Company Logo - Home Link

Berlin Boat Tours + River Cruises

Updated: January 19, 2024

This post compares various boat tours and boat cruises that ply the waters of the capital of Germany.

We include sightseeing cruises, night tours, dinner cruises, bus/boat combo tours, and special event cruises.


BERLIN SIGHTSEEING CRUISES

Stern Und Kreisschiffahrt

This company offers cruises in Mitte, where the focus is on Berlin's skyline, as well as cruises focused on locations outside the city center.

Tours last between 1 to 4 hours.

On most cruises, you will pass by some of Berlin's main attractions and famous sights, including:

  • The Reichstag Building
  • Bellevue Castle (Schloss Bellevue)
  • The Victory Column (Siegessaule)
  • Spreebogen
  • Haus of World Cultures (Haus der Kulturen der Welt)
  • The Government District
  • Museum Island (Museumsinsel)
  • Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom)
  • Berlin TV Tower (Fernsehturm)
  • The Nikolai District (Nikolaiviertel)
  • The Central Train Station (Hauptbahnhof)
  • The Berlin Palace (Berliner Schloss)

On some of the longer cruises, you will see Charlottenburg Palace and cruise down the Landwehr Canal (Landwehrkanal) or the West Harbor Canal (Westhafenkanal) or cruise to Müggelsee im Stadtteil Treptow-Köpenick.

Some are sunset cruises or night cruises.

On most cruises, you can get snacks like coffee, beer, wine, soft drinks, cheese, and cake, and some even have pizza and burgers.

Other cruises have 3 or 4-course lunches and dinners, often with a focus on German food.

Below are just a few of the many tours they offer. Check out their full range of Berlin boat tours and cruises.

The tours listed below have a German-speaking Guide.

However, you can book this tour with audio commentary available in Spanish, Swedish, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Hebrew, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Russian.

Note: Be sure to book the tour that includes audio commentary in your preferred language.


1 Hour City Tour

  • €19.90 adult |  €10 child (age 6-13)
  • Departs every hour from 11:00 am until 16:30 (4:30 pm)
  • Guaranteed seating
  • More info or to book

Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund. Read the reviews.


2.5-Hour “New City Tour”

  • €26.90 adult |  €13.50 child (age 6-13)
  • Departs at 10:45 am, 12:30 pm, 1:30 pm, and 3:30 pm
  • Cancel up to 2 days in advance for a full refund
  • More info or to book

Cancel up to 48 hours in advance for a full refund. Read the reviews.


3.25-Hour "Bridge Tours on the Spree and the Landwehrkanal"

  • €27.90 adult | €14.00 child (age 6-13)
  • Departs from Friedrichstrasse, Jannowitzbrücke, and Schlossbrücke
  • Times vary by your choice of the departure point
  • Tours run between 10:45 am and 14:20 (2:20 pm)
  • More info or to book

Cancel up to 2 days in advance for a full refund. Read the reviews.


Berlin Spree Cruise from East Side Gallery

Choose between a one-way ticket or a round trip. An audio guide is available in English and German. 

Departs daily at 10:15 am and 14:25 (2:25 pm)

  • One-way ticket
    • €15.50 for adults |  €7.80 for children (age 13 and under)
    • Approx 90 minutes
  • Round-trip ticket
    • €15.50 for adults |  €7.80 for children (age 13 and under)
    • Departs daily at 10:15 am and 14:25 (2:25 pm)
    • Approx 1 hour and 45 minutes

For many other tour and cruise options, be sure to look at their full range of Berlin boat tours and cruises.

If you have Berlin Welcome Card, you get 25% off for adults, and 50% off for children (excluding special events tours and combo tours).


Reederei Riedel

This tour operator offers a number of tours with commentary in German with the option to get an audio guide in 10 different languages.

Note: The audio guide is €3 extra.

  • €19 adult |  €9.50 child (age 3-14)
  • Departs at 10:30 am, 12:00 pm, 1:30 pm, 3:00 pm, 4:30 pm and 6:00 pm
  • More info or to book

In January 2019, they began a hop-on-hop-off boat tour.

They were the only company running this kind of tour.


Hop-On-Hop-Off Boat Tour

  • 24-hour Ticket
    • €24 adult |  €12.00 child (age 6-14) | € 21 Senior (age 60+)
  • 48-hour Ticket
    • €29 adult |  €14.50 child (age 6-14) | € 26 Senior (age 60+)
  • Audio commentary in German, audio guide in other languages €3 extra
  • Tours run between 10:30 am until 18:00 (6 pm)
  • Guaranteed seating
  • Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the activity starts
  • Not currently available as of Jan 2024.

Like the other boat tour operators in this post, they also offer a City Center Tour, a Spree cruise and other boat tours.

See their website for more offerings.

TIP:  Berlin Welcome Card holders get a 25% discount for adults, 50% off for children for tours by Reederei Riedel.

Find out about the Berlin Welcome Card by reading our complete guide on Berlin tourist discount passes.


Reederei Bruno Winkler

This company offers many different boat tours along the Spree, with some along the Landwehrkanal as well.

You will pass Museum Island (Museumsinsel), Berlin Cathedral (Berliner Dom), the Nikolai District (Nikolaiviertel) the Hauptbahnhof, and the new palace, among other landmarks.

Tours feature a bilingual live tour guide who speaks both German and English. They also offer a night tour (dinner optional).

If you have a Berlin Welcome Card, you get a 25% discount! 

Classic City Tour 1

  • 1-hour round-trip tour
  • From station Friedrichstraße, Reichstagufer
  • €21.00 adult |  €11.50 child (6-14) | €15.75 Student (15-18)

New City Tour 2

  • 2.5-hour round-trip tour
  • From Schlossbrücke or Friedrichstrasse
  • €27 adult |  €13.50 child (6-14) | €25 Student & Senior

Grand City Tour 3

  • 3.5-hour round-trip tour
  • From Schlossbrücke or Friedrichstrasse
  • €29.50 adult |  €14.75 child (6-14) | €27.50 Student & Senior

Afternoon City Tour 4

  • 3.5-4-hour round-trip tour
  • From the Castle Bridge
  • €27 adult |  €13.50 child (6-14) | €25 Student & Senior

See all their tours and purchase tickets here.

Don't forget that if you have a Berlin Welcome Card, you get a 25% discount!


BWSG Berliner Wassersport Und Service GmbH

The company offers two tours that have a bilingual live tour guide who speaks both German and English.

Berlin Welcome Card holders get a 25% discount for adults and 50% off for children. 

Find out about these tourist passes and others by reading our complete guide on Berlin tourist discount passes.

Spree Cruise in City Center

  • 1-hour round-trip tour
  • €20 adult |  €10.00 youth (7-14)
  • 8 departures a day

East Side Tour

  • Combines the Spree City Center with a tour on the eastern part of the Spree including the East Side Gallery.
  • 2.5-hour round-trip tour
  • €30.00 adult |  €15.00 child (7-14)
  • 1 departure a day at 2:45 pm (14:45)

Purchase tickets for their tours here.


NIGHT TOURS & DINNER CRUISES

Berlin by night is very charming. You can book a night tour without a meal, or a dinner cruise. 

Either way, you will enjoy the sights and the commentary during the tour.

For ideas for other activities after dar, see our post on Top Things to do in Berlin at Night.


Stern Und Kreisschiffahrt

In addition to their many daytime sightseeing tours, this company offers a night tour as well. It is very well-reviewed. You can read reviews here.

2-Hour Evening City Cruise

  • Wed-Sat at 18:30 (6:30 pm)
  • Includes audio guide in 12 languages including English.
  • €26.90 adult | €13.50 child (6-13)
  • Purchase tickets here.

If you have a Berlin Welcome Card, you get 25% off for adults, 50% off for children.


Reederei Bruno Winkler

This company offers two evening tours both with guides who speak English and German. 

Night Spree Tour

  • Saturdays (May - October) at 18:00 (6 pm)
  • Guides speak both English and German
  • €26 adult | €13.00 child (6-13)
  • Purchase tickets here.

Evening City Tour (with optional dinner)

  • Fridays and Saturdays (April-October) at 18:10 (6:15 pm)
  • Guides speak both English and German
  • €28 adult | €14 child (6-13)
  • Optional 3-course meal add €25 
  • Purchase tickets here.

If you have a Berlin Welcome Card, you get 25% off for adults, and 50% off for children. (Fare only).


Sightseeing Dinner Cruise

  • 2.5-hour river cruise
  • Includes 3-course dinner with one drink per person (beer, wine, or soft drink
  • Live commentary in both English and German
  • Wednesday, Friday and Sunday at 19:00 (6:30 pm)
  • €64 per person
  • Purchase here.

BUS/BOAT COMBINATION TOURS

The most common combo package available in Berlin is a bus + boat tour.

This deal includes both a hop-on, hop-off bus tour and a cruise down the River Spree.

Below are companies that offer packages that include a bus tour and a one-hour boat tour in the city center.

City Circle Tour & Spree Boat Tour

  • 1-hour boat tour
  • 1 or 2-day hop-on/hop-off bus tour
  • Audio guide included. Over 12 languages
  • 1-day: €44 for adult |  €22 for child (7-14)
  • 2-day: €48 for adult |  €24 for child (7-14)
  • Purchase tickets here.

Templehoffer Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour by Bus and Boat

  • 1-hour boat tour
  • 1-day hop-on/hop-off bus tour
  • Live commentary in English and German
  •  €44 adult |  €19 child (3-5) | €30 Youth (6-13)
  • Purchase tickets here.

See our post on which Berlin bus tours are best to find out what other bus tours are available.


SPECIAL EVENT CRUISES

Throughout the year you can find festivals and celebrations in Berlin that can be enjoyed from the river. 

A very festive time to take a cruise is during the Christmas holidays and New Year.

One very special event that takes place in October is the Festival of Lights when several significant buildings and sites are lit up. 

Because many of the illuminated locations are along the river, seeing the lights from a boat is a wonderful experience.


Stern Und Kreisschiffahrt

In addition to their day and night tours, they also have special events and seasonal tours. 

Festival of Lights

  • Nightly at 19:00 (7 pm)
  • Live commentary in English and German
  • € 25 per person
  • Not currently available as of Jan 2024.

They also usually offer these tours:

  • Fireworks on the Wannsee and Müggelsee (lakes within the city limits of Berlin)
  • Christmas Parties
  • New Year’s Eve Party

Check out their full range of Berlin boat tours and cruises.


Reederei Bruno Winkler

In addition to their day and night tours, they also have these unique tours:

  • Aquarella (a combination of music, illumination, and fireworks with several ships)
  • Fireworks on the Müggelsee in September
  • Christmas Tours in late November and December
  • Find out more here.

If you have a Berlin Welcome Card, you get 25% off for adults, and 50% off for children.

berlin travel tips facebook 1800x1013 1

About The Author

Anne Wittig

Anne was born in East Berlin and came of age in the unified city. She has an intimate relationship with her city of birth and still calls Berlin home. For the past 10 years, she has managed and written Free Tours by Foot's Berlin blog, detailing the best places to go, where to stay, and what to do in her hometown. This blog has been featured on Berlin's official website, mainstream press like Berlingske, and local blogs like Berlinforallthefamily.com. Over 14,000 visitors to Berlin have taken a tour from Free Tours by Foot.
Updated: January 19th, 2024
Back to Top
cross