Is a bicycle included in the price?

No, the bike is booked separately. Premium hybrid bikes and premium e-bikes can be rented. Prices for each bike option are shown on this page. Helmet and a waterproof pannier bag are included with the tour.

Can I bring my own bike?

Yes. Parking your own bike on board costs 14 EUR per week, and 35 EUR per week for an e-bike, which covers parking and battery charging. Space is limited, so reserve it at the time of booking. Bikes with mirrors or parts that stick out cannot be taken.

How hard is the cycling?

The operator describes the Main valley tour as a friendly, gentle bike tour. Daily distances on the shorter routes run from 30 to 50 km, with a longer option on some days; distances are approximate.

Do I have to cycle every day?

No. If you prefer a quiet day you stay on board and the ship takes you to the next town. On several days there is also a longer and a shorter route, so you can decide in the morning.

Is the cycling guided?

Yes. A tour leader rides with the group on every cycling day. From 22 guests the group is split in two, with a tour leader for each. There are also short walking tours in some towns and a briefing each day.

What is included at the table?

Seven breakfasts, packed lunches, and six three-course dinners. Coffee and tea are available on board through the day, and there is a welcome drink on arrival. One dinner during the week is not included, so you can eat ashore. Drinks with meals are paid on board.

What is the cabin like?

A climate-controlled cabin, cleaned daily, bed linen and towels provided. There is Wi-Fi on board. You unpack once and the ship moves for you.

What is the difference between the two directions?

The route covers the same water and the same towns, ridden the other way round. Bamberg to Aschaffenburg keeps the longest ride for the last full day; Aschaffenburg to Bamberg finishes in Bamberg. Pick whichever start point is easier for you to reach.

Main Valley by Bike and Boat: Bamberg to Aschaffenburg in 8 Days

Franconia and the Main Valley, Bavaria

Illustrative image, AI-generated or AI-modified: Main Valley by Bike and Boat: Bamberg to Aschaffenburg in 8 Days

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Images marked “AI” on this page are AI-generated or AI-modified. We apply the mark to every image, including photographs supplied by tour operators, because the types cannot always be told apart. Images illustrate the area and atmosphere of the tour, not the accommodation or services included.

from€2,449

Bike & BoatTrekking bikeE-bike8 days / 7 nights212 km2/5Medium-EasyLinear

Guided

Short Description

Eight days on the River Main, from Bamberg to Aschaffenburg. You sleep on board and cycle along the Main during the day, with a tour leader riding along with the group. Two UNESCO sites at the start of the week, the old centre of Bamberg and the Residenz in Wurzburg, then vineyards, half-timbered towns and quiet floodplain forest. It is a friendly, gentle bike tour, and on any day you can stay on board while the ship moves on.

Tour Program

Day 1 - Bamberg (0 km)
Boarding from 2 pm. After the welcome from the captain, the crew and your tour leaders, go and look at the town. Bamberg, like Rome, is built on seven hills, and its old centre is UNESCO World Heritage. Little Venice, the row of seventeenth-century fishermen's houses along the water, is worth the walk. With eleven independent breweries in town, finding a good first beer is not difficult.

Day 2 - Hassfurt to Schweinfurt (30 km)
The ship carries you to Hassfurt while you have breakfast. The town has a fine historic centre and two striking churches, the late-Gothic Knights' Chapel and the parish church. From here you start riding, through Zeil am Main, which sits exactly on the border between Franconian wine country and beer country. The day ends at Schweinfurt, a former imperial city between two nature parks.

Day 3 - Stammheim to Kitzingen (32 km)
Today's destination is Kitzingen, a wine town. You can shorten the ride by staying on board as far as Stammheim, then cycle through vineyards as the valley widens. In Kitzingen, the Carnival Museum sits inside the Falterturm, whose leaning tower is the town's landmark. The old breweries here now make wine, but their historic cellars are still visible.

Day 4 - Kitzingen to Wurzburg (40 km)
A ride past farmland and old villages brings you to Wurzburg. Visit the UNESCO-listed Residenz and its gardens, take in the view from the Marienberg fortress, look into St Kilian's cathedral, and walk the Old Main Bridge between its statues of saints. Wurzburg is a lively student town, good for a drink in the evening.

Day 5 - Karlstadt to Lohr (30 km)
The ship moves early and reaches Karlstadt around 10.30 am. The old town is still ringed by towers, gates and walls dating from about 1200. From there you cycle to Lohr am Main, all half-timbered facades and turrets. Local legend says Snow White lived here, and the Kurzmainer Schloss does nothing to dispel the idea.

Day 6 - Wertheim to Freudenberg (30 km)
A morning cruise from Lohr to Wertheim, home to Wertheim Castle and a market square holding what is probably the narrowest house in Franconia. You start riding in Wertheim and finish at Freudenberg, where the ruins of the castle stand high above the river and the town, with a wide view over the wooded hills.

Day 7 - Freudenberg to Aschaffenburg (50 km)
The longest ride of the week. Miltenberg is the highlight, watched over by Mildenburg Castle since 1200. Between Erlenbach and Kleinwallstadt the Planeten-Radweg walks you through the solar system as you pedal, and the shaded floodplain forest between Niedernheim and Nilkheim is welcome on a warm day. The ship waits at Aschaffenburg, below the red sandstone Johannisburg Castle.

Day 8 - Aschaffenburg (0 km)
A last breakfast on board, then disembarkation by 9:30 am.

Distances above are the shorter option for each day. On some days a longer route is offered; on any day you may skip the ride and stay on board.

Available departures

Next: 7 Jun 2027 · 1 departure · from €2,449 p.p.

Jun 2027

- Premium triple cabin€2,879€2,829
- Twin Lower deck€2,499
- Twin Lower deck€2,499
- Twin or triple Lower€2,499€2,449

Tour details

LinearGuidedMinimum 2 peopleMinimum age 16 years

✅ What is included in the trip?

🏨 Overnight stay and breakfast
🍽️ 6 dinners (drinks excluded)
🍽️ Packed lunches
☕️ Coffee and tea on board
🍷 1 welcome drink
🧍‍♂️English speaking tour guide
🧍‍♂️ Welcome briefing
📞 Local telephone assistance 7/7
🗺️ Maps
📲 GPS or navigation APP
⛑️ Helmet
👜 Waterproof bike bag
💧Biodegradable water bottle
🚢 Fees for ferries
🛜 Wi-FI on board
Residenz Palace and gardens
🍺 Bavarian beer tasting

❌ What is not included?

🚎 Transfers not listed as Included
✈️ Journey to/from the starting point
🍽️ Meals and drinks not listed as Included
🖼️ Entrance fees and extras not listed
🛡️ Travel insurance
🌎 Tourist taxes
SGR Insolvency protection (mandatory consumer contribution SGR insolvency protection guarantee scheme: € 5 per person

🙋 Common questions

Is a bicycle included in the price?
No, the bike is booked separately. Premium hybrid bikes and premium e-bikes can be rented. Prices for each bike option are shown on this page. Helmet and a waterproof pannier bag are included with the tour.
Can I bring my own bike?
Yes. Parking your own bike on board costs 14 EUR per week, and 35 EUR per week for an e-bike, which covers parking and battery charging. Space is limited, so reserve it at the time of booking. Bikes with mirrors or parts that stick out cannot be taken.
How hard is the cycling?
The operator describes the Main valley tour as a friendly, gentle bike tour. Daily distances on the shorter routes run from 30 to 50 km, with a longer option on some days; distances are approximate.
Do I have to cycle every day?
No. If you prefer a quiet day you stay on board and the ship takes you to the next town. On several days there is also a longer and a shorter route, so you can decide in the morning.
Is the cycling guided?
Yes. A tour leader rides with the group on every cycling day. From 22 guests the group is split in two, with a tour leader for each. There are also short walking tours in some towns and a briefing each day.
What is included at the table?
Seven breakfasts, packed lunches, and six three-course dinners. Coffee and tea are available on board through the day, and there is a welcome drink on arrival. One dinner during the week is not included, so you can eat ashore. Drinks with meals are paid on board.
What is the cabin like?
A climate-controlled cabin, cleaned daily, bed linen and towels provided. There is Wi-Fi on board. You unpack once and the ship moves for you.
What is the difference between the two directions?
The route covers the same water and the same towns, ridden the other way round. Bamberg to Aschaffenburg keeps the longest ride for the last full day; Aschaffenburg to Bamberg finishes in Bamberg. Pick whichever start point is easier for you to reach.