Private Vienna to Mauthausen Tour: Melk Abbey & Dürnstein

Austrian history tour: baroque monastery, concentration camp memorial, medieval riverside town in one day

This private guided tour from Vienna covers Austria's sacred, medieval and World War II history across three major stops in eight hours. Your guide accompanies you from Vienna to Melk Abbey (the largest baroque monastery in Austria), through Mauthausen concentration camp with its audio-guided facility tour, and into the medieval town of Dürnstein on the Danube, with private transportation, bottled water and all entrance fees included. The guided tour of Melk Abbey itself is optional and costs extra; local tastings in Dürnstein are at your own expense.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Melk Abbey, Mauthausen, and Dürnstein

• Arrive at Melk Abbey
• Visit Melk Abbey complex
• Optional guided tour at Melk Abbey
• Drive to Mauthausen concentration camp
• Audio-guided tour of Mauthausen camp
• Drive to Dürnstein medieval town
• Explore Dürnstein old town and shops
• Taste local wines and delicacies
• Hike Lionheart Trail to fortress ruins
• Return to Vienna

The Experience

Your guide picks you up in Vienna and drives 80 km to Melk Abbey, the first stop. The baroque complex—built between 1702 and 1746—dominates the landscape and houses Austria's oldest existing school, the Stiftsgymnasium, founded under the Babenberg Margrave Leopold I around the 10th century. You can walk the abbey grounds freely, and if you want a guided tour of the interior, that's available for an extra fee per person. The abbey is part of the Wachau UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After Melk, the drive continues one hour to Mauthausen concentration camp. An audio guide in multiple languages takes you through the entire facility—barracks, fortifications, watchtowers and the on-site museum. Mauthausen was Austria's largest Nazi concentration camp from August 1938 until liberation by US troops in May 1945; around 200,000 people were imprisoned across the camp and its satellite locations, with more than 100,000 deaths recorded. The site has been a memorial since 1947. This is the emotional center of the day.

The return to Vienna passes through Dürnstein, a medieval town in the Wachau valley and Austria's most famous wine region. You enter through the city-wall archway and have time to photograph the old town hall (a popular wedding venue), Dürnstein Abbey (consecrated in 1372), and the fortress ruins overlooking the Danube. If you want to hike the Lionheart Trail to the fortress—named for King Richard I of England, who was held prisoner here on his way back from the Crusades—your guide can lead that walk. Wine, liqueurs and local sweets are available to buy. The drive back to Vienna follows the Danube.

What’s included

• Private transportation from Vienna in an air-conditioned vehicle.
• entrance fees to Mauthausen concentration camp and Dürnstein.
• bottled water and soft drinks throughout the day.
• audio-guided tour of Mauthausen facility in multiple languages.
• free access to Melk Abbey grounds (guided interior tour is optional and costs extra).

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcome

Operated by TaxiJet OG

Is this one for you?Book this if you're spending a full day in Vienna and want one guide to drive you through three distinct historical periods—medieval monasticism at Melk Abbey, Nazi-era Mauthausen, and Danube River culture—with stops for photos wherever you choose.

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Top questions

What exactly is inside Mauthausen concentration camp that I'll see on the tour?

Mauthausen's facility includes the barracks where prisoners lived, fortifications, watchtowers and a museum documenting camp life. An audio guide in many languages walks you through the entire grounds and explains the history of the camp, which held around 200,000 people between 1938 and 1945.

Is the guided tour of Melk Abbey included, or do I have to pay extra?

Entry to the abbey grounds is free, but a guided tour of the interior is optional and costs extra—€16 for adults, €9.50 for pupils and children. You can walk the exterior and grounds without it.

Can I hike to the fortress ruins in Dürnstein, or is it just a walking tour of the town?

The Lionheart Trail to the fortress ruins is optional. Your guide can lead you on that hike if you want to learn about King Richard I's imprisonment here, or you can spend the time in the town itself photographing the old buildings and tasting local wines and sweets.

How long is the drive from Vienna to Melk Abbey?

The first leg is 80 km and takes about two hours. After Melk, it's another hour to Mauthausen, and then the return to Vienna passes through Dürnstein along the Danube.

What's included in the price, and what do I pay for separately?

The tour includes private transportation from Vienna, entrance to Mauthausen concentration camp and Dürnstein, bottled water and soft drinks, and an air-conditioned vehicle. The guided tour inside Melk Abbey costs extra if you want it, and any food or wine you buy in Dürnstein is at your own expense.

Is this tour wheelchair accessible?

Yes. The vehicle is wheelchair accessible, all areas and surfaces at the sites are accessible, and specialized infant seats are available. Service animals are allowed. The tour is suitable for all physical fitness levels, though the concentration camp involves walking through the facility.