The famous Chain Bridge and Buda Castle in Budapest., Hungary. Photo via fotopedia:paul_mannix

Candy from Budapest's popular shopping street Vaci. Photo via Flickr:tinoubao
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Danube Bike Path - Vienna to Budapest

Austria, Hungary, Slovakia Bike Tours

Three Country Bike Tour along the scenic Danube Cycle Path

Following the flow of the Danube, along the Danube Bike Path, an indescribably beautiful and varied scenery surrounds you through three countries and three capitals. Between the Austrian and Hungarian alluvial landscape and the Danube River Bend, you will experience the regional art, culture, and nature. The highlights of this bicycle tour in Austria and Hungary are varied. Your tour starts in Vienna, the capital of Austria, city of music, culture, art and history. Your second day finds you cycling in a region that is literally a paradise, rich in flora, fauna and many species of birds in the Danube Flood Plains National Park. You will spend the night in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, where the vineyards on the slopes of the Little Carpathian Mountains crawl down to meet the banks of Danube River. Another accent is the Archaeological Park Carnuntum that brings the Romans back to life: architectural masterpieces, romantic ruins, and valuable treasures will fascinate. Cycling toward Esztergom, on a clear day, the spectacular view of the domed Basilica perched on a hilltop reflects in the water. Your final destination and delight is Budapest, Hungary's capital, regarded as one of Europe's most beautiful cities. It is bustling but peaceful, a friendly metropolis and a place where old treasures blend with the modern. Long gone is its communist shadow. Today, Budapest is embracing its role as an important 21st-century city.

The long and mighty Danube links nations and cultures and you will experience this as you bike Europe's best-known bike path through three countries and visit three capitals! Enjoy the journey!

Please note: This tour can be taken as a 14-day tour from Passau to Budapest. Please contact us for details.

Want to see more bike tours in Hungary?

Tour Dates

Season 1 (arrival on Saturdays only): April 23 to April 28 and September 24 to October 8, 2016
Season 2 (arrivals on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday): April 29 to June 30 and August 22 to September 23, 2016
Season 3 (arrivals on Friday, Saturday, or Sunday): July 1 to August 21, 2016

Where You’ll Stay

Category A: 3-4 star hotels
Category B: In Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest, 4  hotels. In all other cities, 3  hotels.

What’s Included

  • Hotel accommodations for 7 nights
  • Breakfasts
  • 7 or 21 gear unisex tour bike with handlebar bag, pannier, and odometer
  • Luggage transfer
  • Tour information packet - one per room
  • Route descriptions & maps - one per room
  • 1 x train trip Mosonmagyarovar - Györ (incl. bike)
  • 1 x ship or train transfer (before/after seasonal shipping schedule) Szentendre - Budapest (cat B)
  • 1 x ship transfer Eszergom - Visegrad (cat A)
  • Service hotline

What’s Not Included

Danube Bike Path - Vienna to Budapest Map

TourBike
TypeSelf Guided
SkillEasy
Length8 days
From€588 Rates
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Skill Level

Relatively easy hotel tour along the Danube River bike path with rolling hills that at times can be steep. The Austrian section follows well-maintained cycling paths. In Hungary, you will often cycle on country roads. Upon entering and leaving the cities, you will encounter traffic.

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Danube Bike Path - Vienna to Budapest Map

Day 1: Arrival in Vienna
Day 2: Vienna - Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg area, 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 3: Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg - Bratislava, 20 mi. (32 km)
Day 4: Bratislava - Szigetköz - Györ, 28 mi. (45 km) + train
Day 5: Györ - Komarno area, 28 - 34 mi. (45 - 55 km)
Day 6: Komarno - Danube Bend, 22 to 31 mi. (35 - 50 km)
Day 7: Danube Bend - Budapest, 36 mi. (58 km) + ship or bus
Day 8: Departure from Budapest

*All distances in this bicycle tour in Hungary, Slovakia, and Austria are approximate and vary according to details of accommodations.

DAY 1: Vienna
Individual arrival to the capital of Austria and an overnight in the city. Opportunity to explore this city of music. you could visit a typical Viennese tavern to experience local cuisine.

DAY 2: Vienna - Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg area, 28 mi. (45 km)
Not far from Vienna, begins an untouched alluvial landscape and Nature Reserve with stunning and diverse flora and fauna. The silence is interrupted only by the sounds of the birds. You will have an opportunity to visit the Archaeological Park of Carnuntum which was once a Roman Army camp. Emperor-to-be Tiberius founded the settlement; he erected a fortified winter camp in the Carnuntum area in the year 6 AD which evolved into one of the most important cities within the Roman Empire.  You will find detailed reconstructions of Roman buildings, entertaining stories, and plenty of interesting information regarding Roman traditions, customs and celebrations.

DAY 3: Region Bad Deutsch Altenburg - Bratislava, 16 mi. (26 km)
Nestled in the hills of Hainburg and the Carpathian Mountains, you start your day's journey with a short transfer by train and then by cycle to Europe's youngest capital, Bratislava, a contrast between old and new. You will find cobblestoned roads, pedestrian plazas, pastel 18th-century rococo buildings and street cafés galore. Expand your gaze and you can’t miss the institutional housing blocks and bizarre communist construction beyond. An age-old castle shares the skyline with a modern and unusual bridge. 

DAY 4: Bratislava - Szigetköz - Györ, 28 mi. (45 km) + train
The marshy landscape of the Szigetköz is a paradise for birds, fish, and more. In the midst of these wild and untouched lowlands with more than 500 tiny islands, there are quaint farming villages and a labyrinth of countless Danube canals and creeks. After a relaxing train ride, the day's final destination awaits, Györ, with its gorgeous Baroque-style old town square. Győr, Hungary's second richest town in historic buildings outside Budapest has won Europe-award for the protection of the historic buildings, in acknowledgment of the reconstruction of the Baroque centre of the town. Churches, palaces, museums, characteristic corner balconies and narrow lanes, all reminders of a historic past, invite visitors to take a walk in the centre of the town

DAY 5: Györ - Komarno/surroundings, 28 - 45 mi. (45 - 73 km)
The route leads through the outskirts of  Györ through the suburbs and continues on  through the lowlands of the hill country of Transdanubien. In Babolna, you will want to visit the world famous stud farm, known for its Arabian horse breeding. Afterwards, through lush rolling hills of the village of Komarom, you reach the final destination of the day.

DAY 6: Komarno - Danube Bend, 22 - 31 mi. (35 - 50 km) + boat ride (cat. A)
Today you will cycle along the banks of the Slovakian Danube on low traffic roads through quaint and quintessential villages.  On the way to the "Town of Bishops and Kings", Esztergom, also known as the "Hungarian Rome" or "Royal City",  you will pass the Roman fort of Kelemantia. The small town of Esztergom in Hungary played an important role in the establishment of the Hungarian state 1000 years ago. As a royal seat for two centuries and as a center for the Roman Catholic religion for 1000 years it abounds with history and culture. The Basilica of Esztergom, the largest Catholic Church in Hungary, is a highlight.

DAY 7: Danube Bend - Budapest, 36 mi. (58 km) + boat ride (cat. B)
Amidst the hilly landscape, the Danube River divides itself into parts creating the Szentendre Island. Here, you cycle through typical Hungarian villages. Szentendre is famous for its numerous handicraft boutiques and the Open - Air museum, Skanzen. This day features a boat ride into the city.  (only operates until August 31st.  After that date, transfer will be by bus)

DAY 8: Budapest
Today is at your leisure to enjoy the Hungarian capital. Departure by daily scheduled buses at 3:30 pm with arrival in Vienna at approximately 6:30 pm.  You can also request an earlier departure at 11:30 am. The transfer is not included in the tour price and a reservation is required in advance.

You can also have a transfer back by speed boat for a supplemental fee. Departure, 9 a.m., May 10 to September 29, every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday for a supplemental fee.

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Email or Call 800-951-4384 +1 570-965-2064

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Customer Feedback

  • Ron Zauski 3 months ago

    A great adventure... We found the trail well marked throughout the journey; several times, at moments of confusion, we found discreet signs or stickers from a biking organization pointing the way. Budapest was exotic. Vienna was ultra-clean and organized. Bratislava had quaint, old-European, windy roads to explore. But my favorite parts of the trip were smaller towns and villages of Gyor, Bad Deutsch, the castle at Hainburg, the Hotel Bow Garden in Komarno, Slovakia (it is an old synagogue with a bowling lane at the reception desk!), and the jewels in the basilica in Esztergom. This is my third trip with Tripsite in 6 years; I am already seeking ideas for the fourth.

     Reply

  • Michael Jenks 4 months ago

    WOW!!!!
    Everything was outstanding. All my fears were for naught...
    Hotels knew to expect us, knew where to store our bikes, and knew our names!

    Bratislava, as someone mentioned, was under construction, but should be ok by summer 2016.

    18 thumbs up! Will do this exact trip again and again if I could!

     Reply

  • Mary Sandra Duggan 10 months ago

    We enjoyed the trip very much and are planning another. We enquired about the the free shirts for repeat customers but haven't gotten them. The website is not clear about ordering them.

     Reply

  • Lee Ann Gee 11 months ago

    The bike route and description was really good except on 2 occasions. First, riding out of bratislava is confusing. There is trail construction and NO sign saying where to turn for detour. The second poor section was the last 5 ish miles riding into Budapest. Route poorly marked. We ended up just asking how to get to our hotel since we couldn't find any signs.

     Reply

  • Nilton Araujo Alves 1 year ago

    Ja conheco Budapeste e Praga.Em Budapeste(cidade linda e agradavel)fiz um tour de bike e agora gostaria de conhecer tmbem Viena,entao,gostaria de informaco sobre preco completo saindo de salvador,porem me deixando livre quanto a aida e retorno

     Reply

  • Diane Knight 4 years ago

    What a great tour! Beautiful scenery, easy riding, wonderful accommodations

     Reply

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