Elbe Cycle Path: Dresden to Dessau

Embark on a self-guided cycling holiday from Dresden to Dessau along the Elbe Cycle Route, an experience that combines natural beauty, historical richness, and cultural treasures.

Start your journey in Dresden, a city renowned for its architectural splendour and the prestigious Dresden Elbe Valley, a World Heritage Site. As you pedal along the well-maintained paths, you’ll be captivated by the dramatic sandstone mountains of Saxon Switzerland, a region known for its stunning rock formations and scenic vistas.

Continue your adventure through the picturesque Elbe Valley, where you’ll pass charming villages and lush vineyards that line the riverbanks. Make a stop in Meissen, a city famous for its exquisite porcelain, and explore its medieval streets and historic landmarks.

The tour culminates in Dessau, a city that is a haven for architecture enthusiasts. Here, you’ll find the Bauhaus Dessau, a key site of the influential Bauhaus movement, and numerous examples of modernist architecture that have shaped contemporary design.

£70 per person off all September and October dates!

8 days

Difficulty: Moderate

From £789 P/P

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Itinerary

Route overview

What’s included

Photos

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Itinerary

Individual arrival in Dresden.

Welcome briefing and distribution of rental bikes. Afterwards, use the opportunity to stroll through the beautiful old town of Dresden.

Explore the world-famous sights and the magic of the city with the unique buildings like “Zwinger Palace”, “Frauenkirche” (Church of Ladies), Dresden Castle and the famous opera house (Semperoper).

Return to Dresden by a suburban train. The bikeway leads along the river Elbe to the baroque Castle Pillnitz and upwards to the Elbe Sandstone Mountains.

The Sandstone‐Tablemountain with the fortress Königstein is on the right side of the Elbe. The return from Bad Schandau to Dresden happens by bike or suburban rail (optional).

Today you’ll be cycling along the romantic valley of the Elbe, you cycle through Saxon Vineyards, past Radebeul to Meissen.

The city of Meissen is well known for Meissen porcelain. The picturesque alleys of the historical city centre give an occasion to take a stroll and to go shopping. Come and see the “Albrechtsburg” or the world-famous Meissen manufactury.

Taste the wine or visit the baroque castle Diesbar‐Seußlitz on your way along the Saxon wine route. Overnight in Riesa!

On the way to Mühlberg, visit the Cistercian monastery, and you should not miss the “Treblitzscher Baumpark” (Treblitz park of trees) with trees and bushes from five continents. Overnight in Torgau

Please note that this day is the individual departure as well. If you need to go back to Dresden, you can book the Transfer via minivan to Dresden approximately. 3 h, reservation necessary (have a look at Arrival and Departure below)

The castles “Lichtenberg” and “Pretzsch” show the way to Wittenberg. When you arrive in Wittenberg, you have the opportunity to follow the traces of Martin Luther. The hall of Luther is the most interesting building of Wittenberg and has the largest world historic collection on the Reformation.

Continue downstream through the charming Wörlitzer Park Grounds to Dessau, a Mecca for architecture lovers.

Departure from Dessau or spend nights in the city or the surrounding region.

Arrival: Dresden

Departure: Dessau

Nearest arrival airport(s): Berlin, Dresden or Prague

Nearest departure airport(s): Berlin or Leipzig

We also recommend travelling by train to all of our cycling holiday starting and departure points. We can help you plan your journey to Dresden by rail.

Car parking is available on all tours at the first hotel or a nearby public parking location. Full details are available on request.

Please do not book travel until an official invoice confirms the cycling holiday.

Route overview

Starting point: Dresden

End point: Dessau

Total cycling distance: Approx. 245 km

Difficulty: Easy

The Elbe Cycle Path offers daily cycling routes ranging from 25 to 85 km, perfect for those seeking a leisurely ride through flat and slightly hilly terrain. This renowned path allows you to cycle on car-free roads along one of Germany’s most beautiful and significant rivers, the Elbe. Other sections of the route take you along small country roads and less-travelled paths, allowing you to enjoy the diverse and picturesque river landscapes in peace.

Bike hire options

This cycling holiday benefits from high-quality bike hire options that have been carefully selected for the tour. Each well-maintained bike has modern V-brakes, aluminium wheels and puncture-proof tyres based around a Velo-de-Ville frame. Dynamo lights, small panniers, repair accessories, a handlebar bag and a comfortable saddle ensure that you have everything you need for an enjoyable cycle tour. Rental bike insurance is included in every booking.

Standard Unisex Bike 21/24-gears
Sizes: S / M / L

Rental Bike PLUS 30-gears
Rental Bike PLUS is designed for a slightly sportier sitting position, and finely tuned Shimano Deore XT gears offer excellent riding flexibility. The Velo de Ville aluminium frame has a high-quality Suntour suspension fork, Shimano disc brakes and 28″ puncture-proof tyres.
Sizes: S / M / L

Unisex Electric Bike
The Velo de Ville electric bikes available on this tour assist up to 25 km/h whilst pedalling. The Bosch pedalec motor is in the bottom bracket of the frame, and the detachable batteries last for approximately 120 km. Each bike has an illuminated LCD and 8-speed Shimano Nexus internal hub gears. They weigh 23 kg and have a freewheel brake. Only limited numbers are available.
Sizes: S / M / L

Route Map

What’s included

Accommodation in 3* hotels
Breakfast buffet
Welcome briefing
Luggage transfers
Detailed travel documents (Includes route maps, route description, local attractions and important telephone numbers)
GPX files are available
Rental bike insurance
Service Hotline (Local support number)

Not included

Travel to/from the start and finish (Flights/Trains)
Evening meals (unless stated)
Local daily taxes (Payable at the hotel)
Helmets (Please bring your own cycle helmet with you)
Water bottles
Travel insurance
Bike insurance (unless stated)
Welcome meetings (unless stated)
Transfers (unless included)
SINGLE ROOM SUPPLEMENT: £209 PER PERSON
EXTRA NIGHT(S) – Dresden: £59 PER PERSON PER NIGHT INC. BREAKFAST
EXTRA NIGHT(S) – Dessau: £69 PER PERSON PER NIGHT INC. BREAKFAST

Check Availability

2026/27 cycling holidays

All prices shown are per person, sharing a double/twin room and exclude flights/bike hire.

Special Offer: £70 per person off all September AND ocTOBER prices!

Contact us for more information, a price match, or call 017687 71700. Offer valid on new bookings only and until the 31st August 2026.

NEW FOR 2027

To make a booking, simply use the filter and select the day of the week that the tour operates on. You’ll then see all of the tour dates and prices easily. No payment is taken at this stage. For all bookings, we take a 20% deposit, and the final balance is due 56 days before arrival. An invoice and online payment link are generated after the tour is confirmed.

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