Whitewater: a river with rapids
Is it worth the trip?
59Fair out of 100 for your dates
2 days tie for best
Tue 3 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Wed 4 · 59 out of 100
- Wind
- 5 kn
- Gusts
- 12kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Thu 5 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Fri 6 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 7kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Sat 7 · 60 out of 100
- Wind
- 3 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 10°C
- Rain
- 0.6 mm
Sun 8 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 1 kn
- Gusts
- 8kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Mon 9 · 57 out of 100
- Wind
- 2 kn
- Gusts
- 9kn
- Air
- 9°C
- Rain
- 0 mm
Tap a day for wind, gusts, air and rain. Full forecast
Forecast: next 10 days
Full forecast- Mon 256, fair
- Tue 357, fair
- Wed 459, fair
- Thu 560, good
- Fri 657, fair
- Sat 760, good
- Sun 857, fair
- Mon 957, fair
- Tue 1060, good
- Wed 1156, fair
The spot in one fact
- Moving waterthe water
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 | 56, fair | 3 kn | 9kn | 8°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 3Nov | 57, fair | 2 kn | 8kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 4Nov | 59, fair | 5 kn | 12kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Thu 5Nov | 60, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Fri 6Nov | 57, fair | 2 kn | 7kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Sat 7Nov | 60, good | 3 kn | 9kn | 10°C | 0.6 mm |
| Sun 8Nov | 57, fair | 1 kn | 8kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Mon 9Nov | 57, fair | 2 kn | 9kn | 9°C | 0 mm |
| Tue 10Nov | 60, good | 7 kn | 15kn | 10°C | 0 mm |
| Wed 11Nov | 56, fair | 7 kn | 15kn | 10°C | 6.3 mm |
Wind and gusts are in knots, rain in mm. River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go. 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.
Best time to go
No month stands out
Good kayaking days in a typical week, each month, for expert paddlers, from 2016 on (ERA5 history scored the same way).
- Jan0of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Jan
- Feb1of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Feb
- Mar4of 7: a trip from Sat 6 Mar
- Apr5of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Apr
- May7of 7: a trip from Sat 1 May
- Jun7of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Jun
- Jul7of 7: a trip from Sat 3 Jul
- Aug7of 7: a trip from Sat 7 Aug
- Sep7of 7: a trip from Sat 4 Sept
- Oct6of 7: a trip from Sat 2 Oct
- Nov1of 7: a trip from Tue 3 Nov
- Dec1of 7: a trip from Sat 5 Dec
Tap a month to see this spot for a trip then.
Typical weather, not a forecast, and not the river's level: a month that is often good to be outside may still be low water.
Map
the spot and its town
Istein on Google Maps · Directions
Each place wears its best day on these dates: green good, amber fair, pale red poor, as the key says.
The map needs JavaScript. Every place on it is listed on this page, and each place's page links to Google Maps.
One finger scrolls the page; two fingers move the map. Pins are our own positions. Map OpenFreeMap, © OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
More kayaking near here
5 places
- Rheinwehr 5.4 km away
- Canal de Huningue, Parc des Eaux Vives, Huningue 8.7 km away
- Wiese, Lange Erlen, Untere (Wehr - Schwarzwaldalle) 11.4 km away
- Birs, Welle Forellenweg, Basel 13.9 km away
- Birs, Welle Redingbrücke, Basel 14.2 km away
About
the place in full, sources, credits
About Istein
A launch. Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler. The town to stay in is Basel.
- Grade No source states its grade: check a guidebook before you paddle it.
- Who it suits Suits grade III paddlers and up: a river with no grade stated, which we never offer a new paddler.
- Access No source states the access rules: check locally.
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$1,430–US$2,670 each
about US$1,430–US$2,670 each · 6 nights, 2 sharing: flights, hire car, 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 2 November 2026.
How we worked it out
| What | How we worked it out | Each |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | return ORD to ZRH, estimated from distance and season, 2 airlines on the route, with a hold bag | about US$490–US$1,020 |
| Hire car | 6 days, shared | about US$141–US$235 |
| Stay | 6 nights, a mid-range double, shared | about US$329–US$543 |
| Food | 7 days eating out | about US$315–US$584 |
| Kayak hire | 5 days, or about US$114 to fly your own | about US$154–US$289 |
| Total | about US$1,430–US$2,670 |
Prices from public sources, checked in 2026.
Where to stay: Basel
Ad Links marked Ad may pay us if you book. You pay the same, and they never change a score. How we earn
20 min by car · 97 places to stay
about US$174/nightcountry average
About Basel its beds, food and every spot near it
About US$174 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 2 November 2026.
Getting there: about 15h 10m
About 15h 10m door to door from Chicago
Fly ORD → ZRH, direct, then 1h 40m by road
Flights ORD → ZRH 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 Basel · GetYourGuideKayak hire in Basel · GetYourGuide
River level
River levels: no free forecast gives them, so check a gauge before you go.
Paddling schools, clubs and hire nearby
No paddling school, club or hire mapped within 25 km.
Schools, clubs and hire: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL). Credits