Highlights of the Swiss Rhine: Lake Constance to Basel

4/5 (1)
6 nights
31 miles/day
Self guided from CHF 1299
Bike tour in Switzerland
Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours

Highlights of the Swiss Rhine: Lake Constance to Basel

4/5 (1)

Rider Level: Recreational Electric bike tours

6 nights
31 miles/day

Self guided from CHF 1299
Bike tour in Switzerland

Tap above to jump to different sections of this tour

  • Highlights of the Swiss Rhine

    Travel west along the Swiss Rhine from Lake Constance to Basel. Cycling along riverside paths, you will visit the beautiful shoreline of Lake Constance and view the magnificent Rhine falls before continuing toward the west, passing asparagus fields, cute timbered houses, stoic fishermen, sunburnt salt towers, and Roman ruins. Finally, reaching your last destination in the Swiss-German "bridge city" of Basel.

    • Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:Chensiyuan
    • Riesling grapes are popular in Germany. Luca J@Unsplash
    • Rathaus in Stein Am Rhein, Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:Joachim Kohler-HB
    • Constance (Konstanz), Baden-Württemberg, Germany. DatingJungle@Unsplash
    • Taste-testing wines in Switzerland! Sandra Grunewald@Unsplash
    • Swiss Rhine: Lake Constance to Basel Bike Tour
    • Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:RolandZH
    • Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen, Germany. CC:Kabellenger

    View more photos

    Highlights

    • Lake Constance, the "soul of Europe"
    • Rhine Falls
    • Stein am Rhein
    • Small villages and historical sites along the Rhine river
    • Augusta Raurica

    Learn More

    Learn more about self-guided tours.

  • CC-BY-SA-2.0 - Rathaus in Basel, Switzerland. CC:Martina Begglen' data-type='image'> Rathaus in Basel, Switzerland. CC:Martina Begglen
    CC-BY-SA-4.0 - Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:Chensiyuan' data-type='image'> Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:Chensiyuan
    CC-BY-SA-4.0 - Rathaus in Stein Am Rhein, Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:Joachim Kohler-HB' data-type='image'> Rathaus in Stein Am Rhein, Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:Joachim Kohler-HB
    CC-BY-SA-3.0 - Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:RolandZH' data-type='image'> Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:RolandZH
    CC-BY-SA-4.0 - Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen, Germany. CC:Kabellenger' data-type='image'> Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen, Germany. CC:Kabellenger
    CC-BY-SA-4.0 - Rathaus in Stein Am Rhein, Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:Joachim Kohler-HB' data-type='image'> Rathaus in Stein Am Rhein, Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:Joachim Kohler-HB
    FAL - Basel along the Rhine River in Switzerland. CC:Taxiarchos228' data-type='image'> Basel along the Rhine River in Switzerland. CC:Taxiarchos228
    CC-BY-SA-4.0 - Rathaus in Stein Am Rhein, Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:Joachim Kohler-HB' data-type='image'> Rathaus in Stein Am Rhein, Schaffhausen, Switzerland. CC:Joachim Kohler-HB
    CC-BY-SA-3.0 - Delicious local Riesling wines! CC:Agne27' data-type='image'> Delicious local Riesling wines! CC:Agne27

    Highlights of the Swiss Rhine

     Tour Description Daily Program 

  • Daily program

    Day 1: Arrival in Rorschach/surroundings
    Your starting point in eastern Switzerland near the tripoint with Austria and Germany. Spend the afternoon exploring the shores of Lake Constance.

    Day 2: Rorschach and surroundings–Tägerwilen(40 miles/65 km)
    Lake Constance(Bodensee) is considered "the soul of Europe". The area around the shimmering silver-green "Swabian sea" is an ancient cultural landscape. Despite its lively lakeside scene, Thurgau remains a serene slice of the countryside with castles and extensive orchards.

    Day 3: Tägerwilen–Schaffhausen (28-31 miles/45-50 km)
    Cycle the lovely landscape along the long ribbon of the Untersee (lower lake of Constance) which appealed to Napoleon. Visit the richly-decorated town of Stein am Rhein attracts thousands of visitors every year, as does Europe’s mightiest waterfall, the Rhine Falls near Schaffhausen.

    Day 4: Schaffhausen–Bad Zurzach (34 miles/55 km)
    The Hochrhein has made its home between Schwarzwald and the Jura, at times wide and unhurried, at others narrow and wild. Beautiful floodplains and historic little villages add cultural enjoyment to the cycling route today.

    Day 5: Bad Zurzach–Rheinfelden (34 miles/55 km)
    Starting in the Bad Zurzach wellness oasis, the stage leads to Koblenz, the historic old town with 4 bridges close to the Klingnau reservoir. Rheinfelden, your destination for today, is Switzerland's oldest "Zähringer" town, follows soon after the picturesque little town of Laufenburg.

    Day 6: Rheinfelden–Basel (16 miles/25 km)
    Cycle where the ancient Romans lived and enjoyed their games: Augusta Raurica with its silver treasure. Continue cycling into Basel beckoning with the hustle and bustle of city life and cultural attractions.

    Day 7: Departure or extension

    Surface and terrain

    The route mainly follows the shores of the Rhine and Lake Constance. Between Schaffhausen and Basel the route is mainly flat and there are no noteworthy climbs.


    Hotels

    The following hotels are provided only as samples and may vary based on availability.

    You will be accommodated in select 3- and 4-star hotels

    Bad Horn: Private Selection

    Tägerwilen: Jucker's Boutique Hotel

    Schaffhausen: Hotel Rüden

    Bad Zurzach: Zurzacherhof Hotel

    Rheinfelden: Ambrosio Guesthouse

    Basel: Hotel Basel


    How to get there

    Tour start
    Nearest Airport: Zurich (ZRH)
    Nearest train station: Horn

    Trains run frequently between Bad Horn and Zurich (airport and city). It's about 90 minutes between the airport and Bad Horn.

    Tour end
    Nearest airport and train station: Basel, Switzerland

    Tips on getting to and from your tour


    Highlights of the Swiss Rhine

     Tour Photos Dates & Prices 

  • Dates

    Daily: Mar 30 - Oct 13, 2024

    Season 1: Apr 6, 2024 - Apr 26, 2024; Sep 28, 2024 - Oct 13, 2024

    Season 2: Mar 30, 2024 - Apr 5, 2024; Apr 27, 2024 - Sep 27, 2024

    Prices

    Tour package

    Season 1 Season 2
    Per person, double occupancy CHF 1474 CHF 1590
    Single use room (1 person/1 room) CHF 1873 CHF 1989

    Bike Rentals

    Standard touring bike, 24-speed CHF 153
    Electrically assisted bikes CHF 283

    Extra Nights, Rorschach/surroundings

    Per person, double occupancy CHF 139
    Single use room (1 person/1 room) CHF 189

    Extra Nights, Basel

    Per person, double occupancy CHF 125
    Single use room (1 person/1 room) CHF 185

    Included services

    • 6 nights accommodation
    • Breakfast
    • Luggage transport from hotel to hotel (maximum 2 pieces/person of luggage, each piece must weigh under 44 lbs/20 kg)
    • One set of detailed travel documents (maps, route descriptions, places of interest, telephone numbers) per room; well-documented route and personal tour information
    • Service hotline throughout the duration of the tour
    • Pickup at Zurich airport, briefing and transfer to the starting point of the tour resp. the first hotel (depending on the arrival time)
    • Tour briefing and bike delivery with tour representative
    • Navigational App
    • GPS tracks available upon request (must request in advance)

    Please note any city or visitor's taxes are not included in the tour costs. You will pay these at hotel reception.


    Bike rentals

    Bikes available to be rented (in advance at the time of booking) include:

    • Standard touring bike, 27-speed, unisex
    • Electric bike*

    *More about electrically-assisted bikes >

    All above bike rentals will be equipped with the following at no additional charge:

    • Saddle bag (water-repellent), rear
    • Water-repellent smartphone holder, with clear cover for easy viewing
    • Tools
    • Repair kit (with extra bicycle tube)
    • Pump
    • Lock

    Bike Protection:
    Bike protection can be purchased at the time of booking. You can read more about that HERE.

    Pedals:
    The bikes will have flat pedals. If you want to bring your own pedals, please bring your own shoes and also the necessary equipment to change the pedals.

    Helmets:
    Helmets are available on this tour. We recommend that you bring your own helmet or plan to purchase one upon arrival for safety and hygiene purposes.


    Tour Company


    Highlights of the Swiss Rhine

     Daily program Tour Reviews 

    • Keith Reyen August 23, 2022

      Very Pleasant Ride From Lake To River

      This was a very nice and mellow ride from Lake Constance down to Basel. The beginning of the trip in Rohrsarch seemed to be a bit of a compromise, but the finish in Basel with a balcony room on the Rhine, with the summer music festival stage on the river directly below was a spectacular finish to a great trip.


    Highlights of the Swiss Rhine

     Dates & Prices Book This Tour