Germany · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS
The Spree, the Elbe, the Main, the Alster and the Hamburg harbour all run sightseeing boats, and in most of these cities the water is the easiest way to see the centre. The 15 below are priced, timed and clear about which have a roofed deck for the days you will need one.
Take a 1-hour Spree river cruise in central Berlin past the Reichstag and Berlin Cathedral, with multilingual audio and guaranteed seating.
“Great value to see some of the sights from other angles”
1.5-hour Hamburg harbor cruise through Speicherstadt and HafenCity, with German live commentary and a stop at Elbphilharmonie pier.
“All in German, so a bit tough for language learners or English speaking passengers. Audio guide is good but can’t really listen while on tour. Too difficult to hear with the live narration. Recommend listening to audio guide before or after the tour. Bring your camera. Get to the boat a bit early for better seats. Have fun!”
A 2.25-hour River Spree cruise in Berlin with audio in 12 languages, major sights from the water, and onboard drinks for purchase.
“It was exactly as we had hoped for. A two hour tour along the river Spree, and even though the weather was... cold, and wet, we stayed on the upper deck where we could see everything. Absolutely recommendable.”
See Hamburg at night from the water on a traditional barge, with live captain commentary, Speicherstadt views, and massive port scenes.
“Beautiful but tourguide spoke in German; no English translation.”
2-hour guided Port of Hamburg cruise with close dock views, HafenCity and Elbphilharmonie from the water, plus a ride through locks.
“We were on the 2-hour tour that departed at noon on Monday, 23 October. I wish I had gotten the name of our tour guide, because he was excellent! He knew so much about the ships in the harbor, which was the best part of the trip. Look at the tide charts before you go, because the canals can get very low when the tide is out. Book your tickets online. It was 22 Euro cheaper for 1 adult and 1 teen online than it was if we had paid on the dock. If the weather is nice, get there a little early so you can sit outside. If the…”
One-hour Rhine cruise in Cologne for about $23. Glide past the cathedral, bridges, and Old Town with German and English audio.
“Great ride around the Rhine! Lovely food and drink on board, and very informative!”
Cruise the Elbe in Dresden for about 90 minutes. See the palaces, bridges, and the Blue Wonder, with audio in German and English.
“Tour guide was friendly, knowledgable and entertaining. We got to go inside most of the sties and she gave an interesting insight to the history. 2 hours was perfect.”
River Main cruise from Eiserner Steg, 50-100 minutes, English/German audio, skyline views, Gerbermühle Goethe stop.
“I enjoyed the tour up and down the river Main. It is a pre-recorded audio tour, but I was able to take in a good deal of the sights Frankfurt has to offer, and even found a couple of places I plan to go visit during the week. Note that the 100min tour is basically two of the 50 minute tours (each of which go opposite directions on the river - stopping at the original pickup spot right in the middle of the tour)”
1-hour evening harbor cruise in Hamburg from St. Pauli, past lit Speicherstadt and HafenCity, with port cranes and ships for $30.
“Fabulous tour of the canals and port. A rare opportunity to see the port working. The highlight of our quick trip through Hamburg. The live guide is in german so we did not understand but unlike most tours you could hear him clearly from outside. We were given a guide pamphlet in english. Highly recommended.”
1-hour Spree river cruise with live German and English guide, panoramic glass-ship views of Berlin’s government sights and highlights.
“Great time! Great tour guide…spoke in German and English. Relaxing and informative. Well worth it. Bring a hat if it’s sunny!”
3.25-hour boat cruise from Jannowitzbrücke through Spree and Landwehr Canal. See 40+ bridges, Museum Island, and government district.
“Fantastic tour well worth the money Was so nice to have waiter service for drinks . only comment would be audio guide even on full volume was little quiet and the german guide talking at the front was very loud and said way more than the audio guide did”
Hop-on hop-off Berlin buses with Red and Blue routes, optional Spree River boat, and upgrade options for a Third Reich walking tour and evening Wall sights.
“Great value for money as we started early and managed to utilise bus for red &blue line.Pity bus was was unable to pass Brandenburg Gate due to them setting up for the Euro’s.Would have been nice to have been informed about this detour prior to booking.”
A 1-hour harbor cruise from Hamburg’s St. Pauli past Speicherstadt, HafenCity, Elbphilharmonie, and container terminals, with audio guides.
“Very much enjoyed the tour. The weather was great and the guide was knowledgeable and very funny. Loved seeing the containers, Elbphi and most surprising - a Russian submarine. Would definitely recommend”
90-minute Cologne Rhine cruise with English and German commentary, Cathedral views, Rheinauhafen crane houses, and five bridges.
“Great welcome . Clean boat. Fabulous table service. Informative trip.”
One-hour Rhine cruise from Düsseldorf city center with English and German audio, panoramic views of Altstadt, plus a bar for snacks and drinks.
“Such a beautiful experience. we got there quite early and got beautiful seats on the top. the weather great so we went up the deck. staff were lovely.”
Germany broken up by the kind of day it makes — pick one and the full list is underneath.
