Vienna to Budapest 5-nights (Active)
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Pass through three famed metropolises along the Danube River
This 5-night tour from Vienna to Budapest is a "sporty" experience for travelers interested in covering longer cycling distances each day. The active option described here treats you an average of 54 miles each day. If you're looking for a more leisurely cycling option, check out the Vienna to Budapest (Classic) tour.
On this bike path you will explore lowland forests, original villages, and magical cities. Of course the 3 metropolises Vienna, Bratislava, and Budapest are the best-known.
In Carnuntum and in the Roman castle Kelemantia, you find Roman relics from the past. Discover the diversity of the flora and fauna in the lowland forests. The small villages, which you cycle through, still keep their original charm. You pass through the Rye Island - a real natural paradise. Don't forget about the numerous castles and palaces, which are proudly situated nearby the Danube. The small towns along the bike trail have a special flair, and their charming historic centers invite visitors to discover and enjoy. Overall this bike tour will inspire everybody!
Highlights
- 3 diverse Capital Cities: Vienna, Bratislava & Budapest
- Rye Island, a real natural paradise
- Castle Hill in Esztergom
- Baroque Old Town of Szentendre
- Numerous castles and palaces
- Danube Bike Path
- Lowland forests
- Roman castle Kelemantia
Learn More
Learn more about self-guided tours.
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Traveler photos
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Daily program
Day 1: Individual arrival to Vienna
We recommended you arrive a day or two early to experience Vienna. This metropolis on the Danube has plenty to offer and it is worth to stay there for a longer time. Enjoy a cup of coffee and the typical Vienna cake "Sachertorte" in one of the numerous coffee houses or treat yourself to a roundtrip with the horse-drawn cab "Fiaker."Day 2: Vienna – Bratislava (40 mi/65 km)
The first distance of your bike trip guides you through the national park Donau-Auen. There you will get to know the diversity of the flora and fauna as well as the manifold types of landscape.You pass the castle Orth and the village Eckertsau and reach Bad Deutsch Altenburg. There you can make an excursion on the Roman bike trail (Römerweg) to Carnuntum. The archaeological park is regarded as one of the most significant archaeological sites in Austria. After Hainburg you reach the border to Slovakia and its capital city Bratislava that is your next overnight stay.
Overnight in BratislavaDay 3: Bratislava – Györ (50 mi/80 km)
You cycle a short distance in Slovak territory before you pass the Hungarian border in Rajká. Within the first few kilometers of your cycle trip in Hungary you will discover charming villages. The complete section is influenced by agriculture.Your route guides you through the so-called Szigetköz (a small Rye Island). This is characterized by numberless side arms of the Danube. The beautiful town Mosonmagyaróvár is also called "City of 17 bridges" and ideally suited for a short break.
Further on your way, you will pass Hédervár. The castle there is situated in the middle of a protected park. However, you should schedule a plenty of time for visiting Györ. The district capital offers many sights and a breathtaking historic center.
Overnight in GyörDay 4: Györ – Esztergom (59 mi/95 km)
Soon you reach the Hungarian Böny. From there a route version guides you to Bábolna, a well-cultivated town with a beautiful inner city. The local National Stud is known far beyond its borders. Racehorses are bred in the splendid inner courtyard. Afterwards, the route takes you back to the Danube where you soon reach the divided town Komárom/Komárno. The route runs near riverbanks in the flat Danube valley. In the course of this you pass different villages and while cycling you can view the vineyards in the background.The sporty bikers can choose a route over Tata but there are some hills. Those interested in history should plan time for the Roman castle Kelemantia which is on the way. However, the absolute highlight is your destination today: Esztergom - also known as "Hungarian Rome." Its Basilica is the largest church in Hungary.
Overnight in EsztergomDay 5: Esztergom – Budapest (53 mi/85 km)
You cycle along the "Donauknie" which is probably one of the most attractive sections of the Danube bike trail. The Royal Palace and the Castle of Visegrád will delight you as well as the Open Air Museum, and the Baroque Old Town of Szentendre. The crowning highlight is the capital city of Budapest! After arriving there you can review all impressions of this wonderful bike trip during a walk through the city.
Overnight in BudapestDay 6: Individual departure, or extension
Lots to explore in Budapest! We can book extra night for you, if you like. -
Accommodation
Hotels
These are sample hotels and may vary by availability.
The accommodations on this tour are 4-star hotels.
Vienna: Arcotel Kaiserwasser
Bratislava: Hotel Devín
Györ: Barokk Hotel Promenád
Esztergom: Portobello Wellness & Yacht Hotel
Budapest: NH Hotel Budapest City Center
Please note if visitors tax is due, it is not included in the tour cost.
Interested in visiting other areas before or after your tour? Visit our hotels page to learn more about lodging options.
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Bikes
Standard Bike
A solid, easy wheeling and sturdy trekking bike which can be recommended to every guest with good conscience. Modern V-breaks, aluminium-rims, and almost indestructible tires ensure high duration. The heart of each bicycle is a modern, high-resistant aluminium frame. Traffic safety is guaranteed by lighting system, carrier, mudguard and comfortable saddle.
Unisex frame 21-gears with free wheel:
Sizes: 56 / 51 / 46 / 43 cmMen’s speed bikes 21-gears with free wheel and crossbar
Sizes: 64 / 60 / 56 "slopping" cmSpecifications on standard bikes
- Modern, high-resistant aluminum frame
- V-brakes
- Aluminium-rims
- Reliable tires, which ensure high duration
- Shimano Alivio derailleur on 21-speed
- Selle Royal Saddles
*Posture for 21-speed standard bikes will be upright for comfort
Premium bike
The premium bike is equipped with upgraded components, and with a dark varnish a true eye-catcher. The sportive attitude with 27 speed Shimano Deore XT guarantees highest comfort on the tour. Hydraulic Magura brakes HS 11 and a high-quality suspension fork from Suntour are only some of numerous advantages. Truly the proper choice for those who are looking for high quality with a sportive design.
Upgraded components on 27-speed standard bikes
- Hydraulic Magura HS 11 brakes
- Shimano Deore XT derailleur on 27-speed
- High-quality Suntour suspension fork
*Posture for 27-speed upgraded standard bikes will be upright and forward
Electrically-assisted bike
Pedelec, unisex frame
A Pedelec is an electric bike which assists with electric support only when pedalling. Composed on the basis of KTM-bikes, this bike is more than adequate for the routes. The bike is easy to handle as you have a good weight distribution and a low balance point. Overall weight amounts to approx. 23 kg. An illuminated LCD display, a computer and a wattage display add to the comfort. You cycle with 28 inch-bikes, three different modes guarantee a maximum fun of cycling.
*More about electrically-assisted bikes >
All of the bike rentals will be equipped with the following at no additional charge:
- Saddlebag (water-repellent), rear
- Handlebar bag (water-repellent), with clear cover on top for easy map viewing
- Tools
- Repair kit (with extra bicycle tube)
- Pump
- Combination lock
Pedals:
The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals. Toe cages are not available to rent.Seats:
If you plan to bring your own seat, please make sure it will be compatible with a 27.2 to 31.4 mm seat post. If necessary, you may also need to bring your own adapter. The tour company will assist in switching the seat post for you.Helmets:
Helmets are not included with the bike rentals. You can buy or rent a helmet from the tour company (check the extra options in the pricing chart). You must let us know your helmet preference upon booking. If you do not rent or buy a helmet through the tour company, we recommend you bring your own.Dates
Saturdays: March 30-Apr 11, Oct 01-Oct 12, 2024; Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays: Apr 12-May 31, Sep 01-Sep 30, 2024; Daily: Jun 01- Aug 31, 2024
Season 1: Mar 30, 2024 - Apr 11, 2024, Oct 01, 2024 - Oct 12, 2024
Season 2: Apr 12, 2024- May 31, 2024, Sep 01, 2024 - Sep 30, 2024
Season 3: Jun 01, 2024 - Aug 31, 2024
Prices
Tour package
Season 1 Season 2 Season 3 Per person, double occupancy €699 €779 €839 Single use room (1 person/1 room) €1048 €1128 €1188 Bike Rentals
Standard touring bike, 7/21-speed unisex frame €99 Standard touring bike, 7/21-speed men's frame €99 Standard touring bike, 27-speed, upgrade €159 Road bike(Merida, model ride 91) €239 Electrically assisted bike €239 Additional Options
Dinner package(Vienna and Budapest breakfast only) €105 Extra Nights, Bratislava
Per person, double occupancy €89 Single room (1 person/1 room) €159 Extra Nights, Budapest
Per person, double occupancy €89 Single room (1 person/1 room) €169 Extra Nights, Vienna
Per person, double occupancy €89 Single room (1 person/1 room) €159 Included services
- 5 nights accommodations
- Breakfast (buffet style)
- Standard bike rental
- Luggage transport from hotel to hotel(no limit in pieces of luggage; each piece with a maximum of 20 kg/44 lbs)
- 7-day Service Hotline in case of emergencies
- Well-planned route guidance
- Personal welcome meeting and bike fitting
- Rental bike insurance
- Detailed travel documents (1 package each room)
- Navigation-App including GPS-Tracks
Please note if visitors tax is due, it is not included in the tour cost.
Map
Maps are for information purposes only and reflect typical routes between overnight locations. They may not reflect your actual route.
Surface and terrain
You cycle on bike trails, along a dam and partly on relatively quiet side roads. Occasionally you will be on busy roads but only for a short while. You cycle off road only for 3 short distances otherwise you will be on asphalt. On the whole, the route is marked very well with a few exceptions in the Slovakian part.
Altogether the cycling is relatively easy with occasional slight hills; however, considering the longer stages, one this variation of the Vienna-Budapest itinerary, you should have a higher level of cycling ability and comfort than the Classic version.
How to get there
Tour start
Nearest airport and train station: Vienna (VIE), AustriaTour end
Nearest airport: Budapest (BUD), Hungary
Nearest train station: Keleti Pályaudvar, HungaryTransfer from Budapest to Vienna by van: Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in seasons 1 and 2, and daily in season 3, departure at approx. 3:30 PM. Duration: approx. 3.5 hours. Price: €79 per person and €39 for your personal bikes. Alternatively, there are excellent direct train connections available. Special transfers are available on request with at least 4 participants.
Tips for getting to and from your tour
Reviews
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★★★★★ Kitty Brodie 3 months ago
Not quite what we expected
We booked a self-guided 5-day tour from Vienna to Budapest.
There were a few things that did not sit well with us on the organizational front.
The tour itself was great once we got started and the cities/hotels en route were great.
The bike service was great... we had a mechanical issue on Day 1 of riding, and the bike was replaced the next morning.Organizationally:
Confirmation of tour was delayed until the 1 day before the original day of departure.
When I tried to cancel because we wanted to book something that was confirmed, I was told this was not possible.
That seemed unfair, when the tour operator has the right to cancel, but not the client.The initial orientation meeting on "Day 1" in Vienna did not happen until "Day 2".
Nothing at all was arranged for "Day 1" other than the hotel in Vienna.The 5 day tour turned out to be 5 nights, with the 1st night in Vienna, where we already were staying.
So not 5 nights on the road, but 5 nights in hotels. Starting on the morning of "Day 2" makes the tour really only a 4 day tour in my opinion.The bikes that were brought to us on the morning of "Day 2" were not the right bikes that we had ordered.
Pick up time for our bags from the hotel was not mentioned in the orientation meeting.
Consequently, we missed the pickup time on the first hotel and had to pay for a taxi to bring the bags to the next hotel.
This again seemed unfair.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2024
- How many tours have you completed?
- 2
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens, Families with young kids
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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★★★★★ Josée 6 months ago
Not our dream trip
We booked the active tour because we did not have time to do the classic. 80-100 km per day were too much, specially when 1 day/4 was 100% rain. We cannot control temperature on a cycling trip, but to cycle 50-60 km in the rain would have been much better than 100km that day. On top of that, our hotel was booked at 130km instead of 100 by mistake. The hotel was nice enough to send a van and a trailer to pick us up. We were soaked!!! Out of 5 hotels, I would consider that 3 nights were more 3.5 stars than 4 and the 2 other nights were 4 to 5 stars. In some small towns, where nobody speak English, it would have nice have more guidance to know where to go to buy the ferry tickets and to know that not all countries use Euros and where to change money for cash only situation. Also, the ferry schedule was not clear, and found out that they take breaks in the morning and can cause a delay.
We were 3 (1 road bike + 2 e-bikes). The roads were rough in some areas with deep puddles of water during the rain. Of course, a flat happened and we struggled to find a pump for the road bike. The pumps that were given to us were for the e-bikes and did not fit. In a small town with no English speaking around, we managed to resolve the situation. Also, the first morning we started the trip, we had to go to a bike store to ask for extra tires in case of a flat. There were not given to us at the beginning. Thank god we went! Having done 2 cycling trips (Portugal and Croatia) in the past year, we found that the Vienna to Budapest was a bit boring. The landscape was not very different from start to beginning and the distances were long in between the little cities we visited.
Minimum information were given to us and it would have been nice to have suggestions for restaurants and more details, etc, etc. We received that info with the other companies we used for the other trips.
A water bottle or a shirt from your company would have been also a nice surprise.
The trip was OK, but can be improved in many ways for the price we paid.
We were happy for the quick response when we had the issue with the hotel at 130km instead of 100
The NH Danube or NH Budapest (We had to change room at 11h00 pm because there was a heating problem that made the room like a sauna and the window handle was broken, so we could not open it….) are more 3 stars hotels. The loft in Bratislava was VERY VERY Nice and the Barok in Gyor was great also. We expected more at the to pass on Esztergom, because we could not come back the next day to visit. I heard that the 30km we missed were worth the views and cycling.
I would recommend the trip to people that did not cycle in Portugal, Croatia and want a flat route.
4 days were a lot concerning the distances, but 6 days would have make it long for the lack of change of scenery. This is my opinion! -
★★★★★ Gina Kelley-Smith October 10, 2023
Bike Snob pleasantly surprised at Bike Quality and Great Hotels
Overall a great trip. My husband, best friend & her mate rode the beautiful Danube winding through the small towns along the way. We did have a small glitch with our Estergrom Hotel given the Prime Minister Viktor Orban was booked. Our new hotel was another 15 miles away after the longest pedal day but BikeTours took care of it. I would recommend this outfit. Thank you!
- What was the date of your tour?
- September 2023
- How many tours have you completed?
- None but been on a couple dozen century, multi day bike rides
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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★★★★★ Terry Connolly September 12, 2022
Very Smooth Arrangements
This worked pretty seamlessly. Bike rentals were in excellent shape, well equipped for storage and travel. Paper maps they gave us were good, but seems like should advise traveler to download Komoot or similar for detail of route map and GPS. All hotels were very nice. Bags got there ahead of us every day. Gyor to Esztergom is a long ride, on busy roads and non-paved surfaces. But overall a positive using BikeTours.
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★★★★★ Cynthia Ord August 21, 2022
Loved everything about this tour (except the rental bikes)
I recommend the Vienna to Budapest 5-night tour, especially as an inter-generational adventure. We were a group of two 30-somethings and a 72-year-old dad, and it was a great fit for all of us. This is really a premier section of the full Eurovelo 6 cross-Europe route. I was especially impressed with bikeways and great signage all along the route. We were impressed by the variety and quality of the hotels, and the destination town or city at the end of each day was well-chosen. It was such a treat to go exploring each evening after getting off the bikes!
Squeezing it all into the four-day sporty/active itinerary, however, was challenging on heavy cruiser-style rental bikes, so I'd advise either slowing it down or bringing your own bike.- What was the date of your tour?
- May 2022
- How many tours have you completed?
- 1
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Who is this tour suitable for?
- First-time bike tourists, Solo travelers, Families with teens
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
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BikeTours.com staff reply from kirsten August 22, 2022
Hi Cynthia!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this tour! We are happy to hear it was a great fit for your group. Your pictures are fantastic and really capture the joy of your adventure! Seeing those smiling faces is why we do what we do. Thank you again for choosing to travel with us!
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★★★★★ mb001 October 28, 2019
Fun trip with lots of biking.
My friend and I did this trip in early Oct. The first hotel in Vienne is Hotel Arcortel and not near any restaurants or pubs but close to the start of the trip. I would suggest booking a few days before in the city center if you plan on seeing Vienna. We stayed next in Hotel Devin in Bratislava. The hotel here and city were great. Everything walking distance. Next was Hotel Barrokk in Gyor. This was a very nice hotel and city that you could walk to a variety of restaurants and shopping. Then day 3 we biked 124km to Esztergom. There is an option to take a train for half of this trip. We did the biking and found it a very long day, but doable. We had electric bikes and it was a good thing! This day of biking was the most difficult not only because of the distance, but the terrain. You are in remote Hungarian countryside with no one around for hours. The bike trail or paths are poorly marked in some areas you find yourself on dirt farm land. Unfortunately we were lost a lot! The hotel in Esztergom was the Hotel Bellevue. This hotel is set on a busy street with no options to walk to any other restaurants or shopping. We were not aware that dinner must be booked ahead of time. After talking our way into a reservation, we found the buffet was average. If possible stay in the city and not this hotel. On the last day we left and needed to catch the ferry across the river. We were lucky as the week we were there was the last week of the season for the ferry. We rode to Budapest and again found some of the trails or paths poorly marked. We ran into a guided tour along the way and the guide told us about an app called mapy.cz and it has the entire map of the bike path we used and saved us several times. It was great to finish in Budapest as it is a very large exciting city with so much to do! The NH Hotel was easy to get to and situated close to many sites.
- What was the date of your tour?
- 10/6-10/10/19
- How many tours have you completed?
- 4
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- As expected
- Do you recommend this tour?
- No
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BikeTours.com staff reply from Chloe October 30, 2019
Thanks so much for this review - so many great details and suggestions! We're glad you had a fun trip and enjoyed many of the cities. We appreciate your details regarding the cycling terrain and navigation. This section of the Danube cycle path is less developed and more rustic than other sections, as you have noted. We hope future clients will be well informed by your review and perhaps even utilize the app you have mentioned. Thanks again.
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