LOTUS EATERS TRAVEL

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OUR RHEINSTEIG DAILY STAGES: WALKING IN 14 DAYS OR LESS.

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The Rheinsteig has long been on our list of European long distance walks to complete. What attracted us, is that it looked a little different to other multi-day treks that we had completed. For a start, we’ve mainly walked in Spain, Italy and hotter climates. Less so in Northern Europe. We also gravitate to coastal walks – but the idea of following a river trail, felt attractively simple.

Tourism in the Rhine area was super popular decades ago, and we felt that there might be a bit of a retro feel to the whole experience. Plus, what is the Rhine area known for? Wine. Yes, yes. We were sold!

In the summer of 2024, we finally completed the Rheinsteig end to end.

The Rheinsteig: An intro

The Rheinsteig trail starts in Bonn, a historic city located on the banks of the River Rhine and ends in Weisbaden, a city also by the Rhine and close to Mainz/ Frankfurt.

The hiking route covers a distance of 320km, which involves an awful lot of hill climbing and zig zagging. You’ll notice that there is a significant disparity between the distance covered on foot on the Rheinsteig, and the equivalent distance along the river. You might walk 27km on trail, only to discover that you’ve only moved about 10km along the river as the crow flies.

As a difficult hike, there were more than a few moments when we asked each other if we were truly enjoying it. At one point, I even wondered if the route designers might be sadists. There seemed to be an awful lot of hill climbing torture being inflicted on us.

Nevertheless, we continued and learned to see past the pain to find the pleasure of The Rheinsteig. In the incredible views of the river, a hot cup of coffee with something squidgy and baked, or a cold German beer at the end of the day. The pleasure is there to find on The Rheinsteig, but you’ll have to search to find it.

This blog post details the daily stages that we walked, to help you plan your Rheinsteig adventure. And to help you find the pleasure points of each day!

You can also read this blog post in conjunction with our Rheinsteig FAQs guide, which we hope will answer any burning questions you have about the route.

The Rheinsteig Daily Stages

One of the key questions you may have when planning your Rheinsteig adventure, is how many days the walk will take and how to divide up your daily stages. Below you can find everything you need to know about the daily stages on the walk, and our guide to walking the route in 12-14 days.

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. We felt quite smug being able to walk the whole thing – like lucky little trail blazers.

The 21 Rheinsteig Stages

The Rheinsteig Official website breaks down the entire route into 21 walking stages. These stages vary from around 9km to 22km in distance, with varying elevation. Each stage tends to start close to or in a town on route.

It is possible to walk the 21 stages one per day, to combine two stages each day, or to walk different walking stages each day. You don’t have to walk one stage each day over 21 days.

Our Rheinsteig Daily Stages: Why did we pick them?

We chose to walk the Rheinsteig in 12 daily stages. Although our research was informed by the Rheinsteig official 21 stages, we very much came to our own itinerary to suit us.

In creating these daily stages, we considered our walking ability and distance goals. But as we were also aiming to camp in our tent, we tried to tailor our daily stages to end up at a campsite. Where this was not possible, we would pick low cost hotels.

Finally, we tried to end each of our daily stages on a town that we were interested in seeing. And, you’ll see from our guide below – that we tried to seek out as many pleasurable experiences on route as possible.

If you’re thinking about camping on the Rheinsteig you can find our guide here.

Our Rheinsteig Daily Stages: A summary

Here’s a summary of our Rheinsteig daily stages:

Day 1/ Bonn to Königswinter 24km

Day 2/ Königswinter to Rheinbreitbach 27km

Day 3/ Rheinbreitbach to Bad Hönningen 27km

Day 4/ Bad Hönningen to Leutesdorf 17km

Day 5/ Leutesdorf to Sayn 37km

Day 6/ Sayn to Koblenz 24km

Day 7/ Koblenz to Braubach 24km

Day 8/ Braubach to Kestert

Day 9/ Kestert to Kaub

Day 10/ Kaub to Rüdesheim

Day 11/ Rüdesheim to Kiedrich (Eltville)

Day 12/ Kiedrich (Eltville) to Wiesbaden (Mainz)

As you can see, our daily stages varied between 17 and 37km. We averaged around 26 to 27km per day. Being totally honest, we would have loved an extra day to slow things down. Ideally 13 to 14 days is a great amount of time to walk the Rheinsteig. But, it is possible to walk in 12 days as we did.

In our detailed Rheinsteig stages guide below, we set out the different options to allow you to walk in 12, 13 or 14 days.

Our Rheinsteig Daily Stages: Detailed Guide

Here you can find a detailed guide to the daily stages that we walked on The Rheinsteig.

Day 1/ Bonn to Königswinter

KEY DETAILS: 24 kms, elevation gain 2200ft, time 5 – 6 hours

ROUTE

We arrived into Bonn train station, having just hot footed it from Maastricht in the Netherlands, where we had finished walking 500km of The Pieterpad the day prior. Thankfully, the sign posts for The Rheinsteig actually start pretty close to the train station. Sometimes, we find that way markers for long-distance hikes are missing in cities, but we were super impressed to see them so well placed in Bonn.

If you arrive from the train station too, we recommend exiting in the direction of Bonn Munster, where you will pick up the way markers almost immediately. The route takes you past some interesting monuments, although skips Beethoven’s House (so come off the route if you want to see that) before crossing Kennedybrucke, and reaching the right side of the river Rhine.

From here, the route follows a pretty city park, before taking a sharp turn and entering the forest. The trail meanders through woodland and eventually opens out giving the first glimpse of vineyards.

If you are staying in Königswinter, you’ll have to find a route down to the town. It is possible to come off the trail early and walk more through town, or follow the trail past Steigenberger Grandhotel and then descend. The footpaths down to town are popular hiking trails and seemed well maintained.

AMENITIES

In Bonn, there are very few amenities by the river, so we suggest stocking up on anything you need from the grocery store before you leave the centre of town. There is an excellent Lidl in the Bonn train station, which should have everything you need.

Once you cross the river out of Bonn to reach the right of The Rhine, there are a few lovely looking Beer Gardens. We found it very hard to resist!

After this point, the route heads into the wilderness and you won’t see any more amenities until you reach Konginswinter.

PLEASURE

• Bonn Market Square, Beethoven’s House and the first glimpse of the River Rhine
• Beer Gardens on the right side of the river just outside Bonn, an excellent (albeit very early) stop for a refreshment
• Königswinter is a pretty town, with a handful of quirky independent stores and restaurants.

ACCOMMODATION

Königswinter is small, but there are a few hotels to choose from and it seemed one of the best value places to stay on the Rheinsteig.

Our choice was Storyhotel Bergischer Hof Königswinter, a very reasonably priced room (70 euros for the night) above a smart hipster looking restaurant and cafe. The room was immaculate and well designed, with great showers and comfortable beds. The cafe opens early and it was ideal being able to pop down for espresso before we started walking the next day. We would thoroughly recommend this place.

Day 2/ Königswinter to Rheinbreitbach

KEY DETAILS: 27 kms, elevation gain 4,000ft, time 6-7 hours

ROUTE

This was a challenging day of walking, which started abruptly with a steep climb back to the trail from the town. It felt that we continued climbing for the entire day. Thankfully, much of the route is in shade.

One of the hardest parts of the day is climbing Drachenfels (“Dragon’s Rock”) observation platform, with the ruin of Drachenfels castle. The views from this area are rather spectacular.

AMENITIES

After Konginswinter, we did not find any amenities until we came off the trail for our overnight stop. In fact, we actually set out on our second day with an entirely different overnight destination in mind, we intended to walk further. However, we learnt a lesson on the Rheinsteig on this day that forced us to abandon the trail earlier than planned – don’t underestimate how much water you will need.

Rheinbreitbach has grocery stores and other amenities.

PLEASURE

• Schloss Drachenburg is a highlight – you can visit between 11:00 and 18:00 every day. For us, we passed a little too early to visit but were able to see it from the outside.
• The views from Drachenfels observation deck.

ACCOMMODATION

We opted for a campsite in Rheinbreitbach – Biergarten und Campingplatz Auf dem Salmenfang- despite having some dodgy google reviews, we actually really liked the campsite and felt very welcome. The beer garden on the river is a total bonus, with some of the least expensive and coldest beers we enjoyed during our time in Germany. And, with an awesome view.

The campsite cost 20 Euros for a pitch – you can find more information about the campsite here.

If you’re not camping, consider Hotel Haus Bergblick – a friendly B&B guesthouse in Rheinbreitbach. Or, continue a few kms further to Unkel, where you can find more hotels, like Rheinhotel Schulz.

Day 3/ Rheinbreitbach to Bad Hönningen

KEY DETAILS: 26kms, elevation gain, 4,000ft, time 6 hours

ROUTE

The best day of walking so far on the Rheinsteig, we really felt that we had “found our legs” and the route gave us so much. From spotting wild deer in the forest early in the day, to quaint villages and spectacular castles. Although we were exhausted by the end of the day after a few short and steep ascents, as well as some longer clambers, we felt quite satisfied.

Expect meadows, vineyards and forest walking throughout the day. Dotted with some lovely Rhine Valley towns. The route passes through the small town of Unkel as well as the larger town of Linz am Rhein. Linz dates back to the 800s and has a beautiful square with cafes and restaurants.

Views from Erpeler Ley are spectacular. Along the way, you’ll pass the impressive Ockenfels Castle and Schloss Arenfels.

AMENITIES

Unkel is the first town you’ll reach on route – a small place, but with a supermarket and a few different options for coffee.

Linz also has many cafes and restaurants as well as a supermarket.

PLEASURE

• A quiet coffee to start the day in Unkel
• The views from Erpeler Rey are spectacular
• Ockenfels Castle – unfortunately not open to the public but pleasant to look at.
• Linz – a charming town with one of the best squares we saw on our whole trip. We loved a stop here for something to eat.
• Schloss Arenfels – a fabulous yellow castle in a vineyard setting. If you happen to pass on a Sunday, I understand that the castle is open and you can pop by for a drink.
• The Thermal Bath spa in Bad Hönningen, you can get access for around 10€. Just be warned, no clothing allowed!

ACCOMMODATION

Bad Hönningen is a spa town, that has a feeling of slightly faded glory. There are restaurants and a few bars, but opening hours when we visited were limited, so we opted to cook dinner in our campsite.

We stayed in Wellness Rheinpark campsite, which had one of the nicest pitches of our experience camping on the Rheinsteig. We turned up without a booking and had no issues getting a pitch and met a few walkers/ cyclists camping too.

If you are looking for hotel for the night, you can actually stay in the fabulous Schloss Arenfels. Hotel St Pierre is a less expensive option in town.

Day 4/ Bad Hönningen to Leutesdorf

KEY DETAILS: 17 kms, elevation gain 2,300ft, time 5 hours

ROUTE

We opted for a short day of walking today. In part as a chance to take things easy after the previous difficult day. But also because we spotted a few vineyards and wine houses on route. Although the whole of the Rhine Valley area is known for vineyards, we had seen plenty of grapes by this point but were yet to consume any. We took the opportunity for a bit of extra pleasure and a little less torture today.

The walking today felt fertile and abundant as we walked along historic Roman Paths noticing tress and bushes full of plums, apples, grapes and blackberries. A moderately difficult day, but nothing compared to the previous two. And of course, made all the better by a few glasses of wine.

AMENITIES

Amenities in Bad Honningen before leaving or in Rheinbrohl. After this, the wine house in Hammerstein or facilities in Leutesdorf. If camping at the site in Leutesdorf, note that the town centre is around a 20 minute walk along the river on a footpath.

PLEASURE

• The views from Aussichtspunkt Rheinbrohler Ley were a delight;
• One wine house (Weinstube Zwick) and a vineyard (Weingut Scheidgen) in Hammerstein;
• More wine tasting opportunities and a few quiet restaurants in Leutesdorf.

ACCOMMODATION

Sticking with camping where we could, we picked a camspite in Leutesdorf. It was pleasant, if a little on the crowded side. The tent area is shared with no defined pitches and we returned from supper to find that a family had inexplicably pitched up about 30cm from our tent. Given that we were planning to wake up at 06:00 the next day, we chose to move away!

We turned up to to Campingplatz Leutesdorf without a reservation and got a spot easily. This was one of the most expensive campsites we stayed at (approx 30€ – a little OTT given that there isn’t even a river view. )

If you’re not camping, the hotel Leutesdorf Hof is ideal – central location and excellent dinner (we ended up eating here and it was a great vibe.) Breakfast is included in the room rate too.

Day 5/ Leutesdorf to Sayn

KEY DETAILS: 37 kms, elevation gain 3,200ft, time 8-9 hours

ROUTE

Note – we recommend splitting this section into two days and staying in Rengsdorf if you’d prefer things a little more leisurely. There are no campsites in Rengsdorf, hence we opted to continue to Sayn. But you will find a few hotels.

We started the day high up amongst vines, seeing the steep hill on which the grapes grow gave us a new found appreciation for how wine is produced here. I’ll certainly never take a drop of Riesling for granted again.

After this the route opened out and we found ourselves in beautiful meadows and countryside. A real contrast to forest paths from previous days. After the pretty town of Altwied, the route climbs to Rengsdorf, which marks the end of the difficult walking. From then on, we enjoyed easy downhills and flat walking through forests to Sayn.

In all honesty, today’s walk was a bit too much for us! We love a challenge but there were moments when we wished we could have split this day into two.

AMENITIES

• We didn’t find anything open in Leutesdorf, but took a detour around Wolldendorf (around 5km in) to find much needed coffee and a supermarket. This does require coming off the route, but worth it if you need supplies.
• The pretty area around Altwied and the ruins has a few restaurants/ bars, but be careful of opening hours (afternoon/evening only.)
• Rengsdorf is a large-ish town but with a striking lack of amenities. The supermarket is around 20 minutes walk off the trail. Instead, we opted for a stop off in a friendly gelato shop before making our descent down to Sayn.
• After Rengsdorf, there are a few Biergarten’s along the route – both open around 16:00/17:00 – Restaurant Zum Schwanenteich looked to be a popular spot.
• In Sayn, there are a few restaurants and bars. We opted for this one, the first beer garden we saw. The service was a bit hit and miss, but frankly we didn’t care as they had beer and food!

PLEASURE

• The area around Altwied was very pretty. We enjoyed a stop by the ruins with our picnic lunch.
• We counted three potential beer stops after Rengdsorf – an excellent way to manage a long day of walking.

ACCOMMODATION

As noted above, you could split this day and stay in Rengsdorf. If you’re not camping, this may be the best choice.

If you are looking to stay near Sayn, there are two hotels that are practically on the Rheinsteig route between Sayn and Bendorf. Both are quite basic, but fine for walkers. Rheinsteig Quartier and Bestime Hotel Bendorf.

For campers – it’s slim picking. We ended up at a Scout Camp, which may have been the most surreal night of our trip. After contacting them in advance, we arrived to find a few fields and various jamborees going on. After 37km, we slept to the sound of crackling fires and kumbaya.

Day 6/ Sayn to Koblenz

KEY DETAILS: 23 kms (less if walking along the river), elevation gain 1,900ft(less if walking along the river), time 4-5 hours.

ROUTE

After another difficult day yesterday, we were delighted to start the day with nicely shaded downhill walking through a forest.

We were also excited to be heading into Koblenz, a city I had long wanted to visit – my parents have been there a few times and always rave about it. To add to the summer dreaming, when we walked, we knew that we would be arriving to the first night of the Koblenz summer festival.

The walk to Vallendar passed easily – 13km and about 1,300ft of climbing. Mostly on forest paths.

Sadly, we discovered a route diversion shortly after Vallendar. We went back and forth a few times, asking a fellow walker for advice, before getting completely lost.

After about 45 minutes of confusion, I made an executive decision to retrace our steps back to Vallendar and walk along the river – taking a much more direct route to Koblenz. What can I say? The prospect of beer, bratwurst and live music was just to much.

The walk from Vallendar should be about 9km with a 600ft climb. The route along the river is closer to 6km, with zero climb. I’ll leave you to decide which one is best for you!

It may not have escaped your attention that the Rheinsteig route is on the opposite side of the river to Koblenz. When you approach the city, you have a choice of walking over a bridge, or taking a short boat ride. In the spirit of taking things easy, we opted for the boat. And I must say, it is quite a splendid way to approach the city.

AMENITIES

Bendorf is the best place to stop for refreshments on route. The route doesn’t go through the town, but a small detour will take you in. There’s a supermarket and various other bits. We highly recommend Mein Baker Bendorf, a divine bakery with friendly staff.

PLEASURE

• Vallendar is a quirky place with lots of history and interesting buildings.
• By far, the greatest pleasure of our day was visiting Koblenz. Normally a fun city, but made more so by the summer festival. If you can time your visit with this, I’d very much recommend it. The Rhine in Flames celebration (see day 7, is even more spectacular.) Follow the Koblenz summer festival site for up to date information.

You can also find out about our experience of the summer festival here.

ACCOMMODATION

Koblenz has a large campsite if you want to camp. But I’d recommend booking in advance if you visit in the summer.

If you’d rather, book into a city centre hotel. We stayed at the Ibis (a last min booking), and I would not recommend that! Consider Hotel Jan van Werth or Hotel Morjan, which both have much more charm.

Day 7/ Koblenz to Braubach

KEY DETAILS: 25 kms, elevation gain 2,100ft, time 7-8 hours.

ROUTE

The Rheinsteig takes a detour from it’s namesake today, to instead meet the river Lahn.

We started by crossing the bridge from Koblenz to walk along the river, a pleasant and easy way to start the day. When we walked, the next section was closed and we had to detour, thankfully the new way was sign posted well.

Much of the walk is through enchanting forest in the Bienhorntal area, opening into countryside meadows. we missed a few sign posts, but found our way. A slow climb through the woods, leads to a difficult section of descent on rocks followed by steep switch backs.

Possibly the most exciting bit of the day is traversing the Ruppertsklamm – a 1.5km gorge. Ropes are there to guide you, but it involves a fair bit of balance to get through unscathed. We happened to be walking on a Saturday – which I wouldn’t recommend, as it was very busy with day trippers. It may also be best to detour this section in the rain.

After crossing the river Lahn, there are a few more steep climbs to end the day before reaching Braubach.

AMENITIES

We got stocked up with coffee and picnic food in Koblenz before leaving. I’d recommend this as there are lots of wonderful spots to eat lunch on the route today, but nowhere to buy anything until Braubach.

Braubach has supermarkets, restaurants and bars.

PLEASURE

• The route is very varied today and we loved the gorge experience, as well as the views over the river Lahn.
• By far, the most pleasure was in Braubach. Our visit coincided with the spectacular Rhine in Flames event. So we got to see fireworks and boats on the river late into the evening. Truly special.
• Otherwise, Braubach has a fantastic wine garden to look out for tin summer months.

ACCOMMODATION

We stayed at Green Camping Am Rhein. A campsite with a lot of character run by a young couple. I would recommend booking, there are not many pitches here.

Otherwise, try Landgasthof Zum Weissen Schwanen – a central hotel with lots of character.

Day 8/ Braubach to Kestert

KEY DETAILS: 24 kms, elevation gain 4,900ft, time 6-7 hours.

ROUTE

This was one of the toughest days, not in terms of distance but certainly the most elevation gain so far. We rejoined the route with a steep climb to Braubach castle first thing in the morning. But with big hills, comes big views. And today felt like it was all about the special views over the Rhine.

Look out for pleasant walking shelters, great spots for lunch or a break from the weather. Also you’ll see the quite epic castles of Sterrenberg and Liebenstein – according to legend these two castles were built by two brothers, who fell in love with eh same woman and subsequently quarrelled to the point of building seperatecastles.

You’ll see on route today a few “yellow” Rhenisteig signs- these are optional detours to take an easier path if needed. Either because of weather or to save your legs!

AMENITIES

There is a nice cafe at the mighty Sterrenberg Castle. Check opening hours in advance, as there is nothing else on route today unless you come off and head down to the river.

PLEASURE

• The “feuding brothers” castles on opposing hillsides of the river
• Incredible views across the Rhine
• The absolute relief of reaching Kestert for a glass of wine and a sleep!

ACCOMMODATION

Kestert does not have a campsite. Instead, there are a a few hotels, all of which seem to be owned by the same company!

We opted for hotel restaurant Krone, which was pleasant if a little old fashioned. A more upmarket alternative would be this pension.

Day 9/ Kestert to Kaub

KEY DETAILS: 33 kms, elevation gain 4,000ft, time 9-10 hours

ROUTE

We combined two of the Rheinsteig section today to create an extra long daily stage. The route from Kestert to Kaub via St. Goarshausen offers some of the most challenging but rewarding hiking. It felt that we were constantly climbing up and down hills but finding such epic views that it felt worth it.

The official Rheinsteig guide refers to this day as The Queens Day, and whilst it was enjoyable, it was not our favourite day of walking. The route passes through Loreley plateau, near to the famous Loreley Rock – a UNESCO world heritage site. Legend has it that a beautiful siren, named Lorelei sat upon the rock and beckoned sailors with her song, before they crashed into rocks.

“Die schönste Jungfrau sitzet
Dort oben wunderbar,
Ihr goldnes Geschmeide blitzet,
Sie kämmt ihr goldenes Haar.”

Which translates roughly to:

The fairest maiden sits
Up there, wondrous to behold,
Her golden jewelry glistens,
She combs her golden hair.

An extract from – Heinrich Heine’s Die Lorelei

It is an interesting area to visit, naturally with very good views. But it felt a bit of a shock to find so many people there after having much of the trails to ourselves!

AMENITIES

There is a supermarket and a few other amenities in St. Goarshausen, 12km into the walk.Then there are cafes and kiosks around Loreley Plateau.

We paused for a delightful drink at the Fetz Lorely Hotel, which has a gorgeous terrace. There is also a vending machine in this village, which was a bit of a life saver for us as had totally run out of water!

PLEASURE

• Views back to Burg Katz
• The Lorely Park area is quite pleasant, if a little crowded
• The climb down into the town of Kaub – overlooking the vines and the river

ACCOMMODATION

There is a campsite in St. Goarshausen if you wanted a shorter day. If doing the full route to Kaub, you won’t find a campsite. There is however a Youth Hostel in Kaub – details here.

We opted for an inexpensive private apartment that we found on booking.com – it was ideal for us as we wanted self-catered facilities.

Day 10/ Kaub to Rüdesheim

KEY DETAILS: 35 kms, elevation gain 3,600ft, time 10 hours

ROUTE

Today was another day for us combining two Rheinsteig sections to make one extra long day. In an ideal world, we would have loved to split the day, but we had limited time to cover distance. Nevertheless, it was a fun day of walking, and we made it eventually!

Having now completed this, I would, in retrospect try to linger a little longer in Asamnshausen – and not just because the name of the town is amusing to me as an English speaker. This area is particularly known for producing red wine and I didn’t get a chance to try any in the vineyards!

As always, a challenging day with lots of ups and downs, forest walks and steep sections. This is punctuated by fabulous views, rest areas, and the first of the wine vending areas that we encountered on the route. I must say, this exciting times!

It’s worth noting that for some reason the route doesn’t actually go into Rudesheim – this is such a shame as it’s a lovely town and where accommodation is found. For practical reasons, we came off the route at this point and rejoined the next day.

A sneaky tip – if you wanted to spend a while in Assmanshausen sampling wine, there is a chair lift taking you up to the vineyards on the hill. Then you can take a second chair lift down to Rudesheim. We were too late in the day to get it (the lift closes around 16:00), but otherwise would have been straight on it! It’s not cheating if you’re doing it for the wine.

AMENITIES

• Look out for wine huts – mainly selling wine, but they do also have soft drinks/ water if needed in an urgent situation.
• Cafes and restaurants found in Lorch
• Amenities in Assmanshausen

PLEASURE

• Today’s pleasure was all about the wine huts for us. Simply open up the hut, swipe your ID, choose your wine and then you can pay via PayPal. It’s a magical experience. We indulged in a bottle of Reisling with views overlooking the Rhine. An absolute highlight, even if we were drinking out of plastic camping cups.
• Once in Rudehsheim, look out for fantastic restaurants in the centre of town – it’s quite a foodie place and popular tourist destination.
• If you stay at one of the campsites, I believe that both have small beaches were you can swim – the first chance we got on the whole journey.

ACCOMMODATION

Rudesheim has two campsites. Campingplatz am Rhein is the best camping place in terms of location, it’s not far out of town. We stayed at Rheingaucamping Campingplatz Geisenheim, which required a detour, but it was a pleasant campsite (if a little expensive.)

Best to book ahead, this is a popular tourist destination.

For hotels’s, Breuer’s Rüdesheimer Schloss would be a bit of a treat. An 18^th century building with some stylish touches. You can also pick wine hotels a little out of town – like this one.

Day 11/ Rüdesheim to Kiedrich

KEY DETAILS: 30 kms, elevation gain 2,000ft, time 8-9 hours

ROUTE

Today was the first day of leaving the Upper Rhine Valley and entering the Rheingau section of the route.This area is known for producing Riesling and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir) wine.  For us, although the walking was enjoyable, we thought it was a shame to go so far from the river on the last few days. We struggled a little with accommodation and ended up retreating back to the river to find somewhere to stay.

We re-traced our steps a bit to get back on the route from Rudesheim. The route continues with a few steep climbs and descents, but nothing we couldn’t handle at this stage. You’ll find forest paths and majestic vineyards, before reaching the small town of Kiedrich.

AMENITIES

For amenities, you’ll have to stock up in Rudesheim before leaving. Then come off the route to one of the Rhine towns if you need anything before reaching Kiedrich.

PLEASURE

• Weingut Schloss Vollrads offers the chance for wine tasting just a little off route
• Kiedrich also has Weingut Robert Weil – a winery that offers tasting in a pleasant setting.

ACCOMMODATION

I don’t know if it was just the time of year we walked, but we struggled to find accommodation in Kiedrich. We we forced to take a bus to nearby Eltville (returning to Kiedrich the next day to start the walk).

Eltville is a vibrant town with an upmarket feel, and we really enjoyed staying there regardless. But it was a shame that we had to move away from the route.

Altstadt Hotel Glockenhof is a well-priced hotel option in Eltville.

Day 12/ Kiedrich to Wiesbaden

KEY DETAILS: 27 kms, elevation gain 1,400ft, time 5-6 hours

ROUTE

Our final day! And once again, we tackled two of the sections in one day. This felt like a relatively flat day by Rheinsteig standards – totalling only 1,400ft of elevation. The route took us even further away from the Rhine today, towards Schlangenbad. A little confusing so close to the end of the route but it was pleasant walking. Expect forested paths and vineyard views.

The last section approaches along the river towards Wiesbaden – a welcome chance to see the river again and get some speed up before the end. We couldn’t help but feel a little emotional as we made our way to the Schloss Wiesbaden – the Rheinsteig is a tough walk and we felt proud to be finishing, but equally excited to rest at the end!!

Tip – if you did run out of time towards the end, struggled with accommodation, or wanted an easier route – you could walk along the river from either Rudesheim or Eltville. There is a footpath along the river.

AMENITIES

We stocked up before heading back to the route, then after this there are amenities in Walluf when the route touches the river. Then again in Weisbaden at the end.

PLEASURE

• Arriving to Weisbaden is a super experience and we were so glad that the route finishes in a spectacular park. Head to Biebrich Palace for maximum photo opportunities.
• You can either choose to stay in Weisbaden, a spa town. Or cross the river to Mainz – a more lively city with eclectic bars and restaurants. We opted for Mainz and loved the vibe.

Find our guide to visiting and staying in Mainz here.

ACCOMMODATION

We stayed in the H2 Hotel in Mainz – a new hotel with great facilities. The breakfast was incredible!

What to consider when creating your daily stages

The Rheinsteig is reasonably flexible when it comes to picking the daily stages. But you will want to keep in mind a number of things:

• The Rheinsteig trail often runs through the hills above the towns on the Rhine river – whereas accommodation tends to be found in towns on the river. You’ll want to allow an extra couple of kms to get to and from the nearest town.
• The elevation gain of the Rheinsteig trail is around 40,000 ft over 320km – this means that some day have significant elevation. Keep in mind when planning your walking distances. 20km may take around 6-7 hours, rather than the 4 hours it may take on flat ground.
• Think about where you’ll stock up on water and refreshments along the – there are not many places on the actual trail, and shops/ cafes and restaurants tend to be found in towns.
• If for some reason you are running out of time to walk your planned daily stage, or the weather turns bad, consider coming off the trail and walking along The Rhine. The majority of the time there will be a footpath or cycle path along the river, offering a more direct route if you need it.

For more information on the Rheinsteig – find this blog post which answers all frequently asked questions about the trail.

Where to next?

We have more guides for travelling in Germany.

• Is Mainz worth visiting? A city guide
• Best towns to visit on the Rhine River
• Koblenz Summer Festival & The Rhine in Flames
• Best things to do in Rudesheim am Rhein

Written by Emma

Wine Lover. Yogi. Hiker. Writer.

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