Melk Abbey Tours
Benedictine abbey · Wachau · Lower Austria

Melk Abbey Tours

Every Melk Abbey tour from Vienna, with the abbey ticket marked on each card

Melk Abbey tours take you from Vienna to the Baroque monastery above the Danube, where monks have lived since 1089 and Paul Troger painted the Marble Hall ceiling in 1731. Every card shows whether the €16 abbey ticket is in your fare, so you can book the day that suits you.

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Every tour here refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead, so you can book now and decide later.

1089Monks here since
196 mImperial Corridor
€16Adult abbey ticket

Hours, prices and access verified by the Melk Abbey Tours team — last checked 2026-09-16.

Melk Abbey Tours › Tours & Tickets 2026 Updated: 2026-09-16
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Top Melk Abbey Tours for 2026

The best Melk Abbey tour from Vienna is the one that gives you the abbey the way you want it. Pick yours from these three.

BEST SELLERVienna: Wachau Valley, Melk Abbey Tour with Danube Boat Trip

Vienna: Wachau Valley, Melk Abbey Tour with Danube Boat Trip

★★★★☆ 4.5 (1,607 reviews · 8 hours 30 minutes)

Abbey entry on some optionsLive guideMeets by the State Opera

Board the coach at Operngasse 8 by the State Opera for an hour and a half in Krems, 45 minutes in Dürnstein and then Melk, with the Krems and Dürnstein stops set by the season. In Melk you get an hour of free time and a 75-minute guided tour of the abbey, which is in the fare on winter dates and on the all-inclusive package in summer. From 30 March to 3 November a Danube boat trip joins the day, and the winter dates run without it. Lunch is not included, and the whole day lasts about eight and a half hours.

  1. Depart Operngasse 8, Vienna
  2. Krems an der Donau, 1 hour 30 minutes
  3. Dürnstein, 45 minutes
  4. Free time in Melk, 1 hour
  5. Melk Abbey guided tour, 75 minutes
  6. Return to Vienna

From $136 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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BEST VALUEWachau Day Tour from Vienna | Melk, Dürnstein & Krems

Wachau Day Tour from Vienna | Melk, Dürnstein & Krems

★★★★★ 4.8 (90 reviews · 10 hours)

Abbey ticket not includedLive guideMeets by the State Opera

Leave Operngasse 8 at 8:00 on the lowest-priced Wachau coach day, with two hours in Krems and an hour and a half in Dürnstein. Melk gets the longest stop, two and a half hours, enough to buy the €16 abbey ticket at the gate and walk the rooms at your own pace. A professional guide and a driver run the day, and a free schnapps and non-alcoholic tasting at a Dürnstein distillery is offered along the way. Entrance fees, food and drinks are extra, and the coach is back by the Opera around 18:00.

  1. Depart Operngasse 8, Vienna at 8:00
  2. Krems an der Donau, 2 hours
  3. Dürnstein, 1 hour 30 minutes
  4. Melk, 2 hours 30 minutes
  5. Return to Operngasse 8 around 18:00

From $79 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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TOP RATEDPrivate Day Tour Trip Salzburg Hallstatt and Melk from Vienna

Private Day Tour Trip Salzburg Hallstatt and Melk from Vienna

★★★★★ 4.9 (428 reviews · 13 hours)

Abbey ticket not includedDriver, not a guideYour group onlyVienna hotel pick-up

Door-to-door pickup from your Vienna hotel at 7:30 starts a thirteen-hour private day, by car for up to three or by van for up to seven. Melk Abbey is the first stop, with an hour there, followed by an hour and a half in Hallstatt, a short photo stop at Lake Wolfgang and two and a half hours in Salzburg. An English-speaking driver runs the day, and the itinerary can be changed to suit your party. The abbey ticket and lunch are not in the fare, which is quoted per group.

  1. Hotel pickup in Vienna at 7:30
  2. Melk Abbey, 1 hour
  3. Hallstatt, 1 hour 30 minutes
  4. Lake Wolfgang photo stop, 10 minutes
  5. Salzburg, 2 hours 30 minutes
  6. Return to Vienna

From $898 per group, up to 3

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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Why book with us

Trusted by Thousands of Visitors

⚖

Best Guides

Melk Abbey guided tours here are led by live guides and English-speaking drivers who know the Wachau, and every card tells you which of the two your day has.

✓

Book With Confidence

Every tour here refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours ahead, and each card shows whether the abbey ticket is in the fare before you pay.

☀

Experience of a Lifetime

Troger's ceiling in the Marble Hall, the west view from the balcony and the Danube below the vine terraces: a day you will still be describing at home.

Visit Austria Tripadvisor

FREE CANCELLATION up to 24 hours in advance on every tour listed here.

Everything available

All Melk Abbey Tours & Tickets

Melk Abbey tours and tickets from Vienna, shared and private, with abbey entry marked on every card. Choose the day that fits your party and your pace.

Danube Valley and Melk Abbey Guided Day Trip from Vienna

Danube Valley and Melk Abbey Guided Day Trip from Vienna

★★★★☆ 4.1 (1,603 reviews · 8 to 11 hours)

Abbey entry on some optionsLive guideMeets by the State Opera

Meet at the Opera Fountain on Operngasse 8 for a 9:00 coach into the Danube Valley, with an hour in Dürnstein and a 30-minute boat cruise from April to October. At Melk Abbey you have an hour and a half, and the booking option you pick decides whether admission and a guided tour are in the fare. Guides speak English and Spanish, photo stops break up the Wachau drive, and the coach passes Schloss Schönbühel after Melk. Food, drinks and hotel pickup are extra, and the day runs eight to eleven hours.

From $142 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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From Vienna: Wachau, Melk Abbey, Salzburg and boat trip!

From Vienna: Wachau, Melk Abbey, Salzburg and boat trip!

★★★★★ 5.0 (25 reviews · 13 hours)

Abbey entry not listedLive guideMax 7 guestsVienna hotel pick-up

Hotel pickup in a small van opens a thirteen-hour day with 45 minutes in Dürnstein and 40 minutes at Melk Abbey. After an optional lunch stop come an hour in Hallstatt and two and a half hours in Salzburg, with an optional wine tasting in the Wachau as well. An English-speaking live guide travels with a group of up to seven, and bottled water and parking are covered. Meals and drinks are extra, and the day is not suited to you if you use a wheelchair or travel with children under 4.

From $128 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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Vienna to Hallstatt Trip & Melk Abbey Stop in 20 Languages

Vienna to Hallstatt Trip & Melk Abbey Stop in 20 Languages

★★★★★ 4.6 (50 reviews · 12 hours)

Photo stop outside the abbeyLive and audio guideMeets by the State Opera

Start at the hop-on hop-off stop on Opernring 2 for a twelve-hour coach day that builds up to two and a half hours of free time in Hallstatt. On the way the coach stops for 30 minutes outside Melk Abbey for photographs, then again at Schloss Ort on Lake Traunsee. A live guide speaks English, and an audio guide on your own phone covers 20 languages. Admission fees and lunch are not included, so this is a Hallstatt day that sees the abbey from the outside.

From $102 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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Danube Valley Private Tour with Melk Abbey Skip-the-Line Access from Vienna

Danube Valley Private Tour with Melk Abbey Skip-the-Line Access from Vienna

★★★★★ 4.9 (9 reviews · 8 hours)

Abbey visit includedLive guideYour group onlyVienna hotel pick-up

Your own guide collects you from your Vienna hotel at 8:30 for an eight-hour Danube Valley day that opens with an hour in Dürnstein. From Spitz the river cruise carries you to Melk, where a private 75-minute tour of the abbey closes the sightseeing, and both are in the fare. Wheelchairs, strollers and infant seats are all accommodated, for a party of up to eight. Food, drinks and gratuities are extra, and the fare is quoted per person.

From $741 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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Vienna: Private Tour Wachau Dürnstein and Melk

Vienna: Private Tour Wachau Dürnstein and Melk

★★★★★ 5.0 (11 reviews · 5 to 7 hours)

Abbey ticket not includedYour group only

Set off from Vienna at 9:00 on a short private day of five to seven hours, passing the Domäne Wachau winery on the way. You spend two hours in Dürnstein and two at Melk Abbey, time enough to buy the ticket and see the rooms without hurrying. Bottled water, Mozartkugeln and a glass of sparkling wine each come with the private air-conditioned transport, for a party of up to seven. Entrance fees, food and tips are extra, and bookings start at two people.

From $232 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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Melk, Wine & Dürnstein: A Wachau Private Tour from Vienna

Melk, Wine & Dürnstein: A Wachau Private Tour from Vienna

★★★★★ 5.0 (1 review · 9 to 10 hours)

Abbey ticket not includedDriver, not a guideYour group only

Take a private air-conditioned vehicle from Vienna at 8:00, with an English-speaking driver and only your group on board. The abbey comes early in the day, with two hours at Melk, before a long stretch in Dürnstein and the Wachau. A Göttweig option adds an hour at Göttweig Abbey before the drive back to Vienna. The abbey ticket, lunch and tips are extra, so budget the €16 adult gate price on top of the fare.

From $426 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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3 Castles & Wine Private Tour in Wachau Valley with Melk Church

3 Castles & Wine Private Tour in Wachau Valley with Melk Church

★★★★★ 5.0 (24 reviews · 8 to 9 hours)

Abbey entry not listedLive guideYour group onlyVienna hotel pick-up

A private guide and a separate driver pick you up at your Vienna hotel at 9:30 for a day of eight to nine hours. Two hours at the Klosterneuburg Abbey Treasury come first, with its entrance ticket in the fare, then two hours in Dürnstein and a tasting at a family winery. An hour at Melk Abbey closes the sightseeing before the drive back to Vienna. Lunch and gratuities are extra, strollers are welcome, and bookings start at two people for a party of up to six.

From $490 per person

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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Vienna: Danube Valley Tour with Melk, Dürnstein with wine tasting and boat.

Vienna: Danube Valley Tour with Melk, Dürnstein with wine tasting and boat.

★★★★★ 5.0 (3 reviews · 6 to 7 hours)

Abbey ticket not includedLive guideYour group onlyVienna hotel pick-up

Choose your own start time between 9:00 and 18:00 for a private guided day of six to seven hours from your Vienna hotel. The route opens with an hour at Melk Abbey, then an hour in the Wachau Valley, about ninety minutes in Dürnstein and half an hour in Krems. The luxury vehicle carries bottled water and Wi-Fi, and wheelchairs, strollers and infant seats are all accommodated. The abbey ticket, the €39 Danube boat, lunch from €15 and wine tasting from €10 are paid separately.

From $992 per group, up to 6

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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Private Full Day Trip to Hallstatt ,Salzburg and Melk from Vienna

Private Full Day Trip to Hallstatt ,Salzburg and Melk from Vienna

★★★★★ 4.7 (65 reviews · 11 to 13 hours)

Abbey entry not listedYour group only

Travel by private air-conditioned vehicle from Vienna on a long day of eleven to thirteen hours that ends back at your hotel. Plan on an hour at Melk Abbey, two hours at Traunsee, four in Hallstatt with the Skywalk and four in Salzburg, passing Lake Wolfgang on the way. Bottled water and Wi-Fi on board are part of the day, and the itinerary can be adjusted for your party. The fare covers a group of up to four, and abbey entry is not named among its inclusions.

From $852 per group, up to 4

Free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.

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See all Melk Abbey private tours See all Melk Abbey group tours

A monastery since 1089

About Melk Abbey

Melk Abbey is a working Benedictine monastery on a granite rock above the Danube, where monks have lived without a break since 1089. Its Baroque buildings rose after 1701 under Abbot Berthold Dietmayr to plans by Jakob Prandtauer, and the abbey belongs to the Wachau Cultural Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2000. Join us from the Imperial Staircase to the Marble Hall, the library and the church. We bring together the tours from Vienna that reach it, and mark which fares include your ticket. Start with the three sections below.

History of the Abbey

Margrave Leopold II gave the church and fortress to Abbot Sigibold and monks from Lambach on 21 March 1089. The Baroque rebuild began in 1701, a fire struck in 1738, and the work was finished after the abbot's death in 1739. The abbey opened to tourists in 1960, and the monks still live and pray here, with noon prayer open to you every day.

Opening Hours and Access

Adults pay €16, or €20 with the 50-minute guided tour, bought at the ticket office in the first courtyard. English guided tours run at 10:55 and 14:55 in April and October, with 13:55 added from May to September. Allow at least two and a half hours for the complete visit.

Inside the Abbey

The staircase climbs to the Imperial Corridor, 196 metres long and hung with portraits of rulers, and on to the museum. Troger's fresco crowns the Marble Hall, and the balcony looks west over the Danube before the library. Rottmayr's frescoes fill the church, and the bastion terrace looks down on the park.

Melk Abbey's yellow and white facade on its wooded rock, seen from belowDürnstein's blue church tower and the castle ruin above the DanubeStone-walled vine terraces turned gold in autumn, the river valley beyond
What you will see

Named Highlights of a Melk Abbey Visit

The rooms and terraces your visit is built around, from Troger's ceiling to the pavilion in the park.

The Marble Hall

Paul Troger's ceiling fresco of 1731 shows Pallas Athena and Hercules, above door frames of Adnet and Untersberg marble.

The Balcony

Between the Marble Hall and the library, it opens the west view over the town of Melk and the Danube.

The Library

Two rooms furnished in 1735 with about 16,000 books on view. Partition walls close part of each room in stages until the end of 2027.

The Abbey Church

Rottmayr's frescoes, Troger's altar paintings and the pulpit and high altar designed by Galli-Bibiena, with Saint Coloman's relics in the left transept.

The Northern Bastion

A panoramic terrace with the Wachau Lab, an exhibition made by students, and stairs down to the park.

The Abbey Park

Open from April to October, with the garden pavilion that Johann Wenzel Bergl painted in 1763 and 1764.

Plan your visit

Everything You Need Before You Go

Every tour here leaves from Vienna, by the State Opera or from your hotel. On your own, the walk from Melk railway station to the abbey takes 10 to 15 minutes through the town centre, with regular trains from Vienna and St Pölten. Drivers follow the STIFT MELK signs to the car park on Stiftsstraße, free with a validated admission ticket.

Plan the journey

From 1 April to 31 October 2026 the abbey opens 9:00 to 17:30, last admission 17:00, and from 2 November to 6 January 10:00 to 16:30. Adults pay €16, or €20 with the guided tour, and a family ticket is €32. You buy at the ticket office in the first courtyard with no reservation; only groups reserve ahead.

Read the visitor guide

At the Melk weather station July averages a 26.6 °C maximum and January 2.8 °C. July has about 266 hours of sunshine and December 56, and May to August is the wettest stretch. The abbey park opens only from April to October, so bring a warm layer for the winter visit and a hat for the summer bastion.

Check the weather

A lift runs from the car park to the entrance level, and a level path leads on from there. The abbey lends wheelchairs by reservation on +43 2752 555 232, and accessible restrooms are in the first courtyard and at the restaurant. The garden pavilion interior and the mineral collection have no step-free access.

Read the access guide

Straight answer

Do You Need a Tour for Melk Abbey?

Not for the abbey itself. Melk Abbey tickets are sold at the ticket office in the first courtyard, and an individual visitor needs no Melk Abbey reservation; only groups book ahead. Melk Abbey ticket prices for 2026 are €16 for adults, €20 with the guided tour and €32 for a family, and the town has regular trains from Vienna.

What a tour adds is the Wachau around it: Dürnstein and Krems, a boat on the Danube in summer, and a whole day with no timetable to watch. Melk Abbey booking works in two parts, the tour and the abbey's own ticket, and most fares leave the ticket to you, so every card says whether yours includes it.

See Top Tours  Melk Abbey without a tour

Book with free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead on every fare, and a change of plan costs you nothing.

Which one is me

Choosing the Right Day for You

The comparison table below sorts every tour. This picks one for you.

You want the abbey visit in the fare

The Danube Valley private tour puts a private 75-minute abbey tour and the cruise from Spitz to Melk in its price. On the Wachau coach days with a boat, the guided visit comes with the right booking option.

You want the lowest fare

The Wachau day tour from Vienna starts at $79 and gives you two and a half hours in Melk. Buy the €16 ticket at the gate and see the rooms at your own pace.

You want only your party

Private Melk Abbey tours collect you from your Vienna hotel or agree a start, and keep the car or van for your group. Some fares are per person and some per vehicle, so compare the basis before the price.

You want Hallstatt and Salzburg too

The private Hallstatt and Salzburg days give Melk about an hour, and the Hallstatt coach stops outside the abbey for 30 minutes of photos. Pick a Wachau day if the abbey rooms matter most.

You want a boat on the Danube

The Wachau coach days add a Danube boat in their summer season, and the Danube Valley private tour cruises from Spitz to Melk in the fare. On the private day with a start time you choose, the €39 boat ticket is paid separately.

You use a wheelchair or a stroller

The abbey has a lift from the car park and a level path to the rooms. The Danube Valley private tour and the private day with a start time you choose list wheelchair access.

Compare

Which Melk Abbey Tour Is Right for You?

Most reviewed first. Choose on the Best-for column more than the fare, because a coach day of Melk Abbey guided tours with a boat answers a different trip from a private run to Hallstatt.

TourRatingFareLengthBest for
Vienna: Wachau Valley, Melk Abbey Tour with Danube Boat Trip4.5From $136 per person8 hours 30 minutesFirst-time visitors who want a guided abbey visit and a boatBook
Danube Valley and Melk Abbey Guided Day Trip from Vienna4.1From $142 per person8 to 11 hoursSpanish speakers who want a coach day with a cruiseBook
Private Day Tour Trip Salzburg Hallstatt and Melk from Vienna4.9From $898 per group, up to 313 hoursFamilies adding Hallstatt and Salzburg in their own carBook
Wachau Day Tour from Vienna | Melk, Dürnstein & Krems4.8From $79 per person10 hoursBudget travellers who want the longest time in MelkBook
Private Full Day Trip to Hallstatt ,Salzburg and Melk from Vienna4.7From $852 per group, up to 411 to 13 hoursParties of four who want long stops in Hallstatt and SalzburgBook
Vienna to Hallstatt Trip & Melk Abbey Stop in 20 Languages4.6From $102 per person12 hoursHallstatt-first travellers happy to see the abbey outsideBook
From Vienna: Wachau, Melk Abbey, Salzburg and boat trip!5.0From $128 per person13 hoursTravellers who want Salzburg and Hallstatt in a small vanBook
3 Castles & Wine Private Tour in Wachau Valley with Melk Church5.0From $490 per person8 to 9 hoursWine lovers who want a guide, a treasury and a tastingBook
Vienna: Private Tour Wachau Dürnstein and Melk5.0From $232 per person5 to 7 hoursCouples who want a short private day without a rushBook
Danube Valley Private Tour with Melk Abbey Skip-the-Line Access from Vienna4.9From $741 per person8 hoursWheelchair users who want the abbey and cruise in the fareBook
Vienna: Danube Valley Tour with Melk, Dürnstein with wine tasting and boat.5.0From $992 per group, up to 66 to 7 hoursLate risers who want to choose their own start timeBook
Melk, Wine & Dürnstein: A Wachau Private Tour from Vienna5.0From $426 per person9 to 10 hoursPrivate parties who want two unhurried hours at the abbeyBook
Buy the ticket to go inside the abbey, he says: the interior was the best part. The guide and the driver answered every question he had.Clinton · Melk Abbey group tour · Melk, Dürnstein and Krems
The tour ran in English, but the guide checked whether an Italian abbey tour was running and added them to it.Roberta · Melk Abbey group tour · Wachau with a Danube boat
A long day, she warns, but a comfortable one in a van of their own, and the privacy made the hours easier.Christine L. · Melk Abbey private tour · with Hallstatt and Salzburg
What to expect

How a Melk Abbey Day Runs

1

Choose your day and date

Pick a shared coach from the State Opera or a private car from your hotel. Every fare refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead.

2

Be at the kerb early

Shared days leave Operngasse 8 at 8:00 or 9:00; for the 9:00 coach, arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. Private days collect you from 7:30.

3

Walk the abbey

Buy your ticket in the first courtyard unless your fare includes it, or join a guided visit of about 50 minutes. Photos are fine outdoors, not in the rooms.

4

Back in Vienna

Wachau days run about eight to eleven hours. Days that add Hallstatt and Salzburg run up to thirteen, with Melk as the first stop.

Traveller reviews

Melk Abbey Tours Reviews

Travellers' own words about the guides, the abbey and the long days out of Vienna, with the stars each gave. The mixed voices are here too, because they help you choose.

★★★★★

Melk Abbey group tour · Melk, Dürnstein and Krems

Buy the ticket to go inside the abbey, he says: the interior was the best part. The guide and the driver answered every question he had.

Clinton · Canada · September 2026

★★★★★

Melk Abbey private tour · with Hallstatt and Salzburg

Melk Abbey came first, and nothing prepared them for the Baroque interior. They had time to take it in without rushing.

John M. · Family · July 2026

★★★★☆

Melk Abbey group tour · Danube Valley by coach and boat

There were many stairs and steep boat ramps. With a cane she managed, but it was hard going, and the return to the coach felt hurried.

Sharon K. · Traveller · September 2025

★★★★★

Melk Abbey group tour · Wachau, Melk and Salzburg

He was the only person booked that day, and the tour still ran. The guide explained every place clearly and drove safely through the long journey.

Kenneth · Solo traveller · Singapore · December 2025

★★★★★

Melk Abbey group tour · Melk, Dürnstein and Krems

She travelled with her grandmother, and found the whole day accessible and well organised. The towns were well worth seeing, and she liked the way the day was put together.

Anastasia · Family · Australia · September 2026

★★★★★

Melk Abbey private tour · Dürnstein and Melk

The driver talked them through the sights as well as the wines. The ride was comfortable, and the day stayed a good one in spite of the rain.

Martha E. · Traveller · September 2025

★★★★☆

Melk Abbey group tour · Hallstatt, with a stop at Melk

The coach was comfortable and the audio guide worked well. Outside one place in Hallstatt, though, a good meal was hard to find.

Malgorzata · Poland · July 2026

★★★★★

Melk Abbey private tour · with the abbey visit included

Their guide Robert knew his homeland deeply. He looked after the older passenger in their party with real care all day.

Tammy E. · Traveller · August 2024

★★★★★

Melk Abbey group tour · Wachau with a Danube boat

The older guide was kind and easy to understand. Dürnstein could have had a little longer, but the rest of the timing worked.

Yuka · Traveller · September 2026

★★★★★

Melk Abbey private tour · castles and wine

A private van carried just the four travellers in their group. Their guide tailored the whole tour to them.

John B. · Small group · July 2026

Read all reviews

Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need tickets for Melk Abbey?
Yes. Melk Abbey charges admission: €16 for adults in 2026, or €20 with the 50-minute guided tour. You buy it at the ticket office in the first courtyard, and only groups must reserve.
How much do the day tours from Vienna cost?
Shared group days start from about $79 per person and run to about $142. Private tours start from about $232 per person, and some are priced per vehicle instead. Each card shows its fare and which way it is priced.
Which Melk Abbey tours include the abbey ticket?
The Danube Valley private tour includes a private tour of the abbey. The Vienna Sightseeing Wachau coach days include it on a booking option. On most other tours you buy the ticket yourself, and the Hallstatt coach stops outside for photos only.
How much are Melk Abbey ticket prices in 2026?
Adults pay €16, families €32, and pupils and students up to 27 pay €8. Groups of 20 or more pay €15 each, and the guided tour adds €4. A park-only ticket costs €5.50.
Do I need a booking or reservation for the abbey?
Not as an individual visitor. You buy your ticket on the spot and can join the next guided tour. Groups must reserve in advance with the abbey's tours office.
What are Melk Abbey's opening hours?
From 1 April to 31 October 2026 it opens 9:00 to 17:30, with last admission at 17:00. From 2 November to 6 January the hours are 10:00 to 16:30. From 7 January to 19 March 2027 you can visit on a guided tour only.
How long do you need at the abbey?
The abbey recommends at least 2.5 hours for the complete visit. The guided tour itself takes about 50 minutes, so a short tour stop covers the highlights and little more.
What time are the English guided tours?
From May to September they start at 10:55, 13:55 and 14:55. In April and October they run at 10:55 and 14:55, and from November to March at 11:00, 13:30 and 15:00.
How do Melk Abbey tours from Vienna work?
Most group days meet beside the Vienna State Opera and last 8 to 13 hours. Most private tours collect you from your hotel. Many pair Melk with Dürnstein and Krems, and some add Hallstatt or Salzburg.
Can you take photos inside the abbey?
No. Photos and video are not allowed in the interior rooms. You can take private photos on the balcony, in the courtyards and the park, and on the Northern Bastion.
Is the library open during the restoration?
Yes, the library stays open. From April 2026, partition walls close parts of its two rooms in stages, and the work runs to the end of 2027.
Can I cancel a tour if my plans change?
Yes. Every tour we list refunds in full if you cancel at least 24 hours before it starts. Cancel through the platform you booked on.
Are there private tours to Melk Abbey?
Yes. Private days from Vienna run from a five-hour Wachau tour to a thirteen-hour day with Hallstatt and Salzburg. Most collect you from your hotel, and some send a driver rather than a guide.
Is the abbey wheelchair accessible?
Mostly. A lift runs from the car park to the entrance level, staff help with the rest, and you can borrow one of two wheelchairs by reservation. The garden pavilion interior and the mineral collection are not accessible.
Is there a Danube boat on the tours?
On some. The Vienna Sightseeing Wachau coach days add a boat in their summer season, and the Danube Valley private tour sails from Spitz to Melk. One private day lists the boat ticket as an extra.

See all FAQs

Photographs

Melk Abbey Gallery

The deck of a Danube boat flying the Austrian flag, with Dürnstein aheadDürnstein and its hillside reflected in the Danube on a clear morningThe Steiner Tor, the old town gate of Krems, with its tower and two round turretsA cobbled lane of old houses in Dürnstein, with iron shop signsVineyards in early spring below a wooded hillThe castle ruin on the crag above Dürnstein's rooftops and blue tower

View full gallery

Around your visit

Beyond the Tours

Three things for the hours around the abbey. The day in full is in the Melk Abbey and Wachau day trip guide.

Göttweig Abbey

Another Benedictine abbey across the Danube from the Wachau. A Melk and Göttweig combination ticket costs €27, sold at the abbey counters and at partners.

Noon prayer

The monks pray in the abbey church every day at 12:00, and visitors may join without a reservation. Vespers follow at 18:00.

By bike along the river

The abbey sits on the Danube Cycle Path, with bike parking at the abbey, so you can ride part of the Wachau before or after your visit.

Read before you go

Melk Abbey Travel Guides and Advice

Read all posts  Planning guides

Where it is

Visitor Information for Melk Abbey

Benediktinerstift Melk (Melk Abbey)
Abt-Berthold-Dietmayr-Straße 1, 3390 Melk, Austria

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Name

Benediktinerstift Melk, the Benedictine monastery of Melk, known in English as Melk Abbey.

Address

Abt-Berthold-Dietmayr-Straße 1, 3390 Melk, Lower Austria. Drivers park on Stiftsstraße.

Opening hours

9:00 to 17:30 from April to October 2026, 10:00 to 16:30 from 2 November, with guided visits only from 7 January to 19 March 2027.

Where the tours start

Shared days meet by the Vienna State Opera; private days collect you from your hotel. Every route is on how to get to Melk Abbey.

Book Your Melk Abbey Tour

Check whether the abbey ticket is in the fare and where the day starts, then pick your date. Fares start at $79 a head, your Melk Abbey booking through these pages costs the same as booking direct, and every reservation refunds in full up to 24 hours ahead.

See Top Tours