Your own boat on the Spree

About this experience

GoBoat is a Danish idea, and the Berlin base sits at Stralauer Allee 3, next door to Solarwaterworld. The boats are flat, open, electric and slow: about 3 knots, 5 to 7 km/h. There's a table in the middle, cushioned seats around it and room for eight. Staff give a short safety briefing and a map, and then you're the captain. No licence, no experience, and the person at the tiller needs to be 18 or over, says GoBoat.

Be clear about where you can go. The sailing area runs east and south from the base: the Molecule Men, the Elsenbrücke, Treptow, the Insel der Jugend, Rummelsburg Bay and the old Funkhaus. Passing west under the Oberbaum Bridge is not allowed, according to a detailed visitor write-up, so the East Side Gallery and Museum Island are out of reach. Confirm the zone at your briefing. For the Wall from the water, take the solar catamaran from the same harbour.

The price on GetYourGuide is per boat, not per person, which makes it cheap for a group of six to eight. Bring food and drinks: alcohol is fine, but the captain stays sober. There's no toilet on board or at the mooring, so plan for that on a three-hour slot. Bring ID and a credit card. GoBoat opens daily from 10:00 until sunset.

• Steer it yourself: no licence, short briefing
• Private boat for up to eight people, priced per boat
• Bring your own picnic and drinks
• Silent electric motor
• Dogs and children welcome

How the day runs

1. 15 min beforeCheck in at Stralauer Allee 3

   About ten minutes' walk from U+S Warschauer Straße. Staff wear blue shirts. Have ID and a credit card ready.

2. 10 minBriefing and map

   How to steer, the rules on the water and where the red no-go zones are.

3. First hourMolecule Men and Treptow

   Head upriver past the Molecule Men sculpture towards the Elsenbrücke and Treptower Park.

4. Longer slotsRummelsburg and the Funkhaus

   With two hours or more, push on to Rummelsburg Bay or the Funkhaus and drop anchor at a picnic spot.

5. End of slotBack to base

   Allow for the return trip at 3 knots. You're back where you started.

What's included

Who it suits

What guests say

Tips before you book

• Two hours is the sweet spot. One hour barely gets you past the Molecule Men and back at 3 knots.
• Use the toilet before you go: there isn't one on board or at the mooring.
• No swimming from the boat, and keep about 3 m from the bank. Swimming in the inner-city Spree has been banned since 1925, as our 2026 swimming ban post explains.
• Cancellation terms differ by channel: GetYourGuide shows free cancellation up to 24 hours, while GoBoat's own site gives a full refund only 72 hours ahead. Check what you booked.
• Book a late-afternoon slot in summer for the light on the water. GoBoat runs until sunset.

Read next:

• Swimming in the Spree
• Is it worth it?

Frequently asked questions

Compare with

Solar Catamaran Cruise from Oberbaum BridgeA silent solar boat for 36 from the Oberbaum Bridge: East Side Gallery, Museum Island and the Reichstag, with a welcome drink.★ 4.7 · 2 hours 30 minutes · from $40Spree & Landwehr Canal Bridges TourThe whole loop: East Side Gallery, the green Landwehr Canal, three locks and more than 50 bridges in three and a quarter hours.★ 4.6 · 3 hours 15 minutes · from $40Spree Dinner Cruise with ProseccoA glass of Prosecco and three or four courses at a reserved window table, from Charlottenburg to Museum Island and back.★ 4.5 · About 2 hours 30 minutes · from $90