Itinerary
Sail & Bike Denmark and Sweden
8 days / 7 nights | Ship Atlantis | guided bike tours
During this beautiful Sail & Bike trip on the “tall ship” Atlantis or Antigua, you’ll discover beautiful cities, small villages and islands around and in the Øresund – the strait between Denmark and Sweden. The narrow Øresund is an ancient trade route, like the Strait of Gibraltar and the Bosphorus, a strait of great strategic and economic importance for centuries. Charming old harbors and fortified towns lie along its shores. The journey starts in Copenhagen and ends in Malmö: two of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Europe.
Your first bike ride takes you from the mooring in Copenhagen past the Kastellet and the Little Mermaid mostly along the water and through small villages to Helsingør, dominated by Kronborg Castle, the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet. Helsingør, at the narrowest part of the Øresund, was founded as early as 1420. The second day of cycling leads you along the coast of the “Danish Riviera” with its long sandy beaches, then land inward through the slightly hilly landscape of Nordsjælland (North Zealand). During dinner, the ship will sail to Helsingborg on the Swedish side of the strait.
From Helsingborg, you cycle along the coast of the province of Skåne (Scania) to the fortified town of Landskrona. Here you take the ferry to the idyllic island of Ven, which rises out of the sea like a plateau. It is only 7.5 square kilometers (3 square miles) in size and has fewer than 400 permanent inhabitants. The steep limestone cliffs, the beautiful farmhouses and the observatory of the 17th century astronomer Tycho Brahe are fascinating. Nowadays, many artists and craftsmen live and work on Ven, which gives the small island a very special atmosphere. At the end of the day, the crew picks you up by dinghy and you spend the night on board the ship, which is anchored not far off the coast of Ven.
From Ven, you sail south for a whole day. Depending on the wind, swell and weather conditions, the ship heads for the port of Køge or anchors near Rødvig. Both places are located in a sparsely populated area, so that the starry sky can sometimes shine particularly brightly on clear nights. Your next cycling day is – again depending on the weather conditions – a round trip to and from Køge or a cycle tour from Rødvig to Køge. In both cases, you will visit the majestic steep white limestone cliffs (UNESCO World Heritage Site) of Stevns Klint. In the late afternoon, the ship leaves the medieval town of Køge and sails under the Öresund Bridge to Malmö.
In Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city, the ship will be moored near the historic city center. Enjoy the unique combination of modern architecture and the old town with Malmöhus Castle and the 14th-century St. Peter’s Church. On your last cycling day, you have the option to take a half day’s tour in and around Malmö or make a full day tour land inward to the vibrant university city of Lund to visit the medieval city center and the magnificent cathedral. Ride back along the coast to Malmö, where you will enjoy the captain’s farewell dinner on board.
Highlights of this bike and boat trip
✔ Visit Copenhagen and Malmö, among others
✔ Tiny island of Ven, UNESCO chalk cliffs at Stevns Klint
✔ Guided cycling tours, international group
✔ Three-masted sailing ship with max. 32 passengers
Itinerary
Day 1: Copenhagen
Embarkation and check-in. Starting from 5:30 pm, the crew will welcome you aboard the ship, moored close to the center of town, opposite of the Opera House. After you’ve stowed your luggage in your cabin, the skipper, crew and tour leader invite you for a welcome drink, followed by dinner on board. During the first briefing, after dinner, you’ll hear what to expect during the trip, details about the ship and also about the safety measures on board. The bicycles will be distributed in the evening or the next morning.
Day 2: Copenhagen – Humlebaek – Helsingør (48 km / 30 mi)
You will leave from the ship and cycle past the Little Mermaid and Kastellet on quiet bike paths out of town, along the Øresund but also inland through forest areas and beautiful villages. Perhaps you will see the ship sailing. About 10 km before Helsingør is Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, worth a visit. Continue to Helsingør (aka Elsinore), where you’ll reach the historic city center. The harbor is dominated by the imposing Kronborg Castle, the place Shakespeare had in mind when he wrote Hamlet. Nearby, old harbor buildings have been beautifully restored and are home to a street food market and a nautical museum, among other things.
Day 3: Helsingør–Hornbaek–Esrum–Helsingør (28 or 45 km / 18 or 28 mi) | ship sails to Helsingborg
After breakfast, you’ll first cycle along the coast of the “Danish Riviera” with its extensive sandy beaches to the tiny harbor of Hornbaek. Then you’ll turn inland through a slightly hilly landscape towards Esrum for a stop at the medieval monastery on Lake Esrum. Next, you’ll cycle through bucolic wheat fields and past some lovely castles and country houses back toward Helsingør, where you’ll reach the historic city center after a long descent. The short bike tour allows you to visit Helsingør in the afternoon. During dinner the ship will cross the narrow strait to reach Helsingborg on the Swedish coast. Helsingborg is a beautiful old city, but also considered one of Europe’s most innovative places. After dinner, you can make a short walk.
Day 4: Helsingborg – Landskrona (28 km / 18 mi.) | Ferry to Ven | Ven roundtour (10 km / 6.5 mi)
In the morning you’ll cycle along the coast of Skåne County (Scania) to the fortified town of Landskrona. On the way, you’ll pass a few beaches and the former fishing village of Borstahusen with its quaint old fishermen’s houses. The 16th-century citadel of Landskrona is still almost intact. Just after noon you’ll take the ferry to the island of Ven. Explore the tiny (only 7.5 km2 / 2.9 mi2) island, which has less than 400 inhabitants, and is a small gem in the Øresund. You can cycle around the island and visit artists, goldsmiths, cafes, the whiskey distillery or the 16th-century observatory of astronomer Tycho Brahe. As the port is too small for the ship to enter, in the late afternoon the crew will pick you up by using the dinghy and the ship will remain anchored for the night.
Day 5: Sailing day from Ven to Køge or Rødvig
Today you and your bikes will stay on board. You will sail (weather permitting of course under sail) from Ven under the Øresund Bridge to the southern part of Zealand. Enjoy the sailing trip on deck of the large sailing ship. Your destination is Køge or you sail a little further to Rødvig. The precise destination depends on weather conditions. In Køge the ship moors in the harbor, at Rødvig it anchors for the night. Between the two places are the imposing white limestone cliffs of Stevns Klint, similar to those in Dover or the German island of Rügen. This sparsely populated area is considered a “dark sky area”: on clear nights, the starry sky – once essential for navigating at sea – can be beautifully seen here.
Day 6: Rødvig – Stevns Klint – Køge (30 km / 19 mi.) or roundtour Køge – Stevns Klint – Køge (58 km / 36 mi.) | the ship sails from Køge to Malmö
If your cycling tour starts in Rødvig, you will be taken off the ship to Rødvig by using the dinghy. Cycle to UNESCO World Heritage site of Stevns Klint for a short stop and visit of the chalk rocks, the town of Højerup and the cliff church. Continue to Køge and take some time to visit the historic center of the medieval town. When your tour starts in Køge your tour is longer. You will also visit the chalk rocks of Stevns Klint and then return to Køge. The ship will pick you up in Køge to set course for a dinner sailing trip to Malmö.
Day 7: Malmö : city + outskirts roundtour (26 km / 16 mi.) or Malmö – Lund – Lomma – Malmö (49 km / 31 mi.)
The short half day round tour takes you past various highlights in the city center and through Malmö’s outskirts to a stunning view of the Øresund Bridge and the city. You will have the afternoon to explore Malmö on your own. The longer, full day tour on quiet country roads takes you to the vibrant university city of Lund, one of Sweden’s oldest cities with over 1000 years of history. Discover the cozy city center and visit the magnificent cathedral from the 12th century. On your way back to the ship you will bike along the beautiful coast, where you have the opportunity to enjoy some ice-cream or take a last swim in the sea! In the evening you will enjoy the captain’s farewell dinner.
Day 8: Malmö
This is the end of your tour, but we won’t let you leave on an empty stomach. Before disembarkation by 9:30 am, enjoy a tasty breakfast and say your farewells. Malmö train station is just around two corners: here you can catch a train to Copenhagen airport or city center.
Good to know
- Cycling route distances in the travel program are approximate.
- On some days you can choose between a longer and a shorter cycling route. Please note that
on the shorter routes you may not be able to visit all the highlights mentioned. - If you prefer not to cycle on a particular day, you’re welcome to stay on board and relax while
the ship cruises to the next landing place. No lunch will be served, but you can have your
packed lunch along the way. - The tour itinerary and route are subject to possible changes due to nautical, technical or
meteorological reasons, or other unforeseen events. - A detailed cycling ma and a GPS app are available for guests who wish to cycle individually
and at their own pace. The tour guide is always available via cell phone in case of questions,
breakdowns or emergencies.
Important observations for the Sail & Bike program
A little bit of adventure is a part of every Sail & Bike tour: the departure and arrival day and the location are a certainty, 100%. For the rest, the planned daily sailing routes are partially dependent on the strength and direction of the winds.
The skipper decides the best route to be taken day by day, and discusses the options with his guests. The crew does everything in its power to enable the program to run according to plan and to offer you as fascinating, varied and active a week as possible, in which nature and culture play a major part. It is, however, also possible that departure times and the time spent on the water – and even the order of the program itself – may be adjusted. Enjoy the ride and let yourself be led by the elements! Whenever possible, various passages will be undertaken fully rigged and anyone who would like to help the crew to sail and steer the boat is welcome to do so. This is of course absolutely up to you and no sailing experience is necessary.
