Elbe
Kayak spot · Germany
Flat water: a lake, canal or slow river
Is it worth the trip?
80Good out of 100 for your dates
Best on Fri 6: Wind 3 kn gusting 9, Air 10 °C
Tue 3 · 79 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 17kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 10kn
- Air
- 8°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 83 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 77 out of 100
- Wind
- 6 kn
- Gusts
- 15kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sun 8 · 78 out of 100
- Wind
- 7 kn
- Gusts
- 16kn
- Air
- 6°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 80 out of 100
- Wind
- 8 kn
- Gusts
- 18kn
- Air
- 7°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 280, good
- Tue 379, good
- Wed 480, good
- Thu 580, good
- Fri 683, good
- Sat 777, good
- Sun 878, good
- Mon 980, good
- Tue 1074, good
- Wed 1182, good
The spot in two facts
- Flat waterthe water
- 15.1 kmthe section
Full forecast
every day, every number
The score doesn't know the river level, weirs or your skill.
| Day | Score | Wind | Gusts | Air | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 2Nov | 80, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 79, good | 8 kn | 18kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 80, good | 5 kn | 17kn | 7°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 80, good | 3 kn | 10kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 83, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 77, good | 6 kn | 15kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 78, good | 7 kn | 16kn | 6°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 80, good | 8 kn | 18kn | 7°C | 0.6 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 74, good | 9 kn | 18kn | 4°C | 0.9 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 82, good | 10 kn | 23kn | 9°C | 0.6 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. The river's level is under In the water. More
Forecast updated . It refreshes every three hours. Forecast data: ECMWF, DWD, Météo-France and NOAA, served by Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Changed by us. Generated using E.U. Copernicus Marine Service Information.
Map
put-in, take-out, its town
Elbe on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
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One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Elbe
A river section on the Elbe, from a put-in down to a take-out. It runs 15 km along the river. No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle. 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 7.5 km away. The town to stay in is Bad Schandau. Within 5 km we also list 3 climbing areas.
- River Elbe
- Grade No grade is stated.
- Length 15 km along the river.
- Who it suits No grade stated: ask locally before you paddle.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
- Schools, hire 1 paddling school, club or hire within 10 km, the nearest 7.5 km away.
Spots and rivers: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Whitewater sections © Rivermap (rivermap.org), Riverzone and Jonathan Riddell, ODbL.
The score is the conditions only: the journey, the price and the partners never change it (how we score, how we earn).
Rough cost (estimate): about US$1,340–US$2,530 each
about US$1,340–US$2,530 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, taxi, stay, food, kayak hire.
Our estimate from typical public prices, not a quote: check the real prices before you book (where they come from). Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to DRS, estimated from distance and season, changing at FRA, full-service airlines, with a hold bag | about US$496–US$1,030 |
| Taxi | airport and back, shared | about US$80–US$134 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$308–US$509 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$295–US$549 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$161–US$308 |
| Total | about US$1,340–US$2,530 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Bad Schandau
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
about 5 min by car · 166 places to stay
about US$114/nightcountry average
About Bad Schandau its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$114 a night is our estimate of the country's average 2-star double room that month: not each town's price, and not a quote. Drives are estimates. Prices are about, in US Dollar (USD): our pound figures at the European Central Bank's rate of 30 October 2026.
Getting there: about 17h 55m
About 17h 55m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → DRS, changing at Frankfurt Main Airport (FRA), then 55 min by road
Flights ORD → DRS on your dates · AviasalesAdeSIM for your phone · Search on AiraloAd
An estimate, one way; the journey never changes the score.
On the water
Kayak trips and courses in Bad Schandau · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Bad Schandau · GetYourGuide
River level
Gauge at PIRNA, 8 km downstream: 0.92 m, low (updated 3 h ago). Low.
Bands are this gauge's own record: under its usual low, running, high, and in flood on its few highest days a year. Not a runnable range for the section: check before you go. River levels in Germany: PEGELONLINE, Wasserstraßen- und Schifffahrtsverwaltung des Bundes (WSV), DL-DE Zero 2.0. Credits
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
DKV-Zeltplatz 7.5 km
The nearest named schools, clubs and kayak or canoe hire within 25 km, in a straight line. Listings, not a recommendation. Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits