Moselle and Ahr: 7-Day Wine Lovers Private Tour
Even for the most knowledgeable wine enthusiast, Spätburgunder will be a battle to roll off their tongue. But this Ahr wine will undoubtedly ignite the charm in you to become a wine connoisseur. Our seven days private tour features a visit to two famous wine regions in Germany. Moselle is a renowned wine region known for Riesling wines, while Ahr is Germany’s pride of Spätburgunder grapes and Northern Europe’s smallest red wine haven. Expect an incredible experience on our Moselle and Ahr grape escapade!
Riesling, Pinot Noir and much more
Moselle and Ahr valleys
Moselle valley is famous for the most beautiful sceneries in Germany. This wine region is filled with ingredients for a perfect romantic holiday, featuring the Moselle river winding through the lush terraced vineyards and fairy tale settlements. The first vineyards in the region are attributed to the Romans, who planted them along Moselle river’s steep slopes. Many grape varieties have risen ever since, but the area is famous for Riesling. If you are just getting started with your oenophilia, the vast array of wine styles here will undoubtedly fascinate you.
Moselle wine has a light taste but with intense flavor and fragrance. You will appreciate its perfect balance of acidity and sweetness. The Moselle valley offers an ideal ambiance that favors a wide variety of grapes. Don’t be surprised to come across red wine grapes in the Moselle region, despite its cool climate!
Along Ahr and Moselle rivers lies many vineyards which find the steep slopes and specific soil favorable for the growth of their wine grapes. The airflow and exposure to the sun’s warmth create a great ambiance that favors grapes’ growth. During the day, the sun’s heat is absorbed by the slate soil. At night, the soil slowly releases its warmth to the vines. This phenomenon creates an optimal vine growth environment.
Our hikes & trails
Moselle valley slopes are great for hiking, and we can’t wait to show you this remarkable landscape. Our hike will go through the beautiful vineyards, the slopes, and the scenic surroundings of Calmont hills, where we will charm your taste buds with one of the world’s most incredible white wines!
Our hiking expedition will then lead us to the Ahr region’s beautiful sceneries, the red wine haven of Germany. Ahr is the smallest wine-growing region located far north, running along the Ahr river. The meandering nature of the river and the beautiful scenery as the river winds through the rocky terrain to the Rhine river generates an exhilarating feeling. As we hike through the landscape, you will discover some beauty spots along the Red Wine Trail as it runs along with the quaint villages and steep slopes. The Ahr valley has become a treasure among adventure seekers and wine enthusiasts.
If looking for a fun-filled wine-tasting expedition, you would not want to miss out on this 7-day wine lovers tour of Moselle and Ahr.
Flood disaster in the Ahr valley
The Ahr valley was hit on July 14, 2021 by extreme flood with an unexpected tidal waves. Large parts of the towns along the Ahr were flooded and severely destroyed. Numerous vineyards, wine estates, hotels and the infrastructure were seriously damaged or destroyed. A visit to the region is unfortunately not possible for the time being. Therefore we made a change in our program and we will extend our tour to the Moselle region with a few days visit to the medieval city of Trier with its Roman Amphitheater, Emperor baths and beautiful wineries and the Belgian natural mineral springs in the town of Spa. You can download the program here.
Day 1 – The Moselle valley
We’ll pick you up from the airport or your hotel on the first day of our tour. As we traverse the valley, you are going to love the spectacular scenery as we wind the way to our private wine estate at the Moselle region. On arrival, we will have a rest before we commence our wine tasting escapade in the evening and enjoy a local meat delicacy. The winemaker will then guide us as he unravels the fascinating history of his wine estate. The estate produces various types of wines along with other brandies and liqueurs.
Day 2 – The invigorating hike of Calmont hills
Hiking buffs, this is where the fun starts! You will do lots of exploration and hiking in Calmont Hills, popularly known as Via Ferrata. If you have been searching for a hiking experience that pushes you to your limits, you are going to love the sheer hillside vineyards, which are among the world’s steepest.
If you prefer something more easy, the hills have scenic walking paths too.
In the afternoon, you can rest before enjoying a delicious dinner together.
Day 3 – Wine tasting at the old city of Zell
You will enjoy the fantastic sceneries as we ride to Zell, where we will get active hiking to Collis Turm. After it we will indulge in some wine tasting in Zell. The city of Zell is renowned for Zeller Schwarze Katz, the Black Cat wine, which is produced from Riesling grapes growing in this region.
Day 4 – Trip along Moselle and Ahr rivers
On our fourth day, we will say good-by to the Amlinger family and drive in northern direction, where we will take a journey to explore the Ahr region. En route, we will hike Eltzer Forest and view the Eltz Castle, which served as the home to the Counts of Eltz from as early as 1157.
Before sunset, we’ll head northwards to the Mayschoß municipality, where we will spend a couple of days exploring the scenery, the vineyards and what else the region has to offer.
Day 5 – The epicurean escapade to Bad Neuenahr
This escapade will take you to the Ahrsteig, where you will enjoy the scenic views and hiking trails. Here, you will come across Walporzheim, a love-inspiring village filled with tasty wines. From here, we will then hike through the quiet natural forest paths, the vast pristine fields filled with narrow rocky footpaths and energetic villages. While enroute, you will see the cultural treasures and natural monuments which define this naturally rich region. If time favours us, we will enjoy one of Ahr’s renowned wines in a lively wine tasting venture session at a local winery. After a long day of hiking and sightseeing, we will head to the thermal baths and enjoy the ambiance’s relaxation.
Day 6 – The Red Wine Trail
The German Wine Institute selected the Saffenburg castle ruins of Mayschoß as the 2020’s most beautiful wine view. Our visit to these castle ruins will get you stunned and appreciate why it’s rated as the most beautiful. At Saffenburg, you will get to see the pristine views of Mayschoß wine village and Ahr, which is full of scenic winding steep slopes. We will kick off the fantastic Red Wine Trail here. We will trek through Rech and proceed to the village of Altenahr. After this adventure, a sumptuous dinner with tasty matching wines will be ready waiting for you.
Day 7 – Return Trip
We will wrap up our tour on the seventh day, drive you back as rest, exhausted but contented with this amazing wine appreciation tour. The experience will be one of a kind. Don’t forget to pack your HD camera to capture those scenic views and lively events for long-lasting memories.
- Bed and breakfast at winegrowers guesthouse
- 4 Via Ferrata hiking path experiences
- Festive Moselle wine tasting evening, a wine tasting in Zell and a wine tasting in the Ahr region
- Visit Eltz Castle
- Spa & thermal baths in Bad Neuenahr
- All items listed or explained in my tour itinerary above
- Airport or hotel pick up and return
- Bed and breakfast at winegrowers guesthouse for a 6-night stay. Rooms are shared.
- 3-course dinner with matching wines on 5 evenings
- One charming wine tasting evening in Neef
- One wine tasting in Zell
- Five climbing/hiking experiences
- Transportation by local rail from and to ending points of hiking trails
- Eltz Castle entrance fee
- A visit to the Ahr-Thermen Spa thermal baths, which includes the use of a bath towel and bathrobe
- Farewell lunch on the seventh day
- Tipping
- Tourist tax
- All private transportation by your dedicated Tour Manager
- Tree planting certificate on your name - a contribution to a green and healthy earth
- Calamiteitenfonds fee (Emergency fund)
- This offer is covered by the STO Garant guarantee. You can find the conditions for this guarantee scheme on STO Garant’s website (www.sto-garant.nl/downloads)
Note: Via Ferrata hiking trails are available for hiking veterans. A substitute path will be used for inexperienced hikers who prefer a more leisurely walking trail.
- Flights
- Meals, apart from the listed ones
- Drinks, apart from the scheduled wine tastings
- Personal expenses and all other expenses not mentioned above
- Travel and cancellation insurances
Seasonal fees may vary according to your chosen date of travel. The availability of guesthouse rooms will also be dependent on the prevailing seasons.
Our itinerary may have some slight differences depending on the holiday calendars of the local areas visited. Once your departure date is known, we’ll share the final tour program with you.
Special requests for unshared room bookings will be accepted, and fees may vary.
This trip can be extended by one or two nights upon request. Trip extensions may come with boat rides on the Moselle river. Alternatively, you may choose to extend your vacation with us on our Dunes and
Beach one day hike of Noord Holland or our 8-day tour of The Netherlands.
Due to high demand, we highly advise our guests to always book their tours with us early in advance.
Would you like us to send you a quote for a customized trip or perhaps need some clarifications? Feel free to send your requests or fill out the Contact form.
We can pick you up from the following airports:
- Amsterdam
- Cologne
- Dusseldorf
- Eindhoven
- Maastricht
We can also pick you up from your preferred pickup point other than the above mentioned.
Transportation by luxury private minibus (if 1-3 persons only; luxury private car)
This 7-day Moselle & Ahr winery expedition offers lots of fun-filled activities and a chance to become a wine connoisseur by visiting prominent wineries and vineyards. We’ve factored the prices to meet your budget and give you the most memorable experience. Below is the price breakdown for the tour: