5 Austria Boat Tours to Build a Day Around

1.Hallstatt Day Trip with Boat Ride Option

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 6,311 reviews · 13 hours · from $108Our pick

Travel from Vienna to Hallstatt by comfortable coach, stopping at Schloss Ort and scenic Salzkammergut viewpoints. You get about three hours in Hallstatt for lunch, walking, and photos. Guides such as Olga, Dasha, Sofia, Lily, and Sabrina add history and local tips. A boat ride may replace the Skywalk during its 2025 to 2026 closure.

“The trip was excellent. The guide Olga was excellent. She gave detailed information of the places and their history. It was a wonderful trip to Hallstatt village. Thanks to the driver as well.”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.City Cruise with Optional Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★3.4 · 3,982 reviews · 1h 15m · from $38Best value

Board the MS Wien, MS Blue Danube, or MS Vindobona at Schwedenplatz for a 75-minute loop along Vienna’s Danube Canal. Large screens and English or German commentary point out the Uniqa Tower, Urania Observatory, Ringturm, Zaha Hadid House, and more. Add a freshly prepared schnitzel or two-course lunch, or order from the onboard restaurant.

“lovely little trip and meal was very nice. An enjoyable relaxed afternoon”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.City Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.3 · 2,978 reviews · 1h 15m · from $38

Cruise Vienna’s Danube Canal for 75 minutes aboard the MS Wien, MS Blue Danube, or MS Vindobona. From Schwedenplatz, you’ll pass modern landmarks, graffiti-covered canal walls, locks, and city architecture. Add apple strudel with coffee, tea, or hot chocolate, or pair the cruise with a Heidi Horten Collection ticket.

“My elderly mother really enjoyed it, was comfortable and enclosed, with lovely staff. We enjoyed a cocktail on board”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.3-Course Evening Dinner Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★3.9 · 1,655 reviews · from $85

Spend three hours aboard MS Blue Danube, MS Vindobona, or MS Wien for a sparkling elderflower aperitif, freshly prepared three-course dinner, and evening views from Vienna’s canal and Danube. Choose pork, red mullet, or a vegetarian main course. English and German service are available.

“Cruise was ok, could have done with some light background music and commentary of the sights we were passing. the main course for the dinner could have been better.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Dürnstein and Wachau Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 336 reviews · 1 day · from $116

Spend a Sunday cruising from Vienna into the Wachau Valley aboard the MS Kaiserin Elisabeth II. Enjoy breakfast, a lunchtime snack, and dinner while watching villages, fields, and wooded hills pass by. After the river ride, you get two hours to explore medieval Dürnstein on your own. German and English service is available.

“It was a very beautiful day an excellent trip from everything”

Check availability →Read our full review