Viking Lofn, surrounded by Budapest and the Chain Bridge. Photo © 2015 Aaron Saunders
The Danube River is probably one of the most well-known and most traveled rivers in Europe. You’ll find itineraries on the Danube available from all major river cruise lines. Some depart from Budapest and some end in Budapest. Some travel east from Budapest to Bucharest, and some do not travel east of Budapest at all.
Just as itineraries vary, prices too vary widely among the cruise companies that offer Danube river cruises. Comparing prices can be a little complex, however, when you take into consideration that some cruise lines, by design, are more inclusive than others. When reviewing the ticket prices for a river cruise, consider that pricing and inclusions can vary quite a bit across the market. With extras such as airport transfer fees, port charges and gratuities added to the less-inclusive packages, the gap in prices tends to narrow.
For the sake of our comparison, we looked at pricing for Danube River cruises among most major companies for itineraries that travel only as far east as Budapest. These include itineraries between Budapest and Prague and itineraries between Budapest and Prague or Nuremberg.
See our updated 2018 Price Comparisons on the Danube
The data in the accompanying table shows the lowest starting prices in 2016 for each river cruise line. Note that prices are per person and are based on double occupancy. Cruise fares are rounded to the nearest whole dollar.
The first table shows a price comparison for Danube River cruises between Budapest and Passau.
| Cruise Line | Itinerary Name | From/To Cities (may also include reverse) | # Of Days | Per Person Per Diem (double occupancy) | Lowest Starting Fare Months | Port Charges Included? | Prepaid Gratuities Included? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmaWaterways | Itinerary is between Budapest & Vilshofen, near Passau | ||||||
| A-ROSA | A-ROSA Donna - Danube Classics | Passau to Budapest to Passau | 8 | $322 | May & September | Yes | Yes |
| Avalon Waterways | No itineraries between Budapest & Passau. | No | No | ||||
| CroisiEurope | The Baroque & Picturesque Danube | Budapest & Passau | 7 | $279 | July & August | Yes | Gratuities are not recommended or expected. |
| Emerald Cruises | Enchanting Forests, Mountains & Rivers | Budapest & Munich | 13 | $288 | April | Yes | Yes |
| Grand Circle | No itineraries between Budapest & Passau. | ||||||
| Scenic | No itineraries between Budapest & Passau. | ||||||
| Tauck | No itineraries between Budapest & Passau. | ||||||
| Uniworld | Enchanting Danube | Budapest & Passau | 8 | $362 | November | Yes | Yes |
| Viking River Cruises | Danube Waltz | Budapest & Passau | 8 | $257 | November | Yes | No |
And the second table shows a price comparison for Danube River cruises between Budapest and Prague or Nuremberg.
| Cruise Line | Itinerary Name | From/To Cities (may also include reverse) | # Of Days | Lowest Starting Per Person Per Diem (double occupancy) | Lowest Starting Fare Months | Port Charges Included? | Prepaid Gratuities Included? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmaWaterways | Blue Danube Discovery | Budapest & Nuremberg | 11 | $345 | March | No | No |
| A-ROSA | No itineraries between Budapest & Prague or Nuremberg. | ||||||
| Avalon Waterways | The Legendary Danube | Budapest & Prague | 11 | $260 | December | No | No |
| CroisiEurope | No itineraries between Budapest & Prague or Nuremberg | ||||||
| Emerald Cruises | Danube Delights | Budapest & Nuremberg | 8 | $293 | October | Yes | Yes |
| Grand Circle | Old World Prague & The Blue Danube | Budapest & Prague | 12 | $200 | October | Yes | Gratuities to local guides and motor coach drivers in included. |
| Scenic | Gems of the Danube With Prague | Budapest & Prague | 11 | $385 | July & August | Yes | Yes |
| Tauck | The Blue Danube | Prague & Budapest (only Eastbound in July) | 12 | $374 | April | Yes | Yes |
| Uniworld | Delightful Danube & Prague | Budapest & Prague | 10 | $330 | November | Yes | Yes |
| Viking River Cruises | Romantic Danube | Budapest & Nuremberg | 8 | $257 | November | Yes | No |
Note: Prices are subject to change. Rates are based on information gathered in September 2015. At certain times throughout the year, most companies will have special offers available, which means your cost could be lower than what is shown in our table. Also, depending on the stateroom category you choose, your price could be higher than the rates listed above.
You’ll need to factor in additional per-person costs, such as airport transfer fees, port charges and gratuities for cruises that are not all inclusive. Typical fees for these items are listed below:
- airport transfer fees: $25 one-way
- gratuities: $22 per day
- port charges: $150 to $165
And finally, some of the river cruise lines have more inclusive beverage policies that could also result in savings to you, depending on how much or how little you consume beverages that are not complimentary.
Read More About All-Inclusive River Cruises.
Why do you not have any reviews of Gate 1 Cruises?
Never cruised Gate 1 and know nothing about them – and no one asking us about them.
Ralph, You should checkout and include reviews on them. We just returned from a 14 night Amsterdam to Budapest cruise.
They are a large American tour company with three ships cruising the Rhine, Main, and Danube rivers. They are a “good value ” tour company.