The Wachau in 1 day
One loop from Krems to Melk and back: train and bus there, a boat down the Danube on the way home, with the clifftop abbey and two villages along the way.
- How long
- 1
- Arrival
- train to Krems (Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof)
- Ticket for the whole loop
- €57
1, from Krems: train to Krems (Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof) to Krems, about 1 h from Vienna (station or airport), then the Wachaubahn and a bus to Melk for the clifftop abbey, and a boat back downstream to Krems, calling at Dürnstein and Spitz. The whole loop runs on one ticket, €57.
The Wachau, a loop from Krems to Melk and back
Train from Vienna to Krems (Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof) — train to Krems (Franz-Josefs-Bahnhof), about 1 h, from €10 (discount fare, variable).
Change in Krems onto the Wachaubahn, which only runs as far as Emmersdorf, then a bus on to Melk — part of the combined ticket for the whole loop, €57.
Melk Abbey, a Benedictine abbey on a rock above the Danube in its 1702–1736 form: €16, at least 2 h 30, daily 9:00–17:30 (Mar–Oct). Entry needs no booked slot (no).
Lunch in Melk before the boat — the dish of the day runs €8–15, a main course at a restaurant €13.90–16.60.
Boarding the boat downstream to Krems, part of the same ticket. It sails down the river and calls at Dürnstein (free (ruin freely accessible), the castle ruin 20–30 min (climb to the ruin) including the climb) and at Spitz (free, the village seen from the bank below).
Disembarking in Krems, by the landing stage in the Stein quarter — the Kunstmeile is close from there: €18 (combo ticket), though a full visit needs half a day, so only part of it fits while waiting for the train.
Dinner at the Hofbräu am Steinertor: beef goulash €13.90 or Backhendl €16.60, apricot pancakes to finish €4.50 (per piece).
Train back to Vienna from the same station, about 1 h.
What spoils the plan
- No return boat checked in advance. The €57 ticket covers the whole loop, but the departure needs matching against the timetable in advance, before reaching the dock.
- Too long at the abbey. at least 2 h 30 is only the minimum time needed; leaving later than 10:45 means rushing for the boat.
- The whole Kunstmeile on the same day. half a day doesn't fit after Melk and the boat; it stays for a day when Melk isn't on the plan.
Before you go
Short answers to what people ask most before setting out.
Does the boat ticket also cover the train and bus to Melk?
Yes — €57 is a combined ticket: the Wachaubahn and a bus one way, the boat the other, all on the same fare.
Is a car needed for this plan?
No. The whole loop runs by train, bus and boat; a car is the least interesting way to see the valley anyway.
What if Melk is skipped?
What's left is just the boat or a bike straight out of Krems, with Dürnstein and Spitz as the goal — a shorter day, without the abbey.
Ready for The Wachau?
Where to next
The best time to visit The Wachau
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Vienna · 60 km
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How well does The Wachau suit you?
→Six questions: a score for this place and others like it.
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