Through the UNESCO world heritage
The UNESCO world cultural site „Upper Middle Rhine Valley“ is a paradise for romantics. Follow the river Rhine through a splendid hilly landscape in which aristocratic developers built many castles and fortresses in the past and where elaborate timber framed houses dominate the lanes of the historical old town. At the same time you will experience a wild romantic landscape which is home of many legends like the Loreley. Your journey from Mainz to the Cathedral City of Cologne is not least a journey with many culinary delights. Along the Rhine grow grapes for excellent wines and the art of cooking is in no way inferior to the skills of local wine growers.
Dates 2025:
MV Olympia
Arrival: Saturday
Duration: 8 days
Mainz-Cologne:
June 07., July 05.
Cologne-Mainz:
June 14., July 12.
Min.number of participants: 75 persons (until 3 weeks prior departure)
1st Day: Arrival to Mainz
Embarkation from 4:00 p.m. There may be time to see the old town of Mainz with its lovely alleys and public squares.
2nd Day: Mainz – Rüdesheim, Cycle tour approx. 32 km
Today we will show you why the river Rhine and its surroundings are part of the UNESCO world cultural heritage. Beauti-ful islands, steep slate rocks and vinyards shape the region around Rüdesheim. By bike you will pass Eltville with its fortress „Kurfürstliche Burg“ and Oestrich-Winkel with its crane for loading wine as a famous landmark and arrive finally in Rüdesheim. Here, the world-famous wine alley „Drosselgasse” is well worth a visit.
3rd Day: Rüdesheim – St. Goar/St. Goarshausen, Cycle tour approx. 32 km
Today you will cycle along the Rhine through the Upper Middle Rhine Valley, passing romantic castles and ruins. These buildings include the fortresses Reichenstein and Rheinstein. The famous rock of the Loreley will also be on your way to St. Goar, your destination for today. From the top of the rock you will have a beautiful view of St. Goar and St. Goarshau-sen.
4th Day: St. Goar/St. Goarshausen – Koblenz, Cycle tour approx. 38 km
Boppard and the Marksburg are possible destinations today on your way to Koblenz with its famous “Deutsche Eck” (German corner), where the rivers Moselle and Rhine are merging. From the fortress Ehrenbreitstein which you can reach comfortably by cableway you will enjoy a fantastic view over the splendid landscape of the Rhine.
5th Day: Koblenz – Andernach, Cycle tour approx. 25 km
Your path will lead you past Neuwied with its castle Engers to Andernach, your destination for today. This city is like Ko-blenz one of the oldest cities of Germany. Here you will find the famous cold-water gush spring, whose water fountain of 50 to 60 meters is said to be the highest in the world. In Andernach you can enjoy sights like the Round Tower or visit the wine village Leutesdorf, which you can reach from Andernach by ferry.
6th Day: Andernach – Bonn, Cycle tour approx. 45 km
On your way to Bonn it is worthwhile to visit in Königswinter castle Drachenburg on the Drachenfels (steep slope) or the Sea Life with its various marine inhabitants. Finally, you will reach Bonn. The former capital of Germany is both cosy and yet cosmopolitan. Numerous global organisations still have their headquarters here and provide the city of Beethoven with international flair.
7th Day: Bonn – Cologne, Cycle tour approx. 37 km
Before you reach Cologne by bike, there is the possibility for a nice rest at the leisure island Groov amidst a vast land-scape of the Rheinaue wetland in the Cologne suburb Porz-Zündorf. Once you have reached the city centre of Cologne, take your time for a stroll through the Old Town. Also worthwhile are one of the museums as well as the modern parts of Cologne, which can be found at the port of the Rheinaue wetland with its crane houses. The breweries with their famous beer “Kölsch” show a relaxed side of this big city.
8th Day: Departure from Cologne
Disembarkation after breakfast at 9:00 a.m.
ITINERARY Cologne-Mainz
1st Day: Arrival to Cologne
Individual arrival to Cologne and embarkation from 4 pm. Enjoy the evening on board or with a Kölsch beer in one of the pubs with a view over the river Rhine.
2nd Day: Cologne – Bonn, Cycle tour, approx. 37 km
Before starting your first cycle tour, take the opportunity to stroll through the Old Town. Afterwards you start your cycling tour to the city of Beethoven, Bonn. This federal city and former capital of Germany still has international flair. On your way it is worthwhile to visit the leisure island Groov amidst a vast landscape of the Rheinaue wetland in the Cologne suburb Porz-Zündorf. In Bonn there are museums like the House of History or the Bundeskunsthalle courting for visitors’ attention and the House of Beethoven, the Rheinaue as well as the Bundesviertel with the path of Democracy are equally worth a visit.
3rd Day: Bonn – Andernach, Cycle tour, approx. 45 km
You will continue towards Andernach by bike today. Königswinter with its castle Drachenburg on the Drachenfels (steep ascent) as well as the Sea Life with aquariums for more than 6.000 sea inhabitants is worth a visit. Your destination for today, Andernach, is famous for the world´s biggest cold water gush spring with its impressive fountain of 60 meter.
4th Day: Andernach – Koblenz, Cycle tour, approx. 25 km
On your way to Koblenz you will find castle Engers in Neuwied. At the famous “Deutsche Eck” (german corner) the river Mosel merges with the river Rhine. Another place of interest is the fortress Ehrenbreitstein which you can also reach by cableway across the Rhine in Koblenz. Tickets for the cableway are available on board.
5th Day: Koblenz – St. Goar/St. Goarshausen, Cycle Tour approx. 38 km
You continue your journey by bike up the river Rhine through the UNESCO world heritage site Upper Middle Rhine Valley. You will pass the romantic fortress Marksburg, the only hilltop castle of middle Rhine which has never been destroyed, as well as the city Boppard with its fortress Kurfürstliche Burg, before you will reach St. Goar. Here you will find the ruins of fortress Rheinfels, which is the biggest of its kind along the Rhine. The fortresses Katz und Maus (cat and mouse) in St. Goarshausen on the other side of the Rhine are also worth visiting.
6th Day: St. Goar/St. Goarshausen – Rüdesheim, Cycle Tour approx. 32 km
Again you will pass very beautiful Rhine castles like Burg Reichenstein and Burg Rheinstein. You will cycle past the famous rock Loreley before you reach Rüdesheim. In Rüdesheim we recommend a city walk around the historical town with its beautiful half-timbered houses. Or treat yourself to a ride on the cable car up to the Niederwald monument. Here you will have a beautiful view over the old town of Rüdesheim and the river.
7th Day: Rüdesheim – Mainz, Cycle Tour approx. 32 km
On your final cycling stage you will find the Rhine at its best. The city Eltville am Rhein with its emblem, the castle Kurfürst-liche Burg, is on your way. Mainz, your destination of today, presents itself with numerous impressive buildings. You may want to visit its cathedral Hoher Dom St. Martin, one of the proud imperial cathedrals of Germany, or the castle Kurfürst-liches Schloss. In the old town you will find attractive alleys and squares like the Augustinerstraße and the Kirschgarten with its lovely timber framed houses and wine restaurants.
8th Day: Departure from Mainz
Disembarkation after breakfast at 9:00am.
Important Information
Schedule and program changes Basically, we reserve the right to make changes of routing and program. In case of flood or low tide, the shipping company reserves the right to bridge parts of passages by buses. In extreme situations, the ship-ping company reserves the right to cancel the journey on short notice. No legal right shall be constituted of both situations. The same applies for officially ordered – previously not announced – repair work on locks or bridges.
YOUR ACCOMMODATION:
ship MV Olympia
Comfortable and cosy river ship with family environment. The ship was refurbished in 2015/2016. The panoramic salon with bar in gentlemen club-style and the bright and friendly restaurant are waiting for you to pass relaxing hours here. A spacious, partly shaded sun deck and storage space for bicycles.
Passenger decks/cabins:
49 outside cabins, comfortable and cosy with en-suite bathroom, hair dryer, telephone, TV, individual air condition-ing/heating, fridge and safe.
Main Deck: 21x 2-bed-cabins (approx. 11m2), panoramic window (not opening windows)
Upper Deck: 22x 2-bed-cabins (approx. 11m2) + four 2-bed-cabins of bigger size at the stern of the ship (= 2-bed-cabins astern: per-ceptive engine and generator noise when ship is in motion and in locks, approx. 12m2, three of them feature twin beds) as well as two single cabins (approx. 9m2). Panoramic windows to be opened.
YOUR BicYcles:
7-speed unisex
E-Bikes
- Quality brand bicycles
- Trekking bikes with back pedal or freewheel
- 8-speed E-Bikes
- pannier bag
- Bike insurance
Please note: We recommend to wear a bike helmet. Onboard selling (limited quantities;brand: UVEX I-VO) € 40,-/piece.
ARRIVAL INFORMATION:
Parking
- Cologne: Car park with an attendant: „Globus-Parkgarage “(to be reserved in advance) – approx. 6 km from berth in Cologne, Fare: approx. € 109,- to € 134,- per week
- Mainz: Car Park at the central station (unguarded, cannot be booked in advance). Parking fee approx. € 55,- per week.
- Return to Cologne by train from Mainz to or the other way in approx. 2 hour, approx. € 15,- per person.
Train station
- Station: Cologne or Mainz
return trip always recommended by train
Airport
- next airport: Cologne (CGN) or Frankfurt (FRA)
- Seven nights in outside cabins with private facilities in the booked cabin category
- Program according to routing
- All charges for harbours, bridges and locks
- Room cleaning every day, changing of towels and bed cloths as necessary
- Welcome-Drink
- Full board consisting of 7x breakfast, 6x lunch package for cycle tours or snack on board (non-cyclists), 6x coffee or tea in the afternoon, 7x 3-course-dinner
- Daily meeting for the cycle tours
- Digital travel documents via GUIBO-App incl. GPS tracks for cycle tours
- Tour guide on board
MV OLYMPIA | Season 1 |
2-bed cabin main deck | 1.249,- |
2-bed cabin single use main deck | 1.624,- |
2-bed cabin astern* upper deck | 1.399,- |
2-bed cabin upper deck | 1.449,- |
1-bed cabin upper deck | 1.499,- |
2-bed cabin single use upper deck | 1.949,- |
*Cabins at rear of the ship; perceptive engine and generator noise (when ship is in motion and in locks)
Discounts additional bed/children – not possible
Additional bookable
Rental bikes | ||
7-speed | 89,- | |
E-Bike | 199,- | |
Bringing own bikes upon request (limited) | 39,- |
Operator: SE-Tours
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