Highlights of the Swiss Rhine: Lake Constance to Basel
6 nights from 1659
4.33Pedal from the stunning waters of Lake Constance and along the shores of the Rhine river
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.
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–Constance
23 miles/37 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: Constance–Schaffhausen
31 miles/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
32 miles/52 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/54 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
15 miles/24 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
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
Constance: Hotel Halm
Schaffhausen: Kronenhof
Bad Zurzach: Zurzacherhof Hotel
Rheinfelden: Ambrosio Guesthouse
Basel: Hotel Steinenschanze Basel
Bikes
Standard touring bike
Touring Bike Country-Bike TdS
Specifications:
- Frame: Aluminium
- Derailleur gear: Shimano Alivio 3x9-Gang
- Brakes: V-Brake Shimano Alivio
- Wheel size: 26"
Frame sizes:
- S = 44 cm (body height 150 - 172 cm)
- M = 50 cm (body height 172 - 186 cm)
- M = 56 cm (body height 186 - 196 cm)
Electric bike
E-bike Flyer C-series
Specifications:
- Frame: Aluminium
- Gearshift:
- built 2021: Shimano Nexus 8-speed hub gears
- built 2022: Shimano Nexus 5-speed hub gears
- Brakes: Magura HS22 (hydraulisch) rim brakes
- Suspension fork: SR Suntour NEX, 63mm
- Motor: Panasonic 36V/250W mid-engine
- Battery: Panasonic Li-Ion-Mangan 15Ah/36V (540Wh)
- Operating distance: max. 100 km
- Wheel size: 28" (size XS: 26")
- Total weight: max. 149 kg
Frame sizes:
- XS = 41 cm (body height < 160 cm)
- S = 45 cm (body height 160 - 170 cm)
- M = 50 cm (body height 170 - 180 cm)
- L = 55 cm (body height > 180 cm)
*More about electrically-assisted bikes >
Accessories
All above bike rentals will be equipped with the following at no additional charge:
- Saddle bag (water-repellent), rear
- Tools
- Repair kit (with extra bicycle tube)
- Pump
- Lock
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 but must be reserved in advance. We recommend that you bring your own helmet or plan to purchase one upon arrival for safety and hygiene purposes.
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.
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
Reviews
- ★★★★★ David P.
Nice tour, but pricey.
This was my fifth Biketours.com tour, fourth as a couple. The other tours, Saar/Mosel, Danube, and Lake Constance were almost totally on bike paths along waterways. The first day from Rorschach to Gottlieben was a repeat of the last day of the Constance tour. The second day we pedaled against a fierce westerly headwind. The boat ride from Stein am Rhein to Shaffhausen was nice, but two people and two bikes cost 90 Swiss Francs. The train would have been much cheaper, faster, but not as nice. In fact, the whole time we spent in Switzerland this trip was a price shock due to the value of the Franc. For this reason, I'd recommend tours in EU countries over this one. Day three involved some long, steep climbs along rural roads with little traffic. An E-bike is recommended for this reason. We didn't used E-bikes. Days four and five were on some roads with heavy traffic, and some rougher gravel paths. Scenery was nice, but no better than other river tours we've done. Bikes were great, seats comfortable, hotels very good. Not having printed guidebooks as we've had on previous tours took a little getting used to, but the provided app worked fine, except for finding hotels, especially Basel. One bag transfer per person required us to be flexible - two bags per person for previous tours. In summary, we enjoyed the tour, but believe our previous tours were better values.
- What was the date of your tour?
- June, 2025
- How many tours have you completed?
- 5 from Biketours.com
- Difficulty (actual vs. expected)?
- Somewhat harder
- Do you recommend this tour?
- Yes
- ★★★★★ Merilyn Regan
Sensational Switzerland
Absolutely an incredible experience, extremely well organised and everything taken care of. Could not have ask for anything more. Accomodation was all very good, bikes in fantastic condition and all the required information was presented in an easy to understand and work way - highly recommend Bike Tours and will definitely be booking another bike tour
- ★★★★★ Keith Reyen
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.
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