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River mapDanubeUpdated Oct 2026

The Danube, stop by stop

Passau and Budapest to the Iron Gates and the Black Sea: the classic first river cruise, with Vienna in the middle. 28 places on our River Atlas, grouped the way the itineraries run.

By Seabound JourneysUpdated October 28, 2026Fares and terms change; confirm on your departure
28places on the map
0embarkation cities
9river lines
4peak months
01

Danube at a glance

Tap through to the live River Atlas for every place’s card: how ships or tours use it, who goes and when.

BucharestBudapestNurembergPassauRegensburgViennaOpen the interactive map

Embarkation cityPort of callScenic stretch

02

March–December · busiest June–September · Christmas markets late Nov–Dec

  1. Janfew or none
  2. Febfew or none
  3. Marsailing
  4. Aprsailing
  5. Maysailing
  6. Junpeak
  7. Julpeak
  8. Augpeak
  9. Seppeak
  10. Octsailing
  11. Novsailing
  12. Decsailing

Most lines sail roughly March/April to November, with Emerald's heaviest departures June–September; AmaWaterways also lists late-October-to-April Romantic Danube dates (including February), so a few lines run nearly year-round with a January gap. The Lower Danube (Budapest to the Black Sea) is mostly sold late spring through early fall.

03

Every Danube place we map

28 river cruise stops, grouped as the itineraries use them. Places with a full Seabound guide link straight to it.

Embarkation cities 7

Embarkation cityBucharest, Romania (river landing at Giurgiu)The capital sits inland — ships use Giurgiu or OltenițaRead the guide →Embarkation cityBudapest, HungaryWhere most Danube sailings begin or end, on the central embankmentsRead the guide →Embarkation cityNuremberg, GermanyBoard on the Main-Danube Canal for an Upper Danube sailingRead the guide →Embarkation cityPassau, GermanyThree rivers meet below the cathedral — a start, finish or callRead the guide →Embarkation cityRegensburg, GermanyTie up close to the medieval old town and its Stone BridgeRead the guide →Embarkation cityVienna, AustriaPalaces and concerts, and a three-day start on Viking's eastern routeRead the guide →Embarkation cityVilshofen an der Donau, GermanyA Bavarian river town that works as the Upper Danube gatewayRead the guide →

Ports of call 18

Belgrade, SerbiaKalemegdan Fortress, where the Sava meets the DanubeRead the guide →Bratislava, SlovakiaCastle hill, St. Martin's Cathedral and Michael's GateRead the guide →Donji Milanovac, SerbiaThe stop for Lepenski Vir, deep in the Iron GatesRead the guide →Dürnstein, AustriaBlue-and-white tower, castle ruin and Wachau wine tavernsRead the guide →Engelhartszell, AustriaSail the Schlögener Schlinge, then bike to PassauRead the guide →Esztergom, HungaryThe basilica at the Danube Bend, where Uniworld guests reboardRead the guide →Golubac, SerbiaA 14th-century fortress at the Iron Gates' western entranceRead the guide →Grein, AustriaAustria's oldest working theater, in the StrudengauRead the guide →Kalocsa, HungaryPaprika country and a puszta horse show, on Viking's eastern routeRead the guide →Krems an der Donau, AustriaViking's Wachau stop, for Göttweig AbbeyRead the guide →Linz, AustriaThe jumping-off point for a full day in SalzburgRead the guide →Melk, AustriaA Benedictine abbey on a bluff above the riverRead the guide →Mohács, HungaryCarnival masks, a 1526 battlefield and a national parkRead the guide →Novi Sad, SerbiaPetrovaradin Fortress and an old-town walk, with cycling on EmeraldRead the guide →Ruse, BulgariaThe last Bulgarian call before the Romanian landingRead the guide →Spitz, AustriaVineyard hikes and apricot tastings on Uniworld's Wachau dayRead the guide →Vidin, BulgariaBaba Vida fortress, with Belogradchik's rocks on excursionRead the guide →Vukovar, CroatiaCroatia's Danube call, paired with Osijek and Ilok wineRead the guide →

Scenic stretches 3

Scenic stretchDanube Bend (Visegrád), HungaryVisegrád's citadel and riverside towns north of BudapestRead the guide →Scenic stretchIron Gates (Đerdap gorge), Serbia/RomaniaThe gorge and lock that define the Lower DanubeRead the guide →Scenic stretchWachau Valley, AustriaTerraced UNESCO vineyards between Melk and KremsRead the guide →
04

River lines that sail here

The number is how many places on this map each one uses.

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises24Viking River Cruises22Celebrity River Cruises16Avalon Waterways15Emerald Cruises14AmaWaterways13Riverside Luxury Cruises12Tauck10Scenic7
05

Danube map questions

How many river cruise stops are on the Danube map?

28: 7 embarkation cities, 18 ports of call, 3 scenic stretches. Each one opens a card on our interactive map.

When is the Danube season?

March–December · busiest June–September · Christmas markets late Nov–Dec. Most lines sail roughly March/April to November, with Emerald's heaviest departures June–September; AmaWaterways also lists late-October-to-April Romantic Danube dates (including February), so a few lines run nearly year-round with a January gap. The Lower Danube (Budapest to the Black Sea) is mostly sold late spring through early fall.

Who sails Danube?

Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Viking River Cruises, Celebrity River Cruises, Avalon Waterways, Emerald Cruises, AmaWaterways, plus 3 more use places on this map.

Plan it with us

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