Viking River Cruise-Day By Day Activities-Danube Waltz

Sailing past the Parliment building in Budapest.

In the late summer 2023, Ash and I embarked on our first ever cruise. We sailed along the Danube River from Budapest to Passau aboard the Viking Embla and enjoyed every moment and every activity. In this post, I will share with you all of the daily activities that the ship planned for the guests, along with the few additional tours that we paid for. Follow along on our adventures and enjoy the photos and videos I have put together.

Here is our list of excursions provided by Viking. As you can see, each day there is a provided/included (free) tour in each city. Ash and I decided to add a few extra excursions that appealed to us. The packet of excursions that you could choose from was about 12 pages long and we booked online about 4 months in advance.

Day 1: Arrival Day-Budapest, Hungary

On the dock overlooking the ship in Budapest.

After flying approximately 10 hours overnight, collecting the rest of the passengers from the airport, and taking the bus to the ship, we settled into our rooms to find a lovely daily itinerary (photo below). The itinerary was called the Viking Daily and we received one every evening while at dinner on our beds for the following day. It included a full day’s schedule, contact information, information on the port/country where we would be staying, and special facts about the date. We were not expecting anything on our first day but were pleasantly surprised to find that they were offering a complementary “Welcome Walk” after lunch to help us get grounded in the city. We wandered up to lunch, grabbed our special headsets that were provided by Viking, and waited in the lobby for our tour to begin.

Quietvox devices and earpieces provided by Viking. Super important to remember to charge these every night and to bring these to your tour every day. About 15 minutes before every tour, the director would make an announcement reminding everyone about the tour and would remind everyone to bring these as well. The tour guides always had a few extra, as well as a few extra earpieces.

2:00pm Welcome Walk

At 1:45pm our Program Director announced that the welcome walk tour would begin in 15 minutes and that anyone interested should grab their Quietvox device and meet in the lobby for departure. Surprisingly, only about 20 people showed up, and the guide (who was local), took us up the ramp and into the Pest (pronounced phest) part of the city.

She started by pointing out things that we could see from where we were standing, such as the Green Bridge (Liberty Bridge), and the statue up on top of the hill of the woman holding a palm leaf (they call it their Statue of Liberty). It was placed there by the Russians during their occupation. She did a wonderful job of pointing out the landmarks and sharing a balance of trivia, history, and general information and we found this to be true of most of our guides throughout our trip. She gave suggestions about local things to try like lemonade and Chimney Cake and wine. She told us about the 19th century architecture around the ship. She tried to keep it different from the tour that we would experience the next day.

We walked down the main street, and she showed us where popular shopping and dining areas were located, as well as where the local market was located (we visited on our own after the tour-photos below). We stopped by a shop that was making Chimney Cake and got to try a sample! We wrapped up the tour and took off on our own, taking photos and grabbing some souvenirs at the Great Market Hall (paprika and honey) before heading back to the ship to relax before the Welcome Briefing and Dinner.

6:15 Welcome Briefing

In the Lounge at the port in Budapest waiting for the Welcome Briefing to begin.

A majority of the ship gathered in the Viking Lounge to hear the Welcome Briefing before dinner. You could order drinks from the bar, but if you do not have the drink package, even a soda will cost you $4. Right before dinner, the chef joined us to share his favorite items on the menu that evening. We had some dinner, then walked across the Liberty bridge and back for some evening photos of the city and got in bed to try and rest up. If this is your first time on a cruise, or if you are detail oriented (like me), I highly suggest attending these briefings and Port Talks. It is also another opportunity to sit with new people and to get to know the other passengers on the ship.

Day 2: Budapest, Hungary

Just outside Matthias Church with the Danube and Parliament Building in the background.

After our first night’s sleep on the ship and fighting jet lag, we got some breakfast, and got ready for our first full day! The included tour today started off as a bus tour through the city (Pest), and then finished the tour on Castle Hil over in Buda-the hilly part of the city. At 8:30am our Program Director made an announcement over the speaker system reminding everyone that wanted to attend that the buses would be leaving for the tour in 15 minutes and to head out to the lobby and the team would direct us up the ramp to the busses.

Once we headed up to the lobby, we were each handed a cold bottle of water, instructed to scan our keycards so that they would know we left (we also had to scan when we returned), and were directed up the ramp to where the busses were parked. There were almost 180 passengers on the ship, so they separated us onto 4 different busses so that we could all experience the tour. Along with our Viking Daily paper, our tickets were left on our beds during dinner the night before, so we knew exactly what bus we would be on.

Our tickets for our daily excursions. They contain all of our information to help us get on the correct bus at the correct time. They were left on our beds each night while we ate dinner.

Each bus was labeled with a letter, and each tour guide was outside the bus with a “lollypop” wooden sign with the letter indicating what bus they were next to. It was super organized and easy for passengers to get to their assigned bus. The program director was wandering around to make sure everything was being taken care of, and once people were on the busses, the guides did a quick head count before introducing themselves and the drivers and setting off on the tour!

At the reception desk, you could pick up one of these credit-card sized information cards to keep with you in your wallet. They had them available each day (at each destination) in case of an emergency or in case you got lost and needed the ship’s information.

The buses were super nice Mercedes buses with great air conditioning, tray tables, footrests, space above your seat for bags, USB chargers at each seat, and a bathroom! This particular one even had Wi-Fi!

Map provided to us by Viking staff. It was available at the check in desk in the lobby. They had them each day for each new city.

Panoramic Budapest 8:45am-12:45pm

Pest is twice the size of Buda, so it made sense that we explored that via the bus. We got up close to the white bridge (Elizabeth Bridge-named after the beloved queen of the Hungarian monarchy), the Whale building, Heroes Square, the Hungarian State Opera House, the Ferris Wheel of Budapest, the Dohány Street Synagogue, Fisherman’s Bastion, and the Széchenyi Chain Bridge. The guide talked the whole time over the bus speaker, sharing information about the landmarks, the city, and all of Budapest’s rich culture and history. I did my best to capture some photos from my seat on the bus and the driver drove at a leisurely pace so that all of us could take it all in.

After the bus portion of the tour, our driver pulled over on Castle Hill so that we could experience the walking portion of the tour. We stopped by the restrooms first (be aware it will cost a euro or so if you want to use the public restrooms), and in the meantime our guide made sure everyone had their quietvox listening devices and headsets and that they were working. We walked from the restrooms up to Matthias Church. The tour included entrance to the church and our guide got our tickets and led us inside. She gave us history of the church and a brief tour inside before releasing us for 45 minutes of free time.

Matthias Church is a Roman Catholic church located in the Holy Trinity Square in front of the Fisherman’s Bastion at the heart of Buda’s Castle District. A super cool fact about the church is that it is the location of the “Marian Miracle” of Buda. From Wikipedia “In 1686, during the siege of Buda city by the Holy League, a wall of the church - used as a mosque by the Ottoman occupiers of the city - collapsed due to cannon fire. It turned out that an old votive Madonna statue was hidden behind the wall. As the sculpture of the Virgin Mary appeared before the praying Muslims, the morale of the Muslim garrison collapsed, and the city fell on the same day.”

Check out my photos from the Church, including a photo of the Madonna statue below.

We took full advantage of our free time and took off to explore the rest of Castle Hill. Castle Hill contains many of the city’s most important medieval monuments and museums. One of the most popular is the Buda Castle (18th century). The castle is a 200-room palace that is now the Hungarian National Gallery and the Budapest History Museum. We loved just looking around at all of the Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque architecture. The entire complex is actually a UNESCO World Heritage Site and was buzzing with activity at every turn. Once our 45 minutes were over, we hopped back on the bus and headed back to the boat for a quick lunch before our afternoon excursion.

Hot Tip: One of the only things not included in the price of your Viking Cruise are tips for your tour guides and drivers. We made sure that we gave them each a few euro at the end of our tours each day.

Hungarian Horsemen: Lazar Equestrian Park 1:45pm-5:45pm

With one of the performers and his horses.

After lunch, we prepared for our paid excursion, the Hungarian Horseman. This excursion cost $89 per person, and we paid for it with our package up front. The trip consisted of a tasting, a show, a visit to the museum, a carriage ride, and a visit to their petting zoo. To get to the site, it required an hour drive through the Hungarian countryside (which was kind of lovely to see). When we were still in the city our guide shared a little bit about key landmarks and buldings that we were passing, and once we got close to the site she started to talk about some of the agraculture that we were passing, otherwise there was silence on the bus. In our opinion, it might have been nice to have some Hungarian music or something to fill the space, others slept and probably enjoyed the quiet.

Once we got off the bus, we were greeted with Hungarian wine to try and a shot of Palinka (fruit brandy 38% alcohol) and delicious bread. You had to choose between the wine or the Palinka and you had to choose between a cheese bread or a “pork rind” kind of bread. Since the two of us were traveling together, I got wine and the cheese bread, and she got the shot and the pork bread, and we shared so we could try everything. The Palinka was super intense, and we are not drinkers, and both agreed that we could not have endured a whole shot each, and we both agreed that the pork rind bread was the best. The whole tasting experience felt very rushed, and I had to meet up with the rest of the group at the little arena area after using the restroom. While in the restroom I looked around the inside of the building that was set up for large parties like weddings or things like that.

Everyone took their seats for the show in a covered (thank God) seated area and some music began to play over some speakers. Then we started to hear a narrator (in English and in Hungarian) tell us the history of the horses and trainers as well as the evolution of the sport and then the facility. As the show went on, the horses and trainers did different tricks, and the narrator talked the entire time. The narration and music honestly felt cheesy. At one point, a trainer rode on the back of a horse and shot an arrow at a target. He shot six arrows and only hit one target. Then he threw two spears and only hit one target. It was honestly a bit underwhelming.

After the show, they invited you to come up for photos (we gave the trainer a few euro for a photo with him and his horses), and then they escorted one group to the carriages, and one to the museum/petting zoo area. The museum was air conditioned and enclosed, and showed some videos of the owners of the complex and how they helped revolutionize the sport and their complex. The museum had lots of cool memorabilia and photos, and then an entire room of trophy’s (even in the floors). There were two carriages being pulled by horses and when it was our turn, we took our spot and enjoyed about a 15-minute ride around the property before being dropped off at the petting zoo. We saw rabbits, dogs, ponies, pigs, birds, and even a donkey. After spending about 15 minutes with the animals, we got back on the bus to head back to the ship for Cast Off! Sadly, there was no gift shop, so we left with just our photos and memories.

Cast Off 6:00pm

Sailing away from Budapest and passing by the Parliament building.

We were super excited to cast off and officially begin the “journey” down the Danube River. The Viking Daily told us that we would be leaving precisely at 6:00pm so we went up to the sun deck, grabbed a cookie from the 24-hour complementary cookie station and a drink and took a seat while we waited to “set sail”. There was no fuss about it at all. No announcement, no bell or horn, nothing. We disconnected from the ramp, and that was that. We did get to see quite a bit of Budapest from the sun deck while we waited for the welcome toast to begin, and we got some amazing photos of the Parliament building!

After we enjoyed watching Budapest fade away in the distance, at 6:30pm the Captain and Hotel Manager hosted everyone in the Lounge for a Toast to officially welcome us on board (with a glass of free champagne), then at 6:45pm we sat in for the Port Talk with the Program Director to hear all about the following days activities. At 7:00pm dinner started, and at 9:00pm in the Lounge, the Program Director hosted a trivia night (that we did not stay up for).

Day 3: Bratislava, Slovakia

Outside Bratislava Castle.

We woke up still in transit on the way to Bratislava. We were told in the Port Talk the day before that we would be going through the largest Lock on our voyage around breakfast time. We got dressed and checked in with the front desk to see if they could give us an update on the time we should be passing through the Lock. We ate breakfast and then I raced up to the Sun Deck just in time to capture the below photos and videos of the excitement!

After the Lock we relaxed for a little while until the 10:00am Safety Drill. The drill only took about 10 minutes, and everyone was required to put on their life vests and meet in their designated area of the ship for a headcount. The program director offered a presentation The Life and Works of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (we did not attend) at 11:00am, and then lunch was served at 12:30pm. We arrived in Bratislava at 2:00pm and prepared for our excursion.

Panoramic Bratislava 2:30pm

At 2:15pm our program director made an announcement reminding everyone that our included excursion would begin in fifteen minutes and that we should head to the buses with our quietvoxes. We went to the lobby and were given our bottles of water, and we also picked up maps of the city as well as the daily ship information cards. We took our seats on the bus and our guide introduced herself and introduced us to our driver for the day. We began by circling the Grassalkovich Palace and then went up into the hills where the foreign ambassadors fancy homes are located. From here we got a beautiful first view of the Bratislava Castle. The guide let us know that we would be stopping at the castle before heading into the Main Square for the walking portion of the tour.

Bratislava Castle

The buses parked just outside the castle, and we got out for a tour. The dark clouds hovered over us, and we knew that it was just a matter of time before we would get caught in the rain. We passed through the gates and got onto the castle grounds as the drizzle started. Our guide started to share the facts about the castle, and we went to an awesome overlook where we could see Austria and Hungary from where we were standing!! Just then, it started to pour, and we all took shelter inside the castle. We did not actually get to tour inside the castle as it was not included in the tour and time was not allotted but we did get to see the inside courtyard while we took shelter from the rain. We waited for the rain to slow down, and we got back on the buses to head into town for the walking portion of the town.

The Walking Tour/Free Time

It was still drizzling when we arrived at the Main Square and the guide advised us that we could either take the bus back to the ship or carry on with the tour. Most people took the bus back to the ship, but a few of us who had brought umbrellas decided to carry on. Hot Tip: Viking has large umbrella stands FULL of huge golf sized red umbrellas right where you get off the ship. Check your Viking Daily and if there is a chance of rain, take your umbrella. Ash and I didn’t want to carry anything that bulky, so we packed super small travel umbrellas that would fit in our handbags and had those and some disposable ponchos with us.

The guide took us through the Main Square area and pointed out things like the Slovak National Theatre (where we ended), and Michael’s Gate (near where we started). She also took us by the smallest apartment, the Man at Work Statue, (you can end up waiting 30 minutes or more for a photo here sometimes) and more. The legend is that if you touch the statue’s head you will find joy like him for the rest of your life, and if you are a woman and you touch his Nose, you will get a new husband. One of my favorite things she pointed out to us was the relocated cannon balls in the sides of some of the buildings. She also gave us suggestions of things to try like the poppyseed and sour cherry gelato (AMAZING), and the poppyseed Bratislava roll from a traditional patisserie (the building was neat but the pastry not so much-SO many poppyseeds). We also wandered over to the Blue Church during our free time (it was beautiful). I also picked up some honey wine to try and one of their traditional drinks (a lot like Palinka).

After dinner, the ship hosted An Evening of Slovakian Melodies (a local violin player, singers, and dancers) in the Lounge. The show started at 9:00pm and lasted for an hour. They were wonderful and it was so nice to get a chance to experience some of the artistic culture before moving on to our next destination.

Day 4: Vienna, Austria

We were super excited about visiting Vienna, and the night before we started mapping out what we wanted to visit during our free time. The concierge on duty that night was amazing and talked us through how to use their subway system, printed out some information on the top restaurants and cafes, and helped us study the city map to plot the must-see sights.

Panoramic Vienna 9:15am-12:45pm

We started our tour on a bus and as we drove through the city, the guide talked about the surrounding architecture and key landmarks. She also talked about the daily life and fun things to do while visiting the city that even the locals enjoy. While passing over a bridge, we saw a ship in the river, and it had a pool inside. It is an actual pool that the locals use for recreation. We also passed a club on the side of the river where they had imported sand and had created a beach to create a beach club.

We parked in between the Natural History Museum and The Hofburg. We started our walking tour by walking all around the Hofburg and then down through streets past the National Library (Österreichische Nationalbibliothek), to their “high street” (Graben/The Golden Quarter) with all the fancy shopping like Louis Vuitton, Rolex, Bambini, Chanel and Prada via Etro, Vivienne Westwood, Brunello Cucinelli, Miu Miu, Alexander McQueen and Saint Laurent, and even a flagship Swarovski store. We ended up outside of St. Stephens Cathedral where we ended the tour.

At this point the guide gave us the option to either enjoy 45 minutes of free time before meeting her and taking the bus back to the ship or enjoying the rest of the day and finding our own way back to the ship via taxi or subway. She showed us the closest subway station and explained how to get a ticket and then hung around for anyone who had questions. We decided to enjoy the rest of our day on our own.

St. Stephen’s Cathedral

Before setting off into the streets of Vienna, we took a moment to admire what was right in front of us, St. Stephens Cathedral. St. Stephen's Cathedral is a Roman Catholic cathedral in Vienna. It was established in 1147 and has a Romanesque and Gothic style, with a multi-colored tile roof that is incredible to look at. It is the tallest church in Austria, with a south tower of 136 meters.

Free Time

After enjoying the church, we decided to head out into the city. We had sketched out a plan the night before and had several things that we wanted to make sure we saw. We are not afraid of getting our steps in, so we planned to walk it all. We popped into a cafe for a coffee (Vienna is famous for their coffee and coffee houses) and got on their Wi-Fi to solidify our plan before setting off into the city.

We walked straight from the cafe to the famous Hotel Sacher so that we could get a taste of Vienna’s history. From the hotel’s website ““Oh, that he may not discredit me tonight!” – These words of Prince Metternich of Austria marked the beginning of the story of the Original Sacher-Torte in 1832. The court of Prince Metternich had requested a dessert for a special occasion, but the chef was ill at the time, so 16-year-old apprentice Franz Sacher filled in. The cake he created could not have been more delicious. The Original Sacher-Torte is still hand-made using Franz Sacher’s original recipe to this day and is best enjoyed with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.”

The line to get into the cafe was at least 40 people deep, but Ash noticed a side door and snuck into the shop where you could buy all kinds of items including individual slices of the Torte. That is exactly what we did!! You can get a full-sized Torte for 48 euro from the website below. I think our slice was around 12 euro and we got it in a lovely bag and ate it at a table outside with a view of the Opera House (which we walked past next on our way to our next stop). It was extremely rich and had layers of chocolate and a layer of raspberry jam like stuff as well. Between the two of us we could not finish a slice.

Our main goal during our free time was to get to the Belvedere Museum so that we could see the Gustav Klimt painting The Kiss. We got there at 11:45 and the tickets were completely sold out for the day. Hot Tip: If you are planning on using your free time, plan ahead and buy tickets ahead of time for things like this. We enjoyed walking around the grounds for a little while before heading to our next destinations.

We spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around the city. We went from the Belvedere to the Naschmarkt for some lunch. We walked through the 120 market stands and after getting some cheese, nuts, and tasting some olives, we decided to sit down and eat an actual meal. The market is SUPER busy, and they have restaurants with cuisine ranging from Indian, to Italian, to traditional Viennese. We figured when in Vienna, so we went traditional and got some delicious Vienna Sausage and fries.

While walking we saw St. Charles Church, the Mozart Statue, The Secession, and more. We took the subway to the closest stop to the ship and then walked along the Danube and saw some swans and some wild rabbits right next to the ship! We joined the rest of the passengers for the Port Talk at 5:45, had dinner at 6:00pm, and then got changed for our evening paid excursion, the Mozart & Strauss Concert.

Mozart & Strauss Concert 7:30pm-10:00pm

Outside the Hofburg waiting to go into the concert.

At 7:15pm the program director announced the reminder for the Mozart & Strauss Concert. We did not need our quietvox devices for this, just our tickets so we grabbed those and went up to the lobby to catch the bus into the city. We had been told earlier that day that multiple ships attend this event and that so many people were attending that the venue had been moved to a bigger location and that the orchestra had been increased from an 8 piece to a 32-piece orchestra. We really did not know what to expect other than what we read from the description when we signed up from the excursion, but we knew that we were excited. The excursion was $129 per person, and we booked in advance about 4 months in advance of our trip online on the Viking website.

The bus took us on the same route that it had for the morning tour and stopped right in front of the incredible Hofburg Palace. The program director went inside to get our tickets for us, and we found ourselves entering the Palace and going into one of the rooms and to the FIRST ROW. The music was incredible, and the singers and dancers were captivating, and we found ourselves not wanting it to end. We were so glad that we had changed into dressier clothes for the occasion and felt so privileged to be in such an amazing venue! They sold CD’s outside if you wanted to take some of the music home, and we all went back down the grand staircases after the show, got back on the buses, and went back to the ship for a delicious late-night offering of hot Goulash at 10:30pm before bed.

Day 5: Krems, Austria

Behind Steiner Tor in Krems.

While we slept, we sailed away from Vienna and arrived in Krems. Breakfast was early because our excursion to Gottweig Abby started at 8:30am. At 8:15am our program director gave an announcement over the intercom reminding everyone to bring along their quietvox headsets and to head to the lobby to be escorted to the buses.

Shore Excursion: Gottweig Abbey with Apricot Dumpling Demonstration 8:30am-11:15am

Outside the Abbey.

Once we got on the buses, we crossed a bridge (and the Danube River) and went up into the hills and through the Wachau Valley passing through the vineyards that are actually owned by the Abbey. It was a lovely 20 minute or so drive and once we arrived, we were met by some guides who took us into a cellar for an introductory video. While we watched the video, we were invited to try sparkling apricot wine or apricot juice. The film encapsulated the day-to-day work done at the Monastery and a little about its history. In 2001, UNESCO named the Abbey a World Heritage Site. According to my Viking Daily paper, around 40 monks currently live there and serve surrounding communities. To help cover costs, they give tours of the Abbey, and they produce wines from the 26 hectares of vineyards that they own. They have been producing wine since 1083.

After the film, we were split into groups, and we started our walking tour. We walked through the outdoor courtyard and then into the Abbey itself. Our guide showed us how on the outside of some of the buildings, the windows were not windows, but were in fact painted windows to help cut costs down and to complete the buildings. We then went inside the museum portion of the Abbey and got to stand on the Imperial Staircase and admire the ceiling frescoes. We got a peak at the adjourning imperial rooms before going into the gift shop and partaking in our complementary wine tasting (exclusive for Viking customers). We got to choose three wines to try.

Out of respect I made sure that when I chose my outfit for the day that my shoulders and my knees were covered. There were plenty of restrooms all around the Abbey which was great for big crowds like the one we were traveling in. I will say that this particular day ran quickly as we had this tour, the Apricot Demo, then just a little bit of free time before we set sail again at 2:15pm so this tour did feel a little rushed to me.

Apricot Dumpling Demonstration

Gottweig Abbey was an included tour for all Viking guests, however for $19 extra, you could attend an Apricot Dumpling Demonstration and tasting after the tour. We booked this excursion about 4 months prior to our cruise, and we were SO glad that we did because it was completely sold out, and there were tons of people who wanted to participate but space was really limited.

We were escorted through the restaurant and into what looked like a private dining room for the demonstration. There were tables set up with complementary coffee, print outs of Apricot Dumpling Recipes for us to take home, and some plates, forks, and napkins to use during our tasting.

Our host began the demonstration and walked us through ingredients and the preparations of the dumplings. She walked around and showed us the consistency of the dough and even let some volunteers help out. At the end of the demonstration, everyone got a hot dumpling to taste! It was delightful and the experience only took about 20 minutes.

Shuttle Bus/Free Time 10:00am-1:00pm

The bus took us from the Abbey back to the lot beside the ships. We were then reminded that Viking was offering free shuttle busses into the city center of Krems at 10:00am, 10:45am, & 11:30am. We decided to make the most of our few hours and check out the city, so we hopped on the bus and rode the few minutes into the city to explore. The buses taking us back to the ship were at 11:00am, 11:45am, and 12:30pm and we had to make sure we were back on board at 1:45pm because we were departing to sail to Linz at 2:15pm and lunch was at 12:30pm.

The bus dropped us off right in front of Steiner Tor which is the only remaining town gate in Krems. It was super charming and a great photo op! Once through the gate we spent our time walking down Obere Landstrasse which consisted of tons of shopping and restaurants. It is also where you can find landmarks such as the Alte Post (15th century post office), The Church of St Philip and St. James, The Town Hall, The Daily Market Square, and more.

It was super-hot and people were bringing along umbrellas for shade or buying souvenir paper fans to help with the heat. Hot Tip: think about bringing a cooling cloth or battery-operated fan if the heat is a big concern for you.

After we got our fill of the shops and the sights, we caught the bus back to the ship just in time for lunch and for the ship to set sail for Linz. We were particularly excited for the afternoon because we would be awake for the sailing and the program director would be sharing some of the sights as we were passing by.

Scenic Sailing 2:15pm-4:30pm

Sailing on the Danube after leaving Krems.

We grabbed some of the complementary cookies and coffee and found some seats on the sun deck and settled in to sail through the incredible Wachau Valley. Our program director pointed out some key castles, abbeys, churches, and statues as we went past and talked about the history of the land and the people. It was breathtaking and absolutely stunning to behold.

We passed Durnstein, and saw the Durnstein Castle, Stift Durnstein (Durnstein Abbey) where Princess Diana used to stay during getaways. We passed King Richard’s Statue, Burgruine Duernstein (castle ruins), Hinterhaus Castle, Burgruine Aggstein, WeiBenkirchen, The Wachauer Nase (Nose) statue next to the riverbed, a church with rabbits that got stuck on the roof during a terrible snowstorm (the rabbits are metal), a rooster with an arrow through it at the top of a church that crowed to stop the devil from building a dam across the river, Emmersdorf, Melk Abbey (amazing), and so much more that I didn’t write down!

Austrian Teatime & Live Demonstration 3:30pm

During the sailing, the chef and pastry chef offered a cooking demonstration of a traditional Austrian favorite the Apple Strudel. The program director made an announcement in between talking about the incredible surroundings and Ash stayed on the Sun Deck so she would not miss any of the sights, and I went down to the Lounge for the demonstration. It was about 15 minutes long as they just showed each step and already had a cooked Strudel to show the finished product. They also gave everyone a tasting so that you could try it. They even let me take one upstairs to Ash. Below is the recipe as well as some photos and a snippet of video.

Presentation: Discover the World in Comfort with Viking 6:00pm

After the Scenic Sailing, the Program Director invited everyone to the Lounge to find out about different Viking cruises and the countries that can be explored through the different itineraries. They also shared how to receive exclusive onboard discounts for future bookings!! While onboard the ship, you can pay $100 and receive $200 towards your next trip with a travel voucher. You can purchase up to 10 vouchers but can only use one per person per cruise. They don’t have an expiration date and can be used anytime in the future.

They also talked about a travel discount. If you book within the next 12 months, you get a $200 discount!! The presentation only lasted about 30 minutes and they served snacks, so it was definitely worth sitting through if you are a first-time cruiser with Viking.

At 6:45pm the Program Director hosted the Port Talk, and at 7:00pm we were treated to a very special Taste of Austria dinner where the team transformed the dining room to an Austrian tavern and served all local food. After dinner the Program Director hosted “A Question of Music” game in the Lounge, but after all of the activities of the day we skipped that and got some rest instead.

Day 6: Linz, Austria

Just off the dock in Linz.

We woke up in Linz, Austria. Viking offered a free walking tour from 9:45am until 11:45am but rather than spend yet another day in Austria (which we later explored on our own); we paid $184 per person for the Cesky Krumlov on Foot excursion. The excursion went from 8:30am until 5:00pm. We booked the excursion on the Viking website about four months before our cruise.

We had breakfast and then left for the Chez Republic at 8:30am. Since we were crossing a boarder into another country, our Viking Daily along with our program director announcement reminded us to bring our passports with us for the day. We also brought our listening devices and earpieces so that we could hear our guide.

Drive across the border to the Chez Republic/Cesky Krumlov

From the ship we took a bus to Cesky Krumlov. It was about an hour and a half drive one way and for the most part we got to see small homes and lovely countryside. When we got to the boarder we did not even have to stop, we literally just drove through as there were no guards or anything. No one checking passports, no one monitoring anything. Our guide said that occasionally there was someone monitoring, but I guess it was our lucky day. Just past the boarder we passed several casinos and we stopped at a gas station to use the restroom and had the option to get some snacks or refreshments if we wanted them. There was a bathroom on the bus, but it was freakishly small, and I don’t recommend it.

Cesky Krumlov Castle

On the Cesky Krumlov Castle grounds.

We parked the bus at the base of Cesky Krumlov Castle and began our tour of the city at the Castle. The Castle is the centerpiece of the city and is composed of 40 buildings and palaces all around five courtyards. It sits on seven hectares overlooking the Vltava River. The city center and Castle became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992. You can pay extra to climb to the top of the tower (we did not) but you get to see the stone arches of Cloak Bridge, the Upper and Little Castles, the Castle Gate, and you pass the pharmacy and monastery.

The Castle was beautiful to explore, and the views were incredible, but my favorite part was at the end when we crossed over the Bear Moat with ACTUAL BEARS living in the moat!! They have been there since 1707 and the current bear keeper has been working at the Castle and with the bears for around 45 years. After the bears, we descended castle hill into the town center and got to experience lunch at a local restaurant and then explore with almost two hours of free time.

Lunch in Cesky Krumlov

Enjoying my lunch at a local restaurant in Cesky Krumlov.

We walked about ten minutes through the town and across a bridge to a lovely restaurant tucked right against the river. We sat outside and watched families go down the river in boats and enjoy the cool water on this hot summer day and enjoyed a delicious family style meal and local beer. The lunch was included in the price of the excursion. The beer was light and crisp, and the soup and dessert were my favorites! After lunch our guide dismissed us for our free time and instructed us to meet her outside the Torture Museum so that we could all get back to the bus together. She gave us some suggestions of things to see and do while we had some time to explore.

Free Time/Exploring Cesky Krumlov

Strolling along the river in Cesky Krumlov.

We went into the most incredible gingerbread shop and Ash bought some for us to taste. I got myself a unique Moldavite ring from a local shop as a souvenir. The stone is famous for being from this area and there were TONS of jewelry shops selling Moldavite and Ruby items. We stopped by the Church of St. Vitus (I could not go inside because my shoulders were not covered but Ash went in and got some photos for me), the Plague Column (which was next to the Torture Museum where we were meeting our group), and St. Jost Church. We also ate some ice cream inside a chimney cake, and it was delightful and helped cool us down in the blistering heat.

Exploring Linz, Austria

Once we got back into Austria, we decided to spend the time we had left exploring Linz. Linz is the third largest city in Austria and is about a three-hour drive to Prague. Hitler spent his childhood here and there were lots of history tours that included tidbits about this. One of every five cars has a least one part made in Linz. Only one main cathedral and square in the city survived the bombings and everything else has been rebuilt.

We were upset that we did not get to see any Gustav Klimt while we were in Vienna and our boat was literally docked a three-minute walk from the Lentos Art Museum so as soon as the bus parked, we hustled over to check out the Museum. It was full of modern art which is not our favorite and we had to put our bags in a locker while we looked around, but it was air conditioned and a nice break from the outside. It cost a euro to use the locker, but we got our euro back when we retrieved our belongings.

There was a concert happening on the other side of the river and we could hear it going on all day and night. There were people bringing picnics and chairs and setting up all along the riverbank, and there was a super cool bar that was right by our boat that had brought in sand and created a beach like bar experience.

From there we walked the city and saw the Ursuline Church (which had some really unique statues inside), The Old Cathedral, also called the Church of Ignatius, and some other landmarks while wandering around. We only had about an hour and a half to get back to the boat before the Port Talk and Disembarkation Details at 6:30pm.

Evening Entertainment: Sound of Salzburg/Concert on the River

After dinner, Viking offered entertainment in the Lounge. The Sound of Salzburg group came onboard the ship and sang classical pieces from the Sound of Music, and danced to Mozart, Stoliz, and Lehar. We watched several numbers before heading up to the Sun Deck at 9:45pm to witness the departure and the tunes from the concert on the opposite bank of the river. The buildings around us were lit up and the evening air was light and breezy. It was such a lovely evening.

Day 7: Passau, Germany

We woke up on day 7 in Germany. After breakfast we gathered up our Quietvox devices and headsets and headed up to the lobby to collect our bottled water and to get ready for the included walking tour.

Passau Walking Tour 9:00am-10:45am

Höllgasse Artists Alley in Passau.

The busses took us into the city center, and we began our journey through “The City of Three Rivers”. We devoured the gothic and baroque architecture as we passed through the city, and we started in the art district where we saw the painted cobblestones. After a huge flood in 2013, the artists who live and have shops on these streets painted the cobblestones to draw people in. Once a year, they invite everyone in the town to help re paint!

We saw the Bishops residenz, the 14th Century Rathaus or Town Hall, and finished our tour in front of St. Stephen’s Cathedral. It was a Sunday, so mass was going on and we did not feel it was appropriate to enter even though our guide said it was ok to do so in between masses. There was also construction going on inside the Cathedral and on the famous Organs. The Cathedral houses Europe’s largest organ with more than 17,000 pipes! Because it was a Sunday, a lot of the shops were closed but we did get lucky in the art district and bought some lovely prints of the city, and I got a really cool original blown glass necklace and ring set.

Fortress “Veste Oberhaus” and Museum

The shuttles returned to the ship at 12:00pm, 12:30pm, and 1:00pm. After lunch, from 2:00pm-5:00pm Viking offered a free shuttle to and from the city so people could continue to enjoy themselves if they chose to do so. From the ship they left at 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm, and 5:00pm. From the city back to the ship they left at 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 4:30pm, and 5:30pm.

We decided to enjoy lunch and then head over to the city to try to explore Oberhaus Fortress. Our guide pointed it out as we were driving into the city that morning and even showed us where to catch the local city bus up to the Fortress for 2.20 euro each way. Once we got off the Viking bus, we made our way over to the city bus stop. It was extremely busy with tourists trying to catch the bus up to the Fortress. Let me clarify bus-it was a van that could fit about 10-12 people and had no air conditioning. The shuttle is every 15 minutes and there is a schedule on their website and a sign on their property showing shuttle times back to the city.

It was about a ten-minute ride up to the top and it was free to walk the grounds of the Fortress. Below is a link to the official website so you can see all they have to offer. There is a restaurant, a museum, shop, and then the actual castle and grounds to explore. The view looking down on the city of Passau was incredible, but we probably should have paid for the entrance of the Castle $5 because otherwise there was not a lot for us to do. After about 20 minutes of wandering around we caught the shuttle back to town, then the bus back to the ship to catch the 5:00 Enrichment Lecture: The Danube River.

Enrichment Lecture: The Danube River 5:00pm

We packed into the lounge to hear a guest lecturer Dorothea Lechner share her knowledge of all things Danube. At 6:45 the captain hosted us for a thank you and farewell as this was our last evening together. They passed out free champagne for the toast and then we all headed to dinner. As we sat down to dinner we marveled as we passed by the enchanting city that we had enjoyed all day.

I hope this has given you a thorough idea of what to expect from your excursions during a Viking River Cruise should you choose to go on one. We felt like the overall organization, communication, preparations and friendliness of the staff, and flawless execution of each event made the trip feel effortless for us. It truly felt like Disneyworld for adults. From the original booking of the trip by our agent, to the ease of booking the excursions online before our trip, to the communication on board through the Viking Daily’s, Announcements over the loudspeakers, and the daily Port Talks, we never felt like we were missing any details and always felt like we knew what was going on and where we needed to be. We highly recommend these trips to anyone-you can customize to be as busy or as relaxed as you want. Bon Voyage!

Have you been on a Viking Cruise? Which one? What excursion did you like most? Post about it in the comments!