An 8-day, 7-night bike and boat tour along the historic Old Salt Road connecting Hamburg, Lüneburg, and Lübeck. Six days of easy, flat cycling follow well-marked routes at your own pace, with a tour leader riding the same course and reachable by phone if you need anything. Highlights include the German Salt Museum in Lüneburg, a guided walk through Lübeck's UNESCO-listed old town, and a ride out to the Baltic Sea at Travemünde. Every night is spent aboard the Florentina, a 48-cabin ship, with breakfast, a packed lunch on riding days, and dinner included. The loop begins and ends in Hamburg.
You board the Florentina in Hamburg on your own schedule during the afternoon, with luggage accepted from 11 am. The ship gets underway around 5 pm toward Geesthacht, and once everyone’s settled in, a welcome meeting and safety briefing cover how the week’s independent cycling routes work before dinner on board.
Meals: Dinner
Accommodation: Florentina ship
Your first day of cycling follows the Elbe toward Lüneburg, with a shorter or longer route option and a stop at the Scharnebeck ship lift, which raises vessels 38 m (125 ft) in a single lift. Lüneburg made its fortune on salt for centuries, and the afternoon is yours to explore its old town, the Am Sande square, and the German Salt Museum, with entrance included.
Cycling: 30 km (18 mi) or 45 km (27 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Florentina ship
Today’s ride follows the Elbe past half-timbered villages, with a stop in Bleckede, once a trading town in its own right, before reaching Lauenburg by afternoon. Lauenburg’s old town rises steeply from the riverbank, its half-timbered houses stacked up the hillside.
Cycling: 35 km (21 mi) or 50 km (31 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Florentina ship
You ride through the lakes and forests of the Lauenburg region toward Mölln, a town that claims the trickster folk hero Till Eulenspiegel as one of its own. From there, the ship carries you on to Lübeck, where St. Nicolai Church and the town’s lakes round out the evening.
Cycling: 34 km (21 mi) or 50 km (31 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Florentina ship
The morning is set aside for Lübeck’s UNESCO-listed old town, with a guided walk past the Holsten Gate and St. Mary’s Church, along with a taste of the marzipan the city has been famous for since the Middle Ages. In the afternoon, you cycle out to Travemünde, Lübeck’s seaside district on the Baltic, before the ship carries you back to Lübeck for the evening.
Cycling: 33 km (20 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Florentina ship
You choose between two routes today: a historic canal path toward Mölln, or a hillier route through the Lauenburg countryside past Gut Schloss Wotersen, a manor house along the way. Either way, you reach the lock at Witzeeze by afternoon, where the ship is waiting.
Cycling: 32 km (19 mi) or 45 km (27 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, dinner
Accommodation: Florentina ship
Your last full day of cycling follows the Elbe through wide river meadows and marshland back to Geesthacht, where you rejoin the ship for its final stretch into Hamburg. The landscape shifts from rural calm to maritime bustle as the ship pulls into the harbor, and a farewell dinner on board closes out the week.
Cycling: 25 km (15 mi) or 64 km (39 mi)
Meals: Breakfast, packed lunch, farewell dinner
Accommodation: Florentina ship
You disembark in Hamburg after breakfast, by 9 am, bringing a week along the old salt road to a close.
Meals: Breakfast
Included:
Add-ons (pricing shown at checkout):
Not included:
In order to join this Hamburg bike and boat tour, basic fitness is required. The most you’ll cycle within a day is up to 64 km (39 mi), on flat terrain, with a shorter route option available every day.
Since this is an independent cycling tour, you set your own pace using the provided map, route descriptions, and GPS tracks—there’s no group to keep up with. A tour leader rides the same route each day and is reachable by phone if you need anything. This is ideal for people who like their freedom, but also love having the support if necessary.
If you prefer not to cycle on a particular day, you’re welcome to stay on board and relax while the ship cruises to the next landing place. E-bike rentals are available as well if you’d like to take it even easier.
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:
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Yes, touring bikes and e-bikes are both available to rent for this Hamburg bike and boat tour and can be added to your booking at checkout. Bike insurance can also be added.
Touring bike — a lightweight aluminum-frame bike fitted with highly responsive handbrakes, at least seven speeds, and a gel seat that adjusts for height. A lock is attached to the frame, and the wheels run on puncture-resistant tires.
E-bike — built on the same lightweight frame, with highly responsive handbrakes and at least seven speeds, plus a 400Wh battery offering three levels of power assistance. The gel seat adjusts for height, a lock is attached to the frame, and the tires are puncture-resistant.
A helmet isn’t included by default, but can be rented, and reserving one in advance is recommended. An optional damage-liability waiver is also available for rental bikes.
Bringing your own bike — you’re welcome to bring your own bike or e-bike, as long as it doesn’t have mirrors or other parts that stick out. Space on board is limited, so reserve a spot in advance—you can tell us you’re bringing your own bike at checkout (charging included if bringing an e-bike). Damage to or theft of your own bike isn’t covered.
This Hamburg bike and boat tour sits between a fully guided trip and a self-guided one. There’s no group riding together at a set pace—you cycle independently each day, following a detailed cycling map, printed route notes, and GPS tracks provided for your cabin.
An experienced tour leader rides the same route as you every day, though not directly alongside you. They’re reachable by phone the whole time, so help is close by if you have a mechanical issue, take a wrong turn, or just have a question.
The tour leader will travel with you on board, and daily briefings before each ride cover the day’s route options and anything worth knowing before you set off.
In short: you get the freedom of cycling at your own pace, minus the worry of doing it entirely on your own.
Group sizes and pricing
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 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 Hamburg. To get there, most people fly into Hamburg Airport (HAM). From there, you can take a shuttle service, public transport, or rent a car to reach the ship’s dock.
You will board the Florentina from 4 pm on Day 1 in Hamburg; luggage is accepted from 11 am if you arrive earlier in the day.
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.