WALKING THE RHEINSTEIG: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
We always like to make sure that our travel guides provide as much detailed information as possible. In this blog post, we seek to answer all the frequently asked questions about walking The Rheinsteig trail in Germany.
You might like to read this alongside our daily stages guide, what we liked + disliked about the trail and our guide to camping.
Where does the Rheinsteig trail start?
The Rheinsteig trail starts in Bonn, a historic city. Located on the banks of the Rhine River, Bonn is known for its charming old town, as Beethoven’s birthplace (you’ll see a lot of Beethoven memorabilia all over the city), and as the former capital of West Germany.
The route actually starts on the left side of the river in Bonn, taking you across a bridge and to the right side of The Rhine, where it continues.
Where does the Rheinsteig trail end?
The Rheinsteig trail concludes in Wiesbaden, the capital of the state of Hesse. Known for its thermal springs and elegant architecture. You have the chance to take pictures in Schlosspark Biebrich, a formal garden with stunning buildings, at the end of the hike – or make a beeline to relax in a spa.
Personally, after finishing the Rheinsteig, we chose to cross the river to stay in the vibrant and hipster city of Mainz. The city is a short bus ride away, around 10 minutes, from the end of the trail.
How long is the Rheinsteig trail?
The Rheinsteig trail stretches approximately 320 kilometers (about 199 miles). But don’t be fooled by the relatively short distance! When you take into account elevation, The Rheinsteig is a challenging long-distance trail.
What is the terrain like on the Rheinsteig?
Activate goat mode! The terrain on the Rheinsteig is varied ranging from steep ascents and descents to gentle and sleepy woodland paths. You can expect to navigate rocky trails, vineyard paths, forested hills, as well as some urban sections through quaint villages.
The elevation changes are sometimes wild, making the trail both challenging and rewarding. We loved descending from the trail in the evening to reach one of the river-side towns or villages, but we always knew come morning we would be climbing up a steep hill to return!
Is the Rheinsteig a difficult hike?
Yes! The Rheinsteig is considered a moderately difficult to difficult hike. There were times when we wondered if the trail designers may just have been a little bit evil.
There are challenging sections, both in terms of steep upwards elevation and tricky descents. There’s also a day where you’ll spend an hour or so climbing through a canyon. Proper training, equipment and footwear is very much advised.
In our opinion, The Rheinsteig has added challenges because of trail logistics. There are days when it is essential to carry food and water for the entire day. If, like us, you are also camping and lugging around all your equipment, then the weight of the backpack can become difficult.
How to train for the Rheinsteig
The first thing that I would recommend focusing on to train for walking The Rheinsteig, is hill climbs. You’ll frequently climb in excess of 2,000 ft each day. So, training for hills will help to avoid you clambering up at a snails pace.
Secondly, I’d suggest training with a weighty backpack. This is particularly important if you plan to walk the entire route with your belongings, and camping gear. Don’t forget that you’ll probably have around 3kgs of water each day too.
Finally, think about strength training, glutes and legs in particular.
You can find my tried and tested hiking training programme here.
What are some of the highlights on the Rheinsteig trail?
The Rheinsteig trail is packed with loads of highlights:
- Natural Beauty: The trail’s wooded paths, scenic overlooks, and river vistas make every step a visual delight.
- Castles and Ruins: The trail passes by numerous castles, such as Marksburg Castle and Rheinstein Castle, offering glimpses into Germany’s medieval history. Normally you’ll need to pay to enter these castles.
- Lorelei Rock: One of the most famous landmarks along the Rhine, the Lorelei Rock is steeped in legend and offers fab views of the river below.
- Vineyards: The trail meanders through the heart of Germany’s wine country, with many opportunities to sample local Rieslings and Pinot Noir.
- Picturesque Villages: Towns like Linz, St. Goar, and Rüdesheim are filled with half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets, and vibrant local culture.
Find out more about what we liked + disliked on The Rheinsteig here.
How many days does it take to complete The Rheinsteig?
Generally, people will tell you that it takes 21 days to walk The Rheinsteig, because there are officially “21 stages” in all guides and on the Rheinsteig website. However, you can choose to walk your own daily stages and it certainly does need to be exactly 21.
We walked in 12 days, averaging around 27km per day. This felt a little rushed and instead we would recommend 13-14 days, for anyone who wants a challenge but without too much time pressure.
It’s worth adding that we met a few people on route who were not walking the entire trail – in Germany, it is a popular option to come out to walk a section of the trail over a weekend, or to walk for 4 to 5 days. In fact, even in August, we didn’t meet anyone else walking the whole trail.
What time of year to walk The Rheinsteig
General advice is that the Rheinsteig could be walked from April/ May through to September/October. I’d be a little cautious of rainy conditions in spring and autumn, which could make some of the trail tricky to tackle. That said, there are sometimes alternative easier paths you can take in the event of rain making steeper trails inaccessible.
In summer months, you’ll have slightly busier trails, campsites and accommodation. Whilst at other times it may be quieter. August brings lots of celebrations in towns and cities on The Rhine, which makes the route a little more interesting. Whereas Autumn will see wine harvests taking place.
We walked in August, and despite the heat, loved the summer feeling. As much of the trail is in woodland, the heat didn’t prove too much of an issue for us. But, if you do walk in summer, we recommend starting your walk early in the morning to get a bit of distance covered before temperatures rise.
What is accommodation like on the Rheinsteig?
Accommodation on the Rheinsteig trail is varied. You can find a mix of B&Bs, hotels, Airbnbs and campsites.
We were a little surprised at the price of accommodation – a double room tended to cost between 70 and 150 Euros depending on location, although we found one or two very basic rooms for less than this. If you wanted to spend more, you could get quite luxurious accommodation.
Once again, keep in mind that most accommodation is to be found in the towns along the Rhine, and not on the actual trail itself.
How much does it cost to walk The Rheinsteig?
The cost of walking The Rheinsteig will vary depending on how many nights you spend on route and the time of year you walk, as well as the choices you make. Below you can see the price of average items you may purchase.
| Item | Cost (Euros) |
| Large beer (500ml) | 3.50 to 5.00 |
| Glass of wine | 5.00 |
| Coffee | 1.50 to 2.00 |
| Croissant or bakery item | 1.50 to 2.00 |
| Baguette | 0.70 to 1.50 |
| Pack of cheese | 1.50 to 2.50 |
| Main course in restaurant | 15.00 to 23.00 |
| Hotel or B&B | 70 to 150 (with a few available for around 50 Euros) |
| Campsite (based on a small tent with two people) | 20 to 25 |
We estimate that we spent around 1000 Euros walking the Rheinsteig between two people – this included 13 nights accommodation, including hotels in Koblenz and Mainz (a total of 220 Euros), a mix of campsites and basic hotels. We tended to cook dinner and make sandwiches at lunch, but ate out a handful of times. And, our beer bill is always high!
Where can you get food and drink on The Rheinsteig?
Towns & villages versus on the trail
It’s worth keeping in mind that the trail mostly takes you up and down hills, high above the towns and villages that are located along the river. Only on a few occasions will the trail take you directly into a town. Therefore, for food and drink you’ll mostly have to think about navigating off trail to nearby towns and villages.
Some days on the trail, you’ll find a cafe or beer garden very close to where you are walking. This always feels like such a treat! But, don’t count on these always being open – beer gardens for example may open at 16:00 or 17:00/
Restricted opening hours
Keep in mind that there are some restricted opening hours. For example, supermarkets do not open at all on Sundays. Many cafes/ coffee shops don’t open until 10:00 or 11:00 in the morning, and close by 15:00 ish. But, bakeries are life savers as they tend to open by 07:00 (and serve coffee!)
We also found that restaurants only opened Thursday to Sunday in some of the smaller towns. More often than not, there might be one hotel restaurant open though.
Our typical day
Typically, we would find breakfast and coffee at a bakery close to our hotel or campsite, before re-joining the trail in the morning. We would also head to a supermarket and stock up on second breakfast (much needed*), snacks (fruit and nuts) and sandwich ingredients for lunch. In general, packed lunches are required.
In the evening, we tried to find campsites close to supermarkets so we didn’t have to carry our dinner with us all day. If this wasn’t possible, we would eat in restaurants.
On one or two days, particularly Sundays, we might carry enough food for lunch, dinner and breakfast the next day.
*We estimated that we were burning between 3,000 and 4,000 extra calories per day on The Rheinsteig. So it was almost impossible not to feel hungry a lot of the time!
How much water to carry on The Rheinsteig?
Ensuring that we were carrying enough water on The Rheinsteig was one of the biggest challenges we had. As we walked in August, temperatures were higher, and we got through a lot of water. Despite carrying around 3 litres each, on two occasions we ran out of water and had to come down from the trail to top up.
I’d recommend carrying 3 litres as a minimum, but if you plan to walk longer days like we did, then carry more. It’s also advisable to top up or buy more water every time you see a cafe on trail, as they are not particularly frequent.
Can you walk the Rheinsteig with a dog?
I think you could walk The Rheinsteig with a dog if you wanted to. There are sections of the trail where they could easily roam free without a leash. A lot of the route is through forested areas and well away from roads.
Do keep in mind that there is livestock in some sections and dogs may need to put on a lead. We also saw warnings about foxes in some areas with advice to put dogs onto leashes. The other thing to consider is carrying extra water for your buddy, especially in the heat.
In terms of accommodation, we spotted a few dog friendly hotels on route. Plus, the campsites we stayed in were all dog friendly.
Can you walk the Rheinsteig with children?
I think walking the entire route with children could be a challenge. Depending on the age of children, you’d probably need to divide the route into shorter sections to allow for little legs to tackle the steep climbs.
The route is definitely not stroller friendly, but we saw a few day hikers carrying small ones in baby carriers.
What to pack for the Rheinsteig
Here’s our short guide of what to pack for The Rheinsteig.
1/ Backpack
We both took 30-40 litre backpacks with us. In reality, we could have done with slightly larger backpacks – 50 litres is probably ideal.
2/ Footwear
We both wear Hoka trail shoes, but lightweight walking boots would also be suitable. Footwear will need to be sturdy, reliable and comfortable.
3/ Hiking clothing
Here’s everything I packed to wear when walking:
| Item | Quantity |
| Walking shoes | 1 |
| Walking shorts | 2 |
| Leggings or walking trousers | 1 |
| Walking t-shirts or tops (quick dry) | 2 |
| Sports bra (quick dry) | 1 |
| Walking socks | 2 or 3 |
| Underwear (quick dry) | 3 minimum |
| Rain jacket | 1 |
| Lightweight sweater | 1 |
| Change of clothes for the evening – see note on this below | 1 |
| Change of shoes for the evening – see note on this below | 1 |
| Pyjamas | 1 |
| Sunhat | 1 |
| Woolen Hat (for cold mornings and evenings) | 1 |
| Sunglasses | 1 |
4/ Change of clothes for the evening
In the evening you will probably want a change of clothing. As we were mostly camping, we packed lightweight shorts and t-shirts for the evening, as well as a light sweater. I also took my trust birkenstocks to wear of an evening and when we were exploring, but not hiking.
5/ Toiletries
Here are a few suggestions based on what I pack on long-distance treks (as a female traveller):
- All in one soap – an excellent thing. You can get it on Amazon. Soap that washes you, your hair and your clothing. It’s marvellous. Pack it in a plastic zip lock bag (not a heavy soap dish!)
- Sachets of Conditioner OR a leave in conditioner – a bottle of conditioner may be too heavy, but a few sachets of conditioner or an intensive hair mask are easier to carry. A leave in conditioner spray that you can also use as a serum is a good choice. Pack into a travel sized toiletry bottle.
- Mooncup – carrying tampax or sanitary towels is heavy, a mooncup is not. I’d also recommend this for ease as the toilets on the trail are very infrequent.
- Moisturiser for body and face – an all in one moisturiser will save space and weight in your bag, for me this as non-negotiable especially to moisturise my feet. Pack into a travel sized toiletry bottle.
- Sunscreen – goes without saying. I find a spray easier to use on the trails and lighter to carry too. We suggest factor 50 in Germany during the summer as the sun is out for a long time! I also love this Le Roche Posay sun stick for my face as it’s lightweight, easy to put in your bag and is a solid stick (meaning it doesn’t count towards your liquid allowance on the plane.)
- Bug Spray – we took bug spray, and used it constantly. There were so many nasty biting insects on route.
- A trek towel – this will come in super handy along the way if you are camping, but may not be required if you are 100% in hotels.
- A small medical kit – allergy tablets, Ibuprofen, rehydration sachets and blister plasters.
- A little makeup for the evening – mascara and a lip balm that also acts as a cheek tint (personal choice, but I liked having a little makeup to wear in Koblenz and smarter towns)
- Cleansing wipes – a lightweight packet of cleansing wipes
- Deodorant – something under 100ml and lightweight
- Toothpaste and toothbrush
- Anti-bacterial hand gel – it is difficult to wash our hands regularly on the route
6/ Essentials
We also recommend packing a few essentials, such as:
- Wireless headphones for listening to music or audio books when you walk, or at night.
- A travel adaptor is also required, unless you already have European plugs.
- A plastic bag or waterproof bag to protect valuables from rain. As well as a waterproof bag cover.
- Ear plugs and eye mask to get the best sleep
- I would highly recommend taking a spare battery pack for charging your phone during the day (particularly useful if you plan to camp.)
7/ Camping gear (if camping)
For camping, here’s what we recommend:
- Lightweight tent – our tent is this one
- Sleeping pad
- Sleeping bag – our sleeping bags
- Cooking stove, gas and lighter
- Cooking pots (we prefer these to a kettle)
- Coffee or Tea and a cup or mug
- Utensils (a spork is the best option)
Do you need swimwear?
Before I set out, I considered packing swimwear. I thought that there would be way more opportunities to swim in The Rhine than there actually were. In practice, we found only one place to swim towards the end of the walk.
There are a few spa towns on route where you may want to consider visiting the spa. But, by all accounts it seems that swimwear is not required!
In short – you won’t need swimwear.
Do you need trekking poles?
We don’t tend to use trekking poles, but if you normally use them for walking then I’d recommend packing them for The Rheinsteig. There are a few steep descents where I can see that they may help with stability, but poles are absolutely not required.
Rheinsteig Vlog
Want to see a little more of the Rheinsteig? Find our YouTube video below.
Written by Emma
Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.
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