Price Private room fee Note

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We’ll send you a link to a full day by day tour itinerary that can be downloaded and printed so you can review all the details online and offline. This packet also includes details about what to expect on tour and arrival and departure details.
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Open all days
  • Total distance 872-884 km (538-546 miles)
  • Average daily distance 79 km (49 miles)
  • Tour style Classic
  • Tour level 2.5

Highlights: Northernmost point of Danube River; Medieval center; welcome dinner together

Meet us today in Regensburg, easily reached by train from the nearby airports of Frankfurt and Munich. Our starting point was a Roman outpost under Marcus Aurelius in 179 AD and marks both the northernmost point of the Roman Empire in Germany and the northernmost extent of the Danube. Its Medieval center is wonderfully preserved. We’ll enjoy a welcome dinner together tonight.

Test ride along the Danube for as long as you’d like.

Meals : Dinner
 Lodging : Hotel Muenchner Hof

Highlights: Walhalla Temple, and the Bavarian Countryside

Our first ride today takes us through more Roman settlements and into the Bavarian countryside lifestyle. Take a challenge and climb up to Walhalla Temple. It is not far and you are rewarded with the view back up the river to Regensburg and to the south-east where our ride will take us. Stop for snack at one of the small bakeries or butchers shops. Our destination today is one of these picturesque rural towns.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
 Lodging : Hotel Buchners

Highlights: Benedictine Monasteries at Metten, Passau and the Inn River

You’ll see two Benedictine monasteries today, including one in Metten. Bibliophiles will want to stop for a tour of the library in the Abbey of St. Michael of Metten which features 160,000 volumes including one of the earliest bibles printed in Germany and a 1493 “Nuremberg Chronicle,” one of the earliest world history books printed in German and Latin. You’ll pass another Benedictine Monastery as you leave Deggendorf on your way to Passau, the gateway to Austria. In Passau the Danube nearly doubles in size, as it is joined by the Inn River. Take time this afternoon to visit Passau’s Saint Stephan’s Cathedral which houses the largest organ outside of the United States.

Meals : Breakfast
 Lodging : Hotel Weisser Hase

Highlights: Crossing the border to Austria, spectacular part of the Danube valley, boat ride on the Danube.

The Danube River and the valley it has formed shape the central transportation artery of Austria. Today and tomorrow you’ll ride through the heartland of Austria. Castles perch above the river as we ride one of the most popular routes in Europe. Take time to explore the Ars Electronica Museum in Linz, also known as the museum of the future as it tries to bridge the gap between art, science and technology.

Meals : Breakfast
 Lodging : Hotel Wolfinger

Highlights: Farmland and vineyards, Danube bike paths, Mauthausen Concentration Camp

You’ll leave the river valley to reach your destination today – the modern lodge castel Kreuzen with a beautiful view and Kneipp spa. Those who wish can take time to visit the Mauthausen Concentration Camp. The experience is powerful and sobering as you walk up and down the 186 “death stairs.” Over 130,000 people were killed here including Jews, Italians, Russian POWs, criminals, and political prisoners.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
 Lodging : Burg Kreuzen

Highlights: Vineyards of the Danube, Abbey in Melk, wine tasting

On your way to Dürnstein you’ll enter the heartland of Austrian wine country. Stop, photograph, and visit the spectacular baroque Abbey of Melk. A beautiful ride leads you through the medieval villages of the Wachau (UNESCO World Heritage site). You’ll visit the cellar and vineyards of one of the area’s best producers, and taste some of the traditional white wines they produce.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
 Lodging : Hotel Richard Löwenherz

Highlights: Vienna, former capital of the Austro-Hungarian Empire

Enjoy an easy, but long day along the Danube today. You’ll reach Vienna via a complex system of bicycle paths that lead directly to your hotel. Vienna is the largest city in Austria and one of Europe’s leading musical centers. It was first a Roman and Celtic settlement, but as the Austro-Hungarian Empire rose to prominence, magnificent Medieval and Baroque architecture became especially prevalent.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
 Lodging : Hotel 25Hours at MuseumsQuartier

Highlights: Imperial Vienna; Hofburg palace; Viennese pastries

We offer an optional ride today for those who want to stretch their legs, though we’ll start the morning with a guided walk of Vienna. Be sure to take time to explore Vienna, one of the great imperial cities of Europe. Take in a concert at a local church, or concert hall.

Meals : Breakfast
 Lodging : Hotel 25Hours at MuseumsQuartier

Highlights: Crossing the former “Iron Curtain”

An easy ride today takes you to Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. Czechoslovakia was formed from parts of the historic Austro-Hungarian empire in 1918 and came under Soviet domination in 1948. It wasn’t until 1989, with the fall of the Berlin Wall, that the country was freed from Soviet control. Bratislava became capital of Slovakia when it separated from the Czech Republic during the “velvet divorce” in 1993. You’ll bicycle through the former “Iron Curtain”, which would have been prohibited just a few decades ago.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner

Highlights: Bicycling along the Danube to Hungary

While Györ was a border town early in its history under the Romans, it was an imperial city under the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was directly in the path of barbarian invasions through the centuries, and much of the present day city was built by Italian architects after the retreat of the Ottoman Empire in the 17th century. Leaving Slovakia road conditions become noticeably worse, but you are rewarded with pristine, simple villages that will make you feel as though you have traveled back in time.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
 Lodging : Hotel Klastrom

Highlights: Babolna and the “Hungarian Tuscany”

Leaving Gyöor you’ll pass through important industrial areas before reaching the Pannonian Basin and Babolna, where Hungary’s finest riding horses are bred. The landscape changes here and you’ll soon be riding the rolling hills of Transdanubia, also known as the “Hungarian Tuscany”. Your destination is the small city of Tata which features a beautiful “old lake” and castle from the 15th century.

Meals : Breakfast
 Lodging : Kristaly Imperial Hotel

Highlights: Transdanubian hills, Esztergom

You’ll ride just south of the Danube today through the Transdanubian hills. A beautiful landscape that leads you to Esztergom which was the capital of Hungary from the 11th to the mid-13th century, was occupied by the Ottoman Turks for 150 years, and enjoyed a rebirth of baroque architecture after 1700.

Meals : Breakfast
 Lodging : Bazilika Panzio Hotel

Highlights: Bicycling along the Danube into Budapest

We ride into Budapest today and our hotel is at the foot of the Buda Castle Hill, so you’ll be close to most of the sights.

Meals : Breakfast, Dinner
 Lodging : Park Plaza Budapest

Highlights: Budapest

Our tour ends this morning in Budapest. We highly recommend that you take a few days to enjoy all that the city has to offer. Whatever you decide, have a wonderful journey.

Meals : Breakfast

Visit our Tour Level page to learn more about terrain levels and how we determine day and tour levels.

Pre-trip planning checklist

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  • This was a fabulous tour. It met all my expectations and then some. I loved the new titanium bikes and the route. Cycling from Passau to Vienna was my favorite part of the route. Being on a smooth, dedicated cycleway with a great group of people was pure pleasure. Our wonderful team of three leaders made it unique and so special!

    Linda M., Livermore, CA

  • The overall experience was fabulous. I liked the ride lengths; the food, particularly in Hungary; the sights; the terrain….) One experience that will stay with me (probably forever) is the visit to Maulthausen Concentration Camp. This was a wonderful trip.

    Kathy S., San Ramon, CA

  • This was an adventure of a lifetime (so far). It was especially moving to me to visit Hungary – the land of my father’s birth – and learn first hand about it’s history and people. The scenery the entire trip was so beautiful – with the river at our sides and the wind at our back (sometimes). Our tour leaders added so much to our enjoyment. I can’t wait for our next ExperiencePlus! trip.

    Sari R., Glastonbury, CT
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