Austria Self Guided Biking / Danube Bike Trail, Passau to Vienna
Our Self Guided Danube Bike Trail Tour takes you from Passau, Germany to Vienna, Austria, and is one of Europe’s most scenic and famous cycling trails. The route is perfect for a Self Guided Bike Tour. Each day you will be singing the theme song from The Sound of Music as you enjoy the easy riding, smooth trail surface and stunning beauty of the mountains and towns you pass through.
Our Self Guided Danube Bike Trail Tour begins in Passau, Germany at the confluence of the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers and ends in Vienna, Austria. This magnificent route follows the scenic Danube River as it passes through stunning little towns with castles and churches perched on the hillsides overlooking the river. See the romantic river meanders near the town of Schlogen and the orchards, meadows and vineyards of the Wachau wine region. The Danube Bike Trail is the perfect combination of fun riding, visual beauty and cultural heritage with towns like Melk and its beautiful monastery, Grein’s 15th century castle and on to the graceful city of Vienna, the pearl of Austria.Whether you are new to Self Guided Tours or have done several in the past, the Danube Bike Trail should be on your “must do list.”
2021 Price: €1490 Euros/pp double occupancy
Price Includes:
- 8-day / 7 night bicycle tour
- Breakfasts
- Route directions and cycling maps and GPS console for bike
- Quality TREK bike rental
- Luggage Transfers
- Welcome briefing upon arrival and local cell phone support
- Length: 325 km / 204 miles
Price Does Not Include:
International flights, train transportation, lunches and dinners
Tour Difficulty
We rate this trip suitable for beginners.
- Difficulty: Easy (there are a couple long days that can be shortened by taking the train and ferry.)
- Road Conditions: Smooth & Paved
- Recommended Bike: Hybrid or Road
Tour Highlights
- See the rivers Danube, Inn and Ilz
- Terraced vineyards in the Wachau region
- Enns, one of the oldest towns in Austria
- Wonderful museums and churches including the Church of St. Martin
- UNESCO protected Danube Valley between Melk and Krems
Itinerary
Arrival to starting point of this tour Passau, Germany with its impressive cathedral housing the biggest church organ of the world. The most convenient way to get to Passau is by train from Vienna or Munich. Regular trains operate throughout the day and take about 2 1/2 hours from either Vienna or Munich to Passau. Overnight in Passau.
Day 2 – Passau – Schlogen (44 km / 27 miles)
Your cycle tour will begin by a beautiful ride along a densely-wooded, granite river valley, through the Sauwald to Schlogen where the hard, impermeable granite rock forces the Danube to flow back on itself, an incredible natural feature. Overnight in Schlogen.
Day 3 – Schlogen Linz (53 km / 33 miles)
Today the route brings you along the immense Danube river valley between Schlogen and Linz. After a stop at the Wilhering monastery, with its particularly beautiful church, you continue on to the town of Linz. Linz has a host of museums and churches including the Church of St. Martin, which is the oldest church in Austria to have survived in its original form. Overnight in Linz.
Day 4 – Linz – Grein (65 km / 41miles – You can take a train from Linz to Mauthausen and cycling to Grein and the distance will be 22 miles.)
The first stop on the route is Enns, once a Roman settlement called Lauriocum and one of the oldest towns in Austria. The tower in Enns, built in 1565-68 is a masterpiece of Renaissance design. Another stop along the way is the riverside town of Mauthausen lesser known as the site of a terrible concentration camp in WWII. The rest of the route brings you through the meadow landscapes of the Machland river plain to the beginning of the Strudengau river valley. On the way you will pass through the towns of Wallsee and Ardagger, finally arriving at the town of Grein. Grein, on the banks of the Danube, has a 15th century castle. Overnight in Grein.
Day 5 – Grein – Melk (51km / 32 miles)
Between Linz and Melk you will be cycling through the beautiful landscape of the Studen- gau, a narrow section of the Danube. Today you’ll take a peaceful, romantic ride through the countryside along the Danube, passing though tiny Austrian villages. After the village of Marbach, you will pass the Maria Taferl, a centuries old pilgrimage destination perched on a rugged hilltop. As you cycle on to Melk you will begin to encounter the historical landscape of Nibelungengau. Then it is on to Melk with its famous Benedictine Monastery and spectacular church. Overnight in Melk.
Day 6 – Melk – Tulln (76 km / 45 miles. You can take the ferry from Melk to Krems and cycle from Krems to Tulln -26 miles)
The route follows the Danube through the beautiful, UNESCO protected Wachau wine region with its many vineyards and orchards. Along the way is Durnstein, a very picturesque town with narrow streets, busy squares and charming shops. Next comes the historic town of Krems with its 17th century town hall and many beautiful churches. After Krems you cross the Danube and get a superb view of the town. Then you bike through Traismauer, past the Gottweg monastery, to the town of Tulln. Overnight in Tulln.
Day 7 – Tulln – Vienna (38 km / 24 miles)
This final, short stage brings you through the Wienerwald forest to Klosterneuburg with its Augustine Church, from 1108. The destination, Vienna is a vibrant, beautiful city with many things to do including seeing the cathedral and the amazingly designed Hundertwasser House, designed by Friedensreich Hundertwasser in 1985. Overnight in Vienna.
Day 8 – Vienna
Tour ends after breakfast, but you might choose to spend additional nights in Vienna