Itinerary

Bike & Boat from Passau to Budapest with MS Lisabelle

The Danube classic: discover Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest by bike and boat

8 days / 7 nights | MS LISABELLE | Self guided or guided bike tours

Experience the most popular Danube bike cruise in classic style: travel from Passau to Budapest—and back—on the comfortable riverboat MS Lisabelle, enjoying relaxed bike tours along the Danube Cycle Path every day.
Look forward to a journey through four countries with cultural highlights such as Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest, as well as natural experiences such as the Schlögener Schlinge and the picturesque Wachau region. Your “floating hotel” is always nearby, so you can cycle with light luggage and maximum comfort.
The stages run on well-developed, mostly paved bike paths – flat and ideal for beginners, e-bikers, and leisure cyclists. Whether individual or guided, this trip combines activity, relaxation, and the joy of discovery in an ideal way.

Highlights of this Bike & Barge Tour

✔ Staying on the premium ship 

✔ Cycling and sailing along the enchanting Danube

✔  Europe' s most charming capitals on a glorious cycling holiday

✔ Discovering wines from the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Landscape WACHAU

✔ Schlögener Schlinge: Natural wonder of the Danube

Itinerary

Day 1 (Sun): Arrival and embarkation in Passau

Boarding time from 4.00-5.00 p.m. Located at the confluence of Danube, Inn and Ilz, Passau has numerous interesting sites to visit. Use your free time and stroll through the cobblestoned Old Town centre, listen to the bells of Passau’s Gothic Town Hall or have a look at the world’s largest Catholic Church organ in the Passau Cathedral. Then it’s time to cast off! Slowly, the dreamlike backdrop of Passau’s old town disappears on the horizon.

Day 2: Great Loop  | Engelhartszell – Aschach (Cycling 43-45 km / 26-28 miles)

This day is a real treat for cyclists! You will cycle from Engelhartszell (the only Trappist monastery in Austria) through the wild and romantic Danube Loop, one of the most beautiful sections of the river, with sleepy farming villages and breathtakingly beautiful nature. Along the way, cozy cider taverns entice you with all kinds of delicacies. In the idyllic boatmen’s town of Aschach (MS Vivienne) or in the farmers villgae Brandstatt (MS Swiss Crown), you will re-embark and “sail” into the night.

Day 3: Devin – Bratislava (Cycling 45 km / 27 miles)

You pedal along the former ‘Iron Curtain’, cross the green line and reach the imposing Imperial Palace of Hof with its beautifully terraced gardens. Follow the bike path through Austria’s ‘vegetable garden’ to the coronation city of Bratislava and the slopes of the little Carpathians and discover the hidden alleyways and sights of Bratislava on an optional city tour.

Day 4: Budapest | Excursion to Szentendre  (Cycling 45 km / 27 miles) or day of rest

The entrance to Budapest, Hungary’s capital is stunning. Savour the beauty of Budapest during a coach tour or a guided bike tour (optional) to discover many of the highlights of this handsome city. You can also choose to cycle to the charming town of Szentendre with its Mediterranean atmosphere and lively art scene.

Day 5: Danube bend - Esztergom  (Cycling 50 km / 30 miles) 

The wooded hills of Pilis, Visegrád and Börzsöny together with the meandering Danube create a wonderful landscape that has become a nature lover’s paradise. Situated in the middle of the Danube River the idyllic isle of Szentendre exudes silent Puszta romance. You cycle via the baroque village of Vác (influenced by the architects of Austria’s empress Maria Theresia) to the bishop town of Esztergom with its gorgeous basilica – Hungary’s largest Catholic Church.

Day 6: Vienna (day of rest)

Discover Vienna’s most beautiful attractions. During a city tour by bike or bus (optional) you will experience Vienna’s most famous examples of architecture: the imperial Hofburg, St. Stephens Cathedral, the gorgeous ‘Ring’-boulevard and the State Opera House, the Burgtheater and town hall and, of course, the colorful "Hundertwasserhaus". Take time to relax in one or more of Vienna’s famous cafés, while the evening ends impressively at a classical concert (optional) in one of Vienna‘s most famous palaces.

Day 7: Wachau | Krems – Melk/Pöchlarn (Cycling 37-45 km / 23-25 miles)

Your last biking day is a special highlight! A powerful ruin looms above the small Baroque town of Durnstein, while the blue spire of the monastery church is a landmark of the renowned Wachau. Amidst dreamy towns, apricot trees, vineyards and castles, this hilly landscape enchants everybody who visits ... you will be biking on cloud nine! In Spitz (possibility to do a wine-tasting – optional) you will find comfortable wine taverns along the bike path. Along the way you will also spot one of the most beautiful baroque ensembles in Europe: The Abbey of Melk .

Day 8: Passau

As you cruise back up the Danube, enjoy the early morning sunshine as you wind your way to Passau, where you will disembark at about 11am. Connecting travel should not be booked earlier than 12pm. You are also welcome to book an extension at the 3*+ Hotel IBB Passau Sued or 4* Passauer Wolf in Passau through us.

Important Information

In the event of extremely high or low water, the shipping company reserves the right to bridge stages by bus or even to cancel the trip at short notice without any legal claim arising therefrom (water levels are force majeure). The same applies for officially decreed repairs to locks or bridges, not announced in advance, or in the event of motor or propulsion damage to the ship without attributed fault.
On one hand, a riverboat is a “holiday hotel”, while on the other, it is also a means of transport that moves with motor power and must always be operated, even at night (partially with lock and bridge passages and the retractions and extensions of the structures caused as a result). Mistakes can happen with lock passages. This is the case for all Danube journeys and cannot be avoided.
Please bear in mind that riverboats are restricted (bridge passages, locks) in size (length, height, width) and therefore cannot be compared with cruise liners at sea. The cabins are limited in space but are nevertheless comfortable and furnished.