Booking choice: The 1-hour live-guide cruise, from $24 per person. Check dates Tour details
Prices for Berlin boat tours look all over the place until you divide by the hours. A 1-hour loop through Mitte costs about the same as a cinema ticket. A 3-hour canal trip costs only a little more, and gives you three times the river.
Below are the from-prices for the nine tours on this site as of October 2026, next to what the operators charge on their own channels, plus child fares and what you get for the money.
The quick answer
Online, a 1-hour Spree cruise costs from $24 to $28 per person in 2026, a 2 to 3-hour trip $34 to $40, a self-drive boat from $66 for the whole boat, and a dinner cruise from $90. Booking direct, the operators charge from about EUR 21 for an hour and EUR 30 to 36 for the longer trips, with child fares for ages 6 to 13 at about half price. The best value per hour is the 3 hour 15 minute bridges and canal tour.
How much does a boat tour in Berlin cost in 2026?
From $24 for an hour through Mitte to $90 for a dinner cruise. Most visitors pay $24 to $40 per person.
These are the online from-prices for the nine cruises we cover, checked in October 2026. They move with the date and the season, so treat them as the floor. The price per hour is the from-price divided by the trip length.
| Tour | Operator | Length | From (online) | Per hour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-hour live-guide cruise | Reederei Hadynski | 1 h | $24 | $24 |
| 1-hour Friedrichstraße cruise | Stern und Kreis | 1 h | $25 | $25 |
| Hemingway saloon boat | FLAGSHIP.BERLIN | About 1 h | $28 | $28 |
| Potsdam palace cruise | Weisse Flotte Potsdam | About 1 h 30 | $26 | $17 |
| Cruise west to Charlottenburg | Stern und Kreis | 2 h 15 | $34 | $15 |
| Solar catamaran | Solarwaterworld | 2 h 30 | $40 | $16 |
| Bridges and canal tour | Stern und Kreis | 3 h 15 | $40 | $12 |
| Self-drive boat | GoBoat | 1 to 4 h | $66 per boat | $8 a head for 8 people, 1 h |
| Dinner cruise | Reederei Becker | About 2 h 30 | $90 | $36, dinner included |
What do the operators charge if you book direct?
A few euros less than the online from-prices: about EUR 21 to 25 for an hour, EUR 30 to 36 for two to three hours, and EUR 59 for an hour on a GoBoat.
Most operators sell on their own sites, on the city's ticket shops and at the pier. Stern und Kreis uses date-based pricing, so its "from" figure changes with the day. These are the published figures as of late October 2026:
| Cruise | Direct price (EUR) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Hadynski 1-hour live-guide cruise | EUR 21 adult | berlin.de ticket shop |
| Stern und Kreis 1-hour historic city tour (C4) | From EUR 22.50 | Stern und Kreis |
| FLAGSHIP.BERLIN Hemingway tours | From EUR 25 | FLAGSHIP.BERLIN |
| Weisse Flotte Potsdam palace tour | From EUR 23 | Potsdam Tourismus |
| Stern und Kreis 2 h 15 city tour (C8) | From EUR 30.50 | Stern und Kreis |
| Solarwaterworld Highlight Tour, 2 h 30 | EUR 30 adult | berlin.de ticket shop |
| Stern und Kreis bridges tour (C1) | From EUR 32.90; EUR 35.50 adult on visitBerlin | Stern und Kreis, visitBerlin |
| Stern und Kreis winter city tour (C10) | From EUR 29.90 | Stern und Kreis |
| GoBoat, per boat up to 8 | From EUR 59 (1 h), 99 (2 h), 125 (3 h) | GoBoat |
| Reederei Becker dinner cruise, 3 courses | EUR 79.90 | operator listing on Konfetti |
Which Berlin boat tour gives the best value per hour?
The bridges and canal tour: about $12 an hour for 3 hours 15 minutes, with the East Side Gallery, the Landwehr Canal and three locks. A full GoBoat is cheaper still per head.
The 1-hour loops are the most expensive way to buy river time, at $24 to $28 an hour. You are paying for convenience: they leave every 30 to 60 minutes from piers in the middle of Mitte, and they fit between two museums. That is a fair trade on a tight schedule. It is a poor one if you have a free afternoon.
The bridges tour costs $40 and covers the whole centre plus the Landwehr Canal through Kreuzberg. The Charlottenburg cruise is $34 for 2 hours 15 minutes, west instead of east. And a GoBoat at $66 for the whole boat works out at about $8 a head if you fill all eight seats for an hour. Two people pay $33 each, which is less of a bargain.
The dinner cruise looks expensive per hour, but the food is in the price. Compare it with a restaurant meal plus a 1-hour cruise, not with a cruise alone. Our guide to evening and dinner cruises does that sum.
The longest loop for the money: the East Side Gallery, the Landwehr Canal, more than 50 bridges and three locks in about three and a quarter hours.
Explore the bridges and canal tour Tour detailsDo children pay less on Spree cruises?
Yes, with direct tickets. Under-6s usually ride free or nearly free, and ages 6 to 13 pay about half. The from-prices on this site are adult fares; check checkout for any child rate.
Child fares are where booking direct saves real money. The published fares:
| Operator and cruise | Adult | Child | Free or reduced |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hadynski, 1 hour | EUR 21 | EUR 11 (6 to 13) | Up to 5 free; 14 to 17 and 65+ EUR 18 |
| Stern und Kreis bridges tour | EUR 35.50 | EUR 17.80 (6 to 13) | Under 6 free; 60+, students, groups of 20+ EUR 30.20 |
| Solarwaterworld Highlight Tour | EUR 30 | EUR 19 (7 to 15) | 0 to 6 EUR 8; 65+, students 18 to 28, wheelchair users EUR 25.50 |
| Solarwaterworld Christmas tour | EUR 34.50 | EUR 24.50 (7 to 14) | Pensioners, students EUR 28.50 |
| FLAGSHIP.BERLIN Hemingway | From EUR 25 | Child fare for ages 2 to 14 on operator channels | Not listed online |
| GoBoat | Per boat | No child fare | Kids just take a seat |
Live guide in English, heated glass roof, and children under 6 ride free on direct tickets.
Check dates for the 1-hour live-guide cruiseWhat is included in the ticket price?
The boat ride and the commentary. Drinks are extra on almost every boat, except the solar catamaran's welcome drink and the dinner cruise package.
Stern und Kreis includes a free audio guide in 12 languages on its city tours (C4, C8), with German announcements on board. Food and drinks are sold on board, and you may not bring your own. Hadynski's ticket includes the live guide in English and German; the bar and a tip for the guide are extra. The GYG listing for the solar catamaran adds a welcome drink and an audio guide in seven languages.
At the top end, the dinner cruise includes a welcome Prosecco and a three- or four-course dinner; how many drinks come with it depends on the option, so read it at checkout. At the bottom, GoBoat gives you the boat, life vests, blankets and a map, and you bring the picnic. That is the only cruise here where your own food is welcome.
Should you book direct or online?
Direct, if you travel with children or seniors, or can just turn up at the pier. Online, if you want free cancellation and one booking in your own currency.
Booking direct wins on price: child and senior fares, and discounts such as Hadynski's EUR 15.75 with the Berlin Welcome Card, City Tour Card or ADAC membership (berlin.de). Hadynski also sells at the pier from about 30 minutes before departure. On a weekday outside July and August you rarely need to book ahead for a 1-hour loop.
Online wins on flexibility. The tours in the booking boxes on this site cancel for a full refund up to 24 hours before, you pay in dollars, and you see the timetable for every operator in one place. For a weekend in summer, a long trip like the bridges tour, or a date that depends on the weather, that is worth a few dollars. One trap: Stern und Kreis' longer city cruise does not reserve seats, so arrive 15 to 20 minutes early either way if you want the open deck.
Still undecided? Read whether a Berlin boat tour is worth it, then come back to the table above.
Frequently asked questions
How much is a boat tour on the Spree in Berlin?
In 2026 a 1-hour cruise costs from $24 online or about EUR 21 to 25 direct. Longer trips of 2 to 3 hours cost $34 to $40 online, or EUR 30 to 36 direct.
Is it cheaper to buy Berlin boat tour tickets at the pier?
Usually a little, and only direct tickets have child and senior fares. Online booking costs a few dollars more but includes free cancellation up to 24 hours before on the tours we list.
Do kids go free on Berlin boat tours?
Small ones often do. Hadynski lets children up to 5 ride free and Stern und Kreis does the same for under-6s on the bridges tour. Ages 6 to 13 pay about half the adult fare on direct tickets.
What is the cheapest boat tour in Berlin?
Per ticket, the 1-hour Mitte loops from about EUR 21 direct or $24 online. Per hour, the 3 hour 15 minute bridges tour or a full GoBoat with eight people works out cheaper.
Ready to book
Choose your cruise
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before on these options. Prices are from-prices in USD and move with the season.
1-Hour Spree Cruise with a Live Guide
- One-hour round trip from the pier opposite Berlin Cathedral
- Live commentary in German and English
- Glass panorama boat with a roof that opens in warm weather
Spree & Landwehr Canal Bridges Tour
- Round trip of about 3 hours 15 minutes from Jannowitzbrücke
- Live commentary in German
- Audio guide in 11 other languages, including English
Self-Drive Electric Picnic Boat
Your own boat for up to 8, a picnic and the quiet eastern river
