About Activity
This is not a standard sightseeing trip — it is a journey through the soul of Austria, told through its wine. In one day we travel 2,000 years, through three very different tastings: standing in the wine shop of a 900-year-old abbey, sitting in a cellar where Cistercian monks worked from 1171, and finally at a village table with a small Wachau grower, glass in hand.
Between them we follow the Danube into the Wachau, a UNESCO valley of terraced vineyards, apricot orchards and medieval villages, and walk through Dürnstein beneath the castle where Richard the Lionheart was once held prisoner.
You travel with two of us. Jenny, your guide, is a historian with a Master's degree in cultural heritage and 15+ years of guiding — she stays beside you all day. Vlad drives and parks, so you are dropped right at the entrances.
The pace is unhurried, the day is entirely private, and we reshape it around what you love. And Jenny photographs you along the way — the pictures are our gift.
Includes
- Wines tasted with a local grower in Dürnstein
- Private guide and separate private driver — the two of us, all day
- Private air-conditioned vehicle, hotel pickup and drop-off
- Cellar visit and seated tasting at Schloss Gobelsburg (or alternative estate)
- Klosterneuburg Abbey entrance (church + Treasury) and tasting of three wines
- Bottled water, Wi-Fi on board
Stop At: Stift Klosterneuburg Admission Ticket:
Tickets are included We begin our journey at the majestic Klosterneuburg Abbey, founded in 1114. This isn't just a winery; it's a piece of Austrian imperial history.
First, we visit the Imperial Treasury to see the "Archducal Hat" (the crown of Lower Austria) and learn how the Babenberg dynasty and the Habsburgs shaped this region.
The Roots of Wine: You will discover how medieval monks laid the foundation for Austrian viticulture.
The Tasting: We conclude the visit with a curated tasting of 3 wines from the monastery’s estate, comparing varieties from the Vienna region and the Danube Valley.
Stop At: Weingut Schloss Gobelsburg Admission Ticket:
Tickets are included Cistercian monks made wine here from 1171. A full cellar visit among centuries-old casks, followed by a proper seated tasting. If the estate is mid-harvest or closed on your date, we take you to another family winery of the same calibre — often Nikolaihof, built on Roman foundations. We confirm before your tour.
Stop At: Durnstein A guided walk through the blue-towered village beneath the castle where Richard the Lionheart was imprisoned. Lunch at your own pace, then the part we love most: we sit down with a local grower, order a spread of Wachau wines, and Jenny walks you through every glass.
Stop At: Vienna After a day full of flavors and impressions, sit back and relax. Your private driver will take you safely back to your hotel in Vienna.
Specialized infant seats are available Not recommended for pregnant travelers Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller Suitable for all physical fitness levels For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Reviews
A Journey of Wine and HistoryFarAway35047207476
This tour was absolutely amazing and was such a memorable experience I will take with me for the rest of my life. If you also enjoy learning about the history of Vienna, and medieval history this tour is for you.
Jenny was an excellent tour guide and extremely knowledgeable about both history and wine-her ability to intertwine both while visiting the sites is experiencing both a journey and a story at the same time.
My favorite parts of the tour were visiting Schloss Goblesburg and Dürnstein-two areas rich with medieval history, and walking through these areas makes it feel like you’re walking in a fairytale. I promise you if you book this, you won’t be disappointed.
A genuine dream come true tourLaurene_T
What an absolutely incredible day! Jenny was such a wonderful hostess, it was genuinely like spending the day with your new best friend. I had expected a fun day, but the experience we got was so far above and beyond anything I could have dreamed of. We were truly blown away by the magical experience we had, thanks to Jenny and the wonderful people she introduced us to. To have such a private and personalized experience from start to finish was an absolute dream come true. I cannot recommend this tour enough, you will feel like such a VIP, and create lifelong memories you’ll never forget. I want to gate keep some of the amazing experiences we had during our tour because it was just that magical! If you can only splurge on one thing for your trip to Vienna, THIS is it!! If you love wine and culture, to be immersed in the true culture of a country, away from the city, please do not hesitate to book this tour and ask for Jenny!
An absolute dream come true tourlolo321512
What an absolutely incredible day! Jenny was such a wonderful hostess, it was genuinely like spending the day with your new best friend. I had expected a fun day, but the experience we got was so far above and beyond anything I could have dreamed of. We were truly blown away by the magical experience we had, thanks to Jenny and the wonderful people she introduced us to. To have such a private and personalized experience from start to finish was an absolute dream come true. I cannot recommend this tour enough, you will feel like such a VIP, and create lifelong memories you’ll never forget. I want to gate keep some of the amazing experiences we had during our tour because it was just that magical! If you can only splurge on one thing for your trip to Vienna, THIS is it!! If you love wine and culture, to be immersed in the true culture of a country, away from the city, please do not hesitate to book this tour and ask for Jenny!
A history tour disguised as a wine tourcscajut
I own a travel agency, and I have taken many private tours over the years, including wine tours all over Europe, so I know what to expect in a private wine tour. This private tour was over $1100, which is on the high-end for a European day tour, especially without lunch included.
First off, we were picked up in a standard four-door sedan. A private tour at this cost and with this much driving should be in a comfortable van or at least a luxury sedan. The husband Vlad drove, and the wife-guide Jenny was in the passenger seat, so we were in back.
Jenny has a master's degree in history, and it was clear she was eager to show that off. We understood that she was couching the wine tour in history, but after the first stop, which was 90 minutes seeing Klosterneuburg Abbey followed by a rather short and uninspired wine tasting, we asked about the rest of the day's plans.
We found out we would be going next to Schloss Gobelsburg for a 3-hour cellar tour and tasting, followed by a drive to Durnstein for lunch between 3 and 4 pm.
It is very strange to schedule lunch for so late in the day, and after two wine tastings with no food. We asked if the day could be rearranged. She seemed to think it could be, so we went to Durnstein first for lunch at 12:30.
At lunch, she asked if we wanted to sit alone or if she could join us (what were we to say?). During lunch, we expressed our surprise at the schedule and she became very defensive, which turned the day negatively.
We paid for her lunch. She didn't thank us.
What she didn't tell us until after lunch is that the described tasting with a local grower in Durnstein wouldn't be possible due to the schedule change. Instead, she took us to a wine bar and ordered three basic glasses, then attempted to talk about wine. I'm not convinced she knows a lot about wine (she even said she doesn't drink very much).
After that we left Durnstein without seeing anything or going to the viewing balcony. We then went to Schloss Gobelsburg where she evidently asked the guide to give us a shorter-than-normal tour because he mentioned it a few times. The guide was delightful and provided a wonderful overview in 40 minutes, although Jenny wanted to argue (for reasons I don't understand) that it was actually 90 minutes. I wasn't timing it but I sent a text just before it started so I could see the start and end times. We also enjoyed an informative and thoughtful tasting with the Gobelsburg guide.
I will say that Jenny was quite caring about my husband's walking issues, and carried a seat for him on two of the tours, which was very kind and unexpected.
We had another tour booked with Jenny and Vlad for two days later. But on the way back from this tour, she shared aspects that would make it difficult for my husband, and offered no adjustments. She even suggested we could still cancel for refund if we wanted. So we did.
I am sharing this because I hope Jenny will rethink how she delivers tours and how she interacts with guests. She has deep historical knowledge, but she can't expect most average guests to want that level of information, especially on a wine tour where the focus should be wine.
Knowledgable Guides and Great ExperienceschristopheryZ1762UH
This is an amazing private tour with rich historical background of the places we're visiting provided by Jenny on the drive towards Wachau Valley. The car was spacious and comfortable, driven by Vladimir, Jenny's spouse. Both of them are very fluent in English and very easy to talk to. The trip was well spaced and very organised.
Highlight of the tour would be the Heuriger Rinner, where we had our lunch. Great food, excellent wine/brandy and great people. Had a good time and what a gem of an experience.
This is a great introduction to Wachau Valley and I highly recommend Cozy Travel.
This is a wonderful tour with knowledgeable guides, expertly chosen sites and experiences that could not have been better. I highly recommend this tour.
