Dresden to Magdeburg
Germany Bike Tours
Along the Elbe River…
- Tour Type
- Skill Level
- Length9 days
- Prices from€794 Rates
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Overview
A journey along the Elbe River Cycle Route - Germany's most popular!
Starting in Dresden in eastern Germany, this tour incorporates scenic river landscapes with palaces and castles, chapels and churches, vineyards and valleys, history and harmony and always, tasty traditional Deutsche cuisine, from sausages to sauerkraut!Dresden is known for its Baroque towers and gables. For a great view of the city, climb the dome of the Frauenkirche! This famous symbol of Dresden was recently reconstructed and is considered the world’s finest Protestant church. From the dome, one can see Brühl's Terrace (a terrace overlooking the Elbe River); Semper Opera House in Dresden-Baroque architecture; Zwinger (Baroque buildings enclosing a picturesque garden courtyard); the Catholic Hofkirche (the largest church in Saxony and one of Dresden's foremost landmarks) and the Residenzschloss.
The city’s cultural and artistic splendor results from its long history as the capital and Royal residence for the Kings of Saxony, and its importance as a cultural center has given it the nickname Elbflorenz or “Florence of the Elbe”.
Highlights
- Frauenkirche, ‘Church of Our Lady’
- Brühlsche Terrasse, nicknamed ‘The Balcony of Europe’
- Cycling through vineyards
- Semperoper Opera House and Zwinger Palace
- Albrechtsburg, a 15th-century late-Gothic castle
- Martin Luther and the Reformation
For a full list of options for bicycle tours in Germany, click here!
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in Dresden
Day 2: Dresden - Meissen, 16 mi. (26 km)
Day 3: Meissen - Riesa/Strehla, 23/26 mi. (37/42 km)
Day 4: Riesa/Strehla - Torgau, 33/27 mi. (54/44 km)
Day 5: Torgau - Wittenberg, 40 mi. (65 km)
Day 6: Wittenberg/Pretzsch/Surrounding - Dessau, 25-46 mi. (41-75 km)
Day 7: Dessau - Barby, 24 mi. (39 km)
Day 8: Barby - Magdeburg, 29 mi. (47 km)
Day 9: Departure*All distances are approximate.
Day 1: Arrival in Dresden
Dresden, also known as “Florence on the Elbe River”, is a cultural metropolis in Saxony. The view from the river towards the city is gorgeous. The Frauenkirche, ‘Church of Our Lady’, Brühlsche Terrasse, nicknamed ‘The Balcony of Europe’, the Semperoper Opera House and Zwinger Palace are just a few points of interest worth visiting. Spend the night in Dresden.Sample Hotels:
Category 1 - Park Inn by Radisson Dresden
Category 2 - Steigenberger Hotel de SaxeDay 2: Dresden - Meissen, 16 miles (26 km)
The Karl May Museum (Karl May was one of Germany’s best-selling authors in the 19th and 20th centuries) is in Radebeul. On your way to Meissen, it would be worth your while to leave the cycling paths and cycle through the vineyards. You may want to take a nice break to enjoy a delicious glass of wine in one of the rustic inns. A visit to the stately Meissen Porcelain Factory and the Albrecht Castle is a must. Stay overnight in or near Meissen.Sample Hotels:
Category 1 - Hotel Knorre
Category 2 - Dorint Parkhotel MeissenDay 3: Meissen - Riesa/Strehla, 17-23 miles (27-37 km)
Ride along Germany’s northernmost vineyards to Diesbar-Seusslitz. Near the baroque castle and grounds are several places to stop in for a bite to eat and taste regional wines. Continue on past the former steel city of Riesa and on to Strehla. Strehla is an idyllic small city with over 1000 years of history. Spend the night in Riesa or Strehla.Sample Hotels:
Category 1 - Ambiente Hotel Strehla
Category 2 - Mercure Hotel RiesaDay 4: Riesa/Strehla - Torgau, 27-33 miles (44-54 km)
During WWII the United States Army and Soviet forces met on the Elbe River Bridge in Torgau. On your way to Torgau, you will cycle through Mühlberg where you may want to visit the Cistercian monastery. Enjoy the beautiful park in Trebnitz. Have a lovely evening and spend the night in Torgau.Sample Hotels:
Category 1 - Hotel Torgauer Brauhof
Category 2 - Hotel Goldener Anker TorgauDay 5: Torgau - Wittenberg, 40 miles (65 km)
On the way from Torgau to Wittenberg, you cycle past Lichtenberg Castle and through Pretsch along the Elbe to the Luthercity of Wittenberg. In Martin Luther's footsteps, the largest exhibition on Reformation history invites you to the Lutherhalle Wittenberg. The city church of St. Mary (UNESCO World Heritage) is also worth seeing.Sample Hotels:
Category 1 - Acron Hotel
Category 2 - Best Western SoibelmannsDay 6: Wittenberg - Dessau, 22 miles (35 km)
Via the Elbe, you'll cross the river into the village of Wörlitz, home to Wörlitzer Park, the first English-style landscape park of continental Europe. Created in the late 18th century, it was a step into the Age of Enlightenment and away from the formal garden style of the Baroque Era. The park encompass 55 square miles and was designated as a world heritage site in 2000. To reach Dessau, you can choose to cycle along the Elbe or alternatively, through the baroque town of Oranienbaum. Dessau was once the residence of the Ascanians and, with the establishment of the Bauhaus in 1925, holds an international reputation for the architectural design movement that combines fine arts with applied/industrial arts.Sample Hotels:
Category 1 - Pension am Pollingpark
Category 2 - Radisson Blu DessauDay 7: Dessau - Barby, 24 miles (39 km)
Today you'll continue to cycle along the Elbe on your way to Aken. This small city was founded by Albert the Bear in the 12th century. The old town is surrounded by a 700 year old city wall with 14 fortified towers and 3 city gates. Continue cycling to Barby where you'll stay overnight.Sample Hotels:
Category 1 - Gasthof Zum Rautenkranz
Category 2 - Gasthof Zum RautenkranzDay 8: Barby - Magdeburg, 29 miles (47 km)
Cycle through the towns of Gommern and Schönebeck before reaching today's destination, the beautiful city of Magdeburg. The green Citadelle is worth a visit. Overnight accommodations in Magdeburg.Sample Hotels:
Category 1 - InterCityHotel Magdeburg
Category 2 - Best Western Hotel Geheimer RatDay 9: Departure
Departure following breakfast.You can view all of our bike tours in Europe or look at our featured bike trips, specials, and news.
Hotels & Bikes
Hotels:
Choose from 2 Hotel Category Options:
Category 1: Nice 2-Star, but mostly 3-Star Hotels and Inns
Category 2: Great 3-Star to 4-Star hotels
The preferred hotels are listed below and in the itinerary. If the preferred hotels are not available, a similar hotel will be offered.
Category 1 Sample List:
Dresden - Park Inn by Radisson Dresden | Meissen - Hotel Knorre | Riesa/Strehla - Ambiente Hotel Strehla | Torgau - Hotel Torgauer Brauhof | Wittenberg - Acron Hotel | Dessau - Pension am Pollingpark | Barby - Gasthof Zum Rautenkranz | Magdeburg - InterCityHotel Magdeburg
Category 2 Sample List:
Dresden - Steigenberger Hotel de Saxe | Meissen - Dorint Parkhotel Meissen | Riesa/Strehla - Mercure Hotel Riesa | Torgau - Hotel Goldener Anker Torgau | Wittenberg - Best Western Soibelmanns | Dessau - Radisson Blu Dessau | Barby - Gasthof Zum Rautenkranz | Magdeburg - Best Western Hotel Geheimer Rat
Bicycles
Inclusions
What’s Included
- Hotel accommodations for 8 nights (choose from Category 1 or Category 2 Hotels)
- Breakfast Buffets
- 24-Speed Touring Bicycle
- Luggage Transfer from hotel to hotel
- Tour Information Packet (1 per booked room)
- Emergency Service Hotline for the duration of the tour
- GPS Tracks on request
What’s Not Included
- Arrival and Departure Transportation
- Remaining meals
- Visitor’s tax (approx. 1-5 € per person/night, payment directly at the hotel)
- Entry fees to sights/museums
- Bicycle protection
- Travel Insurance
Dates & Pricing
Dates
Daily Departures
from April 15 to October 8, 2023Please Note
- Rates are per person, based on double occupancy
- Tour prices are based on the fuel costs at time prices are set, often months or years in advance. In rare cases, additional fees may apply for fuel cost increases.
- Information to read before you book
- We recommend purchasing trip insurance
- Please see our FAQ
Pricing
Start Date: Category 1 Hotels Category 2 Hotels April 15 to April 28
October 3 to October 8$ 1191 £ 626 $ 1,054 € 714 ₪ 2935 ¥ 108729 NZ$ 1292 NOK 8665 kr 8471 $ 784 $ 1358 £ 713 $ 1,201 € 814 ₪ 3346 ¥ 123957 NZ$ 1473 NOK 9879 kr 9657 $ 893 April 29 to May 12 $ 1342 £ 704 $ 1,186 € 804 ₪ 3305 ¥ 122434 NZ$ 1455 NOK 9758 kr 9539 $ 882 $ 1525 £ 801 $ 1,349 € 914 ₪ 3757 ¥ 139185 NZ$ 1654 NOK 11093 kr 10844 $ 1,003 May 13 to September 20 $ 1375 £ 722 $ 1,216 € 824 ₪ 3387 ¥ 125480 NZ$ 1491 NOK 10000 kr 9776 $ 904 $ 1558 £ 818 $ 1,378 € 934 ₪ 3839 ¥ 142231 NZ$ 1690 NOK 11335 kr 11081 $ 1,025 September 21 to October 2 $ 1325 £ 696 $ 1,172 € 794 ₪ 3264 ¥ 120911 NZ$ 1437 NOK 9636 kr 9420 $ 871 $ 1517 £ 796 $ 1,341 € 909 ₪ 3736 ¥ 138424 NZ$ 1645 NOK 11032 kr 10784 $ 998 Single Supplement
(applies to all seasons)$ 317 £ 166 $ 280 € 190 ₪ 781 ¥ 28933 NZ$ 344 NOK 2306 kr 2254 $ 209 $ 367 £ 193 $ 325 € 220 ₪ 904 ¥ 33502 NZ$ 398 NOK 2670 kr 2610 $ 241 Extra Options
Electric Bicycle Rental: $ 200 £ 105 $ 177 € 120 ₪ 493 ¥ 18274 NZ$ 217 NOK 1456 kr 1424 $ 132
Return Transfer Magdeburg to Dresden*: $ 159 £ 83 $ 140 € 95 ₪ 390 ¥ 14467 NZ$ 172 NOK 1153 kr 1127 $ 104 *Minimum of 4 participants
*Advanced reservation required. Payable on site.
Transfer for 1-3 people on requestChildren discount available. Please ask us.
Extra Info
Skill Level — Easy
Easy self-guided hotel tour with average daily distances of 25 miles per day over good asphalt roads or bike paths and flat terrain.
Airport Info
Fly to Berlin.
Local Travel
Train from Berlin airport to Dresden, approx. 2-3 hr, cost of ticket approximately €40 depending on connections.
Climate
Please check local conditions just prior to your arrival.
Important to know
Travel Documents
It is each traveler's responsibility to ensure that you are in compliance with the country or countries you plan to visit. This includes and is not limited to passport validity, visa requirements and acquisition, blank passport pages required for your destination (s), etc.
US citizens: A good website to research the requirements of the Schengen Agreement and entry into other countries is travel.state.gov.
Non-EU and EU residents: Please research the requirements of your country of residence for international travel and your destination country or countries.
*Important note: Please check on the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) status as once implemented, this will be required to visit any of the 26 Schengen-member countries for tourism, business, medical, or transit. This is an additional check on security rather than a visa.Covid-19 Info
Country Entry Requirements
Due to the changing requirements for entry, it is imperative that you stay up to date on requirements set by the country/countries that you are visiting. Please visit our Travel Restrictions Tool page and the country/countries government webpage for this information.
Extra Stay
Extra nights available in Dresden
Tour Operator
This tour is run by Mecklenburger Radtour.
We value the strong relationship we have with our local partners and the services we provide.
We are not a broker.
We do not inflate tour prices.
We are simply travelers helping travelers.Would you like to learn more About Us? How about What Makes Us Different than other companies?
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C. Thompson
7 years agoVerified Reviewer
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C. Thompson
7 years ago
Verified Reviewer