48.40° N · 15.57° E · Wachau
The DDSG Blue Danube boats go up the Danube from Krems to Melk in about three hours, with stops at Dürnstein, Weißenkirchen and Spitz, and come down in less. From the water you understand the whole Wachau: terraced vineyards, ruined castles and Melk Abbey at the end. The ticket costs from €34.50.
Who offers it
Independent companies: you book with them, on their terms. Prices are as they publish them and may change.
Step by step
The landing stage is at Welterbeplatz 1. Buy your ticket at the ticket office (from 8:30 to 16:30) or online.
The abbey's blue tower and the ruin of Richard the Lionheart's castle.
Villages of vineyards and apricots. You can get off and take a later boat.
The boat docks at Melk/Hafenspitz, with the abbey high above.
The Wachau is the stretch of the Danube between Krems and Melk: about 35 km of river among terraced vineyards, apricot orchards, winegrowers' villages and ruined castles, with Melk Abbey at the end. From the water you understand all of it. The DDSG Blue Danube boats run the scheduled cruise between Krems and Melk from March to November. Upriver, towards Melk, the journey takes about three hours; downriver, with the current, it is faster.
The most practical way is to do it in one direction and return by bike on the Donauradweg or by train.
From Krems to Melk:
| Stop | MS Dürnstein (daily) | MS Austria (Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) |
|---|---|---|
| Krems/Stein | 10:15 | 11:00 |
| Dürnstein | 10:45 | 11:30 |
| Weißenkirchen | — | 11:50 |
| Spitz | 11:45 | 12:30 |
| Melk/Hafenspitz | 13:20 | 14:05 |
For the Melk–Krems direction, check the company's timetable. When the Danube is low, DDSG changes timetables: check the notices on its website before going.
The cruise costs from €34.50 per person; the exact price depends on the day, the time and the extras you choose when buying. A bicycle pays €3 (€1.50 for a child's) and is only handled at the landing stage, not online. Dogs travel free, on a lead and muzzled.
You can buy online, at the ticket offices, by post or by telephone (+43 1 588 80-500). The company recommends booking at weekends, on public holidays and in high season. Cancellation is free up to 14 days before.
Each boat has a restaurant. You may not bring your own food or drink on board. There are paid extras: captain's menu, schnitzel, wine tasting or Wachau breakfast.
It is a comfortable plan with children of any age: they can move around the deck and get off at a village halfway. With a bike, the boat has racks: boat to Melk in the morning and cycle back downriver to Krems.
Who it's for
What to bring
Map
What you have around the starting point.
More to do
Itineraries
Tips
Boat to Melk in the morning and cycle back downriver to Krems.
In high season, on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays, the company advises buying in advance.
Before 24 April and from 4 October there are fewer departures.
Questions
About three hours upriver: the MS Dürnstein leaves Krems at 10:15 and reaches Melk at 13:20.
From €34.50 per person; a bike pays €3.
In 2027, from 20 March to 1 November, with high season from 24 April to 3 October.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/austria/lower-austria/wachau/things-to-do/krems-melk-boat
