Top Danube River Small Ship Cruise Trips & Packages In 2025/2026

Our 115 most popular Danube River Small Ship Cruise Trips & Packages trips. Compare tour itineraries from 15 tour companies. 3 reviews.

115 Trips match your criteria (67 - 88 shown)

Danube Dreams (Westbound)
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
River Cruise
Why we love them
They combine the assurance of working with a large cruise operator with the warmth and personal service of a boutique provider.
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Very Easy
Trip pace
Balanced schedule

Visits

Bratislava, Budapest, Linz, Passau, Prague, Vienna

Highlights

  • Onboard welcome reception
  • Choice of guided tour, see Heroes’ Square or hike with your Adventure Host
  • Choice of guided sightseeing in Bratislava, visit St. Martin’s Cathedral or hike up to Bratislava Castle with your Adventure Host
  • Choice of guided sightseeing, or Künsthistorisches Museum visit, or bike with your Adventure Host
  • Choice of guided walk or hike up to the castle ruins in Dürnstein; cruise through the Wachau Valley or bike along the river with your Adventure Host; choice of guided visit of the Benedictine Abbey in Melk, Ybbs city sightseeing with Artstetten Castle visit
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Themes

Cultural, 50 Plus, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"The Avalon was so wonderful and all staff were very helpful in many ways, we couldn't fault the ship or staff. Would recommend Avalon river cruises. The rooms are lovely with great views."

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Christmastime from Budapest to Basel with 2 Nights in Budapest
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4.7/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
River Cruise
Why we love them
They combine the assurance of working with a large cruise operator with the warmth and personal service of a boutique provider.
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Very Easy

Visits

Bamberg, Basel, Budapest, Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Munich, Nuremberg, Passau, Rudesheim, Strasbourg, Vienna

Highlights

  • Welcome to Budapest!
  • Guided tour, see Heroes' Square; Christmas market
  • Onboard welcome reception
  • Scenic sailing, pass through Bratislava; Austrian cookies tasting on board; free time in Vienna in the evening
  • City sightseeing; Christmas market
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Themes

Cultural, 50 Plus, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"The Avalon was so wonderful and all staff were very helpful in many ways, we couldn't fault the ship or staff. Would recommend Avalon river cruises. The rooms are lovely with great views."

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Dashing through the Danube
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River Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Themes

Cultural, Small Ship Cruise

Trip dates & details
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The Danube Flow
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River Cruise
Lodging level
Standard - 3 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Themes

Cultural, Small Ship Cruise

Trip dates & details
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European sojourn
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2.7/5 Average
41 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • Get an opportunity to Visit 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
  • Enjoy the amazing river cruising across Amsterdam
  • Explore Budapest enjoy innovative, efficient metro.
  • Discover Vienna
  • Experience a tour of Bamberg, with its medieval city center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, 50 Plus, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"Most of the people on this 17-day river cruise was quite elderly and infirm. Therefore the complimentary excursions were painfully slow walking. Local guides mostly told stories of their own upbringing and the conflicts they lived through. There was not much history on any of the excursions; and none of the buildings we saw gave us an opportunity to go inside, even the paid excursions. The accommodations were excellent, except that we paid for the best veranda but could not sit on our veranda because for the first 5 days our ship was packed tight next to another Viking ship. Food was good, except for dinners which were quite mediocre and never captured the flavor of the local foods."

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Grand European Tour
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5/5 Excellent
41 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • Visit fascinating abbey at Melk, a 900-year-old Benedictine monastery
  • Opportunity to tour Regensburg a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Get an opportunity to visit 9 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • Discover Netherlands
  • Visit Marksburg Castle, the only Rhine fortress never destroyed

Themes

Cultural, 50 Plus, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"Most of the people on this 17-day river cruise was quite elderly and infirm. Therefore the complimentary excursions were painfully slow walking. Local guides mostly told stories of their own upbringing and the conflicts they lived through. There was not much history on any of the excursions; and none of the buildings we saw gave us an opportunity to go inside, even the paid excursions. The accommodations were excellent, except that we paid for the best veranda but could not sit on our veranda because for the first 5 days our ship was packed tight next to another Viking ship. Food was good, except for dinners which were quite mediocre and never captured the flavor of the local foods."

Trip dates & details
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Danube Waltz
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5/5 Excellent
41 reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • Enjoy the fascinating river cruises across Danube.
  • Opportunity to visit 4 UNESCO World Heritage Sites
  • Explore Hungary
  • Experience a tour to Bratislava and See attractions like the medieval Town Hall
  • Visit to Český Krumlov, a UNESCO World Heritage Site
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Themes

Cultural, Culinary & Wine, 50 Plus, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"Most of the people on this 17-day river cruise was quite elderly and infirm. Therefore the complimentary excursions were painfully slow walking. Local guides mostly told stories of their own upbringing and the conflicts they lived through. There was not much history on any of the excursions; and none of the buildings we saw gave us an opportunity to go inside, even the paid excursions. The accommodations were excellent, except that we paid for the best veranda but could not sit on our veranda because for the first 5 days our ship was packed tight next to another Viking ship. Food was good, except for dinners which were quite mediocre and never captured the flavor of the local foods."

Trip dates & details
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The Great Rivers of Europe
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4.6/5 Excellent
100+ reviews
River Cruise
Lodging level
Premium - 4 star
Physical level
Easy
Trip pace
Flexible schedule

Highlights

  • Unpack just once, journey 948 miles through three countries, and enjoy an abundance of included features—from all meals to 11 guided tours, and more—on our #1 River Cruise for more than a decade
  • Cruise aboard our award-winning 140- to 164-passenger ships with a dedicated English-speaking crew
  • Experience this European itinerary, and uncover a local and American perspective in destinations like Nuremberg’s Room 600
  • Explore with an expert, local Program Director—a native or resident of Europe—who will be dedicated to your group of no more than 47 from the start to the end of your trip

Themes

Cultural, Nature & Wildlife, National Parks, Small Ship Cruise

What travelers are saying

"I am a 12 time traveler with Grand Circle and OAT. But maybe no more. They are impossible to reach by phone without waiting for hours. I even tired their emergency phone number and was on hold for hours. What if I had been stranded in a foreign country? They cancelled my Eastern Europe to Black Sea Cruise in Sept 2021 and cited "covid" or "civil unrest" issues. Baloney. They cancelled because they did not sell out the cruise and lied about it to me. I know because I went with Viking during the same month with no excuses like Grand Circle gave me. Add to that they promised me a $1,000 credit on my next trip- which was to Antarctica in December. The invoice they sent me showed the credit- and 1 month later a new invoice arrived with the credit removed. Why? Another lie? Something is really wrong here with the company now and I would suggest be very careful with bookings as they are not the same company I traveled with for the past 12 years."

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Danube River Small Ship Cruise Trips & Packages Reviews

L

Larry

Oct 2018

Misleading and often just plain dishonest.

We paid for a 3 week luxury river cruise but received a large group bus trip across Europe with many days of packing and unpacking. I called our Viking representativ...

T

Tonya

Aug 2015

Incredible experience

Incredible experience sailing on the Grand European tour from Amsterdam to Budapest! Just wonderful! The tours were interesting, and most allowed for adequate free t...

B

Bruce & Susan

Aug 2015

Already planning our next cruise

We talked about doing a cruise with Viking ever since we were made aware of them back in 2008. We just arrived home yesterday and are still floating on air! The spec...

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