Passau–Budapest: The Journey’s Sequence of Cities
A sample eight-day itinerary published for 2026 by Viking connects Passau with Budapest and travels through Germany, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. Passau accounts for the first two days of the trip, followed by Linz, Krems, Vienna and Bratislava. The final two days are devoted to Budapest. This route brings together several Central European cities on a relatively short Danube cruise; according to the operator, the sequence and shore excursions may vary by departure.
The Lower Danube and the Danube–Black Sea Canal
A considerably longer itinerary is offered by CroisiEurope on its nine-day Budapest-to-Oltenița cruise. After Mohács in Hungary and Osijek in Croatia, the route passes through Novi Sad and Belgrade, then through the Iron Gates to Ruse in Bulgaria. The ship then sails via Oltenița and Cernavodă/Fetești to the Danube–Black Sea Canal and Constanța on the Black Sea coast. The return journey follows the canal as far as Cernavodă; passengers disembark in Oltenița on day nine. This cruise therefore covers both the Lower Danube and a dedicated section of the canal, and does not travel as far as the Danube Delta.
Compare sample itineraries by length and route
The two offerings differ not only in their duration—eight versus nine days—but, above all, in the stretches of river they cover: Passau–Budapest focuses on Central European cities, while the longer cruise from Budapest reaches the Black Sea via the Balkan countries. The CroisiEurope page lists departures for 2027; these are specific dates for the offering in question, not a general seasonal calendar. Comparing the ports of embarkation and disembarkation, along with the actual canal or river sections covered, therefore reveals more than the number of travel days alone.
