In this guide
💡 The Short Version: Go by train and boat. A train reaches Melk in 53 minutes to 1 hour 8 minutes, a DDSG Blue Danube boat sails from Melk to Krems, and the REX 4 takes you back to Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof in about an hour. The ÖBB Wachau-Ticket covers the train, the cruise and Melk Abbey from €77. The abbey is €16 and Stift Dürnstein €9.50. Sailings depend on the water level, and the Danube can run low in autumn. Or book a tour: the Wachau Valley tour with a Danube boat tripad is €119 for 8½ hours by bus and boat, and a small-group tour with wine tastingad is €199. A tour saves working round the boat timetable (GetYourGuide).
Getting there on your own
| Route | Cost | Journey |
|---|---|---|
| Vienna to Melk | €18.80 from Melk to Wien | 53 minutes by railjet to St Pölten and a Cityjet Xpress, hourly from 06:28, or 1 hour 1 minute to 1 hour 8 minutes by InterCity and R 52 |
| Vienna to Krems | €16.80 from Krems to Wien | REX 4 from Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof, every 30 minutes, 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 9 minutes |
| Melk to Krems | From €25 | DDSG Blue Danube boat |
The fares are ÖBB’s second-class fares bought online on the day (ÖBB price tables). Train times are valid until 12 December 2026. Trains back leave Melk at :40 and :01 past the hour, the last about 23:40, and Krems at :22 and :52, the last at 22:52.
The ÖBB Wachau-Ticket bundles the train from Vienna and back, a cruise between Melk and Krems in either direction, and entry to Melk Abbey without a guide, from €77 (ddsg-blue-danube.at). Bought separately the parts come to about the same: €35.60 in train fares, a boat from €25 and €16 for the abbey.
Tours from Vienna
Wachau Valley, Melk Abbey tour with Danube boat trip
From €119 · 1,642 reviews · 8½ hours
Vienna: Wachau Valley, Melk Abbey Tour with Danube Boat Tripad is a bus and boat tour of the valley. The visit to the Benedictine abbey at Melk is an upgrade, priced on top.
Wachau Valley day tour with wine tasting
From €199 · 448 reviews · 9 hours · small group
From Vienna: Wachau Valley Day Tour with Wine Tastingad visits villages and historic sites and includes wine tastings and local products.
River cruise from Krems with a three-course meal
From €74 · 368 reviews · 5 hours
Krems: Wachau Valley River Cruise with 3-Course Mealad is a return cruise from Krems to Melk and back, past castles, villages, monasteries and vineyards. It starts in Krems, so it suits a train there on your own. It is wheelchair accessible.
DDSG’s day trip by boat
From €102 · 12¾ hours · set dates
The MS Kaiserin Elisabeth leaves the Vienna marina at 06:30, reaches Dürnstein at 14:30 and sails back at 16:40, giving about two hours in the town. The price includes breakfast, a midday snack, strudel and an evening buffet (ddsg-blue-danube.at). GetYourGuide sells it as From Vienna: Dürnstein and Wachau Cruisead (376 reviews).
The boats
DDSG Blue Danube runs the Wachau cruises between six piers: Krems/Stein, Dürnstein, Weißenkirchen, Spitz, Emmersdorf and Melk. Its Grand Wachau River Cruise covers Krems to Melk and back, and shorter hops run between neighbouring piers. Bicycles are €3 and are bought on board; dogs travel free on a lead with a muzzle. Free cancellation runs until 14 days before; after that it is 20 per cent until 24 hours before.
A passenger boat on the Danube at Dürnstein. Photo: Florian-Zet, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Sailings depend on the water level. When the Danube is low, DDSG cancels cruises and runs a reduced programme, and its low-water notice at ddsg-blue-danube.at lists what runs. Check it the day before you go. If the boats are off, trains still reach Melk and Krems at each end, and a coach tour is the alternative.
What to see
An order that suits the train and the boat: the abbey in the morning at Melk, then the river, then a stop at Dürnstein.
Melk Abbey
€16 · guided tour +€4 · audio guide from €3.99 · open daily
The Benedictine abbey above the town. From 1 April to 31 October it opens 09:00 to 17:30, with the last entry at 17:00 (stiftmelk.at). The 2026 prices are €16 for an adult, €32 for a family and €8 for students to 27.
Melk Abbey above the Danube. Photo: Uoaei1, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
| Hours | |
|---|---|
| Until 1 November 2026 | 09:00 to 17:30; 09:00 to 16:30 on 1 November |
| 2 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 | 10:00 to 16:30, last entry 15:45; guided tours at 11:00, 13:30 and 15:00 |
| 24 December 2026 | 10:00 to 12:30, with a guided tour at 11:00 |
| 7 January to 19 March 2027 | Guided visits only on weekdays at 11:00, 13:30 and 15:00; weekends 10:00 to 16:30 |
Dürnstein
Abbey €9.50 · audio guide €3.50 · season to 26 October 2026
A small town whose abbey has a blue tower, directly above the DDSG pier, with a castle ruin higher up. Stift Dürnstein is open Monday to Saturday 09:00 to 17:00 and Sundays and public holidays 10:00 to 17:00, last entry 16:30, until 26 October 2026. The next season starts on 20 March 2027. An adult pays €9.50, a child aged 6 to 15 €5, and the audio guide is €3.50 in German, English, French, Italian and Spanish. A DDSG ticket gives 20 per cent off the abbey (stift-duernstein.at). After the season, the DDSG day trip’s two hours in Dürnstein go to the streets and the castle ruin.
Dürnstein Abbey’s blue tower and the castle ruin above the Danube. Photo: Jakub Hałun, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A day, hour by hour
| Time | What |
|---|---|
| 08:28 | Train from Hauptbahnhof via St Pölten, arriving in Melk at 09:21 |
| Morning | Melk Abbey, which opens at 09:00 |
| Midday | The DDSG boat from Melk towards Dürnstein and Krems, as the timetable allows |
| Afternoon | Dürnstein, then Krems |
| :22 or :52, last 22:52 | REX 4 from Krems to Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof |
Before you go
- Boat sailings depend on the water level.
- Melk Abbey changes hours on 2 November 2026.
- Stift Dürnstein closes for the season after 26 October 2026.
- Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof is a different station from Hauptbahnhof.
The Wachau is one of the day trips from Vienna. Salzburg and Hallstatt are the Alpine days. Vienna public transport covers the way to the stations, 3 days in Vienna shows where a day away fits, and what to book before you go to Vienna has the city tickets. Where to stay in Vienna compares the areas, and the best time to visit Vienna gives the weather by month.
Common questions
How do you get from Vienna to the Wachau?
By train to Melk, 53 minutes to 1 hour 8 minutes from Wien Hauptbahnhof with a change, or to Krems, 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 9 minutes on the REX 4 from Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof. The Danube boats of DDSG Blue Danube sail between Melk and Krems and stop at Dürnstein, Weißenkirchen, Spitz and Emmersdorf.
What is the ÖBB Wachau-Ticket?
A partner ticket sold by DDSG Blue Danube from €77: second-class train from Vienna and back, a DDSG cruise between Melk and Krems in either direction, and entry to Melk Abbey without a guide (a guide is €4 extra).
How much is Melk Abbey?
€16 for an adult, €32 for a family and €8 for students up to 27, with a guided tour €4 extra. From 2 November 2026 the abbey opens 10:00 to 16:30 with guided tours at 11:00, 13:30 and 15:00.
Do the Danube boats run in autumn?
They run when the water level allows. DDSG cancels sailings when the Danube is low, and its low-water notice lists which cruises run. Check it the day before.
Is a Wachau tour from Vienna worth it?
For a guide and one booking, yes: the bus and boat tour is from €119 for 8½ hours. On your own the train and boat cost from €77 with the Wachau-Ticket, but the day follows the boat timetable.
