Danube River Cruise 2027
July 22–29, 2027Budapestto Passau
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Danube River Cruise 2027
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Friday, November 13, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Early access: Wednesday, November 11, 2026, at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time
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A river cruise is the easiest way I know to see a lot of Catholic Europe without living out of a suitcase. You unpack once, and every morning you wake up somewhere new. Every day brings something special: beautiful churches, daily Mass, extraordinary places to explore, and the chance to experience this part of Europe together in a way that goes far beyond an ordinary river cruise.
We’ll start in Budapest, spend an afternoon on deck as we cruise the Danube Bend, walk through Bratislava and Vienna, climb up to Melk Abbey, head into the hills above Salzburg to the shrine of Maria Plain, and pray before the Black Madonna of Altötting before we finish in Passau.
This is a pilgrimage with The Catholic Traveler, so you know there will be some surprises along the way.
This Is Not an Ordinary River Cruise
This is a pilgrimage first, and the river is how we get there.
- A privately chartered shipThe entire AMADEUS Cara is reserved for our group, so every day is built around our pilgrimage.
- Daily MassMass is the spiritual heart of every day, just as it is on every Catholic Traveler pilgrimage.
- Churches, abbeys & shrinesGreat cathedrals, the Baroque splendor of Melk Abbey, and the Marian shrines of Maria Plain and Altötting.
- Unforgettable placesBudapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Melk, Maria Plain, and Altötting, with the Danube carrying us between them.
- Traveling togetherWe share the journey with our priests and fellow pilgrims, from Mass each day to dinner on board.
- The personal touchThe personal touches I plan for every group, and the surprises that come with traveling with The Catholic Traveler.
We’re taking over Schönbrunn Palace for the evening.
After the palace closes to the public, we’ll have a private guided tour of one of Europe’s most magnificent imperial residences.
Then, in the spectacular Great Gallery, a concert just for our group: an 18-piece chamber orchestra with a conductor, a soprano and a baritone, and a Prosecco reception at intermission.
One of those evenings we’ll remember for the rest of our lives.
A little clarification: We’re not actually taking over Schönbrunn Palace. Apparently, they want it back. But we do have private after-hours access, a guided tour, and our very own concert in the Great Gallery. And yes, we have to return to the ship afterward.
- WhenSunday evening, July 25, after dinner on board
- The tourPrivate after-hours guided tour of the state rooms and historic apartments
- The concert18-piece chamber orchestra and conductor, in the Great Gallery
- The voicesA soprano and a baritone
- IntermissionProsecco reception
Photos via Wikimedia Commons: Schönbrunn Palace by Thomas Wolf, www.foto-tw.de (CC BY-SA 3.0 DE); the Great Gallery by Dennis G. Jarvis (CC BY-SA 2.0).
The whole ship is ours.
We’ve chartered the entire AMADEUS Cara. This isn’t a block of rooms on somebody else’s cruise — every cabin belongs to our group, and the whole week is built around our pilgrimage: our Masses, our excursions, our schedule.
Is this cruise for you?
You need to be flexible.
This pilgrimage is not for grumpy people or those unable to be joyfully flexible. We’ll be on a boat, which means we’re at the mercy of the river too. Water levels, locks and weather can all shift the schedule.
If you are easy-going and excited to travel, even with some uncertainties mixed in, this could be the trip for you!
You should be in good physical shape.
The ship does the traveling, but we still do a lot of walking once we’re ashore, much of it outside and much of it on cobblestones and uneven ground. We can cover up to 5 miles on some days. Please do consider this before signing up.
The Journey
Seven nights aboard, from Budapest up the Danube to Passau, on the German border. Here’s the day-by-day.
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22JulyThursday · Day 1
Budapest
Arrive in Budapest and make your way to the ship, where embarkation begins at 4 p.m. Settle into your cabin, then join us for a welcome cocktail and our first dinner together on board.
After dinner, we head out on an evening cruise along the Danube to see Budapest’s magnificent landmarks illuminated at night. Relax on deck and take in the city from the river — a beautiful way to begin.
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23JulyFriday · Day 2
Budapest & the Danube Bend
A morning on Buda’s Castle Hill. We plan to celebrate Mass at Matthias Church, then tour the church and the Fisherman’s Bastion with a local guide — the best view in the city, across the Danube to Pest — before crossing the river and passing Saint Stephen’s Basilica on the way back to the ship.
After lunch on board, we set sail at about 1:30 p.m. We’re staying on the ship for this stretch, so you can spend the afternoon on deck as we cruise through the Danube Bend, one of the most beautiful sections of the river, arriving around 6:30 p.m. at Esztergom, the seat of Hungary’s archbishops, beneath its enormous basilica.
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24JulySaturday · Day 3
Bratislava & Červený Kameň Castle
Good morning, Slovakia! We arrive in Bratislava at 8 a.m. We plan to celebrate Mass at Saint Martin’s Cathedral, where Hungary’s kings were crowned for more than 250 years. Then a walking tour of the historic center with a local guide: Michael’s Gate, the Main Square, the Primate’s Palace and the Slovak National Theatre.
Have lunch in town or back on the ship. This afternoon we drive out to Červený Kameň Castle, one of Slovakia’s most impressive Renaissance castles, for a guided tour of its richly furnished rooms, from the elegant salons to the Knights’ Hall. Then on to the castle’s falconry court for a flight demonstration, with birds of prey and owls flying right over our heads. The ship sails for Vienna late tonight.
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25JulySunday · Day 4
Vienna & Schönbrunn Palace
Good morning, beautiful Vienna. We’ll celebrate Sunday Mass before exploring the historic center with our local guide, past the Hofburg and the Spanish Riding School to Saint Stephen’s Cathedral. Lunch is on your own in town.
After dinner on board, we head to Schönbrunn Palace for our private evening: an after-hours guided tour of the state rooms, then a private concert in the Great Gallery with a Prosecco reception at intermission.
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26JulyMonday · Day 5
The Wachau Valley: Apricots & Melk Abbey
We wake up in Dürnstein, in the heart of the Wachau Valley, surrounded by vineyards. This morning we drive to an apricot orchard near Krems for a walk among the trees and a taste of fresh Wachau apricots, then a tasting of six apricot specialties — jam, chutney, nectar, sparkling wine, brandy and liqueur, with non-alcoholic options too — with panoramic views over the valley.
We sail at noon and have lunch on board as we continue up the valley. This afternoon we visit Melk Abbey, the enormous Baroque Benedictine abbey on the cliff above the river, where we plan to celebrate Mass before a guided tour.
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27JulyTuesday · Day 6
Maria Plain & Salzburg
A full day off the ship. From Linz we drive first to the hilltop basilica of Maria Plain, home to a miraculous image of the Virgin and Child that survived a fire unharmed, where we plan to celebrate Mass.
Then on to one of my favorite towns, Salzburg. Lunch is on your own, followed by a guided walk through the Old Town, Mirabell Gardens and Salzburg Cathedral, with the Hohensalzburg Fortress looking down on all of it. We return to the ship through the lakes of the Salzkammergut.
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28JulyWednesday · Day 7
Altötting & Passau
This morning we drive through the Bavarian countryside to Altötting, the spiritual heart of Bavaria and one of Germany’s most important Marian pilgrimage sites. We’ll pray before the Black Madonna in the Chapel of Grace, visit the pilgrimage square and its churches with our tour escorts, and we plan to celebrate Mass.
There’s time for lunch in Altötting before we head back to Passau, where three rivers meet. The rest of the afternoon is yours to explore — don’t miss Saint Stephen’s Cathedral and its famous organ, one of the largest church organs in the world. Our last night on board: the Captain’s Gala Dinner.
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29JulyThursday · Day 8
Passau → Munich
Breakfast on board, then we disembark in Passau at about 9 a.m. Afterward, I’ll provide a few complimentary group transfers to Munich and Munich Airport at designated times.
Sailing and touring times are approximate and can change with the river. I’ll send the final schedule, including Mass times, before we go.
AMADEUS Cara
Our home for the week is the AMADEUS Cara, a boutique river ship built in 2022 by the Austrian family company Lüftner Cruises. It’s elegant without being fussy: a panoramic restaurant, a bar and lounge at the bow, a quiet club with coffee around the clock at the stern, and a big sun deck for watching the river go by.
And for these seven nights, all of it is ours. We’ve chartered the entire ship, so everyone on board is part of our group.
- Panorama Restaurant, Panorama Bar and Lounge, and Café Vienna
- AMADEUS Club, with a 24-hour coffee and tea station
- Open-air River Terrace and a sun deck with shade, loungers, a putting green and giant chess
- Fitness room, massage room, laundry service and free Wi-Fi
Photos: AMADEUS River Cruises.
Cabins
Every cabin on the Cara faces the river. The big difference between them is how you see it — and that comes down to which deck you’re on.
Fixed window
Haydn Deck · lowest deck
Fixed panoramic window
172 sq. ft.Double or twin beds
The Haydn Deck sits closest to the water, so the window is set high in the wall, above the river line. Look at the photo: you get plenty of daylight and a view of the sky and the far bank, but the window doesn’t open, and river views are more limited than in the upper-deck cabins.
- C Cabin$4,900per person
Window that lowers
Strauss & Mozart Decks
Drop-down panoramic window
188 sq. ft.Double or twin bedsWalk-in wardrobe
The drop-down panoramic window lowers, so you can open your cabin to the fresh air and the sound of the river. The Strauss Deck is on the same level as the restaurant; the Mozart Deck is one level up, with the bar, Café Vienna and the AMADEUS Club.
- B Cabin · Strauss$6,300per person
- A Cabin · Mozart$6,500per person
Walk-out balcony
Mozart Deck
Suite with walk-out balcony
284 sq. ft.Double or twin bedsSitting area
The only cabins with a real balcony you can step out onto, plus a separate sitting area, a walk-in wardrobe and an espresso machine. There are only ten of them, all on the Mozart Deck.
- Suite$7,200per person
In every cabin: a double bed or twin beds (your choice), a bathroom with a walk-in shower and Rituals bath products, hair dryer, safe, minibar, flat-screen TV, telephone, and your own climate control. Filtered water is refreshed in your cabin every day.
Cabin photos and layouts are the official images of the AMADEUS Cara from AMADEUS River Cruises. Individual cabins can vary slightly.
Deck plan
Cabins run along both sides of the ship on three decks. The colors show which category each cabin is in.
The plan uses AMADEUS’s own labels. B-1 and B-4 are both our B Cabins, and C-1 and C-4 are both our C Cabins — the -4 cabins are simply the last few at the back (stern) of the deck.
- Suite · Mozart Deck · walk-out balcony
- A Cabin · A-1 on the plan · Mozart Deck · window that lowers
- B Cabin · B-1 and B-4 on the plan · Strauss Deck · window that lowers
- C Cabin · C-1 and C-4 on the plan · Haydn Deck · fixed window
Pricing
Prices are per person in US dollars, based on two people sharing a cabin. Airfare is not included.
Easy Monthly Payments
Reserve your cabin with a $1,000 deposit per person.
No additional payments are required during the Christmas season.
Beginning in January 2027, your remaining balance will be divided into five equal, interest-free monthly payments, with the final payment due May 23rd, 2027 — 60 days before departure.
- At registration$1,000 per person
- January 23rd, 2027Payment 1 of 5
- February 23rd, 2027Payment 2 of 5
- March 23rd, 2027Payment 3 of 5
- April 23rd, 2027Payment 4 of 5
- May 23rd, 2027Final payment
- Suite$1,240
- A Cabin$1,100
- B Cabin$1,060
- C Cabin$780
Enjoy the holidays knowing your place on the Danube is reserved!
Traveling solo?
You’re in good company — a lot of my travelers come on their own, and many are happily matched with another solo traveler.
You have two options. I can try to match you with another solo traveler requesting the same cabin category, in which case each of you pays the regular per-person price shown above. Or you may reserve a cabin entirely for yourself, in which case you pay for both places in the cabin.
If you’re traveling solo, please contact me before booking. I’ll help you arrange your reservation, whether you’re looking for a roommate or would prefer a cabin to yourself.
Roommate matching will be finalized by January 22, 2027. If I haven’t found a suitable roommate for you by then, you can either keep the cabin to yourself and pay for both places, or cancel and receive a full refund, including your deposit.
This roommate-matching refund is an exception to the cruise’s standard cancellation policy.
Included
Seven nights aboard
Seven nights on the AMADEUS Cara, chartered entirely for our group, in the cabin category you choose.
Schönbrunn Palace evening
Our private after-hours guided tour of Schönbrunn Palace and private concert in the Great Gallery, with a Prosecco reception at intermission.
Mass
Mass every full day of the pilgrimage, in some of the region’s great churches and shrines.
Meals on board
Breakfast every day, plus lunch and dinner on board as shown in the day-by-day, including a welcome cocktail and welcome dinner and the Captain’s Gala Dinner.
Drinks with meals
A beverage package with lunch and dinner on board — beer, regional wine, sparkling wine, soft drinks and juices — coffee and tea after meals, and coffee and tea around the clock in the AMADEUS Club.
Guided tours and entry fees
Local guides in Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace and Salzburg, and entry to Matthias Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion, Červený Kameň Castle, Saint Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Schönbrunn Palace, Melk Abbey and Salzburg Cathedral.
Special experiences
An evening cruise past Budapest’s illuminated landmarks, a falconry demonstration at Červený Kameň Castle, and an apricot orchard visit and tasting in the Wachau Valley.
Tips
All gratuities for the ship’s crew, local guides, drivers, and tour escorts are included. No additional tipping is expected.
Group transportation
Air-conditioned coaches for our scheduled excursions, including Červený Kameň, Schönbrunn, Melk, Maria Plain, Salzburg and Altötting, plus headsets so you can always hear the guide.
Transfers
At the end of the cruise, a few complimentary scheduled group transfers from Passau to Munich and Munich Airport.
Tour director
Full-time service of a tour director. I’ll be with you at all times, along with our English-speaking tour escorts.
Port fees and Wi-Fi
Port taxes, embarkation and lock fees, and unlimited Wi-Fi on board.
Onboard surprises
I have a few things planned for our time on board that aren’t on the itinerary. I’m not telling you what they are yet. That’s why they’re surprises.
Social planning
Plan your trip with your traveling companions before you leave! I’ll set up a private WhatsApp group for our pilgrimages to give you a chance to meet before you meet.
You time
We have a lot planned, but time on your own is important. We take our time in churches to give you the opportunity for prayer and reflection. I also include free time for you to explore, shop, and relax on your own.
Not included
- Airfare, and getting yourself to the ship in Budapest.
- Meals ashore: lunch on your own in Vienna, Salzburg and Altötting, and in Bratislava if you choose to eat in town.
- Drinks outside of lunch and dinner on board, such as bar drinks during the day or evening.
- Travel insurance.
- Personal expenses, such as souvenirs.
Arrival & Departure
The cruise begins in Budapest and ends in Passau, Germany. Passau has no major airport, so Munich is the most convenient airport for your onward travel.
You’ll make your own way to the ship, where embarkation begins at 4 p.m. If you can, come early and spend a few extra days in Budapest — it’s worth it.
We disembark in Passau after breakfast on July 29. There will be a few complimentary scheduled group transfers to Munich and Munich Airport. If you’d like to stay on, extend your trip in Munich or elsewhere.
Booking & Important Information
Here’s what to know before you book.
- Prices are per person, based on two people sharing a cabin. If you’re traveling solo, I can try to match you with another solo traveler requesting the same cabin category, or you may reserve a cabin entirely for yourself and pay for both places in the cabin.
- Airfare is not included. You’re responsible for booking your flights into Budapest and planning your onward travel from Munich.
Cancellation Policy
Because we’ve chartered the entire ship, this cruise has a different cancellation policy from my usual No Hassle Cancellations.
The $1,000 per person deposit is nonrefundable.
- Cancel by January 22, 2027: All payments beyond the deposit will be refunded.
- Cancel January 23, 2027 or later: All payments are nonrefundable.
Travel insurance is strongly recommended to protect your investment if your plans change.
Trip Insurance
With a chartered ship, trip insurance is especially wise. You can now add travel insurance simply and directly from the booking portal when you book, and you’re always welcome to shop around and choose whatever coverage works best for you.