This direction starts aboard ship in Berlin and ends in Hamburg, with Berlin explored on Day 2 and Hamburg's harbor tour saved for the final full day. All inclusions and the locations remain the same.
A 15-day, 14-night guided bike and boat tour connecting two of Germany's most different cities: the maritime port of Hamburg and the capital, Berlin. Eleven days of easy, mostly flat cycling trace rivers, canals, and heathland through Lüneburg, the Altmark, and the Havel lake country, with guided city walks in Hamburg, Magdeburg, Brandenburg an der Havel, and Berlin along the way. A rest day in Wolfsburg includes a Volkswagen factory tour at the Autostadt. Every night is spent aboard the Clair de Soleil, a 14-cabin premium-class ship, with breakfast, a packed lunch on riding days, and most dinners included.
We board the Clair de Soleil in Berlin from 2 pm, where a welcome meeting, bike fitting, and safety briefing get the trip started. Dinner is served on board once everyone’s settled into their cabins.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
Our first day can be spent however you like: an optional ride along the Havel and Lake Tegel or past the Spandau Citadel for those keen to start cycling, or independent exploring around the Brandenburg Gate and Museum Island for everyone else. The ship stays docked in Berlin overnight.
Cycling: 35 km (21 mi), optional
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
We set off along the Havel’s lakes and rivers, crossing the Glienicke Bridge, nicknamed the Bridge of Spies for the Cold War prisoner exchanges once staged here, and passing Peacock Island, a UNESCO-listed landscaped park in the middle of the Havel, along with the House of the Wannsee Conference. A ferry across the Großer Wannsee carries us on toward Potsdam.
Cycling: 23 km (14 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
Potsdam is a city of palaces built as the summer residence of Prussian kings, and we ride past the Templiner See and the island town of Werder, known for its fruit orchards and wine, before a guided walk through Brandenburg an der Havel’s old town. Dinner tonight is on your own.
Cycling: 40 km (24 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
A morning cruise carries us through the Havel region’s lakes and locks before we cycle on past Kirchmöser and Wusterwitzer See, tracing the lock complex that regulates the river’s many channels on the way to Genthin.
Cycling: 38 km (23 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
We cycle through the Jerichower Land, a rural stretch of fields and small villages, passing the Parey windmill and Burg’s medieval churches on the way to Magdeburg, a city on the Elbe known for its cathedral, the oldest Gothic building in Germany, and the Green Citadel, a residential complex designed by the artist Hundertwasser. A guided walk introduces us to both.
Cycling: 55 km (34 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
Today’s longer ride follows canals and waterways toward Wolfsburg, a city built almost entirely around the Volkswagen factory that’s given it its name, while the ship cruises ahead to meet us.
Cycling: 59 km (36 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
Bikes stay on board today as we visit the Autostadt, Volkswagen’s visitor park beside its Wolfsburg factory, with a factory tour included. There’s also time to explore Wolfsburg Castle, the city’s art museum, or the Allerpark on your own. Dinner tonight is on your own, with plenty of options in town.
Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
We ride on from Wolfsburg past the centuries-old Isenhagen Convent and the Weißes Moor nature reserve, a protected raised bog, on a full day in the saddle through quiet countryside.
Cycling: 46 km (28 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
Today’s ride continues through the Lüneburg Heath, with a stop in Uelzen to see its railway station, designed by the Austrian artist Friedrich Hundertwasser in his signature style of curved lines and mismatched tiles. Bodenteich Castle marks another highlight before we reach Bad Bevensen.
Cycling: 46 km (28 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
We follow the Ilmenau River north, passing through Bienenbüttel and its sculpture trail, along with St. Michael’s Church and the historic Medingen Convent, on a gentle riverside ride toward Lüneburg.
Cycling: 26 km (16 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
The morning is spent exploring Lüneburg’s historic salt-trading old town, with entrance to the German Salt Museum included, before an afternoon ride through the Lüneburg Heath, a protected expanse of heather and juniper unlike anything else in northern Germany. The ship passes through the Scharnebeck boat lift, a striking piece of engineering that raises vessels 38 m (125 ft), on its way to meet us.
Cycling: 43 km (26 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
Our last full day of cycling crosses the Vier- und Marschlande, Hamburg’s rural marshland district of dikes, canals, and market gardens, with a shorter or longer route option into the city. Along the way, we stop at the Rieck Haus open-air museum, and where conditions allow, ride through the historic Old Elbe Tunnel underneath the river.
Cycling: 40 km (24 mi) or 52 km (32 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
A guided city tour introduces us to Hamburg’s port city character, from the Speicherstadt, a UNESCO-listed warehouse district built on wooden piles above the water, to the Elbphilharmonie, the glass-topped concert hall that’s become the symbol of the modern harbor. The afternoon is free to explore further on your own, or add on a visit to Miniatur Wunderland, before we gather for a shared farewell dinner.
Meals: Breakfast, dinner
Accommodation: Clair de Soleil ship
We disembark in Hamburg after breakfast, by 9:30 am, bringing two weeks of rivers, heathland, and history across northern Germany to a close.
Meals: Breakfast
Included:
Add-ons (pricing shown at checkout):
Not included:
In order to join this Hamburg-Berlin bike and boat tour, just basic fitness is required. The most you’ll cycle within a day is up to 59 km (36 mi), on flat terrain, with a rest day built in, and no obligation to ride every day.
If you’d prefer to cycle independently and at your own pace, you’re welcome to complete the routes on your own using our detailed cycling map and the handy Ride with GPS app. For more detailed information, check out the day-by-day itinerary—keep in mind that cycling route distances in the itinerary are approximate.
E-bike rental is available and encouraged, as this is a holiday and you should fully enjoy it.
This tour is especially well suited to travelers who enjoy active days at an easy pace, appreciate smaller ships, and a personal atmosphere, and like the idea of combining guided cycling with time to explore independently. It is also a good fit if you are curious about Germany beyond the best-known cities, but still want the comfort of a clear daily program, an experienced tour leader, and the option to stay on board when you prefer a quieter day.
Want to see what else is there in the area? Discover more Germany bike tours here!
Here’s a list of the equipment you need to bring:
Got everything you need? Grab your gear through Active Junky and earn cash back on top outdoor brands — plus a $10 bonus on your first $25+ purchase. Shop now at Active Junky!
Yes—this is an e-bike-only tour, so a rental is the way to go, and you can add it to your booking at checkout.
The e-bike is typically a Flyer Go Tour6 3.40, with Shimano Nexus 5 gears, five levels of pedal-assist, and hand brakes. The Bosch PowerTube 500 battery is integrated into the frame, and it comes with frame and seat suspension, a gel seat adjustable for height, a lock built into the frame, and puncture-resistant tires—built for comfortable, dependable riding day after day.
Bringing your own bike or e-bike isn’t possible on this ship, due to limited space on deck—exceptions are only made for special bikes, and only if arranged with your guides well in advance. Family-friendly options like children’s bikes, tandems, and trailers can also be arranged on request, if needed.
Group sizes and pricing
Berlin-Hamburg bike & boat tours can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements
If your group has participants under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
Yes, of course! Non-cycling guests are more than welcome to join. The price stays the same, as all inclusions are identical apart from the guided cycling tours themselves. Our tour guides can give you tips on how to enjoy your holiday without taking part in the daily rides—and while the boat travels between harbours, you can simply relax and enjoy the peace and quiet on board. It’s a lovely option for mixed groups!
The price for this Berlin-Hamburg bike & boat tour is based on twin-share cabins, but a single occupancy cabin can be arranged at an additional fee. You can add it to your booking at checkout.
Solo travelers are welcome to join, but securing a single occupancy cabin for themselves is mandatory—you’ll be able to add it to your booking at checkout. It’s not possible to join as a solo traveller and share a cabin with another guest.
The starting point of this tour is either Hamburg or Berlin, depending on your chosen direction. To get there, most people fly into Hamburg Airport (HAM) or Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). From there, you can take a shuttle service, public transport, or rent a car to reach the ship’s dock.
You will meet your guide and board the Clair de Soleil at 4 pm in Hamburg, or at 2 pm in Berlin, on Day 1.
We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with insurance. To make your booking and traveling experience as carefree as possible, you’ll be offered to simply insure your trip with Redpoint at checkout.
Redpoint—the official 57hours insurance partner—tailors protection packages for adventure travel, offering a comprehensive travel program, even in remote locations! Trip cancellation, natural disasters, pandemic coverage, medical evacuation, primary medical expenses—regardless of the travel interruption that may happen, Redpoint will have you covered.
The price of the tour includes the 5 euro SGR Insolvency Protection. This is mandatory consumer contribution called the SGR insolvency protection guarantee scheme.