Aare River in the Old City part of Bern, Switzerland. Photo via Wikimedia Commons:Daniel Schwen

Bike rest on kramgasse in Bern, Switzerland. Photo via Wikimedia Commons:Daniel Schwen
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Aare Trail Bike Tour

Germany, Switzerland Bike Tours

Cycle along the Aare River Path

  • The Aare Trail is Switzerland’s first, fully signposted long-distance bicycle route, and it was created in 1995. It is a magnificent tourist attraction that already enjoys an international reputation. The Trail gives you an excellent idea of the variety of landscapes that characterize Switzerland. The starting point lies in the midst of the highest of the Bernese Alps – but don’t panic! The action of the river over millions of years has flattened the path and you can follow it quite easily. As the bike trail winds its way pleasantly along the lanes through woods and meadows, along fertile fields and through isolated villages where the charm of the provinces lives on unchanged, you will also have ample opportunity to see a true picture of everyday Switzerland.

    Highlights:

    • Lakes formed by the Aare – Lake Thun, Lake Wohlen, and Lake Bienne
    • The capital city of Berne
    • The many small towns and villages on the edge of the Jura Mountains
    • The Rhine River and the Rhine Falls

    Want to see more bike tours in Switzerland?

  • 9-Day Tour:

    Season A:   $ 1650 £ 860 $ 1,484 € 998 $ 1713 kr 10734 $ 1,128 Season B:   $ 1816 £ 946 $ 1,633 € 1098 $ 1885 kr 11810 $ 1,242 Season C:   $ 1898 £ 989 $ 1,707 € 1148 $ 1971 kr 12347 $ 1,298 Season D:   $ 1981 £ 1032 $ 1,782 € 1198 $ 2057 kr 12885 $ 1,355 Single Supplement:   $ 395 £ 206 $ 355 € 239 $ 410 kr 2571 $ 270

    Season A: April 30 to May 15 | September 13 to October 4
    Season B: May 16 to May 28 | June 14 to June 26
    Season C: June 1 to June 13 | June 27 to July 3 | August 23 to September 12
    Season D: May 29 to May 31 | July 4 to August 22

    extra options

    2020

    Electric Bike Rental: $ 192 £ 100 $ 173 € 116 $ 199 kr 1248 $ 131

    Return transfer: $ 157 £ 82 $ 141 € 95 $ 163 kr 1022 $ 107 Only Saturdays and Sundays, must be booked in advance

    Children's bicycles available: $ 66 £ 34 $ 59 € 40 $ 69 kr 430 $ 45

     

    Extra nights

    Interlaken  $ 164 £ 85 $ 147 € 99 $ 170 kr 1065 $ 112 Single Supplement  $ 66 £ 34 $ 59 € 40 $ 69 kr 430 $ 45

    Constance  $ 107 £ 56 $ 97 € 65 $ 112 kr 699 $ 73 ​Single supplement  $ 50 £ 26 $ 45 € 30 $ 51 kr 323 $ 34

    Waldshut-Tiengen: $ 81 £ 42 $ 73 € 49 $ 84 kr 527 $ 55 Single supplement: $ 43 £ 22 $ 39 € 26 $ 45 kr 280 $ 29

    Other cities:  $ 141 £ 73 $ 126 € 85 $ 146 kr 914 $ 96 ​Single supplement  $ 50 £ 26 $ 45 € 30 $ 51 kr 323 $ 34

    please note

    Child discount on request

    Rates are per person based on double occupancy.

    Information to read before you book.

    We recommend purchasing bike trip insurance.

    Please see our FAQ.

  • Travel

    Fly to Zurich or Bern airports

    Local Travel

    From Zurich Airport, take the a train to Interlaken. Total trip time is approx. 2.5 hours. From Bern Airport, take a bus to Belp and then a train to Interlaken. Total trip is 1.5 hours.

    Climate

    Average high temp. in °F for Bern is approximately April 54º, May 64º, June 70º, July 75º, August 75º, September 68º, and October 57º.

    Remarks

    Tour can easily be accustomed to your life (i.e. daily mileages, overnight towns)!
    Child and Electric bikes also available for this tour.
    Helmets are not available to rent so you need to bring your own!

Where You’ll Stay

3 star level hotels accommodations including breakfast

What’s Included

  • Overnight accommodations in 3 star level hotels for 8 nights
  • Breakfast
  • Hybrid touring 27 speed bicycle
  • Luggage transport
  • Route descriptions & maps (1 x room)
  • Emergency service hotline
  • GPS tracks
  • Boat trip Interlaken to Thun
  • Boat trip to the Rhine Falls rock
  • Entrance to Rosgartenmuseum Konstanz, including 1 coffee

What’s Not Included

Extra Stay

Extra nights possible

Aare Trail Map

TourBike
TypeSelf Guided
SkillEasy
Length9 days
From€998 Rates
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Tour Dates

2020

Arrivals daily from April 30 to October 4, 2020* 

*August 1 is not possible due to Seenachtfest Konstanz

Skill Level

The route mostly follows well maintained cycle paths and quiet side roads. A few inclines, which are quite manageable for all types of bikers.

Day-To-Day Itinerary

Aare Trail Map

Day 1: Arrival and overnight in Interlaken 
Day 2: Interlaken - Thun - Bern, 22 miles (35 km) + boat trip
Day 3: Bern - Biel, 31 miles (50 km)
Day 4: Biel - Solothurn, 19 miles (30 km)
Day 5: Solothurn - Aarau, 37 miles (60 km)
Day 6: Aarau - Waldshut-Tiengen, 31 miles (50 km) 
Day 7: Waldshut-Tiengen - Schaffhausen, 40 miles (65 km) 
Day 8: Schaffhausen - Constance, 31 miles (50 km)
Day 9: Individual departure or extension of stay

*All distances are approximate.

DAY 1: Arrival to Interlaken 
Interlaken, meaning between the lakes, is uniquely situated between the pristine lakes Thun and Brienz. Created during the last glacial period, these lakes boast crystal clear waters whose banks are home to picturesque fishing villages and ancient castles. Interlaken also finds itself surrounded by the impressive snow capped heights of Eiger, Mönch, and Jungfrau, part of the Bernese Alps. You may choose to enjoy these views from a trip on a rack-and-pinion train.

DAY 2: Interlaken - Thun - Bern, 22 miles (35 km) + boat trip
You start the day with a pleasant two hour boat ride across Thun Lake. Sit back and relax and watch the countryside slowly slide by. From Thun, you cycle to Berne, a simple route and well suited for acclimatizing to the days to come. Goethe thought Berne to be Switzerland's most beautiful town and though it is the capital of Switzerland, Bern has managed to maintain its unique historical features such as 15th-century terraced buildings, cobblestone streets, and lively market squares - it has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1983!

DAY 3: Bern - Biel, 31 miles (50 km)
After Bern, the Wohlensee extends a warm welcome – and now you will witness the merry interplay between the dazzling beauty of nature and the industrial world of energy production. The vegetable-growing region in the Grossen Moos and later on the Lake of Biel mark the scenery of today’s route. The city of Biel, the largest in Switzerland, is the watch metropolis of the world. Rolex, Omega, and Tissot, among others, all have their home here. Biel's old town has many fountains fed by Roman wells as well as a beautiful town hall and a gothic church dating from the 15th-century, certainly not to be missed during your stay here!

DAY 4: Biel - Solothurn, 19 miles (30 km)
Today's route is short so that you have enough time to spend in the old town or on the lake at the beach. Solothurn is the capital of the canton of the same name and is considered to be Switzerland's most beautiful Baroque town. The number eleven has particular significance here: there are 11churches and chapels, 11 fountains, 11 towers and 11 steps.

DAY 5: Solothurn - Aarau, 37 miles (60 km)
The River Aare, which has by now increased considerably in size, is what shapes the landscape here. Villages, fields and a magnificent castle are on your way to Aarau, which still bears features dating back to the 16th century and from when the town was once the capital of the Helvetic Republic. Walk through the town - and keep looking up! This town is famous for its lovely gables. Be inspired by their painted scenes.

DAY 6: Aarau - Waldshut-Tiengen, 31 miles (50 km) 
Crossing into Germany, you cycle along the Aare to Brugg, through the southern Black Forest. A visit to Habsburg Castle is recommended, the castle is the seat of the dynasty of the same name which once achieved the position of a true world power. Passing the "water castle" through which about half of the volume of Switzerland's water flows, you cycle on, via Koblenz, to where the Aare flows into the Rhine. The last section takes you to Waldshut-Tiengen, home to many medieval gates and towers, and is vibrant with rustic charm.

DAY 7: Waldshut-Tiengen - Schaffhausen, 40 miles (65 km) + Boat Trip to Rhine Falls
Back again to Switzerland, you cycle up the Rhine, passing Rheinau Abbey, which is situated idyllically on an island in the river. The closer you get to the Rhine Falls in Schaffhausen, the louder the roar of the water gets. Enjoy a boat trip that takes you to the rocks of the Falls and experience the roaring mass of water all around you. In Schaffhausen, discover the Munot Fortress, which can be seen for miles. From the battlements of this stronghold, built between 1564 and 1589, you can see far and wide. Every evening at 9 p.m., the Munot guard who lives in the tower rings the Munot bell, which used to be a sign that the town gates and inns should close.

DAY 8: Schaffhausen - Constance, 31 miles (50 km)
From Schaffhausen, the last bike ride will lead you through pretty fishing villages to Constance. Constance is a lively university town lying on the shores of beautiful Lake Constance. It has been a city since as early as the 1st-century AD, and quickly became a religious center. In the Old Town, you'll find the famed cathedral dating back to the 7th-century. Due to a border anomaly, the German city Constance lies on Switzerland’s land mass, and the Swiss town of Kreuzlingen is only a short walk away.

DAY 9: Departure from Constance/Kreuzlingen.

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Tour Reviews

  • Gail A. 6 months ago     Verified Reviewer

    The Aare Trail tour was lovely! A very nice balance of urban and rural, city and village, streetscapes and countryside. Switzerland is a breathtaking country, with pristine rivers and lakes and mountains always in view. This route gave us some time in the Berner Oberland region before starting our ride to experience the Alps up close in the high country. Then, Bern is an interesting mix of natural beauty, history and government. As we worked our way further north, the Rhein River became our companion as we cycled through farm fields. The sound of cowbells was ever present. Bicycle travel provided us the perfect pace to immerse ourselves in our surroundings. Traveling through the countryside and villages along the Aare River let us interact with locals in a way that we couldn't have if we'd limited ourselves to staying in the major cities. The hotels varied from romantic boutique to modern and sleek. Very clean and with fast wifi. Breakfasts were provided at each and Read more… featured traditional pastries, meats and cheeses, muesli and local fresh yogurt. Most days, we stopped in grocery stores for our lunch, eaten picnic-style. Opportunities to dine al fresco are absolutely everywhere. I would suggest either obtaining cell phone data or using GPS to aid in more easily finding hotels at the end of the day, as the level of detail on the provided maps and street signage are limited. However, the trail signage is excellent. Though we had no guide, it was very easy to find and follow the trails throughout our tour. Similarly, our lack of language skills did not present a problem as English speakers are everywhere. The bikes (one regular and one e-bike) performed very well and were present upon our arrival. The luggage transport was very good. I would suggest keeping a bathing suit with you, as opportunities to swim in the rivers, lakes and swimming pools along this route are everywhere!

     Reply

  • Manuel Pena 2 years ago     Verified Reviewer

    Wow. I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone who wants to do something out of the ordinary. Our tour started on June 3rd, and I selected the 6 day tour for my son and I and it was just the right amount of length. By the end of the last leg we were just about beat. This was an easy ride, but if you don't bike much I would recommend the E-bikes to give you a little boost along the way. The standard bike's that were given to us were in excellent condition and we had no issues throughout the trip. All of the hotels we stayed in were adequate for what was needed and were in great locations in relation to the sites of each town. Each time we arrived at our hotel we would ask the attendant for a good place to eat and they always had great recommendations. I would recommend that you ask each hotel if they have a garage to store the bike and if they don't that you definitely lock them up and remove ALL of the saddle bags from the bikes and keep the bags stored in Read more… your room for the night. Unfortunately, one of our saddle bags was stolen over night. Aside from that small incident, my son and I had a great time biking through Switzerland. Now, I'm looking forward to my next trip with my other children.

     Reply

  • Evan C. 2 years ago     Verified Reviewer

    As with my trip last year, this trip was a smooth operation. Only a few navigation problems which are part of the adventure. I'll be looking forward to another ride next year. Many thanks.

     Reply

  • Marlene Z. 2 years ago     Verified Reviewer

    Most memorable part: Having lunch on our balcony at Hotel Bellevue in Interlaken facing the Alps and the beautiful blue river roaring past our hotel.

     Reply

  • Will L. 3 years ago     Verified Reviewer

    My wife and I have just returned from a fantastic cycling trip along the Aare and Rhine Rivers in Switzerland. The organization of our trip was great, bikes, luggage transfer and hotels. We were particularly pleased to stay each night either in or near to the old centre of each city. Thanks Tripsite.

     Reply

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