Danube water levels in October

Right now a Danube cruise in October 2026 has a 19% chance of sailing as planned past the shallowest stretch: high risk. This comes from the live forecast and is updated every morning.

Affected rarely means canceled. On the Danube it means ship swaps or bus days on the shallow reach between Straubing and Vilshofen and through the Wachau valley.

October is the month that varies most: when autumn rain arrives, the rivers recover quickly and the gorge scenery is at its best. The five-year record below shows how often that happens.

Across thirty years of records, October ran as planned on the Danube in about 47% of years, 11th calmest of the twelve months. The calmest months here are May and April; September and October lean hardest on the rain.

The last five Octobers, from the official record: 2025 7 low water days · 2024 clear · 2023 23 low water days · 2022 clear · 2021 4 low water days. Recent Octobers split: 2024 and 2022 stayed clear, while 2025, 2023 and 2021 hit low water.

Sailing on specific dates? The cruise checker scores your exact window, day by day. For the whole season, see when to go or the full Danube page.