Hotel zur Post restaurant
What to order: the Mittagsteller (midday dish of the day) or a schnitzel; in autumn, the goose, and for dessert something with apricot.
Closed Monday · In high season, Tuesday to Sunday at midday, afternoon and evening
geocalia
Day itinerary · 48.40° N · 15.52° E
The Wachau in a day from Vienna, three hours on the Danube and a Baroque abbey.
Train to Krems, three hours by boat upriver among vineyards and castles to Melk, lunch in the centre and the Baroque abbey in the afternoon, before the train back.
Leaving from
Direct flight to Viena fromBarcelona 2 h 30Palma de Mallorca 2 h 30Alicante 3 hMadrid 3 hValencia 3 hMálaga 3 h 30Fuerteventura 5 h 15Gran Canaria 5 h 30Tenerife Sur 5 h 30
Add to my trip
Total time10 h
By car1 h 15 each way
TrainVienna – Krems and Melk – Vienna
Boat3 h upriver, from €34.50
Abbey€16; family €32
DifficultyEasy
Season20 March to 1 November 2027
The plan
The day at a glance
Any part can be swapped for another without spoiling the day.
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Leave Vienna 1 h 15 by train
ÖBB train from Vienna to Krems; check the departure station while the S-Bahn closure lasts
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1
Boat through the Wachau between Krems and Melk
MS Dürnstein daily · Dürnstein 10:45, Spitz 11:45, Melk 13:20 · from €34.50
- 15 min on foot
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2
Hotel zur Post restaurant
dish of the day · lunch kitchen until 14:00 · closed Monday
Linzer Straße 1, 3390 Melk · +43 2752 52345
Restaurant €€Book - 10 min on foot
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3
Melk Abbey, library and Baroque church
€16 · open until 17:30, last entry 17:00
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Back home 1 h 15 by train
train from Melk on the western line · in Vienna around 18:30–19:00
Approximate cost
About €55–70 per person
Adds up the activities and meals in the plan at their published prices; travel and accommodation not included.
The route
Boat through the Wachau between Krems and Melk
The Wachau is the classic day trip from Vienna, and the best way to do it without a car is one-way: train to Krems, boat up the river to Melk and train back from Melk. The morning boat takes three hours, which pass quickly: Dürnstein with its blue tower and ruined castle, the vineyard terraces of Weißenkirchen, Spitz and, at the end, Melk Abbey high above. You have lunch in the centre of Melk and see the abbey in the afternoon, with fewer groups.
The day, hour by hour
8:30 · Train to Krems. From Vienna there is a regional train to Krems in about an hour. While the closure of the central S-Bahn section lasts (until the end of October 2027), check on ÖBB which station yours leaves from. From Krems station to the Krems/Stein landing stage is about a 15-minute walk.
10:15 · Boat to Melk. DDSG's MS Dürnstein leaves daily at 10:15 and reaches Melk at 13:20, with stops at Dürnstein (10:45) and Spitz (11:45). From €34.50. On Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays there is also a boat at 11:00, which reaches Melk at 14:05. In high season and at weekends, buy your ticket online.
13:40 · Lunch in Melk. The restaurant of the Hotel zur Post, in the centre, serves a dish of the day and a midday menu until 14:00; closed on Monday. From the landing stage to the centre is about 15 minutes.
15:00 · Melk Abbey. The library, the Marble Hall and the Baroque church above the Danube. €16 for adults, €32 for a family. From April to October it is open until 17:30, with last entry at 17:00.
17:15 · Return. Train from Melk station, a few minutes from the centre, towards Vienna on the western line.
If you go with children or it rains
The boat works very well with children: they move around the deck and there is a restaurant on board. If it rains, the boat is still a good plan from inside, and the abbey is under cover. With older children and good weather, swap the boat for a bike ride downriver, from Melk to Krems, doing it the other way round.
Time3 h 5
Change the route
If you feel like it: hire a bike in Melk and ride down to Krems on the Danube cycle path instead of taking the boat:
Danube cycle path from Melk to Krems
By car, for lunch in Unterloiben near Dürnstein, Wednesday to Sunday:
Loibnerhof
On a Friday from April to October, guided visit with tasting in Dürnstein:
Domäne Wachau in Dürnstein: winery, tasting and the July Heuriger
Where to eat
Where to eat?
Lunch is half the plan: book before you set off.
Loibnerhof
What to order: the Krebsnudeln (pasta with Danube crayfish), the pan-fried veal schnitzel and, for dessert, the Marillenbuchteln or the Topfenknödel with apricot.
Wednesday to Sunday · Closed Monday and Tuesday · Continuous kitchen at midday
Landhaus Bacher
What to order: the long menu if it is the special meal of your trip; at midday from Thursday to Saturday there is a shorter midday table. Ask for the pairing with Wachau wines.
Thursday to Sunday at midday and Wednesday to Saturday in the evening · Closed from 1 January to 4 March 2027
Map
The stops, in order
With where to park at each one.
What to do
Eat
88 €Stay
Services
Getting there
By car or without one?
When to go
When to go to Wachau
Late March to early November, when the DDSG boats sail; in 2027, from 20 March to 1 November (on 19 June there are no regular cruises). July, with the apricots, and September and October, with the grape harvest, are the prettiest months.
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Best timeGood timeLow season
Tips
Worth knowing first
- 1Buy the boat ticket online at weekends
DDSG recommends it in high season.
- 2Don't do it on a Monday if you want to eat at the Post
The restaurant rests that day.
- 3Sit outside on the way out
The scenery is on both sides: change sides at Dürnstein.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How much does the day cost?
Between €90 and €130 per person with trains, boat, abbey and lunch.
Can it be done in winter?
Not with the boat: DDSG sails from 20 March to 1 November 2027. In winter, go by train to Melk for the abbey and drive around Dürnstein.
Which direction is better for the boat?
Krems – Melk has a fixed morning timetable and leaves the abbey for the afternoon. Downriver, from Melk to Krems, is faster.
Do I need to book the abbey?
Not for individual travellers; the guided tour in Spanish leaves in summer at 14:50.
More plans like this
Other days of walking and good food
geocalia.com/en/austria/lower-austria/wachau/itineraries/melk-abbey-and-danube-cruise
Prices, opening hours and times are approximate: check them before you go. Each place has its own page on Geocalia.