Compare Passau to Vienna Cycling by Exodus Travels vs Royal Danube, Berlin & Kraków - Eastbound 2021 by Tauck

Day 1 Arrive in Passau

Arrive at your riverfront hotel and then enjoy dinner in the heart of the old town tonight. You stay at the Hotel Residenz (breakfast included)

Day 2 Passau to Schlogen

After receiving your bike and welcome brief, pedal east to Obernzell, famous for pottery, before popping into the Keramicmuseum in a riverside castle. The scent of wood smoke and grilled trout may tempt you into lunch as you cross into Austria where the valley is steeper and cloaked with oak woods. On reaching the hotel, relax in the pool before dinner on the terrace watching passenger boats sparkling with fairy lights cruise past. Cycling distance either 23km/14.5mi or 47km/29.5mi You stay at the Hotel Donauschlinge (breakfast included)

Day 3 Schlogen to Aschach (Linz)

Spot kingfishers today in the Donauschlinge Nature Reserve. Stop and enjoy the views at the picnic tables that dot the waterfront before you reach Aschach's frescoed waterfront. Catch the Linz ferry, or follow the towpath through reed marshes to Ottensheim beach for a swim. Hop on the train here and in no time you'll arrive at your hotel, an ancient convent, in Linz's extravagant town square. Cycling disctance either 27km/17mi or 46km/29mi You stay at the Hotel Wolfinger (breakfast included)

Day 4 Linz to Ardagger/Grein

The route leads you away from the Danube to 12th Century Enns. Austria's oldest city, before returning to the Danube and an onward ride to the beautiful little village of Ardagger. Cycling disctance either 56km/35mi or 61km/38mi You stay at the Hotel Schiffmeisterhaus (breakfast included)

Day 5 Ardagger/Grein to Melk

Explore the small baroque town of Grein before cycling through the fertile Danube Valley for a lunch stop in Ybbs, home to a quirky collection of penny-farthings bicycles. The hilltop twin towers of Maria Taferl appear and Melk's monastery looms high above as you pedal towards Margaret Ebner's welcoming family hotel in Melk. You stay at the Hotel Zur Post (breakfast included) Cycling distance either 55km/34mi  

Day 6 At Melk

Melk's massive Benedictine monastery was rebuilt in 1683, and the interior abbey is as breathtaking as the countryside views from the rooftop terrace. For a day trip, cycle to Schloss Schallaburg (8km return), one of the finest Renaissance castles north of the Alps, where you can stroll in the magnificent rose gardens and enjoy acclaimed cultural exhibitions. You stay at the Hotel Zur Post (breakfast included)

Day 7 Melk to Krems

Today you coast along the UNESCO Wachau Valley, a necklace of villages and vineyards, anchored by pretty churches along the north bank. Each is charming, especially Durnstein where Richard the Lionheart was held for ransom in the craggy hilltop castle. Admire the statuette, Venus of Willendorf, dating back to 23,000BC, before arriving in Krems for a splash in the pool, and candlelit dinner on the terrace overlooking the valley. You stay at the Steigenberger Hotel & Spa (breakfast included)

Day 8 At Krems

Krems has one of the most beautiful historic centres in Europe and is packed with interest, from the Wine Museum housed in a restored Dominican monastery to the 13th century abbey that exhibits paintings of Martin Johann Schmidt. You can cycle out to Schloss Grafenegg (14km away), a gargoyle-encrusted Gothic castle set in 85 acres of parkland, perfect for picnics, or just relax in the fabulous hotel spa and pool. You stay at the Steigenberger Hotel & Spa (breakfast included)

Day 9 Krems to Tulln

Freewheel down river to Tulln, known as the 'Town of Roses'. Pop into the Roman museum, which is packed with artefacts, and dine out tonight amid the fountains, statues and ornate buildings that crowd the pretty centre before returning to your waterfront hotel. You stay at the Hotel Nibelungenhof (breakfast included)

Day 10 Tulln to Vienna

Coast along the last stretch and relax over lunch in imperial Klosterneuburg. Then cycle along Danube Island before continuing to your hotel, right in the heart of the city. Enjoy dinner out in Vienna's lively centre which is breathtakingly floodlit at night! You stay at the Hotel Austria (breakfast included) Cycling distance either 22km/13.5mi or 41km/26mi  

Day 11 Leave Vienna

The tour ends after breakfast in Vienna.

Day 1 Arrive Berlin

Tour Begins: 5:00 PM, Hotel Adlon Kempinski. A transfer is included upon arrival at Berlin Tegel Airport or Berlin Central Train Station to the Hotel Adlon Kempinski, ideally located near Brandenburg Gate, one of the city’s most famous landmarks. Settle in, then join us for a special welcome dinner where a local expert shares a personal perspective of life behind the Iron Curtain.

MEALS : D

LODGING : Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin

PORTOFCALL : Berlin, Germany

Day 2 A choice of Berlin city sights

In the years since the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, Berlin has emerged as one of the most exciting cities in the world. Explore it on your choice of excursions today – a visit to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Museum Island for guided museum tours of either the Pergamon Museum or the Neues Museum, or an in-depth tour of Berlin’s Jewish Heritage sites. Everyone meets up for lunch and a boat ride, followed by your choice of time at leisure to explore Germany’s vibrant capital as you wish.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin

PORTOFCALL : Berlin, Germany

Day 3 Berlin or historic Potsdam

Today you can choose to experience the city from one of three perspectives. Join us for a guided visit to the Baroque city of Potsdam, where the WWII-in-Europe-ending treaty was signed, attractively rebuilt after its wartime losses and a showcase of beautiful gardens and grand palaces. Your second sightseeing choice is an opportunity to explore World War II history in Berlin – and your third sightseeing choice is also in Berlin, an opportunity to learn more about the unification of the split city through a tour of contrasting sights and stories. Spend the remainder of the day as you please; if you wish, take an optional bicycle ride to see Berlin from a different, modern-day perspective.

MEALS : B

LODGING : Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin

PORTOFCALL : Berlin, Germany

Day 4 Embark your riverboat in Nürnberg

A ride aboard the fast train speeds you from Berlin to Nürnberg today, where your riverboat awaits. Enjoy a welcome reception and dinner onboard in your choice of dining venues, from the formal Compass Rose to Arthur’s intimate bistro, followed by evening entertainment in the piano lounge.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : ms Joy

PORTOFCALL : Berlin, Germany

Day 5 Discover Bavarian Bayreuth or Nürnberg

Follow your passions today on a choice of morning sightseeing excursions... three of which will delight music lovers with a visit to nearby Bayreuth – once home to German composer Richard Wagner and the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt – and begin with a walking tour that visits the city's Baroque opera house and views its magnificent Baroque palaces. Your Bayreuth choices then focus on either the life of Wagner at the Richard Wagner Museum; a brewery experience at Maisel Beer Adventure World; or a tour of Bayreuth's Steingraeben Piano Factory. A fourth choice offers a locally guided tour of the Bavarian city of Nürnberg that focuses on its role in World War II, with opportunities to visit the Courthouse, the Zeppelin Field rally grounds, and other sites associated with the war and its aftermath. Return to the riverboat for lunch and an afternoon cruise.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Joy

PORTOFCALL : Bayreuth, Germany

Day 6 In Kelheim, an abbey, a gorge or BMWs

After a morning at leisure onboard your riverboat, disembark in Kelheim, located at the confluence of the Danube River and the Danube-Main Canal, for a choice of excursions. On one, take a walk through Kelheim, followed by visits to the Danube Gorge – a scenic stretch of the Danube lined by limestone cliffs, also known as the Weltenburg Narrows – and nearby Weltenburg Abbey, Bavaria's oldest monastery and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. On another, drive into the country for a tour of a working BMW factory, schedule permitting.  You may wish to enjoy free time in Kelheim, perhaps riding along picturesque bike paths on one of your ship’s complimentary bicycles. Return to the riverboat for dinner onboard tonight.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Joy

PORTOFCALL : Kehlheim, Germany

Day 7 Exploring Straubing, your way

Wake up this morning aboard your riverboat in Straubing. An ancient settlement that dates back to 6,000 BC and is steeped with Roman roots, Straubing is the quintessential Bavarian city. Explore it as you wish, choosing from two themed afternoon tours offering a different perspective of the city – one featuring the unique St. Peter's Church and its historic graveyard, and another touring Straubing's main square and its late-Baroque Ursuline Convent Church.  Return to the riverboat for lunch and an afternoon cruise to Deggendorf, then overnight to Linz.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Joy

Day 8 Lovely Linz & the lakes of Austria

Welcome to Austria, a land of great musical traditions, alpine beauty and Imperial lifestyles. Wake up this morning in Linz, inhabited since Roman times and one of Austria’s leading cultural centers. Today you may choose to stay in town and join our local guides for a walking tour of Old Town Linz, then hop aboard the historic mountain tram to Pöstlingberg for panoramic views of the countryside and time at leisure to visit the beer gardens or the pilgrimage basilica. Alternatively, you may choose to spend a full day in the Salzkammergut Lake District – enjoying a boat ride across a lake, a scenic journey by coach to Lake Wolfgangsee, and a visit to St. Wolfgang in Salzkammergut to see the famous Gothic winged altar in its 14th-century church.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Joy

PORTOFCALL : Linz, Austria

Day 9 Krems and Wachau Valley Wines

Your riverboat arrives in the 1,000-year-old city of Krems this morning, located at the beginning of the Wachau Valley, celebrated for its exquisite Austrian wines. You may choose a walking tour through town with a local guide, or a bicycling excursion through the Krems area and the lush vineyard-lined landscapes of the Wachau Valley. This afternoon’s wine tasting excursion offers an authentic taste of the grape and reveals time-honored secrets of the Austrian winemakers. It’s on to Vienna this afternoon, where an evening arrival offers you the opportunity to see the city at night.

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Joy

PORTOFCALL : Krems, Austria

Day 10 Vienna, Past and Present

The Austrian capital of Vienna is a compact city with an abundance of important sights. Many are clustered around the Hofburg, the former Imperial Court. Farther afield you’ll find palaces like Belvedere and Schönbrunn palaces, graced by gardens and gilded treasures. The city’s historic Jewish Quarter, Judenplatz, is in the heart of the city, and Vienna’s contemporary center, including the new Hauptbahnhof and the university campus, is also nearby. You will have a choice of exploring the city’s Jewish Heritage sites, contemporary sights or Schönbrunn on different excursions with our local guides. Spend the afternoon as you like, then dress for an exclusive royal dinner at the private Palais Pallavicini with sparkling entertainment, a highlight of your cruise!

 

MEALS : B, L, D

LODGING : ms Joy

PORTOFCALL : Vienna, Austria

Day 11 Disembark in Vienna & drive to Krakow

Disembark your riverboat in Vienna after breakfast and journey on a day’s drive across the border to Kraków, Poland, for a three-night stay. Pass through the ancient kingdom of Moravia in the easternmost part of the Czech Republic en route to Kromeriz; this town is best known for its Archbishop Castle and gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  Arrive at your grand hotel in Kraków in late afternoon, ideally located near historic Wawel Castle. Enjoy the evening at leisure.

MEALS : B, L

LODGING : Sheraton Grand Krakow

PORTOFCALL : Kraków, Poland

Day 12 Krakow sights & Auschwitz

For nearly six centuries, Kraków reigned as the capital of Poland, its rulers residing at Wawel Castle until the court and parliament moved to Warsaw in 1609. Today it’s renowned for preserving its country national identity with its prestigious university, royal castle, Gothic cathedral and still thriving Old Quarter. Enjoy a walking tour of the city with a local guide, and choose to join us on a drive into the countryside for a poignant visit to the Auschwitz Memorial and Museum, site of the infamous Nazi concentration camp, or remain in Kraków to spend some time on your own. Please note: the Kraków walking tour and the Auschwitz visit could be either in the morning or afternoon, depending on ticket availability at the Auschwitz site. Your evening is free to spend as you wish; you can enjoy an included meal at your hotel either for dinner tonight or lunch tomorrow, your choice.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Sheraton Grand Krakow

PORTOFCALL : Kraków, Poland

Day 13 Zakopane in the Tatras or Kazimierz

Nestled in the foothills of the Tatra Mountains, Zakopane was first established as a resort town at the end of the 18th century, known for helping heal tuberculosis patients; not long after, skiers flocked to the town attracted by its alpine landscapes. Today it retains its role as a picturesque resort town that is enjoyed year-round. You will have an opportunity to sample its charms on an excursion that includes time to explore the area on your own. Or, you may wish to explore Kraków's Kazimierz District to learn more about its Jewish history with a visit to Schindler’s Factory, now a museum. Join us this evening for a memorable Tauck experience – a fascinating descent down a shaft into the nearby historic Wieliczka Salt Mine for an underground farewell reception and dinner. If you wish, you can choose to take a robust walking tour of the mine complex prior to tonight's special reception and dinner.

MEALS : B, D

LODGING : Sheraton Grand Krakow

PORTOFCALL : Kraków, Poland

Day 14 Journey Home

Tour ends: Kraków. Fly home anytime. A transfer is included from the Sheraton Grand Krakow to Saint John Paul II International Airport Kraków-Balice or Kraków Main Train Station. Allow a minimum of three hours for flight check-in at the airport.

MEALS : B

PORTOFCALL : Kraków, Poland