Danube River Cruise 2027
July 22–29, 2027Budapestto Passau
Details soon
Details for this cruise are coming soon. Get in touch and I’ll let you know as soon as they’re ready.
Get NotifiedA river cruise is the easiest way I know to see a lot of Catholic Europe without living out of a suitcase. You unpack once. Every morning you wake up somewhere new, and every day we go ashore for Mass, good guides, and the churches and shrines that make this part of Europe so special.
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.
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.
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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 passing Saint Stephen’s Basilica on the way back to the ship.
After lunch on board, we set sail. 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 in the evening at Esztergom, the seat of Hungary’s archbishops, beneath its enormous basilica.
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24JulySaturday · Day 3
Bratislava
Good morning, Slovakia! 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 Old Town 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, a beer tasting. The ship sails for Vienna late tonight.
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25JulySunday · Day 4
Vienna
Good morning, beautiful Vienna. It’s Sunday, so we’ll celebrate Mass in the city — the exact church and time depend on the parish Mass schedules, which we’re working out now. We’ll also tour the Old Town with a local guide, past the Hofburg and the Spanish Riding School to Saint Stephen’s Cathedral.
The afternoon is yours. After dinner on board, we head back into town for a concert of Strauss and Mozart.
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26JulyMonday · Day 5
The Wachau Valley: Dürnstein & Melk Abbey
We wake up in Dürnstein, in the heart of the Wachau Valley, surrounded by vineyards. The morning is yours to wander the village — and try the local apricot everything.
Lunch on board as we continue up the valley to Melk. 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
Salzburg & Maria Plain
A full day off the ship. From Linz we drive to one of my favorite towns, Salzburg, for a guided walk through the Old Town, Mirabell Gardens and Salzburg Cathedral, with the fortress looking down on all of it. Lunch is on your own in town.
This afternoon we head up to the hilltop shrine of Maria Plain, home to a miraculous image of the Virgin and Child that survived a fire unharmed, where we plan to celebrate Mass. 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 pilgrimage sites. We’ll pray before the Black Madonna in the Chapel of Grace and 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. Afterward, I’ll provide a few complimentary group transfers to Munich and Munich Airport at designated times.
Mass times and churches are being confirmed with each parish. Sailing times can change with the river, and I’ll send the final schedule 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 you won’t see the river from your bed or chair.
- C Cabin$X,XXXper person
Window that lowers
Strauss & Mozart Decks
Drop-down panoramic window
188 sq. ft.Double or twin bedsWalk-in wardrobe
The drop-down panoramic window lowers, so you can open your cabin to the fresh air and the sound of the river. The Strauss Deck is on the same level as the restaurant; the Mozart Deck is one level up, with the bar, Café Vienna and the AMADEUS Club.
- B Cabin · Strauss$X,XXXper person
- A Cabin · Mozart$X,XXXper person
Walk-out balcony
Mozart Deck
Suite with walk-out balcony
284 sq. ft.Double or twin bedsSitting area
The only cabins with a real balcony you can step out onto, plus a separate sitting area, a walk-in wardrobe and an espresso machine. There are only ten of them, all on the Mozart Deck.
- Suite$X,XXXper 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, based on two people sharing a cabin.
Airfare is not included.
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 ask to be matched and I’m unable to find a roommate for you, you may either pay for both places and keep the cabin to yourself, or cancel and receive a full refund.
Included
Seven nights aboard
Seven nights on the AMADEUS Cara, chartered entirely for our group, in the cabin category you choose.
Meals on board
Breakfast, lunch and dinner on the ship whenever we’re on board, including a welcome cocktail and welcome dinner and the Captain’s Gala Dinner. Lunches ashore, like in Salzburg and Altötting, are on your own.
Tips
All tips for the ship’s crew, our guides, and drivers. Would you believe that many tour companies require you to tip as you go? Not only does that add to the advertised sticker price, it’s also a huge hassle to you! No need to worry about that here. Tips are already included.
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.
Drinks with meals
Wine, beer, sparkling wine, soft drinks and juices with lunch and dinner on board, coffee and tea after meals, and coffee and tea around the clock in the AMADEUS Club.
Mass
Mass along the way in some of the region’s great churches and shrines. We’re confirming each one with the parishes now.
Guided tours and entry fees
Local guides in Budapest, Bratislava, Vienna and Salzburg, and entry to Matthias Church, the Fisherman’s Bastion, Saint Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, Melk Abbey and Salzburg Cathedral.
Tastings and music
A beer tasting in Bratislava and a Strauss and Mozart concert in Vienna.
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.
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.
Group transportation
Air-conditioned coaches for our excursions, including Salzburg, Maria Plain and Altötting, plus headsets so you can always hear the guide.
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.
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
Booking isn’t open yet. Here’s what to know in the meantime.
- 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.
- Because we’ve chartered the entire ship, the cancellation terms for this cruise are different from my usual No Hassle Cancellations. I’ll post the full terms when booking opens, so you can read them before you commit.
- Airfare is not included. You’re responsible for booking your flights into Budapest and planning your onward travel from Munich.
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.