3/5 (5 reviews)

Poland’s Lake District

Poland Bike + Barge Tours

A bike and boat tour in Masuria, Poland

A bike and boat tour in Poland? You asked, we searched, and we found this bike and boat tour in Masuria, the lake district of northeastern Poland. You will pedal through a land of native forests and wide heather plains dotted with storks, villages, and farms, an area of simple, natural beauty with more than 2,000 lakes, connected by countless canals and rivers. This region was selected as one of 28 finalists of the New 7 Wonders of Nature!
Highlights:
- Natural landscape of the Lake District
- Baerenwinkel viewpoint
- Historical sites such as Wolf's Lair
- Boat tour at the Kruttinna
- Boyen Fortress in Gizycko
- Castle of Ryn
Tripsite has personally explored this bike and boat tour and has returned with first-hand information regarding the boat and the routes. This is a tour for those who love the water and the lakeside atmosphere and experience. It is a prime destination for nature and active enthusiasts and for history lovers. It is not a tour for someone who is looking for mainstream Europe, with paved cycling paths, and quaint villages. You will ride on very sandy forest paths through a very rural enviroment that require excellent balance and command of your bicycle. Though electric bikes are available for this tour, this may not be a solution for all. Remember that electric bikes are much heavier than regular touring bikes.
Read our blog on this tour so that you can be fully informed!
We have one other bike and boat tour in Poland. Check it out.
2020
Double/twin cabin - upper deck: $ 1953 £ 961 $ 1,684 € 1065 $ 2004 kr 11934 $ 1,190 Double/twin cabin - lower deck: $ 1770 £ 871 $ 1,526 € 965 $ 1816 kr 10813 $ 1,078 Double cabin/single use (only available on lower deck): $ 2495 £ 1227 $ 2,150 € 1360 $ 2560 kr 15239 $ 1,519
extra options
Touring bike rental to be paid onboard: $ 101 £ 50 $ 87 € 55 $ 104 kr 616 $ 61 Electric bike rental to be paid onboard: $ 303 £ 149 $ 261 € 165 $ 311 kr 1849 $ 184
please note
This tour is operated by a German company and a favorite with German cyclists. Traditionally, the tours have been conducted in German. Many times the guides speak English as well. If a bilingual guide is not available, an exclusive English speaking guide can be brought on board for a supplement and can be shared between two, three, four, people or large groups. The crew speaks limited English but are always willing to learn and understand.
Rates are per person based on double occupancy.
A non-refundable admin fee of 20 Euros per person is included in the deposit amount.
Information to read before you book.
We recommend purchasing bike trip insurance.
† Currency exchange rate set 90 days before travel.
Please see our FAQ.
Travel
Fly to Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport (WAW)
Local Travel
Included in your tour is an arrival or departure transfer either from the airport or the Central Train Station. At the airport, the meeting point is Arrival Hall, meeting point, exit 2. At the train station, the meeting point is the arrival hall of Warsaw Central Train Station. A representative will be waiting with a sign "Masuren - Transfer". Please let us know if your arrival is at another airport, train station, or by car and we can provide more details for you. After the tour, return transfer is provided to Warsaw Airport or train station. Timetable for transfers:
Warsaw - Masuria
Airport Frederic Chopin: 14:30 – arrival railway station Warsaw Central: 14:55
Departure railway station Warszawa Central: 15:00
Arrival in Piaski 19:45
Masuria – Warsaw
Departure Piaski 07:00 – arrival railway station Warsaw Central - 11:45
Departure railway station 11:50 – arrival airport Frederic Chopin 12:20
Times approximate depending on traffic, etc.
Climate
Please check local conditions before your arrival. A good website to use to research average high/low temperatures, average rainfall, and other weather-related information is weatherbase.com.
Recommended
Please pack lightly as space in cabins is limited, measuring 11 m square.
Remarks
This tour is operated by a German company and a favorite with German cyclists. Traditionally, the tours have been conducted in German, but many of the guides do speak English. If an English speaking guide is not available on your tour date, you can request one. The supplement will be shared among the number of participants. Be sure to plan some extra time in Warsaw!
Travel Documents:

Before you travel, please check your country's passport and visa requirements and the passport and visa requirements of the country/countries you plan to visit. For US citizens, the US Department of State website is a good source of information. The Country Information tab in the International Travel section provides details about passport validity, blank passport pages required, etc. For our other international clients, please be sure that you research your own country's travel requirements. It is each traveler's responsibility to insure proper documentation.

Skill Level

Rating a tour is one of the most difficult things that we do. Where one might find a tour moderate, another may call it difficult. Overall, this tour is a moderate tour, but there are some very sandy sections that many will call difficult. Tne terrain varies from flat to rolling hills with a few steeper climbs. The roads that you will cycle are mostly paved, quiet country roads but you will also cycle as well on some very sandy forest and meadow paths. Keep this in mind because if weather is severely dry, or wet, there may be sections where you will need to walk your bike. There is very minimal cycling on roads with traffic, but when entering and exciting towns, some traffic is unavoidable. Daily stages are from 25 to 54 km with a total cycling distance of 260 km. Though electric bikes are available for this tour, this may not be a solution for all. Remember that electric bikes are much heavier than regular touring bikes and actually require a greater command of the bicycle on this varied terrain than the regular touring bikes.

Where You’ll Stay

Accommodation on the "MS CLASSIC LADY, a riverboat with 20 cabins

What’s Included

7 nights accommodation
Breakfasts and dinner
Airport transfers to and from the boat
Bed linens and towels
Harbor, bridge, and port fees
Tour guide
Ferry and punt ride
Entrance fees to the following: Wolfsschanze, Festivals Boyen, Museum of Local History in Zondern, sheep farm, Tarpan station in Popiellnen, Philippine monastery
1 informational packet per cabin

What’s Not Included

Rental bike, 7 gears unisex bike with back pedal brake equipped with one pannier (cost is to be paid directly on board)
Lunches
All beverages
Bicycle Protection
Travel Insurance

Tour	Bike + Boat
Type	Guided
Skill	Moderate–Difficult
Length	8 days
From	€965 Rates
	Tour Reviews

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Tour Dates

2020 Dates:

Fully booked for 2020 season. Waitlist possible. Just ask!

~~July 18, August 8, and September 5, 2020~~

Tour Boats

MS Classic Lady

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Day 1: Arrival in Piaski, Masuria Lake District
Day 2: Bärenwinkel - Johannisburg (Pisz), 28 mi. (45 km)
Day 3: Rhein (Ryn) - Wolf's Lair, 31 mi. (50 km)
Day 4: Lötzen (Gizycko) - Lake Goldapgar, 34 mi. (54 km)
Day 5: Rhein (Ryn) - Zondern - Nikolaiken, 26 mi. (42 km)
Day 6: Nikolaiken - Popiellnen - Piaski, 16 mi. (25 km)
Day 7: Eckertstorf - Kruttinnen - Piaski, 27 mi. (43 km)
Day 8: Individual departure or extension

All distances are approximate. Depending on water levels in the canals, for example, during extended periods of dry weather, the route can be subject to change. However, the characteristics of the tour remain unchanged. Depending on weather and conditions, daily routes may be altered.

Day 1: Masuria
Included group bus transfer will make a stop at the Warsaw airport or Warsaw Central train station and transfer the entir group to the boat. Travel time is approximately 4 1/2 hours from the central train station.Your accommodations for your adventure, the MS Classic Lady, awaits in Piaski, Mazuria in a camp-like setting in the woods. It is a lovely spot for swimming or exploring the lake by canoe. During this first day, you will receive personal tour information and if time permits, hand over of the rental bikes. If this does not occur on the first day, you will receive your bikes the morning of the second day.

Day 2: Bärenwinkel - Johannisburg (Pisz) by bike, Wejsuny - Nikolaiken, by boat, 28 mi. (45 km)
Your cycling adventure begins, leading eastward across Wejsuny, an old East Prussian village, Viewpoint on Lake Spirdingsee, providing a beautiful panorama of the passing sailboats and Devil Island. According to legend, evil spirits still live there. Frederick the Great once built a fortress on the island and today, a few ruins remain. As you cycle, you will pass through Pisz, located at the junction of Lake Roś and the Pisa River, with its gothic town hall and market place. Perhaps you would like to take the time to visit the museum in Pisz which houses a rich collection of fauna and flora from the surrounding area and archeological, ethnographic and historical souvenirs. You can also have an opportunity for swimming! Continuing on, the boat awaits in Wejsuny and will upon boarding, navigate to Nikolaiken.

Day 3: Nikolkaiken - Rhein (Ryn) - Wolfsschanze - Wilkasy, 31 mi. (50 km)
In the morning, the boat takes you to Rhein (Ryn). From here you bike to Wolf's Lair, where you can see the remains of Hitler's military headquarters during World War II. A side trip (adds about 17 km) to Rastenburg (Ketrzyn) with its castle and fortified church is recommended. Finally, you pass meadows, fields, and lonely hamlets until you reach Wilkasy where the MS CLASSIC LADY awaits you.

Day 4: Loop ride, Wilkasy - Lötzen (Gizycko) - Lake Goldapgar - Wilkasy, 34 mi. (54 km)
Lötzen is the water sports center of Masuria. The Boyen Fortress and the church, which was built using the plans of the court architect Schinkel, are worth a visit. The fortress successfully withstood Russian attacks during WWI. In WWII, it was a defensive outpost of Wolf’s Lair and was relinquished to the Red Army without a fight during the 1945 offensive. The biking itinerary leads via Lötzen to Lake Goldapgar and follows the shores via Possessern back to Wilkasy .

Day 5: Wilkasky - Rhein (Ryn) - Zondern - Nikolaiken, 26 mi. (42 km)
Today your day starts with a scenic cruise on the beautiful five-lakes-route to Szymonka. The first part of the bike tour goes to Rhein and its 14th-century castle. You continue to Zondern and along Lake Talty, where you have an amazing view across the Lakes District. Finally, you return to the MS CLASSIC LADY in Nikolaiken and will overnight here.

Day 6: Nikolaiken - Popiellnen - Piaski, 16 mi. (25 km)
Today you can take an extra trip to the swan habitat on Lake Lucknaier (adds about 10 km). Otherwise, you have time for a stroll through Nikolaiken before taking the ferry to Spirding (Wierzba), where you visit Popiellnen (breeding station for the primeval Tarpan horse). Afterward, you cycle through Weissuhnen, where you can visit the beautiful church and through Ruciane Nida back to Piaski. (Alternative you cycle to Lake Niedersee (Ruciane Nida), before returning to the idyllic bay of Piaski).

Day 7: Loop ride, Piaski - Eckertstorf - Kruttinnen - Piaski, 27 mi. (43 km)
Today you cycle to Kruttinen via Eckertstorf (Wojnow) with its Russian Orthodox Old Believer Philipponen convent. In Kruttinen a short boat trip on the Kruttina Stream is recommended! Via Galkowo you cycle back to Piaski and join the MS Classic Lady for the last night on board.

Day 8: Individual departure or extension
Transfer to Warsaw (included in package price) and individual departure or continued stay in the Masurian Lakes District. Group transfer leaves at 7 am.

Perhaps you are looking for other bike and barge tours, or view our full list of bike trips.

Email or Call 800-951-4384 +1 570-965-2064

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Poland’s Lake District

Tour Reviews

Patsy V. 3 months ago Verified Reviewer
The Lake District of Poland is an undiscovered region of outstanding beauty in Poland and Europe - full of forests, farms, WWII history, fabulous food and welcoming Poles! Add a day or 2 in Warsaw with interesting free guided walking tours and you get a good sense of urban and rural Poland.
The itinerary for riding is a spiderweb of forest dirt roads, very challenging sandy farm roads, traffic for short distances on some paved roads, and lovely low traffic paved roads. This trip reqiires diverse biking skills but with an adventurous spirit, lots of rewards.
Boat: MS Classic Lady
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Jean H. 3 months ago Verified Reviewer
The trip was much harder than I expected. The rating was easy to moderate but I felt it was moderate to difficult. Going through the sand and gravel paths was challenging even though I had an e-bike. My first trip was from Bruges to the Amsterdam and I had wonderful experiences on a regular bike. But if this Mazuria lakes district was my first trip, I would not have signed up for a second. The Magnifique 2 was much more comfortable and there was free coffee, tea, and even hot chocolate all day long. On the classic lady, there wasn't even free water. The state rooms were comparable on both trips. But the magnifique had a sitting area where we could gather and talk. On the classic lady, we had to sit at the dining room tables to socialize. The food was good
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Patsy V. 4 months ago Verified Reviewer
Seeing Warsaw and the Poland Lake District, places that few Americans go, was on my list to see. Warsaw was a pleasant surprise with free walking tours in English of the old city restoration. The lakes are scenic and the forests around them lovely. Historically they have been a significant element of Poland's past. The biking was challenging for traditional road bikers but offered a new experience in off-road trails.
Boat: MS Classic Lady
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jean h. 7 months ago Verified Reviewer
The sandy and gravelly trails that we rode through the forests...I felt that the rating of easy to moderate was not quite accurate. I had such a good experience on my first bike trip from Bruges to Amsterdam on a regular bike. But I wouldn't have been able to do this one if I didn't have an e-bike. I even stayed on the boat the 4th and
6th days. Also, on the Bruges trip, coffee, tea, water, and even hot chocolate we're always available. But on this trip, you even had to buy your water at dinner. The breakfasts and dinners were both good everyday and the salads were especially delicious. If this was my first trip, there wouldn't have been a second. Maybe if I didn't have the Bruges trip to compare it to, I would have been more satisfied with this one.
Boat: MS Classic Lady
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Cynthia M. 8 months ago Verified Reviewer
The Classic Lady was a nice barge. It was clean, adequate cabin space, food delicious and staff very nice. This was all good if you just want to go on a barge tour of the Lake District in Poland.
If you want a tour that highlights bicycling, this is not the tour for you. We went to both Cycle and see the area. The routes we were taken on were unsafe and basically unrideable. The course is approximately 80% in the woods on deep sandy, moderately rolling hills. The sand was so deep (4 inches and more) everyone was off their bikes walking. When you did get some cycling going it was a slow go with hands tightly on the handlebars, praying that you didn't fall. Everyone, including our guide, fell at least one maybe 2-4 times. Many get road rash and some hurt shoulders, hips and knees. Several folks only road 2-3 days out of 6 because of the course conditions or because they were hurt.
This is an unfit tour for anyone.
Boat: MS Classic Lady
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