Three rivers, three landings
Before you board inPassau
A three-river town with three separate cruise landings and no airport of its own. Most guests land in Munich — and four of the lines that 'start in Passau' board you in Vilshofen, about 25 km upstream.
- 3cruise landings in the city (Altstadt, Lindau, Racklau)
- 1 h 25fastest train, Munich Airport to Passau Hbf
- 7:30 pmUniworld all-aboard at Lindau 3 (2026)
- 12:00cathedral organ concert, 2 May–31 Oct
In short
The 30-second version
Passau has three cruise landings, and your ship could be at any of them: the old-town quay below the cathedral, Lände Lindau about 2.5 km downstream, or the Racklau harbour basin. Uniworld's 2026 list puts its ships at Lindau 3; Lüftner says the local authority assigns positions and can change them at short notice.
If your line is AmaWaterways, Avalon, Riverside or (from 2027) Celebrity, you aren't boarding in Passau at all. Vilshofen an der Donau is a separate town roughly 25 km upstream, and none of the four publishes a quay address.
There is no Passau airport. Munich (MUC) is the gateway: Trainline shows about 30 trains a day to Passau Hbf, averaging 1 h 50 min, the fastest closer to 1 h 25.
One night here covers the essentials. Plenty of guests sleep in Munich instead and ride in on embarkation morning. If you do stay, the noon organ concert in St. Stephen's (2 May to 31 October) is the thing not to miss.
Confirm your berth 24 hours out. Uniworld asks for exactly that, and Passau is the city on this river where it matters most.
The berths
Where the ships tie up
Three landings, two operators, and a fourth option that isn't in Passau. Here is how they sort out.
Lände Altstadt (berths A1–A14), Römerplatz and Fritz-Schäffer-Promenade
The old-town quay on the Danube side of the peninsula. Berths A1–A5 are reached from the Römerplatz bus stop, A13–A14 sit on the Fritz-Schäffer-Promenade below the cathedral, and A6–A12 are kept for day-excursion boats. Stadtwerke Passau counts 17 landing stages and 29 berths across the city; the city's own PDF puts 7 stages and 12 cruise berths at the Altstadt.
Lüftner/Amadeus (lists 'Old Town 1-14' as one of three Passau options)
SourceLände Lindau (L1–L4, 8 berths), Franz-Weismann-Straße 1, Passau-Grubweg
Downstream on the north bank — the old-town signs read 'Zur Lände Lindau 2,5 km'. There is an info point with a snack bar, toilets, Wi-Fi and a bus stop with service to the Altstadt. Uniworld's 2026 port list puts its Passau embarkations at 'Lindau 3'.
Uniworld (Lindau 3, most 2026 departures), Lüftner/Amadeus (L1–L4)
Sourcebayernhafen Passau-Racklau (R1/R2, 5 berths), Racklau 3A, Danube km 2228
A harbour basin 'in sight of the old town', used for embarkations away from road traffic. The city's PDF warns there are no sanitary facilities or food here, and the old-town signs say 2.5 km. bayernhafen's August 2025 brochure says coaches reach the berths directly via the B8 and more berths are planned.
Lüftner/Amadeus (listed as 'Winter Port Racklau')
SourceVilshofen an der Donau — about 25 km upstream, no published berth
A separate town, not a Passau landing. AmaWaterways stages its own Oktoberfest 'the evening the ship docks' in Vilshofen's central square, 'close to the water'. The quay itself goes unnamed — ask your line for the address.
AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Riverside Luxury Cruises, Celebrity River Cruises (from 2027)
SourceLüftner says Passau positions are assigned by the local authority and can change at short notice. Ships 'occasionally tie up alongside each other' — so you may walk through another vessel to reach yours. Uniworld's 2026 list fixes Lindau 3 with a 7:30 pm all-aboard, with three Advent dates still 'TBA'. Verify the berth 24 hours out, as Uniworld asks.
Passau on the Danube. Open the Passau card on the river map for the lines, the season and nearby calls.
Getting there
Getting here from Munich Airport
Passau has a Hauptbahnhof, not an airport. Everything starts at MUC, roughly 125 km to the west.
Fly into
Munich Airport (Flughafen München) MUC
Trainline lists the airport-terminal to Passau Hbf rail trip at about 125 km / 78 mi, averaging 1 h 50 min and 1 h 25 at the fastest.
- Train
The sensible default
About 30 trains a day run from Munich Airport Terminal to Passau Hbf, roughly 8 of them direct. First at 04:28, last at 23:24, advance fares from £26.41 one-way as published by Trainline. The airport's own page says regional trains to Passau leave from Freising, reached by bus 635 or the ÜFEX airport express.
Source - Line transfer
Only if you booked it
Uniworld tells Passau guests to fly into MUC. It meets you at arrivals 'only if you have arranged a Uniworld arrival transfer' — price and timing aren't on the itinerary page. Viking includes airport-to-ship transfers on embarkation day when flights are booked through Viking Air.
Source - Taxi
Unpriced, so budget for expensive
Munich Airport's transfer page gives no taxi fare or time to Passau. The one figure in circulation is a 2015 reader comment on River Cruise Advisor quoting about €537 for a minivan — indicative, not current. From Passau Hbf a taxi to Hotel König on the Donaulände runs about €10, per the hotel.
Source - Bus
Not a Passau option
Flixbus coaches leave Terminal 2 stops 21–22. The Lufthansa Express Bus from MUC serves Nuremberg and Innsbruck, not Passau.
Source
What the lines say about transfers
- UniworldFly into Munich; a representative meets you at MUC arrivals only if you pre-arranged a Uniworld transfer.
- Viking River CruisesAirport transfers are included on embarkation and disembarkation day when your flights are booked through Viking Air.
- AmaWaterwaysIts two-night Munich land package ends with a transfer to Vilshofen to board; the Romantic Danube page names no airport and doesn't say whether stand-alone transfers are included.
The day before
The day before, in Passau
The city guide says the old town's highlights all sit within walking distance of each other. We'd believe it — the peninsula is small.
- 01
Hear the cathedral organ at noon
St. Stephen's opens daily 6:30–19:00 (to 18:00 in winter), and its 17,974-pipe organ plays a 30-minute concert at 12:00 from 2 May to 31 October, daily except Sundays and holidays. The cathedral closes at 10:45, lets concert-goers in from 11:20, and sells tickets from 10:00 in the Dominnenhof. Those facts come from the city's 2023/24 cruise sales guide — confirm the current season before you build a morning around it.
Source - 02
Climb, or ride, to Veste Oberhaus
The three-rivers view is from up here. The Oberhaus Museum runs 15 March to 15 November, Mon–Fri 9–17 and weekends 10–18, with the lookout tower Mon–Fri 9:30–16:30 and weekends 10:30–17:30. A one-hour guided castle tour can be booked from one person, and a bus stop sits about 100 m from the Das Oberhaus restaurant.
Source - 03
Walk the peninsula out to the Dreiflüsseeck
The point where the Danube, the green Inn and the black Ilz meet is at the tip of the old town. Guided old-town walks with Passau Guides, Passau-Tours or Donauguides run one to 2.5 hours.
Source - 04
Take the 45-minute Three Rivers loop
Donauschifffahrt Wurm & Noé runs the narrated 'Dreiflüsse' round trip from the old-town quay, departing from berths A7/A8 by the tourist information. The same operator's Kristallschiff does a roughly two-hour Passau–Kasten–Obernzell run. Prices aren't listed in the guide.
Source - 05
See the Glass Museum inside Hotel Wilder Mann
The Glasmuseum Passau opens daily 9–17 and holds about 15,000 glasses from roughly 1650 to 1950 — the museum's own count on the hotel site says 'over 30,000 exhibits'. Neil Armstrong opened it in 1985, and it shares a four-building complex with the hotel.
Source - 06
If you overnight in Munich: dinner at Matsuhisa or Brasserie Cuvilliés
Forbes Travel Guide describes Matsuhisa Munich at the Mandarin Oriental as Japanese-Peruvian with a sushi bar, plus a rooftop Terrace. Rosewood Munich's own site lists Brasserie Cuvilliés for Bavarian classics and Bar Montez with live jazz. Forbes puts the Mandarin Oriental 28–35 minutes from MUC.
Source - 07
Advent: the Christkindlmarkt on the cathedral square
Bahn's listing gives the 2025 run as 25 November to 22 December, Mon–Thu 10–20, Fri–Sat 10–21 and Sun 11–20, in front of the Stephansdom. Bahn hasn't yet listed the 2026 dates.
Source
Extra days, booked ahead
Things to do in Passau
Three bookable things that fit the day before, none of which the ship will do better for you.
- Three Rivers city boat cruise (45 min)The classic confluence loop from the old-town quay, done before your ship sails.
- Old-town walking tour with St. Stephen's CathedralA 1.5–2-hour guided walk ties the cathedral, Rathaus and Dreiflüsseeck together.
- Munich-to-Passau private transferFor guests sleeping in Munich, a private car to the Lindau or Altstadt berth removes the Freising train change.
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Where to stay
Where to sleep
We've picked six hotels — four in Passau's old town and two in Munich for the airport night — in our Passau pre-cruise hotels guide. Hotel König sits on the Fritz-Schäffer-Promenade with the landing stages outside the door; in Munich, the Rosewood and the Mandarin Oriental split the grand choice.
Altstadt (the old-town peninsula)
Cathedral, Rathaus and the Altstadt berths all sit within a walk of each other. Hotel Wilder Mann calls itself 'an ideal central base for guests of Danube boat tours and river cruises', close to the city's boat quays.
Donaulände / Fritz-Schäffer-Promenade
The Danube-side promenade where the old-town cruise berths are. Hotel König stands 'direkt an der Donau', with coach parking right outside the hotel and the landing stages, and the station about 800 m away.
Munich Altstadt (for the night before the train)
Most US guests land at MUC. Forbes puts the Mandarin Oriental 28–35 minutes from the airport and 'just feet from' the Hofbräuhaus; Rosewood Munich is at Kardinal-Faulhaber-Straße 1 in the old town.
All six Passau pre-cruise hotels
Hotel links go to Booking.com; Seabound Journeys may earn a commission at no cost to you. Affiliate disclosure. Prefer us to book the nights with the cruise? Say so in your brief.
The lines
Who starts a cruise in Passau
Boards at Passau
Boards at Vilshofen an der Donau
Lines with published itineraries that start or end here. Each name opens our review.
Calls here mid-cruise
When
The organ concerts run 2 May to 31 October and the Veste Oberhaus museum 15 March to 15 November, so a winter arrival loses both. The Christkindlmarkt by the cathedral ran 25 November to 22 December in 2025; the 2026 dates aren't published yet. Uniworld's late-November and December 2026 Passau berths are still 'TBA'. Low water on Danube sections led Uniworld to post operational-adjustment alerts in 2026, so check your line's notices in the week before you fly.
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Quick answers
Passau river cruise questions
Where do river cruise ships dock in Passau?
At one of three landings run by Stadtwerke Passau or bayernhafen: the old-town quay (berths A1–A14 along Römerplatz and the Fritz-Schäffer-Promenade), Lände Lindau (L1–L4, Franz-Weismann-Straße 1, about 2.5 km downstream) and bayernhafen Passau-Racklau (R1/R2, Danube km 2228). Uniworld's 2026 port list uses Lindau 3. Lüftner says the local authority assigns positions and they can change at short notice.
How do I get from Munich Airport to the ship?
Trainline shows about 30 trains a day from the airport terminal to Passau Hbf (roughly 8 direct), averaging 1 h 50 min with the fastest at 1 h 25. The airport says regional trains to Passau run from Freising, reached by bus 635 or the ÜFEX. Uniworld meets you at MUC only if you booked its transfer; Viking includes transfers when air is booked through Viking.
Is Vilshofen the same as Passau?
No. Vilshofen an der Donau is a separate town upstream where AmaWaterways, Avalon, Riverside and (from 2027) Celebrity start their Danube cruises. AmaWaterways hosts an Oktoberfest-style party in the town square the evening the ship docks. The Vilshofen berth isn't published, so ask your line for the address.
Is one night in Passau enough?
For the essentials, yes. The old town's sights are within walking distance of each other. The cathedral's noon organ concert (May–October) and the 45-minute Three Rivers loop both fit a single day, and Veste Oberhaus is open to 17:00 or 18:00 in season. Many guests sleep in Munich instead and ride the train in.
Should I sleep in Passau or Munich the night before?
Passau if you want the organ and the three-rivers view without a dawn train; Munich if you land late or want a grander hotel. Forbes puts the Mandarin Oriental 28–35 minutes from MUC, and the fastest airport-to-Passau train is about 1 h 25 — so a Munich night costs you a morning, not the cruise.
Can I store luggage in Passau?
The city doesn't publish anything on luggage storage — neither its berth PDF nor its cruise sales guide mentions it. Stadtwerke Passau allows short-term car loading and unloading at Lindau and the old-town berths, and the tourist information sits on the ground floor of the Altes Rathaus tower.
How we checked this page 25 sources
Every fact above comes from a source listed here, checked on October 21, 2026: port and city authorities, the lines’ own pages, the hotels and the rating guides. Where nothing official is published, the page says so rather than filling the gap.
- Stadtwerke Passau — Hafen (berths)
- Passau tourism — Anlegestellen PDF
- Lüftner/Amadeus docking locations
- Uniworld 2026 port locations & boarding times
- bayernhafen cruise brochure Aug 2025
- Munich Airport public transport
- Munich Airport taxi & transfer
- Trainline MUC terminal–Passau Hbf
- Uniworld Grand Highlights 2027 Passau–Bucharest
- Viking Danube Waltz (Budapest–Passau)
- Viking Air transfers
- AmaWaterways — Vilshofen Oktoberfest
- AmaWaterways Romantic Danube
- Avalon Danube Dreams Eastbound (Vilshofen)
- Riverside BV4 (Vilshofen)
- Celebrity River — Vilshofen to Vienna & Budapest (2027)
- Passau Sales & Cruise Guide 2023/24 (PDF)
- Bahn — Weihnachtsmarkt Passau
- Hotel Wilder Mann — location
- Hotel Wilder Mann — Glass Museum
- Hotel König — Lage & Anreise
- Forbes Travel Guide — Mandarin Oriental, Munich
- Rosewood Munich overview
- River Cruise Advisor — Passau (2015)
- Viator Passau